partybaby

Although we havent decided where exactly, we do want somewhere with a short walk to the beach..

Theres myself, other half, 3 younger kids (over 10 and under 16) and my oldest daughter, her boyfriend and baby on the way..

Have looked at a few properties as we have some money coming to us soon.. and found 4/5 bedrooms.. in our price range, very basic houses, but able to be moved into without work needing doing, just a bit of decorating.. although we wont look seriously until we have the money in our hands..

What do we need to do if we all move together? Are there any legal requirements..

I would probably look for seasonal work, as would my daughters boyfriend, other half has his private pensions that he would live off. So we would have regular income..

Youngest will still be school age, we also plan on learning basic spanish as well, before moving there as we would like to live close enough to the touristy areas for work purposes but also in a more traditional setting..

So what do we NEED to know before making the move.

ononno

Hi, I'm not a Spain expert but there is a lot you need to know; much of it available searching through the forums. Buena suerte :-)

bxpuser24710519

Neither am I live like a mushroom

Things you need to research for yourself in no particular order.

Schooling and the costs !

Employment or rather UN employment 40%

No benefits unless you have worked here.

Self employed ? have to pay autonomo approx. 250 euros a month.

Need to prove you can support yourselves and not be a burden on Spain.

LOTS of bits of paper needed and a tax to pay to get some of them.

Hospitals and giving birth in foreign country possible language barrier

Buying a property ? need to check scrupulously that it is legal if you mind living in one that's not and the possible outcome of illegality. The process and costs.

Telephone/Internet .... not always available nor good in some areas and can be expensive.

Proximity to an airport if required.

I am quite happy living here although under changed circumstances from when I came. I love the light, the fish, fruit and veg markets, the bakeries and cake shops. The little markets, shops in odd places and the challenge to find what you want/need .. well sometimes the live music and some of the traditional events held in the villages and towns.

Neptuno

Use different forums for experiences and opinions- but be prepared for the fact that you will be overwhelmed and confused!
Use sites such as UK in Spain, Anglo Info etc or google your queries.
Books tend to be out of date very quickly as laws change all the time
Ensure you;
Find a good solicitor-not as easy as you might think!
Have enough savings for at least 1 year
Ensure you research healthcare, as you won't be eligible for free Spanish healthcare.No free dental treatment, either, so if kids need braces etc-very expensive.
if you have serious health problems or disabilities, think again about moving to Spain. Contact DWP with queries
Contact HMRC about your tax status. Make sure you research the Spanish tax system, very different to UK. You will have to pay income tax in Spain, apart from government pensions.Inheritance tax is different to UK, and there are various laws eg assets law which may be applicable to you if you have assets of over 50,000 euros in different categories. Timing of move to Spain is crucial-see 183 day rule.
Research schooling- disrupting the children's schooling may be a problem. Even state schools involve a lot of expense. Spanish-It's a myth that children just pick it up;they will probably need lots of extra tuition to keep up.
Jobwise-highly unlikely you'll get work, even seasonal.
Be prepared for cold winters, possibly unbearable heat in summer
It's such a huge thing to contemplate-you'll have to do loads of research. If you have property in UK, it's good to keep it if things don't work out.(subjected to various taxes in Spain too eg imputed income tax)
If I haven't put you off, read on-there will be many posts on this!

Lynn R

You need to know that even seasonal work is nigh on impossible to find - you will be competing with huge numbers of unemployed Spaniards who will work for as little as €5 per hour. Sometimes the pay for working in bars and cafes is even less.

You need to know that in order to sign on the official register of foreigners resident in Spain, you now need to provide proof that you have sufficient funds, in a Spanish bank account, or regular pension payments into one, plus proof that you have health cover (either by way of an S1 form from the DWP if you have an up to date record of NI contributions - which could give you up to 2 years' cover under the Spanish state system - or private medical insurance). If you don't have a residency certificate you will be unable to enrol your children in school.

You need to know that children between 10-16 will find it extremely difficult to adjust to Spanish schooling even if they succeed in learning "basic" Spanish before they arrive, and that job prospects for them once they finish their education are likely to be extremely limited, to say the least, for several years to come. That is why many young Spanish people, including those who are well qualified, are currently having to leave Spain to seek work abroad.

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

partybaby

Thanks for all the replies, alot to think about.

We discussed some more and have thought about renting for a few months and then looking for something to buy afterwards. While also searching for work. Although i am currently self employed and could continue working while there.. But the self employed thing sounds confusing. Here i am a sole trader, have an accountant.. But would probably need to get an accountant for over there.

Leper

Partybabe, If you were travelling to Spain to live even with your husband, I would be asking you to do the Devil's Advocate and hold what you have. Spain is a graveyard for people trying to start a new life.

