# new start



## andykaren50 (May 25, 2011)

hi my wife and i have lived in quesada on and off for 4 yrs.we would like a perminant move to spain.looking for work too.i am a fully quallified panel beater and painter in the accident repair trade.also a quallified spanner man too,good with engines ect.would like to move costal.anywhere really.need a villa with pool too.can anyone help please:juggle:


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## Sonrisa (Sep 2, 2010)

Sure! Come on over, mi amigo! There are tons of jobs going at the moment for qualified panel beatesr/painters/ spanner men!

Is your post a joke?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Sonrisa said:


> Sure! Come on over, mi amigo! There are tons of jobs going at the moment for qualified panel beatesr/painters/ spanner men!
> 
> Is your post a joke?


maybe not the kindest way of putting it sonrisa!!


but - you're right


andykaren50 - have a read of the forum, especially these 2 threads

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/68126-economic-employment-situation-spain.html


http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/78758-spanish-take-street-last.html


things are very bad here - however bad you think it is in the UK - double it - unemployment here is more than double the UK


do you speak Spanish? - yes? - double the problem again - no? make that at least 10 times as hard

add the fact that you wouldn't be entitled to any state benefits here if you don't get work & you'll see why sonrisa thought you were joking!


unless of course you have 10s of thousands of euros to invest/live on/start a business with?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

C0ome over and have a serious look around. You say you've lived here on and off, so I guess you know the areas you want to be and maybe know people too, So do some investigating. But things are pretty grim here right now

Jo xxx


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## Sonrisa (Sep 2, 2010)

Just for the record...

I really thought he was joking


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## andykaren50 (May 25, 2011)

Sonrisa said:


> Just for the record...
> 
> I really thought he was joking


theres no need for coments like the love.i have lived the and know how hard it is but if you dont ask you dont get.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

andykaren50 said:


> theres no need for coments like the love.i have lived the and know how hard it is but if you dont ask you dont get.


I know it's just gone 6am here, and I might not have had the best night's sleep - but now I'm really confused.............

you say you've lived here & you know what it's like/how hard things are


what are you asking then 




unless you're advertising your services/touting for business - which would be against forum rules................


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## andykaren50 (May 25, 2011)

Sonrisa said:


> Sure! Come on over, mi amigo! There are tons of jobs going at the moment for qualified panel beatesr/painters/ spanner men!
> 
> Is your post a joke?


Thanks alot, we was only asking for some help and advice.
You sound very bitter, but i throught this site is for help and advice so please
if you have no good advice do not reply. It is people like you that
give expat's a bad name,


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

andykaren50 said:


> Thanks alot, we was only asking for some help and advice.
> You sound very bitter, but i throught this site is for help and advice so please
> if you have no good advice do not reply. It is people like you that
> give expat's a bad name,


sonrisa is actually Spanish - and I doubt she's bitter - and as she herself is an expat having left Spain to gain better employment in another country she's probably better qualified than most to comment - although as I said - her comment wasn't the kindest way of helping


the best advice anyone can give you at the the moment is to stay put in the UK - especially if you have work


even if you don't have work you are better off there - at least there is state support

by all means come over to check it out for yourself - if as you say you know the Quesada area you might have contacts & strike lucky

if not - you've had a holiday!


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## andykaren50 (May 25, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> I know it's just gone 6am here, and I might not have had the best night's sleep - but now I'm really confused.............
> 
> you say you've lived here & you know what it's like/how hard things are
> 
> ...


Good Morning,

Oh my GOD
we was only asking for some help and advice on different areas were their is a good british community.
Yes we have lived out there but we befor and know how hard it can be, but we loved living out in Spain.
I guess we have come to the wrong site for advice.
Thanks anycase to those whom did try to help.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

andykaren50 said:


> Good Morning,
> 
> Oh my GOD
> we was only asking for some help and advice on different areas were their is a good british community.
> ...


you have been given the best advice you can be given

I'm sorry you didn't hear what you wanted to hear

perhaps there are some posters here who might be able to suggest somewhere - the good news is there are tons of villas with pools to rent - and rents have dropped in the past few years - although of course we are coming into holiday season so owners will be wanting holiday rates

where I live there is an expat community - but it's rapidly dwindling & has been for quite some time - mostly because there is simply no work & those who are living on a UK pension have seen it cut by 1/3 due to the exchange rate dropping over the past few years

as I said - sorry it's not what you want to hear - but if we said anything differently we'd be lying


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

andykaren50 said:


> Good Morning,
> 
> Oh my GOD
> we was only asking for some help and advice on different areas were their is a good british community.
> ...


The advice has been given, come over and take a look, ask around where you have been before, see what you can find, but dont burn your UK bridges! You've been here before and thought things were hard - that was then when it was easy - the start of the recession three years ago has really taken its toll and its getting worse by the day! 

You obviously want to give it another go and see for yourself. Asking on forums til you find someone who says the right things isnt going to help you, you need to find out for yourselves, but also ask yourselves why you didnt stay when you were here before??? (which may not be work/money related, but may have a bearing???)

I hope things work out for you tho

Jo x


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

andykaren50 said:


> hi my wife and i have lived in quesada on and off for 4 yrs.we would like a perminant move to spain.looking for work too.i am a fully quallified panel beater and painter in the accident repair trade.also a quallified spanner man too,good with engines ect.would like to move costal.anywhere really.need a villa with pool too.can anyone help please:juggle:


OK, you want practical advice! Ask yourselves these questions:

Is your Spanish good enough to get a job with an existing repair company (assuming you could find one with a vacancy)?

If that doesn't work, do you have enough capital to start your own business? And again, good enough Spanish to work through the bureaucracy?

Or would you be looking at off-the-books work for an existing English-speaking community - in which case, do you know enough people in the area who would bring their business to you? And recommend you to their friends?

Do you have enough money to live on if you don't get enough casual work to pay the bills?

Best of luck - good mechanics should in theory be able to get work anywhere, but as far as I know they are not in short supply here so you would have to be better and/or cheaper than the rest!


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

It isn't nice is it when your dreams are shattered, heck I should know. However, what you have been told is true, but allow me to put my two ha-pence forward if you will. 
Fact, as far as my experience goes it doesn't matter how good a panel beater you are or how good your Spanish is, you will not get a job above Pedro, or Manuel within Spanish companies. Over here, it is home grown first and foremost and who can blame them. 
Fact, unless you have enough money in the bank to tide you over coming here is a bad idea. Great to come over for a holiday, great place to own a second home, but to live and work, not a chance, not at the moment and not for some years to come or so it would seem. 
Fact, there is no state handouts for those who cannot find work or as in my husbands case are no longer able to work through disability. Yes, they say you can claim, under EU rules, but by the time you get a decision chances are you will have had to go back to the UK and if you have been out of the UK for too long it is very hard to get back into the system.
In short, come over, take a look, but for heavens sake, don't burn your bridges, give up your home or your job just to sit in the sun. Believe you me, it is no fun when you are skint.


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