# Mallorca -Is there much demand for English Tradesmen?



## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

Hi there.I am planning on moving to Alcudia in Mallorca.I am a painter and decorator/Handyman.I would like to continue painting and decorating and handyman work in Mallorca.Am i right to assume that locals would normally employ local trades men.My question is, is there a demand for English tradesmen amongst the expat community in Mallorca.And if so when would be the best season to work there.?

Kind Regards

Joseph Starr


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

There is very little demand for any more tradesmen in any areas of Spain right now. The construction industry crashed a few years ago - so there are more than enough already. Couple that with a fair amount of eastern europeans who seem to work for lower wages and its a bit of a "no go" at the moment I'm afraid

Jo xxx


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

Hi jo..Thankyou for your reply and the useful info.Im guessing it will be quite difficult to find work.Im expecting that i will probably need to turn my hand to any type of work to begin with.


Kind regards

Joe


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Do you already know many Brits who live or have holiday homes in that area? Word of mouth is the best way in! Some people prefer English tradesmen because communication is easier, and don't mind paying a bit more. 

But you're unlikely to get more than a few odd jobs here and there, and it might not be enough to pay the "autonomo" which all self-employed workers have to pay in order to get healthcare etc. This is around €260 a month even if you don't earn a cent.


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

*Working in Alcudia*

Alcalaina - Thankyou for your post!….I do have some old Spanish friends living in the south, although i don't know any British expats yet.

Is there an area in Mallorca were there is a large Expat community?

I can understand that 'word of mouth' would be the best advertising.But even if it took several months to be known to people that would be ok with me.

The 'autonomo' , is it compulsory or do you have a choice to have medical cover or not?

Regards 

Joe


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

You really need to converse with someone who lives on the island of Mallorca and who is in touch with life on the island, perhaps a short fact finding visit would help.

I cannot help, I am over 1000 miles to the south west


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

joemak said:


> Alcalaina - Thankyou for your post!….I do have some old Spanish friends living in the south, although i don't know any British expats yet.
> 
> Is there an area in Mallorca were there is a large Expat community?
> 
> ...


The amount of (about) 260 euros that one has to pay when self-employed, is equivalent to NI payments in UK.

Yes it goes towards healthcare but also a lot more like pensions etc.

Yes, it is compulsory! Just like in UK.


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

Thankyou for the info Snikpoh.

Much Appreciated


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

Thanks Hepa..Yes i believe i will need to get a lot of info before i set out.


Kind Regards

Joe.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Also don't forget that even if you manage to build up an English-speaking clientele, you will need to be reasonably fluent in Spanish in order to buy materials, check building regulations, negotiate with other tradesmen etc.

I believe there are more Germans than Brits living in Mallorca so a smattering of Deutsch might come in handy too!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

joemak said:


> Hi jo..Thankyou for your reply and the useful info.Im guessing it will be quite difficult to find work.Im expecting that i will probably need to turn my hand to any type of work to begin with.
> 
> 
> Kind regards
> ...


I'm guessing that the situation in the Balearics isn't much different from the rest of Spain. The facts are that there is an unemployment rate of 26% nationally and in some provinces this exceeds 34%. 
There are very many people out there already, Spanish people, Spanish speaking immigrants, who are willing to do 'any type of work'.
Added to which Mallorca is now largely populated by German immigrants.
So it may well be impossible to find work. This is not the Spain of ten years ago, sadly.
There is also now a requirement that immigrants must prove an income into a Spanish bank of around £600 a month plus savings of around £6k plus provision for full private healthcare coverage.
Things are not good here, I'm afraid.


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

Mrypg9-Thankyou for your info...It sound like a job seekers nightmare.But I'm not put off just yet..


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

It is a jobseeker's nightmare, but Alcudia is an upmarket tourist destination with lots of luxury holiday villas that will need maintaining and painting over the winter. So it might just be possible to scrape a living if you can make a good impression.

The downside of course is that it's one of the most expensive places in Spain to rent property.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Its not about putting anyone off, its about you working out if its a viable option and quite frankly it isnt by any stretch - all you will achieve is six months of the year when its hot. 

I would say that if you have work in the UK, then now isnt the time to leave. However, if you have an alternative income (pension, savings, interest...), then give it a go, but dont burn your UK bridges.

In the meantime, go over and do some fact finding and see if you can formulate a business plan and whether theres enough work to cover your overheads

Jo xxx


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

Thanks for all of your info and time…
I have been looking a lot into the 'autonomo' social security monthly payment. 
The quarterly income tax payment 
The monthly apartment rates 
And a realistic food budget.

Turns out i would need to be bringing in e1400+ per month just to make a living !

No wonder there is such a large black market in Spain! lol



Joe


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## jonmlb748 (Oct 30, 2011)

plus paying your accountant 80+iva /month,running a vehicle,fuel.the fact that you cannot work in the summer months doing heavy construction ( this varies depending on the ajuntamento) plus generally nobody wants you around peak season ,apart from running repairs.its tough making a living here.


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

*Tradesman in Mallorca*

Yes …And that was without the expensive of a vehicle/fuel/road tax and insurance.

I don't know how people manage.It looks like unless you have a long term contract within a big construction company and help with living expenses you cannot earn enough to get by.

Now, after doing the homework!Im planning a little visit.

I would like to see see if there are any hoteliers that would want a handyman for a few months in the 'off' season in exchange for accommodation/food (and hopefully some leisure time if I'm lucky!)

I would seem that if there is no money exchanged it would be much, much simpler!And maybe possibilities would come from that in the future.

My Spanish is a good level at least!

Has anyone done this type of exchange work in Hotels/Apartments over the 'off season' or known someone who has ?

Many thanks

Joe


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

joemak said:


> Has anyone done this type of exchange work in Hotels/Apartments over the 'off season' or known someone who has ?
> 
> Many thanks
> 
> Joe


No, but if you're thinking of going down that route look at post 6 in the FAQ thread!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Pesky Wesky said:


> No, but if you're thinking of going down that route look at post 6 in the FAQ thread!



This one???



xabiachica said:


> Help Exchange: free volunteer work exchange abroad Australia New Zealand Canada Europe
> 
> 
> Workaway.info the site for free work exchange. Gap year volunteer for food and accommodation whilst travelling abroad.
> ...


Jo xxx


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

Thankyou for the volunteering links..Very useful. 

Joe


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## keith277 (Jun 27, 2013)

If you're on face book then it maybe worth joining some of the Mallorca pages there...i have a question / english speaking mums & dads / mallorca recommends etc, you can pick up a lot of useful info plus you may even get a bit of work put your way by other ex pats.
The south west of the island (Palma Nova / Magaluf / Santa Ponsa /Calvia area) is the largest area for brits, but there are a smattering all over the island, I would suggest that as others have already mentioned you will need some spanish language skills as the building materials used are very different from those in the UK, names etc are entirely different so you will need to know what to buy and how best to mix it etc.
Regards
Keith


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## joemak (Jan 29, 2014)

Thanks Keith for your post..lots of useful suggestions taken onboard!

Joe


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