# Where to live in Costa Del Sol



## HARLEYAVENUE (May 27, 2010)

We are moving down to the Costa Del Sol from the Alicante region for various reasons.
We would appreciate all opinions and help anyone can give us before we come down on fact finding weekends.
First job is to get some idea of the areas that can fill our needs.
We need:
A detatched property with at least 3 bedrooms for a max rental cost of 800e p.m
A fairly large expat community within a 15 minute drive as we have a small business manufacturing and selling clothes on the internet so will need employees and prefer to hire expats.
We would like:
To be within a 15 minute drive of the coast with a decent amount of bars,shops etc available.
I realise this is a very open question but all information will be gratefully recieved.
Thanks....................Linda x


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Mijas? Nerja? Benalmadena? Spring to mind

Jo xxx


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## rogercruse (Oct 28, 2009)

Used to visit Estepona and watched it grow over the past twenty years from a sleepy fishing village with few tourists out of season to a holiday destination that is still growing. 

When we started going to Estepona the main coast road still carried heavy traffic through the town and there was only one medium sized supermarket nearby (the name changes every couple of years). But close enough to Gibraltar to pick up their radio relaying of BBC Radio 5 so you can listen to the the football.

Now the heavy traffic is routed around the town and the front has been given over to a car free zone and more tourists. 

Having been back since 2007, but I'm sure its still growing.


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## ee09 (May 30, 2010)

I don't know much about that area but Torrimolinos and Belamadina seem to have a large British resendency as well as British Tourism.


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## nicola67 (Jun 21, 2009)

A fairly large expat community within a 15 minute drive as we have a small business manufacturing and selling clothes on the internet so will need employees and prefer to hire expats.

Hi!
Just been reading your post with optimisim????
Would just like to ask how business was, regarding the manufacturing and selling clothing in Alicante??? was business not too good in that location hence the move to the costas? I ask this... as I plan to relocate to spain! why spain? well there are one hundred and one reasons! 
I plan to design and manufacture ladies fashion garments as a viable business plan. :confused2: Is there much need for this type of service, as back her in liverpool the young girls are sooooo fashion consious , and the prices their prepared to pay is unreal! 
Any help would be most apriciated! 
Nicola


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## HARLEYAVENUE (May 27, 2010)

Hi Nicola,we are from Liverpool ourselves.Do you remember Rio on Lime Street?That was us.
We have started selling solely on the internet and doin o.k. the problem with our current location is getting staff and also the logistics of shipping.
The Staff part is a real problem,the Spanish are lovely people but they are a little stuck in there ways and in general insist on taking 3hr siestas which we just can't get used to.
So we need non Spanish staff to grow the business and the area we are in does not have a big enough expat community to feed us.
Just about everything here is more expensive than in the U.K. (except booze and cigs!) so fabrics have to be shipped from the U.K. which means added cost but still cheaper than buying them here.
We have only been here 7 months so are are still wet behind the ears but from the little experience we have i can say that all the reasons that make Spain a lovely place to live e.g laid back way of life ,are the same reasons that make it difficult to run a business here,nothing happens quickly and work runs a long way behind family and socialising in the order of things.
If you have an established range then you can move to Spain and carry on,no problem.It will cut into your profit margins but thats just part of the deal.
Starting a new label from here and retailing it here would be very very difficult,we have been in the trade a long time and it is not something i would contemplate trying to do.
After saying that if you have the right designs and the marketing skills to sell it then it can be done here,the same as anywhere else in the world.

Linda x


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## Guest (May 31, 2010)

It's a very small cliquey place down here, nothing is "large" in expat terms and there are loads of people selling clothes if the amount of stands are all the networking/fayres we've attended lately. You've obviously got places like Puerto Banus that is jam packed with designer label/independent shops but the rent would be huge. You'd have a lot of people jumping at the chance of a job but that's a whole new issue if you're offering contracts/employing fulltime. It seems that people like to touch/try on clothes so no idea if you're selling locally if that would work on the internet so well.. it's not quite so switched on here

If you're inland a bit then your budget would be fine, largest places I can think of would be up around Jo's neck of the woods or Coin?


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## nicola67 (Jun 21, 2009)

Thanks for the reply Linda!
What a coincidence  and yes I do remember RIO, shoped there many a time 
I currently work full time for the local transport authority back here in liverpool and have done so for the past 10 years  but my real passion is FASHION and a longing to relocate to Spain, thought that with my expertise in fashion apparel it may be a way of making some kind of income over there, in my ever desire to relocate, ie: Fresh start, new adventure etc! 
I guess its easier said than done hey! 

Thanks again! 
Nicola


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## HARLEYAVENUE (May 27, 2010)

Thanks Andy,we don't sell anything on the 'high street' or wholesale,everything we sell is via the internet and our biggest markets are the u.k. and u.s. Spain is a long way behind as far as internet buying goes,not worth the effort of trying,so location from a marketing and selling point of view is not a problem.The business is now established and running well but the opportunity is there to increase sales with new lines,however to do that we need staff of a high calibre and we just can't find enough of them here to be able to take the business where it needs to go
We will taking a look around the coin area in a couple of weeks,where is Jo's neck of the woods by the way?

Nicola,i hate to see all the negativity going on around your dream(i read your post)
Fact is honey,if you don't try you will never know.
What the replies say to your post are all correct but like i said if you have good designs at the right price and know how to market them you can make a good living in Spain.in fact anywhere.it would be easier and more profitable to do it in the U.K. but then you would not be able to enjoy the success you do achieve.
Fashion is just about the hardest business to succeed in but it can be done and if it is truly your passion then just go for it,better than spending your life saying i should have done.
Good luck and if you need any help let me know......Linda x


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

HARLEYAVENUE said:


> The business is now established and running well but the opportunity is there to increase sales with new lines,however to do that we need staff of a high calibre and we just can't find enough of them here to be able to take the business where it needs to go
> We will taking a look around the coin area in a couple of weeks,where is Jo's neck of the woods by the way?



Jo's neck of the woods is just east of Coin (15kms!!) Alhaurin de la Torre, just outside of Malaga city! 

Jo xxx


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## shoemanpete (Jan 4, 2010)

Hi Harleyavenue,
we are new to CDS and have now taken up residence in Mijas la Nueva which is a lovely area 2 miles from Mijas itself. A very lovely urbanisation and houses, many to rent I gather. Expats by the thousands too. 
If you do end up bringing your business here, let me know as I am interested in some form of employment having been in retail sales and management for 40 years incl 20 as customer service manager, but that was the traditional role of customer care not today's callcentre.
Best of luck.



HARLEYAVENUE said:


> We are moving down to the Costa Del Sol from the Alicante region for various reasons.
> We would appreciate all opinions and help anyone can give us before we come down on fact finding weekends.
> First job is to get some idea of the areas that can fill our needs.
> We need:
> ...


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## ARO (May 31, 2010)

Hi,
I recommend you look around Alhaurín el Grande or Coin. The new link roads will be finnished shortly. Its an ideal place for links to Marbella, Fuengirola,Torremolinos and Malaga from Alhaurin el Grande it takes about 30-45min to any of those destinations. As far as expats are concerned plenty have moved inland and its not riddled with tourists!


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