# area to move to and prices



## sashab (Apr 7, 2010)

Thinking of moving to spain . How do you decide on were abouts to go live ( what part ) . Do you wait untill you have a job to match your skills and then go the the area of work . I dont know were to start lol .

Husband is a electrician but only on petrol forcourts so he does everything from installing to repairing, he would prob go for a national company.

Does the work seem to be picking up their , i mentioned selling our house and moving into rented and then saving to go to spain and my mum flipped saying that the economy is very bad and we will struggle ( husband works for my dads company and they obviously dont want him to leave and for us to take the kids. I know things are a little tough with the global ressession but in a yr or 2 should it be a little better has it really hit spain harder than uk.

We will be renting in spain , how is the rental prices for a 3 bed prop obviously i know this will go on area but just a general idea and also we have 2 small dogs and a cat will this make it hard 

many thanks


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

First of all the job situation in Spain is terrible, far worse than the UK, and not showing any signs of recovering just yet, so you should get the job WITH a contract before you decide which area. I dont know whether your husbands qualifications would carry over to Spain as electrical standards and things are different here. But you need to google some companies who have his type of work and send them his CV. A Spanish national company is going to require your husband to be fluent in written and spoken Spanish, so unless thats the case, maybe look for a British company thats here???? One problem with employment here is that SS/unemployment benefit is only given for a limited time here and then only if you've paid into the system for a couple of years, so there are alot of Spanish who are keen to get back into work

I wouldnt advise selling your UK home to move, maybe rent it so that if things dont work out you have a way back.

Apart from that, find some areas that appeal to you, come over for a visit, see if there are any companies around that may interest your husband and go from there????? Spain is such a big country that its impossible to know where you want to be til you come and look

Jo xxx


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## sashab (Apr 7, 2010)

Thankyou . We cannot save enough to come unless we sell our house it and move into rented her for a while. Then get a job before we go it may mean husband has to come over a few times for interviews ect . We cannot speek soanish but are on it  how long does it generally take and is is possible to do with just rocket spanish and practice


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Jojo's right, the unemployment situation is worse here than in the UK. Where I live there are quite a few South Americans (IE people who speak fluent Spanish) and my daughter knows 4 families personally who have taken the government aids to return to their home countries.
Keeping that in mind then, i would tend to look for a job first and if anything comes up, go where the job is. There are websites and papers you can look at. Search the Spain forum for *jobs, work, employment* and so on and you'll get some info. Also look for _*unempolyment*_ and you'll get some info about that too!


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## sashab (Apr 7, 2010)

we would never come over without having a job 1st . aso i think this is the 1st step to reserch companys . And then look at areas 
thankyou


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## sashab (Apr 7, 2010)

what about learning the language then


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

sashab said:


> Thankyou . We cannot save enough to come unless we sell our house it and move into rented her for a while. Then get a job before we go it may mean husband has to come over a few times for interviews ect . We cannot speek soanish but are on it  how long does it generally take and is is possible to do with just rocket spanish and practice


the only way you'd get fluent quicklyish (or even good enough to get work for a Spanish speaking position or even hold his own in an interview) would be total immersion + study 

it took me 3 years of living here & hours of study & practice every week (not to mention 100s if not 1000s of euros) before I felt confident enough to do apply for a job in Spanish & have an interview

I don't think you'd ever get there with rocket Spanish tbh

I'm also pretty sure that his qualifications wouldn't count here in Spain



sorry


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## sashab (Apr 7, 2010)

i know we would have to work hard at the language just like everyone and am sure that you cannot fully pick it up without speeking it every day in spain. 
ho is qualified electrician and is compex reg to work with hazadouse substance there must be a call for the same kind of work there also i know we have to look into the wiring regs to do further tests prob in spanish but will look into it


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

sashab said:


> i know we would have to work hard at the language just like everyone and am sure that you cannot fully pick it up without speeking it every day in spain.
> ho is qualified electrician and is compex reg to work with hazadouse substance there must be a call for the same kind of work there also i know we have to look into the wiring regs to do further tests prob in spanish but will look into it


Right, if he's lucky enough to get an interview, will his Spanish be good enough to fill out the application form and to answer questions and chat with the interviewer well enough to be given the job??? 

I'm having a bit of a downer on Spain at the moment so you'll have to forgive me, but I'm going thru a phase of wondering why people want to move here??? Sorry 

Jo xxx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Just like to say that Jo is being really negative today, but it is real life, but there's nothing to stop you to at least start looking around...


