We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
Jul 27th 2012, 11:19 am
#31
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
I not only said probably but also "on the forum", don't get me wrong, I'd not go within 100 miles of her in real life, we've all heard the stories!
Jul 27th 2012, 11:23 am
#32
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
If you can afford to have a 1 year holiday then you must be doing very well. Why risk that?
If you will be funding your holiday with the proceeds from your house sale then dont spend it all and end up homeless!
Btw, as someone else said, Spaniards dont buy cards and when I was in the CDS it seemed like every second British shop was selling them. And the British people I know now send cards online, either to email accounts or on services that send it direct to the home address. imo its a dying industry. Jewelry, I have no idea
If you will be funding your holiday with the proceeds from your house sale then dont spend it all and end up homeless!
Btw, as someone else said, Spaniards dont buy cards and when I was in the CDS it seemed like every second British shop was selling them. And the British people I know now send cards online, either to email accounts or on services that send it direct to the home address. imo its a dying industry. Jewelry, I have no idea
If we stay in the uk, we will be doing something similar while researching the uk location, the final months of the present business (and why i work nights) is to build up a cushion to allow us to make the most informed decision.
And I joined this forum to get some info before we took the plunge and then came home with our tails between our legs, and I thank all the people who have posted, you have helped to make me think that spain may not be the best option or even the uk, anyone got any other countries we can try??
no just joking...
And just to add, we have family in Spain to leech off
and family here s well, so if it all goes pear shaped two 50 year olds will be going home to live with a parent... now i really am worried....
Jul 27th 2012, 11:23 am
#33
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Jul 27th 2012, 11:24 am
#34
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
Jul 27th 2012, 11:25 am
#36
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Jul 27th 2012, 11:25 am
#37
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Jul 27th 2012, 11:26 am
#38
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
As this is my first post, please be gentle with me...
And I'm sure this question has raised its ugly head many many times already BUT.
I’ve been reading through the various threads and have got some good information but my question is a bit specific.
My wife and I have been regular visitors to the costa blanca region for some time, having family who moved out about 12 years ago.
At the moment my wife runs a small business selling cards, gifts, jewellery, rocks, fossils, figurines, candles, incense and oils and lots of other bits.
This business’s lease is about to expire and we have been talking with my wife’s father about a move to his part of the world and opening or buying a compatible business to provide a service to both expats and tourists as well as locals.
For my sins I’m a fully qualified apprentice trained jeweller with over 30 year of experience making one off’s for film, TV and the odd Royal.
And I’m a really good fast and cheap repairing jeweller, polisher and stone setter..
Can also do watch batteries and straps as well..
We are both learning Spanish at the moment and hope to step this up if we decide to give it a go.
So thats us.
What I want to know is, having visited a few card shops on the costa, is it worth buying a shop and adding our own ‘unique’ selling points?
I would be happy to hear both good and bad advice with regard to moving over.
We have not decided that we will move whatever advise we get, we want as much help as possible to make an informed decision.
Our children are grown up and will not come with us (I hope)
We would leave most of the cash raised from the sale of our home here in the bank (or in premium bonds) just in case we cant make it work.
We can stay with my wife’s dad for a couple of months while we sort our selves out and we would rent a flat until we are settled.
Business wise we are open to being located anywhere from Calpe to Torrevieja as long as we can serve mainly expats with passing tourist trade and some locals of course.
Your advice and suggestions please...
And I'm sure this question has raised its ugly head many many times already BUT.
I’ve been reading through the various threads and have got some good information but my question is a bit specific.
My wife and I have been regular visitors to the costa blanca region for some time, having family who moved out about 12 years ago.
At the moment my wife runs a small business selling cards, gifts, jewellery, rocks, fossils, figurines, candles, incense and oils and lots of other bits.
This business’s lease is about to expire and we have been talking with my wife’s father about a move to his part of the world and opening or buying a compatible business to provide a service to both expats and tourists as well as locals.
For my sins I’m a fully qualified apprentice trained jeweller with over 30 year of experience making one off’s for film, TV and the odd Royal.
And I’m a really good fast and cheap repairing jeweller, polisher and stone setter..
Can also do watch batteries and straps as well..
We are both learning Spanish at the moment and hope to step this up if we decide to give it a go.
So thats us.
What I want to know is, having visited a few card shops on the costa, is it worth buying a shop and adding our own ‘unique’ selling points?
I would be happy to hear both good and bad advice with regard to moving over.
We have not decided that we will move whatever advise we get, we want as much help as possible to make an informed decision.
Our children are grown up and will not come with us (I hope
) We would leave most of the cash raised from the sale of our home here in the bank (or in premium bonds) just in case we cant make it work.
We can stay with my wife’s dad for a couple of months while we sort our selves out and we would rent a flat until we are settled.
Business wise we are open to being located anywhere from Calpe to Torrevieja as long as we can serve mainly expats with passing tourist trade and some locals of course.
Your advice and suggestions please...
Jul 27th 2012, 6:34 pm
#39
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
DON'T DO IT MAKE THE BEST YOU HAVE IN U.K. APART FROM HOOOOOT DAYS IT'S NO DIFFERENT AT LEAST YOU SPEAK THE LINGO IN U.K.. I WISH SOOOOOO MUCH I HAD NOT COME HERE. hATE HATE IT
Jul 27th 2012, 8:21 pm
#40
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
If we were to move over, we would make sure that we could come back at any time we wanted to, Obviously if things do work out, coming back here wont be the first thing on our to do list.
As to speaking the lingo. The factory I work in employes about 250 people on nights and I am only 1 of 5 or so who's first language is english,, I cant even make myself understood in my own country.
