# moving to spain



## AliceGrace14 (Sep 26, 2014)

Hi, me and my partner are looking to moving to Altea or La Nucia, I was just wondering how we would go about getting the ball rolling of what we have to do? Also job wise, I am a full time care worker and my partner is a plasterer/renderer, would there be any work out there for us? We are both open to maybe changing jobs incase there isn't anything.
Would love to hear back
Thank you  x


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

I can almost hear the tapping of the keyboards!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Well, who's gonna break the bad news....


Calling Leper.....


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> Well, who's gonna break the bad news....
> 
> 
> Calling Leper.....


Hi AliceGrace,

It is nice to think that you could relocate to Spain and make a life for yourselves, and so you can. But there is currently one significant drawback to your plans and that is that you have made the dreaded statement, 'I need to find work' unfortunately, there is little work in Spain at the moment, particularly in the building trade. As for care workers I have come across one or two during my time in Spain, but unlike the UK it is not very widespread and I think these were really just doing odds and sods for friends or relatives who had some health problems and they gave them a few euros. Unless you have significant savings or some other form of income that is not reliant on working i.e. a pension then you will find it incredibly difficult to make a life for yourselves in Spain as long as the economy is so poor and it is unlikely that there will be any economic improvement in the remainder of this decade. I think unemployment is around 30% plus. The other 2 issues for you would be how is your Spanish, as you will need to be pretty good at it to find any employment, and do you have children because if you have, it will make it more difficult. If you still want to do it, then think it through and plan it well and of course make sure you have at least 2 years living costs and burn no bridges in the UK because it is highly likely you will need to return there. I don't like being negative but you should be aware of the drawbacks as you could, be like many before you, try it, lose everything and end up back in the UK starting all over again


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

HI Alice, Welcome to the forum. If you have a look at my posts you will see that Hairdressers, Beauticians, Plumbers, Painters, Carpenters, Fabricators, Mechanics, Barmen, Waiters, Fitness Advisors have little or no chance of acquiring employment in Spain. I would like to add Plasters and Carers to that list.

But, all is not lost . . . sometime around February 4th 2021 circa 10.04am the tide might have turned in the Spanish economy. Therefore, I would advise you spend the next few years perfecting your Spanish as near as fluent as makes no difference. Then around 25th January 2021 post again here and God willing we will all be here to offer some advice.

Use Spain for your holidays . . . Even retire to Spain (rent do not buy, repeat do not buy . . .). 

Thank you Mrjpg9; I am only too glad to answer your call.

. . . and Alice, do not be too downhearted . . . Spain is fraught with disgruntled people heading back to the UK poorer, weaker,and more wounded etc than you think.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

ABERAFON said:


> Hi AliceGrace,
> 
> It is nice to think that you could relocate to Spain and make a life for yourselves, and so you can. But there is currently one significant drawback to your plans and that is that you have made the dreaded statement, 'I need to find work' unfortunately, there is little work in Spain at the moment, particularly in the building trade. As for care workers I have come across one or two during my time in Spain, but unlike the UK it is not very widespread and I think these were really just doing odds and sods for friends or relatives who had some health problems and they gave them a few euros. Unless you have significant savings or some other form of income that is not reliant on working i.e. a pension then you will find it incredibly difficult to make a life for yourselves in Spain as long as the economy is so poor and it is unlikely that there will be any economic improvement in the remainder of this decade. I think unemployment is around 30% plus. The other 2 issues for you would be how is your Spanish, as you will need to be pretty good at it to find any employment, and do you have children because if you have, it will make it more difficult. If you still want to do it, then think it through and plan it well and of course make sure you have at least 2 years living costs and burn no bridges in the UK because it is highly likely you will need to return there. I don't like being negative but you should be aware of the drawbacks as you could, be like many before you, try it, lose everything and end up back in the UK starting all over again


I think you explained things exactly how they are.
In my area of the CdS unemployment is around 34% and will rise now the tourist season is ended.
There is zero work for immigrants in the building trade as many of the Spanish unemployed are former brickies, plasterers, etc.
Many people in the UK seem quite unaware of just how bad things are in very many parts of Spain. I guess that many people come to Spain on holiday, have a good time then once back in the grey cold UK think how lovely it would be to live and work in Spain. But then holiday Spain and 'real' everyday Spain are two different places.

Am I right in thinking you lived in Spain for quite a while but have moved back to the UK?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Leper;5344522. .