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I've pulled myself together now LOL Sorry! However, I'm usually a very "happy-go-lucky" type and in the last six months things have been really difficult here and altho I'm hoping that from now on its gonna by sunshine and relaxation, I have learnt some valuable lessons and had time to ponder the whole "living in Spain" scenario. I've been thinking about my expectations before we moved here, what I'd planned and hoped for and how I thought it would be. Very little has been anywhere near. But, also I think about how life was in the UK and alot of my "gloom" is unjustified really, because as someone pointed out, a lot of the problems would have happened anywhere ( easier to sort in the UK tho). I think actually I take what I have here for granted now, I have stopped appreciating the wonderful views, the climate and peace and quiet....

Anyway, enough about me, altho you shouldnt dismiss my present misery totally, cos life goes on and its very much "same sh!t, different place" LOL I still maintain, that you need to come over, not for a holiday, but to look at the hard and not so hard facts of living in Spain and see if you think you can really do it

Jo xx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

How quickly you learn a foreign language depends on many things, natural aptitude being one of them. If you already speak another Romance language -say French or Italian -or learnt Latin at school you may find it easier.
I taught languages to young people and adults (and worked as a translator/interpreter )and each student made progress in his/her own way. Some people just get out of the habit of studying after years away from formal learning at school. 
Pesky may have thoughts on that.
As for jobs - it is much worse here than in the UK and is likely to stay so for longer. The main reason why the markets are unsure of Spain is the low growth prospects. 
If I understood you correctly you said that you need to sell your house in order to rent here. 
Most posters would tell you that is an unwise thing to do. If you did come here and after a while things didn't work out, then what? There is no social housing as in the UK and you'd have no entitlement to welfare benefits as in the UK.
Such jobs as there are are either professional/managerial with high-level qualifications and knowledge of Spanish in most cases or insecure temporary jobs with low pay in catering and such-like.
Sorry to be negative but as Jo says this is how it is. Some of us wonder why on earth people want to make the move now. Working all hours God sends for little money isn't a 'dream', it's a nightmare, sadly.
Those of us who are reasonably settled here either aren't looking for work (me) , have partners working in the UK (Jo) or have secure professional jobs (PW).
Have a look at some of the other threads from people thinking of coming over.
If you were single or a couple with no children, I'd say Go for it but where families are involved, as you say, you need the security of a guaranteed job first.
I'd say you need to get really stuck in with learning Spanish as you won't get far on the job seeking front without some fluency in the language.


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

sashab said:


> Thinking of moving to spain


Sashab can you share with us what attracts you to life in Spain? Have you considered for example South of France or Germany where the economies are far more resilient and the standard of living higher?

With an understanding of your motivation you may get some idea of which regions would suit you best. For example although the climate on the north coast of Spain is often more similar to Brighton than the costa de Sol it does offer large company employment for those with the right skills - but if a sunny hot climate is a motivation then not so good.


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## DIANA MC (Jun 28, 2010)

*Moving to spain*



pesky wesky said:


> just like to say that jo is being really negative today, but it is real life, but there's nothing to stop you to at least start looking around...


hi 
was just wondering if anyone can help we are hoping to move to spain next year we want to buy a cafe/bar in benidorm and rent a house maybe half hour drive away 
has anyone out there done this and give me some tips 
i would be gratefull
diana mc


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

DIANA MC said:


> hi
> was just wondering if anyone can help we are hoping to move to spain next year we want to buy a cafe/bar in benidorm and rent a house maybe half hour drive away
> has anyone out there done this and give me some tips
> i would be gratefull
> diana mc


This is not a good idea in the economic climate. Many bars have gone under and the tourist industry is not in a good shape. Those who have done this are, in the main struggling or have gone. 

Why dont you come over and get chatting to some of the bar owners tho and see what they say

Jo xxx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

DIANA MC said:


> hi
> was just wondering if anyone can help we are hoping to move to spain next year we want to buy a cafe/bar in benidorm and rent a house maybe half hour drive away
> has anyone out there done this and give me some tips
> i would be gratefull
> diana mc


 
ooooohh, bar, Benidorm - doesn't sound good.
However, I don't have any personal experience of Benidorm and what's happening down that way. 
On the other hand I *do* know that life's not easy in Spain at the moment. A lot of places have closed or are struggling. That has its upside too of course. Places are cheaper for one thing, but do you really want a place that's cheap but that noone's going to go into 'cos no ones got any money???
Definitely come over and see what's happening before you start thinking seriously about it.

Here are couple of threads you might find have interesting info

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/51378-finding-work-spain.html

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...g-spain/50639-how-easy-do-business-spain.html


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