# advice needed please on move to spain



## tonitebb (May 24, 2011)

my partner and i have decided to rent our house out and move to spain, near gibraltar with our two children aged 4 and 3 months. We have friends who work for william hill in gibraltor and live near estapona so thats where we are heading. There is nothing keeping us in england as i dont work and my partner is a singer so he can do that over there. I need advice on areas and where i can find suitable rental property for us all without being too expensive. We have saved enough money to last us 4 months without work. My partner is planning on getting work singing....he is robbie williams/gary barlow/micheal buble tribute. Where would be the best place to start around the gibraltar area which want entertainment like him? Also, my son will start full time school in september and it is REALLY important i get him in a good school and nice area to live. Has anyone got any advice on where to start and how to settle a family in this area of spain. 

Thanks


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

Based on the informnation that you have given so far the only thing that I would suggest is that you need to be absolutely certain that you will be able to manage financially based on what you 'hope' your other half will be able to earn as a singer. There will be a lot of competetion from more established acts here in Spain, many of which can only find work during the holiday / busy season. If you are independantly wealthy, or have another income, then great.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Hi and welcome

After reading your post I am surprised that your friend has not come up with local estate agents for you to contact your friends know you and your likes and dislikes but I am sure there will be some people on the forum who can give you some leads
Maiden


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## tonitebb (May 24, 2011)

thanks for the comments so far, all advice is appreiciated. We are financially stable and if the singing doesnt pull off his friend can offer either of us a job. However he is wanting to venture into the singing even if its a few gigs a month he is out there meeting people and hopefully work will follow. is he better going to tourist towns where there are limitless bars etc like torremolinoss for example or would it not make a difference?? I just dont want to settle in a quiet counrty town and he have to travel hours at night to get to gigs. Failing the singing career either of us have experience in other fields. If the move doesnt go well for us we have our own property back in england we can come back to...my partner is self employed anyway so hes not giving up a big career in a work place. Basically it doesnt matter if we dont make it in spain as we wont be any worse off if we return in 2-3 years if you understand, it will just be the children that will be disrupted. what are schools like over there??


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

At those ages you kids should adapt really well. Generally children start school at 3 years old over here - although it isn't compulsory until 6. If your intentions are to make a go of things here in Spain I would suggest that you seriously considered putting them in state school, if your plans are to 'see how it goes' then International School may be the way to go.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

tonitebb said:


> thanks for the comments so far, all advice is appreiciated. We are financially stable and if the singing doesnt pull off his friend can offer either of us a job. However he is wanting to venture into the singing even if its a few gigs a month he is out there meeting people and hopefully work will follow. is he better going to tourist towns where there are limitless bars etc like torremolinoss for example or would it not make a difference?? I just dont want to settle in a quiet counrty town and he have to travel hours at night to get to gigs. Failing the singing career either of us have experience in other fields. If the move doesnt go well for us we have our own property back in england we can come back to...my partner is self employed anyway so hes not giving up a big career in a work place. Basically it doesnt matter if we dont make it in spain as we wont be any worse off if we return in 2-3 years if you understand, it will just be the children that will be disrupted. what are schools like over there??


worse case scenario - no work - you will be much worse off because you wouldn't have access to the very limited social security system here

even the unemployed spanish get very little state support - & what they do get is for a limited time

you would be unlikely to get a cent - and there is no free healthcare either - you would get limited emergency care with the EHIC - but in Spain if you don't pay in - you can't take out


good news - in my opinion, the state education system is excellent


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Now, I was speaking to a singer the other night and it sounds horrendous! Its amazingly cut throat and "new kids on the block" are not looked on very favourably by those who are already here and established. The person I was speaking to said that she and her husband (they're a duo) couldnt get any work and even when they offered to do gigs for nothing (just petrol and drinks) to get them started, the existing acts made it impossible - there were even threats to property should they get anything. I had no idea it was that bad and yes, this is just hearsay. But times are hard and these performers have living costs and have watched their incomes drop by half just cos the hotels have reduced the pay apparently.

However, on a lighter note, your children are a good age to get into Spanish life and will pick up the language quickly!!

Jo xxx


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