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moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Old Sep 30th 2014, 6:43 am
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Default moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

complete newbie so be gentle! Im looking to move my family out to spain early next year ( Wife , son 19 and dog) to start a fitness/holiday business but really need some advice on locations etc ! can you give me some pointers ? on a personal level we would like to be in a area with a few expats but also really want to intergrate with our spanish neighbours.
location need to be a short drive to the coast and local amenities ie supermarkets, hospitals , bars etc.
Will be self employed whats the proceedure for this ?
Also we will be buying property so any advice about this will be great as well !!

I know youve seen hundreds like us but a little help will be such a massive step in the right direction .
thanks !
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Old Sep 30th 2014, 7:33 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by spartacus70
complete newbie so be gentle! Im looking to move my family out to spain early next year ( Wife , son 19 and dog) to start a fitness/holiday business but really need some advice on locations etc ! can you give me some pointers ? on a personal level we would like to be in a area with a few expats but also really want to intergrate with our spanish neighbours.
location need to be a short drive to the coast and local amenities ie supermarkets, hospitals , bars etc.
Will be self employed whats the proceedure for this ?
Also we will be buying property so any advice about this will be great as well !!

I know youve seen hundreds like us but a little help will be such a massive step in the right direction .
thanks !
Welcome to BE

You are almost certainly not going to like a lot of the advice given I'm afraid but main questions are

Are you fluent in Spanish?

Will your son be getting a contracted jb?

Don't buy at first, rent for 12 months before committing your money, the business you are talking about is fraught with difficulties to make any sort of living, there are literally thousands of such places, many living hand to mouth, then closing within a few months.

For the sort of business you are looking at, then an area with MANY expats would be best as these are the holiday areas.
You really need to budget coming ut with at least enough money to last 12 months without any money coming in.
You will need private health cover for your son at least, and for the two of you to start with as being autonomo (self employed) will cost up to €250 a month and that, or a contracted job, is the only way you will get Spanish Healthcare, and remember it isn't free at that, you still have to apy towards presciptions etc, it's not a fixed amount per prescription.

Remember that there is no benefit safety net for any of you out there.
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Old Sep 30th 2014, 7:57 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

thanks Mike , not a prob about the reply if those are the facts those are the facts ! were just about to start lessons so fingers crossed. As far as the business is concerned im not really looking at serving the expat/local community but working with Uk based clients who will be travelling to me to do a intensive week of personal/group training, but i can understand your concerns.
My son who is also a qualified personal trainer is undecided if he wants to stay in spain but in the short term he will be studying possibly working with me.
Ive never claimed for any benefits and dont intend to start !
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Old Sep 30th 2014, 8:30 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by spartacus70
complete newbie so be gentle! Im looking to move my family out to spain early next year ( Wife , son 19 and dog) to start a fitness/holiday business but really need some advice on locations etc ! can you give me some pointers ? on a personal level we would like to be in a area with a few expats but also really want to intergrate with our spanish neighbours.
location need to be a short drive to the coast and local amenities ie supermarkets, hospitals , bars etc.
Will be self employed whats the proceedure for this ?
Also we will be buying property so any advice about this will be great as well !!

I know youve seen hundreds like us but a little help will be such a massive step in the right direction .
thanks !
Let me see. Buying a house and starting a new business. And don't speak Spanish

Hope you have a lot of money! Millions or at least 400-500k

Your location will be the most important thing for your business, but only you can decide that based on the business plan. We have no idea who your customers are meant to be or even if they exist
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Old Sep 30th 2014, 8:32 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by spartacus70
complete newbie so be gentle! Im looking to move my family out to spain early next year ( Wife , son 19 and dog) to start a fitness/holiday business but really need some advice on locations etc ! can you give me some pointers ? on a personal level we would like to be in a area with a few expats but also really want to intergrate with our spanish neighbours.
location need to be a short drive to the coast and local amenities ie supermarkets, hospitals , bars etc.
Will be self employed whats the proceedure for this ?
Also we will be buying property so any advice about this will be great as well !!