The only exceptions are somebody who has a magnificent amount of money and can afford the experience and the other is people retiring who are not looking for even season work.

You have got many impediments to successful living in Spain (no offence, just being practical). Unless, you are extremely lucky, you will find yourself like an average horse in the Grand National and will hit Beecher's Brook like hot butter falling from a skyscraper hitting the ground.

Think Long . . . and think hard . . . yours is a great recipe for disaster in Spain . . .

Dxf

Hola

put simply, search this forum for other threads of people wanting to move to Spain. Unemployment is split into two parts; under and over 25. One in three people are unemployed over 25, two out of three unemployed under 25. Doesn´t make pretty reading!

Petty theft is rife; people that were upstanding members of the community have bitten so deep into their savings they´ve got nothing left. Families support each other and to save rent, move in with each other when one part of the family falls unemployed. One wage that used to support husband, wife and two kids now supports brother or sister and their kids. Things are tight.

If the Spanish can´t get jobs for themselves and are moving abroad then that should speak volumes.

How much money will you need? I´d say that 2,000€ a month should cover your extended family; I´m sure others will follow with their guesses at how much a month you will need.

To put it bluntly and perhaps be rude - what you need is a brain. And that brain should say now is not a good time to move to Spain. By all means prepare for such a move in the future. Learn Spanish and read up all you can on the way of life here. But be patient, wait for the market to turn, then you will stand every chance of a successful move

Davexf

pete_l

With a baby on the way, the parents need to look seriously at the medical situation. Will they get free maternity care or will they have to pay? Don't expect to have the same safety nets and financial cushions that the british benefits system gives - no other country in the world is anything like as generous with its payout: expecially to non-residents (resident is a legal/technical term, it doesn just mean that you live in a country).

Also you should be aware that there's a very strong possibility that Sky TV will be unavailable to brits in Spain very soon. What will your children do with all their spare time ?

With 8 of you in the house, you're going to need some serious income, just to feed that lot! You might just be able to squeak past on €1000/month - and that would ony be "surviving", not living. But even then, it's surprising how many unexpected bills there can be. Don't expect living in Spain to be any cheaper than living in England.

Given the number of people involved, it's a pretty good bet that at least one of them will grow to hate the place and want to go back to England. What plans do you have for that? If say your elsdest+o/h and baby head back to the UK. Does that leave you high & dry on the jobs/money side. You need to plan for the possibility that you won't stay, and bear in mind that it can take 2 or 3 years to sell a house in Spain, moving back to the UK won't be as easy as moving to Spain was.

mikelincs

It's the age old story about how to become Spanish Millionaire, start with 2 million..

dmu

Hi, butting in from the France forum, but it's a southern European problem!

Hopefully this is a typo - 1000€ per month (which corresponds to about 33€ per day, for 8 people, including a baby?) is the average official "poverty threshold" figure in France for A COUPLE to survive (the basics, e.g. very low rent, food, utilities, insurances, Property and/or Dwelling Taxes, internet/tel, petrol, ...).
The OP and all the adults concerned should think hard about how they are going to survive without the UK benefits that they are used to. A short walk to the beach isn't going to fill the children's bellies and clothe them and pay the school requisites and their social life...
If they had posted on the France forum, they would have had the same reactions as here - postpone this dream!

partybaby

we are going to wait a year or so, both of us have some money coming, daughter and her boyfriend are moving in with us, and are going to save all their spare money.. My other half has 3 private pensions that he can take in 1 to 2 years, which will give him a lump sum of over 60 thousand, as well as weekly money amounting to nearly 400.. thats not including the state pension in the future, me or daughters boyfriend working would just be top up money.. Kids are older and wouldnt really need sky tv.. They can read, play their ds, or computer games..
All we want is a cheap livable house, nothing too fancy, a room for each of us.. and close to the beach.

me me

We have heard all this before.

How children won´t need this or that, but with my 2, they were more expensive the older they got.

Yours will want a social life, toiletries, and not just a splash of Varon Dandi, it will be what ever is the mode, CK, Hugo Boss or such.

School costs will need to be met, at no little cost to the budget.

Then their social life will cost, a teenager is not content to sit with a bucket and spade on the beach.

Then driving lessons........I could go on but all that on the amounts you give is nigh on impossible

partybaby

You would be surprised with my kids, a bucket and spade still gives hours of entertainment, a fishing rod does too.. a pool table etc.. They are 13/14 and 9 the 9 year old would happily just read all day long.. my kids dont demand designer clothes etc.. are happy with the basics. And if they want anything later on they need to earn it.