# help needed regarding moving to corfu



## jkparr

hi can anyone out there please help .me and my husband wanting to move to corfu nxt yr i have been speaking to someone on another site and they said DONT DO IT we are both going to look for work once out there we want to be somewhere in or nr sidari accomadation wise and wld be looking to rent .i have been told i will have problems with forms that we will nd to pay 400 euros each a month for healthcare and that we dont stand much chance of finding work .my husband is a selfemployed farmer here but willing to undertake work doing grasscutting maintenance etc i will look for cleaning work or shop work or care work can anyone help PLEASE WITH INFOOTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOLD me we wld get work and find accomodation etc


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## stevie 1964

*dont do it*



jkparr said:


> hi can anyone out there please help .me and my husband wanting to move to corfu nxt yr i have been speaking to someone on another site and they said DONT DO IT we are both going to look for work once out there we want to be somewhere in or nr sidari accomadation wise and wld be looking to rent .i have been told i will have problems with forms that we will nd to pay 400 euros each a month for healthcare and that we dont stand much chance of finding work .my husband is a selfemployed farmer here but willing to undertake work doing grasscutting maintenance etc i will look for cleaning work or shop work or care work can anyone help PLEASE WITH INFOOTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOLD me we wld get work and find accomodation etc


life is impossible in greece i live on creta NO JOBS HIGH RENTS COST OF LIVING 2 MAYBE 3 X UK after 8 years i an on my way home good luck !!!!!


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## evie202

Don't do it if you are relying on finding a job here . There is scarcely enough for the Greek people and they will always get the job first . We live here now but we have a separate income . On the plus side if you could get a job first before coming over then the rents are very low right now if you are willing to rent for a minimum of a year . Cost of living quite high though .


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## Ad Rem

Bad idea. Ver bad.
Have in mind that we have very cheap workforce coming from Philippines, Ukraine, Georgia, etc.

And let's not forget Albanians, who - if they decide not to live from stealing- would work for the minimum of minimum salary ....


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## rutlandman

Do not Panic! Advice regarding getting a job first is spot on. Greece has gone through hard times and although some areas are showing a real turn up such as in tourism to Corfu, the domestic economy is till pretty stagnant. We have been traveling to Corfu for nearly 25 years and the benefit of knowing locals who will talk to you sensibly is worth its weight in gold.

House rentals for long term are low and local taxes are negligible. WE rent in UK and our rental and lcoucil tax bill is £900 per month we are looking to rent furnished and expect to pay about 500 to 600 Euro a month. If you go through an agent then you will probably have to pay the equivalent of 2 weeks rent as a finders fee, property owner pays the same . 
Utilities are probably a bit more expensive than UK but our UK utilities are £2000 per annum I would expect our Corfu utilities to be about 1000 Euro. Water depends on area but about 200 Euro per annum. Telephone, TV licence and internet probably another 50 Euro per quarter - all gets collected on electricity bill which makes it a bit of a struggle to understand!

WE find cost of food and grocery shopping to be no more expensive than UK, BUT you have to set out to eat more like a local, higher vegetable and fruit content, lower meat content, shop at market where possible. MY daughter says she was appalled at the cost of Pampers in Corfu, she was rapidly directed to by our Corfiot friends to the better local brands - that is a real lesson to be learnt!

Major problem is the job!
Good Luck

Graeme


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## concertina

*greece*



jkparr said:


> hi can anyone out there please help .me and my husband wanting to move to corfu nxt yr i have been speaking to someone on another site and they said DONT DO IT we are both going to look for work once out there we want to be somewhere in or nr sidari accomadation wise and wld be looking to rent .i have been told i will have problems with forms that we will nd to pay 400 euros each a month for healthcare and that we dont stand much chance of finding work .my husband is a selfemployed farmer here but willing to undertake work doing grasscutting maintenance etc i will look for cleaning work or shop work or care work can anyone help PLEASE WITH INFOOTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOLD me we wld get work and find accomodation etc


You would need private health care if you are going to spend more than the allowed yearly days out of the UK but I dont believe it would be as much as 400 each month.You might be able to find a position as general handy-man plus house-keeper with accommodation and maybe even with health care cover,its just a thought,I have seen this requirement from time to time or you could advertise for that,the money was fairly good too.I dont know if you have set your heart on Corfu but you may find that type of position generally around Greece and the Islands,lots of rich people about with big villas,I once saw a great job advertised for a warden in a forest with accommodation and reasonable money.Sometimes you see quirky type jobs,have a look on line for various sites where people might advertise for those live-on-site jobs.Dont give up.


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## corfusue

jkparr said:


> hi can anyone out there please help .me and my husband wanting to move to corfu nxt yr i have been speaking to someone on another site and they said DONT DO IT we are both going to look for work once out there we want to be somewhere in or nr sidari accomadation wise and wld be looking to rent .i have been told i will have problems with forms that we will nd to pay 400 euros each a month for healthcare and that we dont stand much chance of finding work .my husband is a selfemployed farmer here but willing to undertake work doing grasscutting maintenance etc i will look for cleaning work or shop work or care work can anyone help PLEASE WITH INFOOTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOLD me we wld get work and find accomodation etc


Hi. I have lived in Corfu for the last 36 years and am in the process of moving back to Canada. I will have to agree with the other person who said Dont Do It!!! 
Unemployment is extremely high in Greece and the Health care .....what is left of it sucks and is very expensive!!! 
The jobs you are referring to are done by Albanians. Shop work or care might be a possibility but it a big might!! Summer jobs don't pay too much and you need a certain amount of days to collect unemployment in the winter!!!
It is up to you of course.....but Greece is not the place to be now!!!! Sorry


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## aliland

I don't know Corfu at all, so it is wise to listen to those from there saying don't do it, if you still feel you really want to try though why not spend your year in the UK getting some sort of qualification which might prove useful. I get that your prepared to do anything, but so are many hungry people here right now.My only area of knowledge is education. I do feel that a qualified native speaking English teacher still has options here - and workers don't have to worry so much about health care ( in your second year here as a full tax payer, you would be covered, but its extremely complicated for casual workers) you said your husband is a farmer. I except Corfu is similar to other Greek places in that casual periodic labour is more likely to go to cheaper (eg Albanian) workers and higher positions will be sought from the local populace without you ever having a look in. Up here in the north, there is an excellent farm school who might appreciate experience. What I'm trying to tell you is, don't come here expecting that a will do anything attitude will get you through, come with some skills. Sure my husband called an English plumber last summer because I had his number - simply as he was English and in wanted to help him out, but the fact he did his job really well at a competitive rate got his number passed round which I'm sure is what really keeps him in work. Rather than just turn up and hope to find work, look what is needed, and can you do it? 
You don't have to give up on your dream, but keep your eyes open.


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## Algybuilders

Hi I've read your post and it was exactly what I was going to ask only I am a builder in the UK and would be looking to work on properties that UK expats wanted to turn into homes or holiday let's, also I would be looking at buying a Corfu property but a very cheap one to do up, would this be a better way of sustaining our lives there? Are UK people looking for a reliable project manager/ builder? As I believe this to be the right climate for people to be buying and modernising properties on Corfu,
Any help greatly appreciated guys,
Algy


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