I know youve seen hundreds like us but a little help will be such a massive step in the right direction .
thanks !
Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

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Old Sep 30th 2014, 8:46 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Thanks for the welcome!
Cricketman as i said I will be looking to learn spanish. could you explain the 400k-500k comment ? And to be fair I am not looking for business advice or would I ask you to comment on my business as that wouldnt be fair of me would it. If you could maybe answer the original post that would be brilliant ! many thanks
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Old Sep 30th 2014, 9:00 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by spartacus70
Thanks for the welcome!
Cricketman as i said I will be looking to learn spanish. could you explain the 400k-500k comment ? And to be fair I am not looking for business advice or would I ask you to comment on my business as that wouldnt be fair of me would it. If you could maybe answer the original post that would be brilliant ! many thanks

He is referring to needing health care, paying bills, buying property, re learning Spanish, in one year you wont be fluent, we all hoped we would be but you need to be immersed to gain most.
If you don't get the clients you hope for, the money is to live on, no bail outs here, yes I know you said you never have but what if?
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Old Sep 30th 2014, 9:06 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by spartacus70
Thanks for the welcome!
Cricketman as i said I will be looking to learn spanish. could you explain the 400k-500k comment ? And to be fair I am not looking for business advice or would I ask you to comment on my business as that wouldnt be fair of me would it. If you could maybe answer the original post that would be brilliant ! many thanks
There are many things to consider and budget will be one big factor. For a decent location you'll obviously pay more, but that's the main factor for your business to work. What will you offer and how is the competition in that area? Spain has plenty of hotels offering fitness, so can you compete and still make enough to enjoy the life you imagine? Is it low budget, do you want to target the rich etc.
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Old Sep 30th 2014, 9:06 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by spartacus70
Thanks for the welcome!
Cricketman as i said I will be looking to learn spanish. could you explain the 400k-500k comment ? And to be fair I am not looking for business advice or would I ask you to comment on my business as that wouldnt be fair of me would it. If you could maybe answer the original post that would be brilliant ! many thanks
I did answer your OP. Where you go should go depends on your business. Without your business you will be out on the streets. Unless you have loads of savings. Which was my point

Best of luck by the way. Nothing is impossible, but you need to be aware of the reality. And you need to know your market well
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Old Sep 30th 2014, 9:13 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by cricketman
Best of luck by the way. Nothing is impossible, but you need to be aware of the reality. And you need to know your market well
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Old Oct 1st 2014, 9:22 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by spartacus70
complete newbie so be gentle! Im looking to move my family out to spain early next year ( Wife , son 19 and dog) to start a fitness/holiday business but really need some advice on locations etc ! can you give me some pointers ? on a personal level we would like to be in a area with a few expats but also really want to intergrate with our spanish neighbours.
location need to be a short drive to the coast and local amenities ie supermarkets, hospitals , bars etc.
Will be self employed whats the proceedure for this ?
Also we will be buying property so any advice about this will be great as well !!

I know youve seen hundreds like us but a little help will be such a massive step in the right direction .
thanks !
Theres enough on here that will give you their nuggets of wisdom of why you shouldnt move here. So I wont. I can only give you my personal small window of experience of moving to Catalonia a la sprog and wife 4 weeks ago. We looked at the Maresme and Valles Oriental regions (Barcelona province). Both have some beautiful rural places to live. Yet you can be parked up in the centre of Barcelona in less than 30. We feel like we live in the middle of nowhere its that quiet here. Its weird not hearing cars...or anything. Yet within 10 mins we have Carrefour/Alcampo's etc, a dog aqua park, and the La Roca retail outlet mall that sells everthing from Gucci to Clarks shoes. Oh and the beach, and really really stunning mountains & forests. So...business aside (athough they all seem to be fitness bonkers up here....lots of cyclyists, runners and mountain bikers puffing up and down) Its far superior to the UK....so far. We've found great food, nice people, great places to visit (theres always something interesting going on without ever having to even get near Barcelona) And its very green & lush compared to down south. Although being near to Barcelona does have some benefits. We have Pharell Williams, Kylie Minoggle..and old misery guts Morrissey over the next couple of weeks. Even Elton is bringing his diamond encrusted cod piece over here before Christmas...if thats your thing. What will do you head in...is getting anything official sorted. We're lucky enough to have had a relocation company at our beck and call with translators/accompanied visits etc. But even thats been hard enough, so I cant imagine doing it all at the same time as organising a business. But (despite what some say on here) Barcelona still has some cool kudos as a destination in the world, so if your clientelle are international then it can only help in getting them over here. It also has cheap flights from quite a few UK airports. So basically, based on a meagre 4 weeks here...Catalonia gets a from us. So, all the best! If I can be of any help, feel free.
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Old Oct 1st 2014, 9:57 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by spartacus70
complete newbie so be gentle! Im looking to move my family out to spain early next year ( Wife , son 19 and dog) to start a fitness/holiday business but really need some advice on locations etc ! can you give me some pointers ? on a personal level we would like to be in a area with a few expats but also really want to intergrate with our spanish neighbours.
location need to be a short drive to the coast and local amenities ie supermarkets, hospitals , bars etc.
Will be self employed whats the proceedure for this ?
Also we will be buying property so any advice about this will be great as well !!

