# single male mid 30s relocating to costa del sol



## scouser79 (Jan 17, 2012)

Hi everyone 
Just wondering if anyone had a moment to help me am a single guy 32 i am driving down to spain this week jan 2012 i have about £5000 and have a income of about £500 pm from my house i have just rented out in the uk what are my chances of getting some work in spain i was made redundent about 4 months ago and there is just no work in the uk i am looking to rent a cheap studio or 1 bed where are the main areas i should go to look i want to be close to marbella but i have the car if i have to be a little out the way so be it is there any opc work or property managment work i would consider any sales work what are my chances of getting any work and what wages can i expect i lived in benidorm when i was mid 20s and it was the best time of my life and just miss the sun and way of life in spain

Any help would be great thanks


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## paul44 (May 19, 2009)

Think you'll find little chance unless you can speek the lingo.you should do a site search and you will find many many threads about work or the lack of it.Good luck though I'm planning a move but thankfully don't need to graft anymore


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

scouser79 said:


> Hi everyone
> Just wondering if anyone had a moment to help me am a single guy 32 i am driving down to spain this week jan 2012 i have about £5000 and have a income of about £500 pm from my house i have just rented out in the uk what are my chances of getting some work in spain i was made redundent about 4 months ago and there is just no work in the uk i am looking to rent a cheap studio or 1 bed where are the main areas i should go to look i want to be close to marbella but i have the car if i have to be a little out the way so be it is there any opc work or property managment work i would consider any sales work what are my chances of getting any work and what wages can i expect i lived in benidorm when i was mid 20s and it was the best time of my life and just miss the sun and way of life in spain
> 
> Any help would be great thanks


:welcome:

firstly - the income from your UK property should cover your rent here

however................that 5K probably won't last long


realistically, with unemployment in Spain around three times that of the UK - and even more in the area you have chosen, you have little or no chance of finding work - except possibly commission only telesales


however - if you can look on it as a long holiday that you can always go home from & if you happen to strike lucky & find work - then go for it


just make sure you save your fare home


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Dear Scouser79,

Please dont think I'm cynical because positivity is one trait that keeps me going. You sound like a nice bloke and I have no doubt that you are. Also, I reckon you love Spain from a distance. At the moment you can look on Spain as a lover looks on his/her prospective partner to which you can't wait to spend all the time available.

You move in with your partner and you discover for a raft of reasons you cant live under the same roof.

The economy of Spain has taken such a down-turn which is not going to improve in the next ten years and anybody thinking of moving from the UK would need to be certified as stark raving mad. There are no jobs. Repeat, there are no jobs.

Within six weeks of moving to Costa del Sol I reckon you will look back on Liverpool as the greatest place that ever existed. The Costa will drain every morsel of money from your account and every drop of blood from your body.

Use the UK for work, if you can find any, but only look to Spain for holidays.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Here's some reading for you. I'm sorry, it's not motivating stuff, but unfortunately for us who are here, and I think especially for those of us who have young people at home trying to get work, this is the Real Spain of today.
You've obviously decided that you're coming to Spain no matter what, so come on down (!!) and see what you can find. But please don't F**k up. Don't put all your money into making it in Spain, 'cos it's just not a healthy investment ATM. 
The best would be to wait a couple of years if you could possibly hold on...
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...w-years-influx-people-wanting-move-spain.html

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...8126-economic-employment-situation-spain.html

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-un-employment-facts-figures-about-spain.html

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...g-spain/56434-do-you-want-emigrate-spain.html


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Leper said:


> Dear Scouser79,
> 
> Please dont think I'm cynical because positivity is one trait that keeps me going. You sound like a nice bloke and I have no doubt that you are. Also, I reckon you love Spain from a distance. At the moment you can look on Spain as a lover looks on his/her prospective partner to which you can't wait to spend all the time available.
> 
> ...



Says it all, and in a kindly way.
An antidote to those who advise would-be immigrants to 'Go for it'.
The OP seems as you say a nice, thoughtful guy, not a chancer like some wannabe immigrants.
But even nice guys need work and money to live comfortably.
Well said!!


