# Moving to spain



## charlie2 (Feb 7, 2012)

Hi all, Advice required i am looking to move to spain in September 2012 and am looking for work for myself an wife. i am a plumber and plasterer with 20yrs experience i property maintenance. My wife works in educational administration. We would also like a long term property to rent. any Area of spain considered. thank you for any advise you can offer. Stephen.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

charlie2 said:


> Hi all, Advice required i am looking to move to spain in September 2012 and am looking for work for myself an wife. i am a plumber and plasterer with 20yrs experience i property maintenance. My wife works in educational administration. We would also like a long term property to rent. any Area of spain considered. thank you for any advise you can offer. Stephen.


Without being too negative, I can not see how you could possibly get any work here at the moment.

Plastering in Spain is very different - they use different products for a start.

Many building firms have and still are going bust due to the down turn in construction. Also, I think you would need specialist plumbing qualifications to be accepted IF you could find any work.

Do you speak Spanish fluently?


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Without being too negative, I can not see how you could possibly get any work here at the moment.
> 
> Plastering in Spain is very different - they use different products for a start.
> 
> ...


I didn't know plaster was different... then again I am not a builder!

Completely agree....any construction work is hard to find. Maybe you get lucky and pick up a bit of work from expats who want little jobs doing but nobody is building at the moment and to be honest I personally know so many expat tradesmen with no work...one plasterer resorted to working in a chippy!

Have exploration trips, see whats aboutt and make contacts before you make the decision. Can you support yourselves a while initially? If so how long?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Agree with the others - this is not a good time. There are an estimated two million unemployed Spanish building workers at the moment after the collapse of the construction industry. They are willing to work for as low as €10 an hour. No building firms would take you on (many of them are going bankrupt) so you would have to be self employed and pay about 250€ a month social security contributions, even if you don´t earn a cent. 

Hopefully things will improve in a couple of years, but right now, moving to Spain is only an option if you don't have to work.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Stay home. I know the weather is dire in the UK at the momenty but there is massive unemployment here. The building trade is dead. There are many Spanish construction workers - brickies, carpenters etc. looking for work. Added to this, British tradesman have a poor reputation in some areas as there are many so-called tradespeople who are plumbers etc. only in so far as they can turn on a tap.
We would never use a British tradesman - after all, we are in Spain. I know many British immigrants who are of the same opinion.
I doubt very much if things will improve here within the foreseeable future - in fact they will most likely get worse.
We get a lot of posts from would-be immigrants at the beginning of the year and after the summer...the first because January/February are very depressing months in the UK, the second because people have fond memories of holidays in the sun.
But living abroad is not like being on holiday.
The fact is that your wife is even less likely than you to find employment and your chances are, frankly, very slim indeed.
As has been said so many times, those of us who are happily settled here are either retired with good incomes, professionals with secure well-paid jobs, people with e-businesses who can work from anywhere or those with jobs outside Spain who commute.
There are many Brits who have returned to the UK and many more who want to but can't as they are trapped with negative equity and a glut of properties for sale.
Times are not good here for very many people.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)




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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Construction is ongoing here, it never stopped. Quite a few of the workers are foreigners mainly from South American countries such as Venezuela and Ecuador. We rarely, if at all, see any U.K. construction workers, I think it is the language barrier, hardly anyone here speaks good English and most don't speak any English at all.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> Agree with the others - this is not a good time. There are an estimated two million unemployed Spanish building workers at the moment after the collapse of the construction industry. They are willing to work for as low as €10 an hour. No building firms would take you on (many of them are going bankrupt) so you would have to be self employed and pay about 250€ a month social security contributions, even if you don´t earn a cent.
> 
> Hopefully things will improve in a couple of years, but right now, moving to Spain is only an option if you don't have to work.


In this area, the South American 'builders' work for as little as €5 an hour!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

snikpoh said:


> In this area, the South American 'builders' work for as little as €5 an hour!



And I've heard of people working for 4 euros an hour!!!
Round here, 10 euros an hour is considered a very good rate for manual work.
Considering that many of these workers are not in the system, the effective rate is 15 euros or so an hour.


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## truck1 (Nov 27, 2011)

*living in spain*

we live in Spain i wouldn't say we have a good income, but we get by ,we can live a lot better here than the uk, between us we get about 1000 euros a month, we are pensioners who live in a village community near Seville. not in a villa, we get out and about in the car ,not as much as we used to due to the price of fuel , but we are happy here and get on well with our Spanish friends


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

truck1 said:


> we live in Spain i wouldn't say we have a good income, but we get by ,we can live a lot better here than the uk, between us we get about 1000 euros a month, we are pensioners who live in a village community near Seville. not in a villa, we get out and about in the car ,not as much as we used to due to the price of fuel , but we are happy here and get on well with our Spanish friends


But the OP requires work. I did say that retired people could live reasonably well in Spain.
You are happy with your life, that's good. Whather you are content or not depends largely on what you are expecting from your life in Spain.