I know youve seen hundreds like us but a little help will be such a massive step in the right direction .
thanks !
Hola
Be Gentle - NOPE the brutal truth is best. You need to sit down and do some proper research. If your business is failing in the UK it sure as hell won´t work here - and it may break your marriage up with all the stress.

If you "bread and butter" business will be coming over on a weeks "get fit" holiday then it doesn´t really matter where you´re situated apart from near an airport that your visitors can easily use.

If you need to spend 200/300k on a house, then you will need to maintain it - what is your budget. Shall we say you need 1,500€ a month to live on - budget say 18 months returning broke because everything went wrong - so 27,000€

Need to set up a business? rent premises and pay for all the utilities? Budget another 27,000€ Need to buy / sell a car - shall we say 10,000€ for a second hand reasonable car.

These figures are off the top of my head - you could need more or perhaps less - only you can tell from the lifestyle you want here.

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Old Oct 1st 2014, 10:11 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by t2uds
Catalonia gets a from us. So, all the best! If I can be of any help, feel free.
I can't argue with that. Spain is an incredible place to live, as long as you have a good job that pays fairly well

But very few British people have that or are able to have that due to lack of language skills and a lack of decent jobs in Spain
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Old Oct 1st 2014, 10:25 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by t2uds
Theres enough on here that will give you their nuggets of wisdom of why you shouldnt move here. So I wont. I can only give you my personal small window of experience of moving to Catalonia a la sprog and wife 4 weeks ago. We looked at the Maresme and Valles Oriental regions (Barcelona province). Both have some beautiful rural places to live. Yet you can be parked up in the centre of Barcelona in less than 30. We feel like we live in the middle of nowhere its that quiet here. Its weird not hearing cars...or anything. Yet within 10 mins we have Carrefour/Alcampo's etc, a dog aqua park, and the La Roca retail outlet mall that sells everthing from Gucci to Clarks shoes. Oh and the beach, and really really stunning mountains & forests. So...business aside (athough they all seem to be fitness bonkers up here....lots of cyclyists, runners and mountain bikers puffing up and down) Its far superior to the UK....so far. We've found great food, nice people, great places to visit (theres always something interesting going on without ever having to even get near Barcelona) And its very green & lush compared to down south. Although being near to Barcelona does have some benefits. We have Pharell Williams, Kylie Minoggle..and old misery guts Morrissey over the next couple of weeks. Even Elton is bringing his diamond encrusted cod piece over here before Christmas...if thats your thing. What will do you head in...is getting anything official sorted. We're lucky enough to have had a relocation company at our beck and call with translators/accompanied visits etc. But even thats been hard enough, so I cant imagine doing it all at the same time as organising a business. But (despite what some say on here) Barcelona still has some cool kudos as a destination in the world, so if your clientelle are international then it can only help in getting them over here. It also has cheap flights from quite a few UK airports. So basically, based on a meagre 4 weeks here...Catalonia gets a from us. So, all the best! If I can be of any help, feel free.
Glad you like it. Have a place in Catalonia (between Vidreres & Lloret) for those reasons. There's a big difference if you have to work, or want to work and most jobs that pay are in Barcelona. The OP wants to start his own business and I doubt that the things you said are relevant for his business (no offence:-). There are enough hotels that offer fitness along the Costa Brava.
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Old Oct 1st 2014, 11:42 am
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Default Re: moving to spain advice needed ( yes another sorry !)

Originally Posted by Moses2013
Glad you like it. Have a place in Catalonia (between Vidreres & Lloret) for those reasons. There's a big difference if you have to work, or want to work and most jobs that pay are in Barcelona. The OP wants to start his own business and I doubt that the things you said are relevant for his business (no offence:-). There are enough hotels that offer fitness along the Costa Brava.
No offence taken at all But I would say some of its relevant He isnt asking for business advice. He's bringing his own clientele across and wants a nice place to do it. Which is why I suggested Valles Oriental/Maresme in the Barcelona province -along with its cheap flights & Barcelona kudos for said UK clientelle. So....nah lol

Anyhoos. Lets see if he even comes back to the thread first. He may have given up the will the live....
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