And when we are in the shop we have to put up with people pointing at goods and then trying to give us less than the ticket price (like they dont know what the cost is)
Jul 27th 2012, 9:06 pm
#41
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
As to speaking the lingo. The factory I work in employes about 250 people on nights and I am only 1 of 5 or so who's first language is english,, I cant even make myself understood in my own country.
And when we are in the shop we have to put up with people pointing at goods and then trying to give us less than the ticket price (like they dont know what the cost is)
Mind you, you speak of a UK I don't recognise, I'm still here in UK, and the only certain way I could see a coloured face is to go to the nearest Indian takeaway.
Jul 28th 2012, 3:28 am
#42
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
Just a thought, coming from not too far from you in the UK, although the house prices seem to be falling - where else can you get a good 3 bed semi for £100k ? Not even in Spain !!
If it is possible to retain the property, letting out to give an income that will cover any mortgage, letting means you will still have a place to go back to if Project Spain goes pear shaped. The letting market is quite bouyant, many tenants are covered wholly or partially by Housing Benefit and Working Tax Credit (Luxuries not available in Spain.)
So you will also have some money coming in to help fund Project Spain before even starting the new business.
It is your decision at the end of the day, but it is a subject to be considered surely.
If it is possible to retain the property, letting out to give an income that will cover any mortgage, letting means you will still have a place to go back to if Project Spain goes pear shaped. The letting market is quite bouyant, many tenants are covered wholly or partially by Housing Benefit and Working Tax Credit (Luxuries not available in Spain.)
So you will also have some money coming in to help fund Project Spain before even starting the new business.
It is your decision at the end of the day, but it is a subject to be considered surely.
If the OP owns the house it makes no sense to sell when they can generate enough income to rent a place in Spain and still retain a UK bolt hole for when they fail in Spain.
People say "My house is worth £XXXX" when in reality its worth nothing unless you sell it but... you can say with some certainty "My house will generate me £xxx a month"
When you are drawing up your business plan base your options on income generated by rental income, effectively take the house off the board other than the income it will give. You say the value is dropping 4% a year? So what, you will still get rent regardless and your rent won't drop annually, it will either be stable or increase inline with inflation. I'm a landlord and increase rent inline with inflation which is fare to me and the tenants.
I don't know about Spain but here in South Wales its seems the two most popular start up shops certainly in two local towns are card or 'baby' shops and they seem to open and close on a regular basis.
Good luck with your plans but really think hard before jumping ship and keep your house.
Jul 28th 2012, 8:13 am
#43
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
Well put and common sense.
If the OP owns the house it makes no sense to sell when they can generate enough income to rent a place in Spain and still retain a UK bolt hole for when they fail in Spain.
People say "My house is worth £XXXX" when in reality its worth nothing unless you sell it but... you can say with some certainty "My house will generate me £xxx a month"
When you are drawing up your business plan base your options on income generated by rental income, effectively take the house off the board other than the income it will give. You say the value is dropping 4% a year? So what, you will still get rent regardless and your rent won't drop annually, it will either be stable or increase inline with inflation. I'm a landlord and increase rent inline with inflation which is fare to me and the tenants.
I don't know about Spain but here in South Wales its seems the two most popular start up shops certainly in two local towns are card or 'baby' shops and they seem to open and close on a regular basis.
Good luck with your plans but really think hard before jumping ship and keep your house.
If the OP owns the house it makes no sense to sell when they can generate enough income to rent a place in Spain and still retain a UK bolt hole for when they fail in Spain.
People say "My house is worth £XXXX" when in reality its worth nothing unless you sell it but... you can say with some certainty "My house will generate me £xxx a month"
When you are drawing up your business plan base your options on income generated by rental income, effectively take the house off the board other than the income it will give. You say the value is dropping 4% a year? So what, you will still get rent regardless and your rent won't drop annually, it will either be stable or increase inline with inflation. I'm a landlord and increase rent inline with inflation which is fare to me and the tenants.
I don't know about Spain but here in South Wales its seems the two most popular start up shops certainly in two local towns are card or 'baby' shops and they seem to open and close on a regular basis.
Good luck with your plans but really think hard before jumping ship and keep your house.
So the house is going. Rental of the place we are in would not cover the current mortgage as we purchased it and the business from the sale of our last house in 2007 and we took out a big mortgage.
Must ask one question and dont get annoyed why do you say WHEN WE FAIL IN SPAIN?
We may be one of the lucky ones, we may have enough experience and family backing and enough friends who will advertise the business.
Nothing is guaranteed I agree.
But if independent people like us dont try all that leaves you with are the massive stores giving you what they want you to have at the prices they want you to pay, try buying stuff at Carrefour and talk to the nice person on the checkout and be given a discount because you have something in common.
we do this on a regular basis. Its called Customer Service..
Anyhow the decision at the end of the day, will be made after spending time looking at all the possibilities, costs, paperwork, language barriers, tax, etc. even if we stay in the UK nothing is guaranteed.
Thats why being self employed is so much fun. And the constant danger of failure keeps you thinking up new ways to make what little money you need to live on. And I would not change it for the world..
Jul 28th 2012, 8:21 am
#44
Straw Man.
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
Barriej, while I normally say go for it, do it, you have nothing to lose, at the moment I actually think people do have a lot to lose.
Jul 28th 2012, 8:40 am
#45
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Re: We are thinking of a move to spain any advice please.
Whichever route we take its going to be hard.
Shop in the UK.
Shop in Spain.
Theres no third choice, I cant work for the man, I like the flexibility of self employement.
Both are fraught with danger. I'm beginning to lean towards the shop in the Uk in a seaside location, do 7 day weeks 16 hour days April to October and bugger off to Spain for the winter..
I'm still interested in comments and suggestions and I might as well stick around. I've got business experience so I may be able to offer others with a dream some sound advice.