But said:


> _sometime around February 4th 2021 circa 10.04am the tide might have turned in the Spanish economy_[/B]. .


Optimist...


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> I think you explained things exactly how they are.
> In my area of the CdS unemployment is around 34% and will rise now the tourist season is ended.
> There is zero work for immigrants in the building trade as many of the Spanish unemployed are former brickies, plasterers, etc.
> Many people in the UK seem quite unaware of just how bad things are in very many parts of Spain. I guess that many people come to Spain on holiday, have a good time then once back in the grey cold UK think how lovely it would be to live and work in Spain. But then holiday Spain and 'real' everyday Spain are two different places.
> ...


Hi mrypg,
Yes we had a villa up near competa for some years, although we never lived there full time, having a business in the UK and needing to flit between Spain and the UK. We got to know the country and many people well and spoke reasonable Spanish. I was also lucky, having a business and doing some business in Spain as well I was keyed into the recession and by late 2009 had clearly seen the potential property collapse so sold the house in Spain without loss strangely within 7 days of putting it up for sale, we expected it to be a few years so in a way we were not ready to leave the country so soon. We return a lot but, nevertheless, we miss Spain every day we are not there and having now retired at 60 we have considered coming back and buying another property. we don't need to work now, as we have an occupational pension and savings but we still worry about the problems in Spain and we are perhaps still too timid to make the decision although we would still keep my property in the UK and spend my time between the two countries, staying in Spain in 3 batches of 2 months so not to incur any complications. We would rent but somehow it is not the same, not having the investment in the country , so it is difficult, but the jury is out and we are reflecting long and hard.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

AliceGrace14 said:


> Hi, me and my partner are looking to moving to Altea or La Nucia, I was just wondering how we would go about getting the ball rolling of what we have to do? Also job wise, I am a full time care worker and my partner is a plasterer/renderer, would there be any work out there for us? We are both open to maybe changing jobs incase there isn't anything.
> Would love to hear back
> Thank you  x


Hi,
not a good time to be looking for work in Spain (see signature)
Maybe the first thing you should do is look for work. Make contact with British people in the area that you want to be in (presuming that you don't speak Spanish) and see what they tell you about making a full time permanent living)


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

ABERAFON said:


> Hi mrypg,
> Yes we had a villa up near competa for some years, although we never lived there full time, having a business in the UK and needing to flit between Spain and the UK. We got to know the country and many people well and spoke reasonable Spanish. I was also lucky, having a business and doing some business in Spain as well I was keyed into the recession and by late 2009 had clearly seen the potential property collapse so sold the house in Spain without loss strangely within 7 days of putting it up for sale, we expected it to be a few years so in a way we were not ready to leave the country so soon. We return a lot but, nevertheless, we miss Spain every day we are not there and having now retired at 60 we have considered coming back and buying another property. we don't need to work now, as we have an occupational pension and savings but we still worry about the problems in Spain and we are perhaps still too timid to make the decision although we would still keep my property in the UK and spend my time between the two countries, staying in Spain in 3 batches of 2 months so not to incur any complications. We would rent but somehow it is not the same, not having the investment in the country , so it is difficult, but the jury is out and we are reflecting long and hard.


Property is only selling now at around 40% below peak prices. You could find a very pretty bargain, though recent opinion from UBS suggests stagnant prices for the next 14 years, so buy to keep, not to turn a profit just yet! The article also states some figures that might interest the OP about the state of Spain today. Sorry, I only have the story in Spanish:
El precio de la vivienda en España seguirá estancado durante los próximos 14 años - Noticias de Vivienda


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

Madliz said:


> Property is only selling now at around 40% below peak prices. You could find a very pretty bargain, though recent opinion from UBS suggests stagnant prices for the next 14 years, so buy to keep, not to turn a profit just yet! The article also states some figures that might interest the OP about the state of Spain today. Sorry, I only have the story in Spanish:
> El precio de la vivienda en España seguirá estancado durante los próximos 14 años - Noticias de Vivienda


Thanks for that information MadLiz, I have looked in the last year at some Villas and we are considering whether or not to take the plunge again as we love it there and it is the only place that we have lived where we have found such peace. A profit is not what we would look for, just somewhere to find that delicious contentment again. I think Spain is an okay place to spend ones later years. I think my Spanish may still be up to getting through the document so I will have a go, many thanks again


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

We have just returned from our bi annual trip to Polop which is the next town over from La Nucia.