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## truck1 (Nov 27, 2011)

you did say retired with good incomes, i dont think a 1000 euros is a good income


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

truck1 said:


> you did say retired with good incomes, i dont think a 1000 euros is a good income


I have to ask (if you don't mind), do you own your home or rent? I guess if you own a place then 1000 a month is ok but if you are paying for a place to live then I can imagine things are very tight. But, like you said I think that too many people (me included) are or have been guilty of basing a good life on material things. Like many here, in the UK I had a very expensive life, by expensive I meant I enjoyed the finer things, bought the latest gadgets and gismos and ate out 3 or 4 times a week. Here I eat in 6 (or sometimes &) nights a week, buy much less BUT appreciate the things that this country has to offer and that in itself is a fair swap to me!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

truck1 said:


> you did say retired with good incomes, i dont think a 1000 euros is a good income


Yes, I agree with you.
It's less than our rent.
We need double that before anyone eats!!


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Yes, I agree with you.
> It's less than our rent.
> We need double that before anyone eats!!


ufff. talk about the high life mary... 2000 a month? uff.. mind you.. you life in some kind of palace or stately home don't you? Your going to have to sell one of the bentleys at this rate.. no more el corte ingles... more lidle!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

steve_in_spain said:


> ufff. talk about the high life mary... 2000 a month? uff.. mind you.. you life in some kind of palace or stately home don't you? Your going to have to sell one of the bentleys at this rate.. no more el corte ingles... more lidle!


Actually, Steve....we sold a nearly new Mercedes CLK convertible to pay our first year's rent...
We live in a fairly big house on a double plot in a 'nice' neighbourhood, very Spanish, very middle-class. I guess we lower the tone.
But in our large house we live a simple life. We have all our own furniture around us, all our books etc. and our home is the focus of our life here in Spain.
Sandra said when we came here we should see our life as one long holiday. The house is our affordable extravagance. We rarely buy expensive new clothes -I'm a great TK MAXX fan and Cortes Inles is strictly for Rebajas- we drive a rather battered eight-year-old LR Discovery and apart from quiet dinners with friends or a monthly trip to the best restaurant in our village, rarely go out.
My son and dil are very well-off and we intend to spend all our savings before we kick the bucket. Anything left will, literally, go to the dogs' home.
Our chief hobbies are reading, working for said dogs' home, enjoying each other's company and of course Our Little Azor who gives us so much sheer joy.
No Rodier Cristal or Crozes-Hermitage chez nous...Sandra doesn't drink and I'm happy with a cheap bottle from Mercadona.
We really love this house and hope my son and dil will buy it for us.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Actually, Steve....we sold a nearly new Mercedes CLK convertible to pay our first year's rent...
> We live in a fairly big house on a double plot in a 'nice' neighbourhood, very Spanish, very middle-class. I guess we lower the tone.
> But in our large house we live a simple life. We have all our own furniture around us, all our books etc. and our home is the focus of our life here in Spain.
> Sandra said when we came here we should see our life as one long holiday. The house is our affordable extravagance. We rarely buy expensive new clothes -I'm a great TK MAXX fan and Cortes Inles is strictly for Rebajas- we drive a rather battered eight-year-old LR Discovery and apart from quiet dinners with friends or a monthly trip to the best restaurant in our village, rarely go out.
> ...


 anyway :focus: I was only joking about the stately home but i thought you did live in an old converted church or something.. maybe i am thinking of someone completely different!

I too a, happy with a mercadonna cheapo, or their 26c beer. Oh we must meet up for a girls night Mary, shame your so far away!

I It's like blind date this... i tell you my hobbies now... actually ermmm... i frolic gayley in the fields surrounding my house, share my time with Gus who is an amazing partner, work by fingers to the bone (from home mostly now  ) for a humble loaf of mercadonna cheap bread, and enjoy my 3 dogs each and every day. :clap2:

What am i wolfing on about? Whats this topic all about? i forgot! oh yes.. moving to spain... noooo don't do it! stay away! stay safe in the UK with your jobs and money! save yourselves!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

steve_in_spain said:


> Im trying to sell my nearly new merc now... (spanish reg, RHD, 2009 auto estate with all the electric every things if anyones interested jajaj) anyway :focus: I was only joking about the stately home but i thought you did live in an old converted church or something.. maybe i am thinking of someone completely different!
> 
> I too a, happy with a mercadonna cheapo, or their 26c beer. Oh we must meet up for a girls night Mary, shame your so far away!
> 
> ...


You can see pix of our house in my album Steve. We used to live in a two-hundred and fifty year old cottage in the UK....more like a museum than a church...
Our house here is large but has a kind of faded grandeur (rather like its present occupants). It has cracks in the facade and bits occasionally falling off (again like the present occupants).
It's a bit unusual (again like......you get the picture..)
Yes, I wish we all lived closer. I could frolic gaily with you in the fields (I shall conjure up images of that in my mind before dropping off to sleep), I could share old-timers stories with Baldy, argue politics and talk books with Alcalaina.....and I'd love to meet up with PW, Xabia and others too.
Who knows...maybe we'll hire a huge posh villa for a grand weekend get-together...
That would be something, no?