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## Grimace (Mar 30, 2010)

scouser79 said:


> income of about £500 pm


Move to the middle of nowhere in Extremadura and you'll live okay on that sort of income . . . I think


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

scouser79 said:


> Hi everyone
> Just wondering if anyone had a moment to help me am a single guy 32 i am driving down to spain this week jan 2012 i have about £5000 and have a income of about £500 pm from my house i have just rented out in the uk what are my chances of getting some work in spain i was made redundent about 4 months ago and there is just no work in the uk i am looking to rent a cheap studio or 1 bed where are the main areas i should go to look i want to be close to marbella but i have the car if i have to be a little out the way so be it is there any opc work or property managment work i would consider any sales work what are my chances of getting any work and what wages can i expect i lived in benidorm when i was mid 20s and it was the best time of my life and just miss the sun and way of life in spain
> 
> Any help would be great thanks


Just hold out in the UK. there maybe no work, but there is much more than there is in Spain, plus you receive job seekers allowance/unemployment benefit etc. You wont in Spain. Maybe come over for a holiday/fact finding mission, but be prepared for the worst and dont burn any UK bridges

Jo xxxx


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## agua642 (May 24, 2009)

Hi, I'm afraid to say all the above post are correct! Why don't you consider Belgium/ Luxembourg/ Holland these are English speaking countries with better economy then Spain.


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## scouser79 (Jan 17, 2012)

*Thanks*

Hi everyone

firstly Just want to say thanks for taking the time to give me a little more info and to be honest i wish i hadnt heard it makes me sad to see what has happoned to spain and europe these last 10 years i have been glued to the net the past couple of days and i just dont see no hope unless they pull out the euro and go it alone it has to be the only way i really dont know what to do i have rented my house out for a year my new tenant has moved in thankfully it is a friend of a friend who has moved in so at least i have peace of mind my rent will be paid to me i have a ferry booked for next monday am currently crashing at a pals but where shall i go i think am gonna head down anyway call it a test trip i am gonna book somewhere for a month and take it from there also Grimace i understand where your coming from i was flicking though the site and people are saying £500 pm in goa would be a comfortable lifestyle maybe that is the best option my mind is in a 1000 places atm 

HELP


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## agua642 (May 24, 2009)

Hello, sounds like a good plan to visit for a month, at least then you can move around over Spain, there is a train pass which allows you to travel all of Spain and valid for one year. www. renfe.com. Or.es I can't remember which
good luck, look for some opportunities, who knows! Northern Spain is not feeling the crises as much as Southern Spain.
Happy traveling )


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

scouser79 said:


> Hi everyone
> 
> firstly Just want to say thanks for taking the time to give me a little more info and to be honest i wish i hadnt heard it makes me sad to see what has happoned to spain and europe these last 10 years i have been glued to the net the past couple of days and i just dont see no hope unless they pull out the euro and go it alone it has to be the only way i really dont know what to do i have rented my house out for a year my new tenant has moved in thankfully it is a friend of a friend who has moved in so at least i have peace of mind my rent will be paid to me i have a ferry booked for next monday am currently crashing at a pals but where shall i go i think am gonna head down anyway call it a test trip i am gonna book somewhere for a month and take it from there also Grimace i understand where your coming from i was flicking though the site and people are saying £500 pm in goa would be a comfortable lifestyle maybe that is the best option my mind is in a 1000 places atm
> 
> HELP


Sorry to have been the bearer of bad news, but I think it's better to know what you're really coming to.

The way I see it, without wanting to put you off, or make you feel like you've missed the boat, merely with the objective of giving you an opinion ...

As I see it you've got a half baked plan about coming to Spain and working. You're young and single which are definitely to your advantage. You've also got a bit of money and you've got property in the UK if you need to go back. A few years ago (pre 2008) I don't think you would have needed much more of a plan. Most people would have said come on over and give it a go. There were plenty of expats that were giving work to each other and if you actually spoke some Spanish Spain was your oyster.
However the big flaw is that this is 2012 and we are in the thick of a huge financial crisis.
Things are bad in the UK for many people and work options are reduced for some. 
But look at Spain. Employment and the "general state" of the country is much worse in Spain. To give you an idea, chemist's aren't getting paid for the subsidised medicines in some parts and are on the brink of bankcrupcy. In other areas health centres are closing, teachers have been made unemployed in Madrid and other regions (my husband was one of them) and the building trade (which involves electricians, painters, tilers,manufacture of electrical appliances etc) and car trade have collapsed... All of this leads to 20% unemployment. Here's a map of regional unemployment.








http://realidadeconomica.es/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Tasa-del-paro-por-provincias.jpg

Here you can clearly see which areas have more unemployment and which areas are more likely to have job opportunities.

Soooo
I think you, and others in your situation, of which I'm sure there are many have to do a lot more preparation before leaving the UK and one way is to ask yourselves a few questions like these:
1. Why are you leaving? If it's just 'cos you don't like the UK, think about the country you're going to. Are things going to be different there (Weather - we do have winter in Spain, work, friends, family)
2. If you're coming for work, do you know that you'll be able to *get* work? Can you speak the language? What jobs are on offer? (Why is someone going to employ an English programmer who can only speak English when they can employ a Spanish programmer who speaks English too)
3. Do you have a plan B?
4. Do you know how much it costs to live here?
5. Have you ever been here for any length of time? Do you know what it's like to be here year round?
6. Are you at all interested in the Spanish language? Don't think you can pick it up and then start work. Learning a language is a life experience, not a couple of months and to be able to work in Spanish most people would need a couple of years, if not more to aquire the level.

