evans4190

hi all im new to this website, ive been trying to get as much information off the web, with great intrest in moving to spain, iv been all over the beautifull country, and not fussed where i go really, could somebody please give me some information on how difficult it would be for me ie could i just jump on a plane rent an appartment and search for a job out there or would a lot more organising be on the cards, and the cheapest place to rent property would be a great help thankyou regards Ian.

goaty

Obviously moving to another country requires a bit of planning or you will most likely fall flat on your face. As has been said by many, there is huge unemployment in Spain. You could go and rent an apartment and search for a job, but you would need funds to live on, ideally have a skill and speak the language.
The price of flats varies considerably, even in the same town. The cheapest place that I have been was in Extramadura but I wouldn't recommend living there.

AdrianTO

What do you do for a living?

evans4190

im a mechanic

AdrianTO

In that case head to a place where there is a large British expat population, like Costa Del Sol or Costa Blanca. Rents are dirt cheap on the coast these days. If you are a good, honest mechanic you will always have business from the local Brits. Once you start getting referrals, you will have more work than you can handle.

evans4190

ok thankyou very much for your reply

jdr

Erm, no quite as easy as that round here.

lynnxa

nor round here...............

JLFS

I dont think it will bw the piece of cake that you do, cars are much more than an engine in a metal box that they once were.

I think it times of crisis the jobs that can be done by the owner or his brother are being done, and the more complicated, specialist jobs require specific equipamient.

Fredbargate

I think you should make up your mind about your destination and then research it thoroughly

alig2010

Or ... you could ask about different countries and make up your mind depending on the feedback you get about the possibilities in each one.

chrisjolly

Hi, If you are a mechanic then finding work in an expat area like the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca should be OK but you will need to register as self employed with the local employment office and pay your own Social Security contributions. You will also need to have all the programmes to cope with modern vehicles; a good reliable works van and a vast array of tools..business cards and advertising in the local press is a start. It will take money and time. I know some mechanics who have survived and some who have had to go back to the UK for lack of business..good luck

JLFS

Do you not have any preference as to where you go yourself, as you have been all over Spain.

Even if you cant decide where you want to go, surely you have a list of places that you dont want to go to.

Rotor

If you are an experienced/fully conversant mechanic you will always find work in all the expat communties unlike most other trades at the moment, bring all your tools and diagnostic kit , dont be put off by others saying most expats do their own repairs , rubbish, most cant even change a wheel without crossing a thread let alone change a cam belt , clutch ,head gasket etc

I`d suggest going mobile and advertise in expat mags etc ,I would not go self employed until you can afford to (like many Spanish mechanics) as its much much more expensive here , cost prohibative in some cases!

Dont expect to earn UK money either , many expats over value themselves, the going rate for mobile mechanics is around 15 to 20 euros ph , main agents only charge around 40 euros ph here.

If you need names of parts in Spanish you can p.m me.

Rotor

These type usually claim to be mechanics just because they used to service their own car in the UK