La Nucia and the surrounding areas still have hundreds of empty properties, from rentals to nice villas on half finished urbanisations. 
The towns are both busy with very few empty shops and most of the bars have not changed hands for a couple of years. 
And I agree that it's a nice place to live. 

We looked around as we always do, and the better urb (if that's what you are looking for) are on the CV70 from La Nucia up towards the Polop turn. We looked at some nice semi detached with empty under builds. Was offered one for €200 a month long term rent. 

Prices are good for buying at the moment as well. 

Nice towns and you have Al Faz and the coast not that far as well.

Our next trip is planned for March, by then we should be close to making our decision.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

ABERAFON said:


> Hi mrypg,
> Yes we had a villa up near competa for some years, although we never lived there full time, having a business in the UK and needing to flit between Spain and the UK. We got to know the country and many people well and spoke reasonable Spanish. I was also lucky, having a business and doing some business in Spain as well I was keyed into the recession and by late 2009 had clearly seen the potential property collapse so sold the house in Spain without loss strangely within 7 days of putting it up for sale, we expected it to be a few years so in a way we were not ready to leave the country so soon. We return a lot but, nevertheless, we miss Spain every day we are not there and having now retired at 60 we have considered coming back and buying another property. we don't need to work now, as we have an occupational pension and savings but we still worry about the problems in Spain and we are perhaps still too timid to make the decision although we would still keep my property in the UK and spend my time between the two countries, staying in Spain in 3 batches of 2 months so not to incur any complications. We would rent but somehow it is not the same, not having the investment in the country , so it is difficult, but the jury is out and we are reflecting long and hard.


Well, as I've said many times on this forum, we sold all our properties, commercial and residential when we left the UK almost nine years ago and have rented large houses in both Prague and Andalucia, apart from a brief period when we moved into an apartment which we hated, never having lived in a flat before and more importantly having a very large dog - we now have two dogs.
I have to say that as we took early retirement and have no need or desire to do paid work we have not experienced any of the problems in Spain at first hand, although we are very well aware of them.
When we left we had a plan of spending time in several European countries before ending up in a large rented loft apartment in the Merchant City area of Glasgow. But we are too settled here in Spain and here we shall stay.
I don't think renting rules out having an 'investment' in the country, far from it, certainly not in the social sense. We both speak Spanish, work for local charities, I belong to a Spanish political party, we belong to local clubs and I am about to join the local Spanish women's association, a sort of more feisty WI. There are thousands of people who own their own properties and in spite of having been in Spain for twenty years or more speak no Spanish and live happily within the British immigrant communities.
It's your attitude not property status that gives you a stake in the country. After all, many Spaniards rent!


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> Well, as I've said many times on this forum, we sold all our properties, commercial and residential when we left the UK almost nine years ago and have rented large houses in both Prague and Andalucia, apart from a brief period when we moved into an apartment which we hated, never having lived in a flat before and more importantly having a very large dog - we now have two dogs.
> I have to say that as we took early retirement and have no need or desire to do paid work we have not experienced any of the problems in Spain at first hand, although we are very well aware of them.
> When we left we had a plan of spending time in several European countries before ending up in a large rented loft apartment in the Merchant City area of Glasgow. But we are too settled here in Spain and here we shall stay.
> I don't think renting rules out having an 'investment' in the country, far from it, certainly not in the social sense. We both speak Spanish, work for local charities, I belong to a Spanish political party, we belong to local clubs and I am about to join the local Spanish women's association, a sort of more feisty WI. There are thousands of people who own their own properties and in spite of having been in Spain for twenty years or more speak no Spanish and live happily within the British immigrant communities.
> It's your attitude not property status that gives you a stake in the country. After all, many Spaniards rent!


I know what you mean about renting mrypg, and I think we might do this if we could find the right place. I suppose, what I really mean about investing, is we like to have our style in the house and that is hard to do when you are renting but not there permanently (Grandchildren issues), only intermittently and not there at all during those very hot summer months, so it would make renting a bit more difficult as we would perhaps only want to rent from October to May at most. But as you rightly say it is probably my state of mind as well that gets in the way of doing this having always bought my own property. We recently sold out lovely 500 year old house in Suffolk which was getting too big for us to deal with and whilst we found another house to buy we rented and hated it so I suppose that experience puts us off as well. Obviously still a lot of thinking needed on our part.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

ABERAFON said:


> I know what you mean about renting mrypg, and I think we might do this if we could find the right place. I suppose, what I really mean about investing, is we like to have our style in the house and that is hard to do when you are renting but not there permanently (Grandchildren issues), only intermittently and not there at all during those very hot summer months, so it would make renting a bit more difficult as we would perhaps only want to rent from October to May at most. But as you rightly say it is probably my state of mind as well that gets in the way of doing this having always bought my own property. We recently sold out lovely 500 year old house in Suffolk which was getting too big for us to deal with and whilst we found another house to buy we rented and hated it so I suppose that experience puts us off as well. Obviously still a lot of thinking needed on our part.


