patchyp

Hey all , Im new to the forum but i have read many posts about spain on your site . I have recently returned from a 2 week holiday in benidorm , its the 4th time ive been and we always have a great time .
I met 3 familys living in Benidorm this year which was a bit different for me seeing the other side of the normal holiday maker with money in his pocked drinking beer 24/7... Im thinking of a move and just wanted some advice ( although reading post about the work situation in spain i know what your gonna tell me ) ..
I have a plumbing company back in the uk , ive been trading 8 years , buisness is ok and i can survive but i want a change, ive been itching to try something for a couple of years now.. Do you think i can get work with a small amount of spanish? ( im learning it now) I will turn my hand to anything and realise the money will be crap .. I was planning on a trip in december to take a look at some of the vans on the villamar camp site on the edge of Benidorm , its mainly to keep down the cost of living . If i buy a caravan i should be able to keep the wolfs from the door for about 1 year.. But i dont want to deplete all my money ... i wana get work as fast as i can ... Im planning to rent my home out back in the UK just incase it all went sour . My girlfriend does bar work in the uk so i think she might get work faster than me... Im not planning to move out till april next year due to commitments. Any advice would be more than welcome ... thank you for reading

lynnxa

Hi & welcome to BE

have a good search through the forum - there's a search facility at the top of the page

at the moment in Spain there is 20%+ unemployment, so possibly not the best time to come here - however with no children you are in a better position than some

pwwm

I agree with Lynnxa but would also like to add that if as you say you keep your property in the UK at least you could just go back.

Would have to be pretty fluent to get a job, but I wish you luck, sounds like you are thinking along the right lines, good luck.

The problems seem to arise when you sell up and dont have enough to last a year or two and cant get a job, and then have to fall on your sword on return to UK.

Let us know how you get on

HBG

A cousin of mine did just what you're thinking about, he ran a plumbing business back in the UK, as well as a shop, and sold those to move over but retained a small house in the UK.

He was here for 12 years and only returned to the UK because of illness. He tried everything while he was in Spain, his plumbing business, a bar, his wife had dress shops and he even built two houses.

He came over 13 years ago, but I think things were easier then.

SueG

Right here goes!!! I have recently moved out of a rented apartment and purchased a caravan which is sited on a friend's land as I have within the last few months set up a business. It is exceptionally hot at this time of the year and b.......y cold in the winter. If you purchase a van on one of the sites around Benidorm and I have been around them all you have to bear in mind that on top of the purchase price you will also have the site fees for the change of ownership and then a monthly site fee. The site fee on some sites can be as expensive as renting a small apartment. They are certainly cheaper to buy in the UK (but then you have to import them to Spain) - probably cost you twice the price of the caravan!


I lived in Albir which is within easy reach of Benidorm and have been here for three and a half years now. It is certainly getting harder to to make a living here. For example, we wanted the central heating checked in the caravan before the winter comes. British chap wanted €75.00 just to look and seeing as we now live up the mountain near Guadalest wanted us to pay €20 towards the petrol!!! Told him no way, so he rang OH the following day as he just happened to be near Guadalest LOL and we wouldn't have to pay the petrol. Just told him that if his prices were more reasonable we would have it done. Lots of people are putting adds on to their prices just to make ends meet.

I think you would find it difficult to find the work - everything here is done by who you know and not what you know. If it is just the two of you take a chance by all means and try - we only live once - we don't regret coming at all (well when everything is fine and the weather is lovely but do sometimes still think what ever have we done)

jackytoo

Aside from the work situation, spending a couple of weeks on holiday is very different from living in a place. The weather is great some months but for a couple of months it is unbearably hot and you won't just be lazing around the pool like on holiday. Then winters can be very cold and you will find yourself living much the same as you did in the UK. Best to come out and rent for a few months rather than burn your boats.

missile

Take an extended work experience trip and see how you get on.

It will be hard to find a job and it will be harder build up a business from scratch. You might consider working for nout to gain experience?

I only know one british plumber. He struggles to find enough work . Rates for tradesmen are lower and you will not get much work if you charge UK rates.

patchyp

Thanks alot for your posts ,your opinions are more than welcome ... The advice you have gave me has made me think . Jackytoo i think you are totaly right about me renting 1st ... ive been looking at the rents on a small apartment and the caravan site rent is nearly the same lol... SueG i will sort your boiler for you next winter much cheaper damn that plumber is expensive ... bet he drinks Champagne everynight in his 6 bed room villa . I have decided to rent for 6 months but pay ahead and seek work .. If i cant get work i will return to England and say i had a 6 month holiday ... Im hoping it will work out but we will have to see.. Im gonna still go out to benidorm in December and take a look around, when its more quiet and colder...
Im gonna try and learn spanish fast ive downloaded a package called rocket spanish of the web ... also im going to enrol at a local college ... But ill probably learn faster in spain lol... again id like to say many thanks for your replies ...

steviedeluxe

Surely as a plumber your better option would be moving to London and buidling up a larger nest egg before moving out? I may have been misled but everyone tells me plumbers earn a fortune in London (even the Polish variety).

patchyp

Paper talk mate ... just like the start of the credit crunch ... who is paying these plumbers ... would you ???
I make an ok living , im honest with my customers and can sleep at night ... im not after money but ( lottery would be good ) i want a better standard of life outside of work ... I know i will have to work harder and i wont make as much money ... But when im off work i can get on my bike and head out into the hills with the sun on my back .. or go to the beach and see the sun instead of rain clouds lol..

steviedeluxe

Well good luck to you. You never know, you may get a lucrative call-out from a hotel chain Seriously, if the numbers of Brits continues to fall there, it may be worth re-considering the plan. It's going to be very hard to get customers outside the British community when there are Columbians, Roumanians etc working for a pittance... well as I said good luck.

SueG

Look forward to that Come and see me in the office when you are here in Benidorm and I will do all I can to help

P.S. Might be worth you looking at servicing central heating, etc etc in caravans. Plenty of them around and I think only two guys that do the necessary

Rotor

You have to be qualified to touch gas in Spain as well as the UK ,Ive yet to meet a brit who is qualified to work with gas in Spain ,Corgi etc is worthless here.

missile

Plus, there is a regulation which requires regulation inspection of gas installations. We buy our gas from Cepsa and they send us a reminder when it is due.

We bought our gas fire from Ambefuego and asked them to arrange an engineer to carry out maintenance of our gas fire and boiler.

A property close to us was completely destroyed after their gas boiler blew up and the house caught fire. It is frightening how many people ignore maintenance

jay01

I personally think that if you have the drive, determination and the resolve to give it a good go then go for it as long as your prepared for the knock backs and kick downs. If you do not have children and a modest nest egg then it is worth a chance, it is a renters market so bargain hard for the cheapest you can get, 50e a month saved is better off in your pocket than in there's. Shop in local shops it does make a difference to your wallet and remember that your not on holiday so money is not endless.

Be flexible there is some work but it is hard to get, it is who you know at the end of the day and maybe be prepared to move around if you do not succeed up there try further south you may just be lucky. It is better to have tried and given it a good go, you will have gained from the experience and then return to the UK to try again later than to always wonder what it would have been like.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do, sometimes it is more about being alive than just existing, making a life than making a living.