A few ideas
You can go to the Canaries and see what you can get which I think is what you're going to do 'cos you've already got your ticke, haven't you? But whilst there you can also
Perhaps investigate other areas of Spain. 
Perhaps you can think about other countries.
You could look at working for board and lodging for the moment. This is one site; there are others
Workaway.info the site for free work exchange. Gap year volunteer for food and accommodation whilst travelling abroad.
You could stick it out longer in the UK and perhaps retrain

Anyway, good luck whatever you do and we'd be interested to know how things go.

Ps I'd be quite happy if someone could make the map smaller, I just couldn't figure it out.


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## scouser79 (Jan 17, 2012)

Thanks for the advise i understand i am under planned for my little adventure but what have i got to lose i have sent honestly since the start of december about 100 cvs to employers i have been on and still am registed on every jobsite there is out there and there is nothing i was invited to a open day to a company which had about 25 jobs on offer only 2 positions for my post 50+ people where there for them 2 positions and with companies collapsing daily i give up over here i am gonna come over to spain starting on the coast south of barca am just gonna cruise right down the coast till i hit somewhere i like i am gonna give it a go for a month if no joy i am thinking going long haul to india or similar i hear £500 pm goes a long way over there and i wont even have to work only time will tell any info anyone might have please post on this thread i am sure there is thousands more the same as me 

I Hope to be living the dream  speak soon


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## scouser79 (Jan 17, 2012)

pesky wesky great find btw on the map really does look scary down south


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Seeing as you're footloose and fancy-free, why not try WorkAway?

Free board and lodging in exchange for a few hours work a day.

You never know, something more long-term might come out of it!

Find host families and organizations as a volunteer, for gap year, work and travel. Europe


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## Lucie123 (Dec 7, 2011)

Any idea as to why unemployment is so bad in the south compaired to the north.it it just because of population size?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Lucie123 said:


> Any idea as to why unemployment is so bad in the south compaired to the north.it it just because of population size?


Probably because Southern Spain used to be "the" top holiday destination and people flocked there for work, construction, infrastructure, tourist attractions. expats decided to settle there, houses, towns, commercial centres were built without thinking it would ever end, lots of people, lots of jobs, a country that was growing, prices rose... and then the tourism slowed down as holiday makers found more exotic destinations. Expats were still there, but gradually it slowed, house prices started to slip to more realistic values, and then the recession hit. Which meant people were losing jobs and had to find new ones, expats started to go back to their homelands, people stopped spending, the tourist industry plummeted.....

Jo xxx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jojo said:


> Probably because Southern Spain used to be "the" top holiday destination and people flocked there for work, construction, infrastructure, tourist attractions. expats decided to settle there, houses, towns, commercial centres were built without thinking it would ever end, lots of people, lots of jobs, a country that was growing, prices rose... and then the tourism slowed down as holiday makers found more exotic destinations. Expats were still there, but gradually it slowed, house prices started to slip to more realistic values, and then the recession hit. Which meant people were losing jobs and had to find new ones, expats started to go back to their homelands, people stopped spending, the tourist industry plummeted.....
> 
> Jo xxx


What Jo says is true.
Other factors may be (??) that it always has been poor. I was going to say the poorest part of Spain, but look at Galicia too in the other extreme. It's very dry and barren in places so even agriculture has been difficult in the past. Now there are huge ugly areas of plastic where they grow stuff, but even then agriculture has never been big bucks. The area is famous for olives for example. Very labour intensive and not much money in it at the best of times, and now I believe prices are not good.
Then I suppose there's the infrastructure of roads and rail which has improved in recent years, but Andalucia is a huge area and some of that is desert. There hasn't been the investment necessary for big employment/ expansion. 
Then there have been some employment disasters like the car factory in Cádiz that closed down...
There should be loads of opportunities for solar farms, although it has to be said that they don't employ a lot of people. There is a very futursitic place outside Sevilla, and here is an interesting little quiz about renewable energy in Spain, with photo of the solar farm
Today in Social Sciences...: Challenge number 7


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## jp1 (Jun 11, 2011)

That map is now out of date.

The overall unemployment rate is now 23%. The next set of figures to be released will probably see it push towards 25%.


