# I'm a Brit ..... get me out of here



## bobelle (May 14, 2012)

Hi guys, as you can see I'm a newbie to the site. My Husband and I are looking to move out of the UK sometime next year and have started looking around at possibilites.

Hubby is qualified sparky but can't find work here and I am in Care work & have also worked in other sectors such as admin, catering etc. Have thought about Oz, New Zealand, etc. for relocation but as we now both 45 our possibilities become more restrictive. So have now started to think about Spain or more specifically the Canaries.

What are the work prospects and housing market like in these areas. We are not sure yet whether to rent out our property and give it 6-12 months out there or whether to bite the bullet and sell up entirely.

Hope to here from some of you guys soon.
Elle & Bob


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

bobelle said:


> Hi guys, as you can see I'm a newbie to the site. My Husband and I are looking to move out of the UK sometime next year and have started looking around at possibilites.
> 
> Hubby is qualified sparky but can't find work here and I am in Care work & have also worked in other sectors such as admin, catering etc. Have thought about Oz, New Zealand, etc. for relocation but as we now both 45 our possibilities become more restrictive. So have now started to think about Spain or more specifically the Canaries.
> 
> ...


:welcome:

I've moved your question to 'Spain' - that was easy 

you moving to Spain & finding work won't be quite as easy - Spain has 3 x the unemployment rate as that in the UK


have a good read of the various recent threads & you'll start to get the picture - especially have a look at the 'Employment & Economic.........' thread which you'll find 'stuck' above


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

DON'T SELL YOUR HOUSE, you'll need it when you have to come back.

You won't get work in the care field, support work like that is almost non existent and you don't speak the language fluently. Same with admin, they will employ a Spanish speaker with English skills over you.

Your husband would need to get his qualifications as a spark accepted in Spain, but there are thousands of electricians who are Spanish qualified and out of work so its doubtful he will get work.

At 45 you may still get into Auz or NZ but you need paper qualifications to get there. Sad to say, but Spain is a poor choice unless you have pension and or a good investment income. Brits are leaving here in droves, thousands of houses that just can't be sold and unemployment three times higher than the UK


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

Your husband's chance to find work in the UK is 100 times better than in Spain (for you it's about 1000 times better, going by all the open UK care jobs right now). House prices are expected to fall a further 35%, so everyone who buys now is brave. So to keep it short: stay where you are or try another country (northern Europe, Australia etc.).


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

'I'm a Brit, get me out of here' is what thousands of British immigrants in Spain now are pleading. One-third of British immigrants have gone home. More would like to but are stuck with unsaleable property.
You really need to live and work outside of the UK before you learn to appreciate it, you know.
In Spain and most other countries there is nothing like the welfare state safety net of the UK. Here on the CdS unemployment is running at 34% plus. There are very many unemployed Spanish electricians looking for work and tbh they really should be first to take any jobs going.
There is no comparatively generous unemployment pay or housing or child benefit as in the UK.
I'm surprised that so few Brits seem aware of just how bad things are here.
Unless you are retired with a good income frominvestments etc. have a secure professional job or a business you can run from Spain.....Spain isn't for you,I'm afraid.


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## JJnilla (May 13, 2012)

I'm afraid I have to agree with everyone else who's posted so far. Unemployement here is terrible, and even with some degree of fluency in Spanish finding work is extremely difficult. I would say if you're set on coming definitely keep your property in the UK. You can always sell it later if things work out.


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## Cassasa (Mar 12, 2012)

I agree with all of the above - but the difference being that if you have got or can learn the language, it will make a huge difference and open many doors! In a nutshell, don't sell up in the UK and definitely try to learn the lingo if you are going to go to Spain! Good luck!


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Don't sell your house under any circumstances!

And this is for _general emigration needs_ (not just Spain where unemployment is terrible and learning the language is helpful, but no way enough!)...

For you - if you are doing Care Work, see if your employer will put you in for your NVQ3 (some will...). Then, use this qualification to take a Nursing course.
Whatever country you go to, you will probably have to retrain (and this definitely applies to Spain, plus language of course), but a nursing qualification should stand you in good stead.

For your husband - his qualifications may not be recognised in your country of choice (and he would definitely need to retrain in Spain and pay to take an electricians license).
There are also many, many electricians out of work right now - qualified and otherwise.
But, with qualifications which match the country he wishes to work in, he _may_ stand more of a chance (but this will be expensive to achieve).

None of this is great news, especially with regards Spain.
And my suggestions are not a quick fix, but long term planning.

But the more you can offer a new country, in terms of _useable_ qualifications, the more chance you have, however slight.


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## James3214 (Jun 25, 2009)

How about someone else in the EU? Some countries like here in Germany, Switzerland, etc are crying out for skilled engineers and electricians and speaking German is not always a requirement. Try googling 'electrician jobs in Germany'. We can't offer the same weather as Spain though!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

My husband is a qualified electrical engineer. We moved to Spain 4 years ago. Initially he was going to start a sister company to his successful UK company, but due to the recession, he decided to commute to the UK to work, until things picked up - but they didnt. In the end we returned to the UK. I miss Spain and loved it. BUT living in the UK financially is so much easier, the rules, the regulations, the financial assistance in the UK is wonderful compared to Spain where there is nothing, not even free health care, unless you pay into the Spanish system by way of contracted employment or by paying autonomo (self employment) at 250€ a month - regardless of earnings or not! To be an electrician in Spain, your husband will need to have his qualifications transferred - and Spanish electrics are nothing like they are in the UK.

As for care work - I was a fully qualified nurse practitioner, but that counted for nothing. I did get a bit of care work, but it wasnt regular, well paid or easy. In fact in the four years I was in Spain, I had possibly 10, 10 hour shifts at 5€ an hour. I eventually managed to get work doing part time telesales, selling timeshare - it wasnt easy and if you dont hit your targets, they unceremoniously get rid of you

If you want to move to Spain, then do your research, make sure you have work to go to, but whatever you do dont think that life is easier than the UK it so isnt! and dont knock the UK its a wonderful haven! Now I'm back its plain to see how much more secure it is here. Spain is a financial mess, its rules, regs and taxes are a minefield, especially if you dont speak, read or write fluently.

Jo xxx


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I live in the Canary Isles, here it is somewhat different to the Iberian Spain. Until the recent elections we were pulling out of the recession and unemployment figures were decreasing.

However the austerity measure imposed on us by our rulers in Madrid and Brussels have quickly curtailed our growth, reduced our internal flights and ferry services, killed tourism on the island where I live and once again unemployment figures are rising.

I do not know if you would find work here, it is doubtful, perhaps you should first try Australia or New Zealand. Two of my friends, one from Asturias in Northern Spain and the other from here in Valverde are both now working in Australia.


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