PM me if you're on Facebook..


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> You can see pix of our house in my album Steve. We used to live in a two-hundred and fifty year old cottage in the UK....more like a museum than a church...
> Our house here is large but has a kind of faded grandeur (rather like its present occupants). It has cracks in the facade and bits occasionally falling off (again like the present occupants).
> It's a bit unusual (again like......you get the picture..)
> Yes, I wish we all lived closer. I could frolic gaily with you in the fields (I shall conjure up images of that in my mind before dropping off to sleep), I could share old-timers stories with Baldy, argue politics and talk books with Alcalaina.....and I'd love to meet up with PW, Xabia and others too.
> ...


Huge grand villa... more like an old bus or camper van! PM sent!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Weve arranged Expat meetups here. Done several in Javea with Xabiachica, Montgo and others ... and also did one in Huescar (Nr Granada) when we stayed in cave houses, and also one in Seville with about 10 including Captains Wench, and one in Oliva

They can be good fun


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Stravinsky said:


> Weve arranged Expat meetups here. Done several in Javea with Xabiachica, Montgo and others ... and also did one in Huescar (Nr Granada) when we stayed in cave houses, and also one in Seville with about 10 including Captains Wench, and one in Oliva
> 
> They can be good fun


Oh count me in for the next one.... how about we all go to benidorm and see sticky vicky for a bit of fun... No cave houses unfortunately but Hotel Cucaracha does a great value breakfast!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

steve_in_spain said:


> Oh count me in for the next one.... how about we all go to benidorm and see sticky vicky for a bit of fun... No cave houses unfortunately but Hotel Cucaracha does a great value breakfast!


Strangely Benidorm isnt a bad place for a short visit 
Havent done one for a while now, but theres a number of them (and me) on Facebook keeping in touch


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## jules 123 (Apr 26, 2011)

Stravinsky said:


> Weve arranged Expat meetups here. Done several in Javea with Xabiachica, Montgo and others ... and also did one in Huescar (Nr Granada) when we stayed in cave houses, and also one in Seville with about 10 including Captains Wench, and one in Oliva
> 
> They can be good fun


That's me btw - Montgomail on another forum.  And I'd be up for a meet in Benidorm although I'd give Sticky Vicky a miss *shudder* 

Wanted to multiquote but can't figure it out on this format ... can anyone help?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jules 123 said:


> That's me btw - Montgomail on another forum.  And I'd be up for a meet in Benidorm although I'd give Sticky Vicky a miss *shudder*
> 
> Wanted to multiquote but can't figure it out on this format ... can anyone help?


Don't think it can be done - the multiquote I mean.

Thank Goodness I don't who/ what Sticky Vicki is!

The next meet up should be at a mid point, like Madrid as it's in the middle of the country


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## jules 123 (Apr 26, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Don't think it can be done - the multiquote I mean.
> 
> Thank Goodness I don't who/ what Sticky Vicki is!
> 
> The next meet up should be at a mid point, like Madrid as it's in the middle of the country


Great idea :clap2:


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

jules 123 said:


> That's me btw - Montgomail on another forum.  And I'd be up for a meet in Benidorm although I'd give Sticky Vicky a miss *shudder*
> 
> Wanted to multiquote but can't figure it out on this format ... can anyone help?


Ooops, getting my forums mixed up


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## jules 123 (Apr 26, 2011)

Stravinsky said:


> Ooops, getting my forums mixed up


That's ok, Mitzy.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jules 123 said:


> That's me btw - Montgomail on another forum.  And I'd be up for a meet in Benidorm although I'd give Sticky Vicky a miss *shudder*
> 
> Wanted to multiquote but can't figure it out on this format ... can anyone help?



it's very fiddly & involves lots of copying & pasting


Pesky Wesky said:


> Don't think it can be done - the multiquote I mean.
> 
> Thank Goodness I don't who/ what Sticky Vicki is!
> 
> The next meet up should be at a mid point, like Madrid as it's in the middle of the country


hmmmm -------,)



Stravinsky said:


> Ooops, getting my forums mixed up





jules 123 said:


> That's ok, Mitzy.


:clap2:


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

jules 123 said:


> That's ok, Mitzy.


Who's Captains Wench?:confused2:

:lol:


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

hmmm...would my mother wish me to associate with some of these people mentioned


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jimenato said:


> Who's Captains Wench?:confused2:
> 
> :lol:


I know but I'm not telling - she does post here under another name sometimes though


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Great to read you again,Lynn..


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Great to read you again,Lynn..


thanks - sil at work - kids doing homework - nice to be doing something 'normal'


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