Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Hi,
I would love to hear from anyone that has made the move from England to Spain. We’ve had afew years of losing important people on our lives and would like a fresh start. I am self employed, my partner is a qualified floor layer. We have two children aged 10 and 7 and they too would love to make the move.

Any useful information would be kindly welcomed

Thanks in advance

Carly

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Hi Carly. Unfortunately England voted the UK out of the European Union. If you wish to reside in spain and have just an average level of income and savings you would need to move within the next 11 months. After than you would need a higher income and would not bd able to work in spain for 2 years. Your children are perhaps going to be a bit too old to fully adapt to a spanish school system and I assume you dont speak spanish. There is no free healtcare in spain, no benefits or tax allowances compared with uk. I think you may struggle at this stage to make a successful move. You will perhaps need to do more research to help make a sensible decision

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

If you searched this forum you'll find literally HUNDREDS of threads asking exactly what you are.

How do you expect anyone to be able to help when you've offered up such little information about your circumstances?

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Thank you for your reply, knew it wouldn’t the best of times to move but do have a large amount of savings put away but know that the move out of the EU might hold things up. We may end up waiting afew years now but was just interested to hear about other people’s journeys and helpful info.

Thanks again
Carly

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Thank you again ‘opinion’.

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Thank you for remaining polite, even when other members seem determined not to be! Perhaps Opinion is just having a bad day.

Anyway, as suggested, if you've not found it already the forum has an excellent search facility which may be worth a look. Hopefully those in the know will be along to advise you, it may be helpful to give an idea of your Spanish language skills and also any particular area you're looking at.

Best of luck with it.

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Just what I was thinking too***

Thank you for your reply...we speak some Spanish but will be taking courses for the next 3 months as know this will help all of us with the move. Was looking at areas, Costa de la Luz and also Marbella? Have visited quite afew times but as I know there’s so much more of Spain that I know little of. Both myself and my partner are both 32 years old. If this helps too.

Thanks again
Carly

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Wouldn't take it personal but you really need to give more information, otherwise people can't give advice. Who knows what will happen with Brexit and what rights remain, there are however other options to get EU residency.

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Hi carly.My wife and i moved from hampshire 5 years ago we were 58 and 57 i do not work and no children in spain so a little different.My advice would be if possible is to come for an extended stay when the kids are on summer holiday and stay for 2-3 months or the 6 weeks holiday if you can.In this period of time you will all find out if spain is for you i'm sure.Dreams are great but real life can be different.We love our life in spain but you need to take your time and do research because you have a young family and will need to work which will not be as easy in spain as you might think and you will definitely need to talk spanish to work.Keep dreaming and planning and you could be in spain as we are. Ask specific questions on what you need to know.There is great advice to be had on BE some you will like some not.All the best and keep dreaming and planning

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Thing is, Carly, everyone's circumstances are slightly different and often the devil is in the detail, but more importantly you are in a majorly different situation from people who are already here.
One person's description of their journey from London to Leeds up the M1 in a car, would not be very helpful to another person who wants to make the same journey by motorbike when the M1 is closed.
Do you speak good Spanish, is your self-employment activity going to be easy to transfer to Spain, what's your motivation for choosing Spain in particular? making a new start doesn't necessarily mean changing countries.
I find forums work best if you ask specific questions and put them in context so that people know straight away whether they have any helpful advice to offer or not.

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Your biggest problem is that the unemployment rate in Spain is a lot higher than the UK, even allowing for the criminally massaged UK rates quoted by the government. Most floors in Spain are tiled as well. You say self-employed, but as what? some of the employment you are looking at MAY be in demand, but a lot will not.

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Thank you for your reply
Carly

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

Ofcourse and that it something weve looked into. My partner qualified in hard wood flooring and tiling.

thank you for your reply
carly

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

You will be aware from your research that Brits will lose their automatic right to work in the EU after Brexit/the end of any transition period.
On that basis I would say, If you want to work in Spain you need to get yourselves here and working before the end of transition. If there is no transition it's already too late.
Without the automatic right to work you would have to obtain work permits. Since as has been pointed out Spain doesn't have enough jobs to go round, I don't see it granting work permits for jobs that the local labour force could do.
If it's possible to do so without burning your bridges, why not come over very soon to find out whether your partner can find work or not. You won't know until you try. If it turns out he can't find work, I think you will have to plan in a different direction.

Re: Moving to Spain from Dorset
 

As others have said, all circumstances are different. You have to do your own calculations but in our case today 2 adults working and no children, moving to Spain would mean a monthly loss of €2,000 and that's generous without calculating private pension contributions etc. so more like €2,300 and hoping we can both find the work. Then there's also less social security, more working hours, longer commute from our desired location, language and so on. In a year that's roughly €27,600 we've lost and in 15 years €414,000 based on figures today. We have a holiday home in Spain and are happy to keep it that way, rather than a permanent move.