# Garden maintenance jobs



## Grievesy73 (Jul 10, 2013)

Hi everyone

I wonder if anyone has any advice, good or bad. I currently live in the UK but want to relocate to the Costa Blanca region, anywhere near La Marina and southwards. 

I currently own a garden maintenance business in the UK but how easily would it be to do this in Spain, especially in my preferred areas? Is there the work there on Urbanizations? I'm looking to make a basic living, not make it big, in exchange for a warmer life. 

Look forward to your comments

Tony


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

As with most of these kinds of jobs it ultimately comes down to who you know and word of mouth (assuming you are any good at it). And that takes time. You can advertise in the local press and English magazines and see what happens. Garden centres abound in Spain and are on the increase so the gardening business seems to be booming a bit. You would be in competition with many of these places so you would have to offer a more personal touch and keep your prices and hourly rates low. SWMBO does garden maintenance and design and has quite a good amount of work. But it is an absolute bu&&er in the heat of the summer...


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

You would also have to register as autonomo, which will involve paying a monthly fee - I think its starts fairly low and increases over a year to 250€ ish a month. But doing that would mean you would qualify for Spanish health care

Jo xxx


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Many people around here seem to use someone called Paco (or was it Rafa?) - they only charge 4€ per hour and do all the basic maintenance work including;


watering
pruning
sweeping up leaves etc.
picking olives etc.
weeding
general maintenance

They even work during the hottest part of the day during the summer


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## Grievesy73 (Jul 10, 2013)

Thanks for your replies. Ideally I'd like to work with someone/ company and also learn pool maintenance. My research continues............


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Dont give up on your dream until you've searched out every possibility. Maybe do some fact finding trips......

Jo xxx


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## Grievesy73 (Jul 10, 2013)

jojo said:


> Dont give up on your dream until you've searched out every possibility. Maybe do some fact finding trips......
> 
> Jo xxx






Jo,

I've been out half a dozen times for around 3 weeks each time in the last 18 months. I've checked out the areas where I'd like to live. Now it's just securing a job which I know is far easier said than done. I won't give up on my dream 

PS - I'm just A short drive from Worthing - small world!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Grievesy73 said:


> PS - I'm just A short drive from Worthing - small world!


 where? I'm in High Salvington

Jo xxx


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## Grievesy73 (Jul 10, 2013)

jojo said:


> where? I'm in High Salvington
> 
> Jo xxx


I'm just south of Three Bridges. I'm only 25/ 30 mins from Brighton, down the motorway


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

I too was wanting to get a garden job.

However being both Irish and a short ass I had no problem 

The garden centre owner just gave me a fishing rod!!!!!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Grievesy73 said:


> Thanks for your replies. Ideally I'd like to work with someone/ company and also learn pool maintenance. My research continues............


And, as a lot of work will be gained through word of mouth, you need to make sure you do a top job, so you'll have to make sure you know what you're doing re Spanish plants and gardens (or at least southern Spain as I suppose that's where you want to go).
I think it might be an idea to get in touch with Spanish businesses wanting to break into the foreign residnet market, offering yourself as a go between with them and English speaking customers


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

snikpoh said:


> Many people around here seem to use someone called Paco (or was it Rafa?) - they only charge 4€ per hour and do all the basic maintenance work including;
> 
> 
> watering
> ...


I've got one of those....but I pay €10 an hour. He also does jobs around the house as well as cutting palms, pruning, cutting the lawns, pool maintenance, taking away the garden rubbish. 
There are very many Pacos, Pedros, Rashids, Juanitos round here....


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## Guest (Oct 29, 2015)

Grievesy73 said:


> Hi everyone
> 
> I wonder if anyone has any advice, good or bad. I currently live in the UK but want to relocate to the Costa Blanca region, anywhere near La Marina and southwards.
> 
> ...


If you can actually do the job and are prepared to turn up on time, I have only one thing to say… when can you start! If you can offer those two things you'll blow most of the local "competition" out of the water.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

There is probably quite a big call for that type of work here but in saying that I don't know how saturated the market is. 
We certainly have one guy who keeps pestering us about are palm trees and will likely use him because of it and just about all the tradies that turn up for one job always say that they will do everything else too so people seem desperate to do any job they can.
Not sure it would be an easy market to break into really and I wouldn't want to try it out.

I would also add have a good online presence and respond to emails, not just a wordpress site that has little information and your contact details but a proper swish and interactive website.
It would be streets above most of the competition, at least in this area.

At our last rented house the landlord already had a garden/pool/everything guy and he was excellent and serviced many of the houses in the neighbourhood but we don't have his number and he has no online presence or even a phone book listing and this makes it too much of a hassle to chase the guy up for more work or recommending him to others.
Sure relying on word of mouth has clearly kept him pretty busy but as a business model it makes no sense to isolate the rest of the market like that.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Grievesy73 said:


> I wonder if anyone has any advice, good or bad.
> Tony


My advice is don't ask for bad advice.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

One idea, try the web sites of the local English radio stations that cover the place you want to live. I know somebody who found a job last year through one of the Javea radio stations. I took a look today and apart from a couple it's all sales jobs (which are always there) so it's a long shot, but you never know.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Rabbitcat said:


> I too was wanting to get a garden job.
> 
> However being both Irish and a short ass I had no problem
> 
> The garden centre owner just gave me a fishing rod!!!!!!


Pool work - the OP was interested in that as well!


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## Guest (Oct 29, 2015)

Round here it's strictly word of mouth. The really good gardeners are actually turning away work. The hardest part, I think, is getting a foot in the door in the first place, which may well be down to finding out which bars the locals frequent and getting your face known.


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