To the OP. Do you know technically you are allowed to drive your UK registered car for 6 months only from the date you enter Spain. So after this time it technically needs to be transferred to the Spanish system.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jp1 said:


> That map is now out of date.
> 
> The overall unemployment rate is now 23%. The next set of figures to be released will probably see it push towards 25%.
> 
> ...


yes, it is worse than that now - but it's the most up to date there is atm, & does very graphically emphasise the point made


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## Grimace (Mar 30, 2010)

jp1 said:


> That map is now out of date.
> 
> The overall unemployment rate is now 23%. The next set of figures to be released will probably see it push towards 25%.


23%  25% in the future . . . 
_
si es que vamos de Guatemala a Guatepeor
_

This video's been posted in the forum before and I think it sums the situation up quite well:


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## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

Hi whilst I agree with everything that has been said you are single with a small income so why not give it a go. There are always telesale jobs advertised in the local papers they dont pay that well but if you already have a small income you may be able to make it !!!!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Lucie123 said:


> Any idea as to why unemployment is so bad in the south compaired to the north.it it just because of population size?


It's a historical thing. The north has always had an industrial base and attracted foreign investment, while the south was, until the advent of tourism in the late 1960s, almost entirely agricultural. 

Much of the agricultural land in Andalucia was awarded by Franco to his supporters, many of whom couldn't be bothered to farm it and it was left abandoned or fenced off for hunting. The _campesinos_ (peasantry) were no longer allowed access to the land and even had to pay the landowners for the privilege of gathering firewood or grazing their livestock. This led to appalling hardship, and a self-sufficiency and contempt for authority which is still evident today in some rural areas. The southerners are also tarred with the (undeserved) reputation of being lazy trouble-makers, a bit like the Irish used to have in Britain.

Two million Andalusians left the area in the 1960s alone to go and work in the industrial north, and many more left the land to work in the new construction and tourism industries on the coast. Meanwhile agriculture became more and more mechanised and many of the remaining jobs on the land were lost. 

When the construction industry collapsed in 2008, Andalucia was left with hundreds of thousands of formerly well-paid building workers and their families scrabbling for badly paid, short-term seasonal jobs.

Here endeth the history lesson.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

stevelin said:


> Hi whilst I agree with everything that has been said you are single with a small income so why not give it a go. There are always telesale jobs advertised in the local papers they dont pay that well but if you already have a small income you may be able to make it !!!!



Depends what you mean by 'making it'.
Telesales is a notoriously short-term, long-hour, low-paid commission-based job. That's why there are so many ads for people to take such jobs on.
By the time you've paid your 'autonomo'...for telesales jobs are usually not proper 'contract' jobs with seg. soc. paid - you won't have much of an income to supplement your 500 euros a month, which even in these tough times will scarcely cover rent let alone utilities on a decent apartment.
True, you have only yourself to look out for, but telesales is scarcely the 'Spanish dream'...
Although I've never managed to find out what this 'Spanish dream' consists of...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Depends what you mean by 'making it'.
> Telesales is a notoriously short-term, long-hour, low-paid commission-based job. That's why there are so many ads for people to take such jobs on.
> By the time you've paid your 'autonomo'...for telesales jobs are usually not proper 'contract' jobs with seg. soc. paid - you won't have much of an income to supplement your 500 euros a month, which even in these tough times will scarcely cover rent let alone utilities on a decent apartment.
> True, you have only yourself to look out for, but telesales is scarcely the 'Spanish dream'...
> Although I've never managed to find out what this 'Spanish dream' consists of...


I guess a dead end job is a dead end job no matter where you are

a good job is a good job wherever you are


I have to say if I had a dead end job & was only just making ends meet I'd rather be somewhere where the weather was better so that I can sit on the beach maybe on my time off, rather than be stuck indoors with just the tele for company

the OP has 500€ a month as a cushion - he might as well give it a go I suppose

with the caveat that he might just end up going back having spent any redundancy payments he has received - and of course would lose any benefits he might be getting in the UK - so that needs taking into account, and of course he wouldn't get any help here

but there's only him, & while this might well be the worst time to try it, if he looks on it as a long holiday & strikes lucky & gets a job - why not?


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## thelastspud (Oct 24, 2011)

I worked in telsales in malaga for a while, and I was on a proper contract with social security paid. I earned a 500 euro retainer and after I earned over 500 euro in commission I started to earn commission as well(you had to repay you retainer before you earned extra) So I never earned more than 500 and I hated every minute of it.

But I guess with 500 from the UK plus 500 here = 1000 a month, get a flatmate and you'd survive. 

I'd look in the sur in english site and ring up some telemarketing places before you come though. 

Good luck.

p.s. I earned that at least a year ago that company has since gone bust and things are worse.


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