We have been very lucky in that we have a great landlord who has become a friend. But then I tell him very often that he is lucky to have us as tenants
We brought all our furniture with us from the UK, all our pictures, ornaments, books, clothes etc..That cost a lot in removal fees but it was 'good' furniture accumulated over our life together and we think it's important for settling in to have familiar things around us.
We can decorate the walls in whatever colour we wish, arrange the gardens as we wish...we can even get repairs done then deduct from the rent.
So it's like being in our own home. We intend to stay in this house for maybe two or three more years. Then we may move into a house belonging to a Spanish friend which she doesn't use and doesn't want to rent to strangers.
I appreciate the fact that not everyone is as lucky as we have been. Our landlord lives in Austria and when he visits, about twice a year, he does any repairs and odd jobs needed.
You are so right, though. Much thought needed. Having lived in Spain before, you are better equipped than most to make decisions.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Renting*



ABERAFON said:


> I know what you mean about renting mrypg, and I think we might do this if we could find the right place. I suppose, what I really mean about investing, is we like to have our style in the house and that is hard to do when you are renting but not there permanently (Grandchildren issues), only intermittently and not there at all during those very hot summer months, so it would make renting a bit more difficult as we would perhaps only want to rent from October to May at most. But as you rightly say it is probably my state of mind as well that gets in the way of doing this having always bought my own property. We recently sold out lovely 500 year old house in Suffolk which was getting too big for us to deal with and whilst we found another house to buy we rented and hated it so I suppose that experience puts us off as well. Obviously still a lot of thinking needed on our part.


It depends where you are of course, but there are quite a lot of unfurnished places around, although usually, the kitchen is furnished. By that I mean fridge, washing machine and cooker, although some cookers don't have ovens, so one has to check that out.


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> We have been very lucky in that we have a great landlord who has become a friend. But then I tell him very often that he is lucky to have us as tenants
> We brought all our furniture with us from the UK, all our pictures, ornaments, books, clothes etc..That cost a lot in removal fees but it was 'good' furniture accumulated over our life together and we think it's important for settling in to have familiar things around us.
> We can decorate the walls in whatever colour we wish, arrange the gardens as we wish...we can even get repairs done then deduct from the rent.
> So it's like being in our own home. We intend to stay in this house for maybe two or three more years. Then we may move into a house belonging to a Spanish friend which she doesn't use and doesn't want to rent to strangers.
> ...



You are very lucky having found something like the property you currently live in and with somewhere to go as well when the time comes to move, but I always believed that the more research I did and the better prepared I was the luckier I got. so you must have done the same. That is why when I hear of people wanting to relocate to Spain or any other country for that matter and see that they just have the view that it will be okay on the day I worry about how long they will last and when they will return to their home country broken and skint. I saw so much of it and continue to see it amongst the many people I knew and know who loved being in Spain and lost everything.

Unlike many who went to Spain, I never felt comfortable cutting my links with the UK whilst I still needed to earn a living and although times were good then in Spain and I saw many business opportunities I never felt confident that it would last. I suppose because I had a successful small business in the UK I was sensitive to what I saw as too hot an economy that was too reliant on housing, bit like the UK is today being over reliant on housing and consumer spending.

Even though I have knowledge of Spain, had property there and have spent and still spend time there, making any sort of move there. even just to live for extended periods in a second home, still needs careful thought and not because of the investment in a property but to what sort of economic future Spain will have if they don't sort out their fiscal woes. I feel so sorry for the Spanish who are without jobs and income and I can't see how this will improve for about a decade or so as there appears to be no real strategy coming out of Madrid as to how they will address these problems. People will only be able to put up with this for so long and then who knows. lets all hope that the country turns around more quickly and that I am being far too pessimistic :fingerscrossed:


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

thanks Justina,

We will look into unfurnished if we can make a decision on renting, although would of course mean bringing out furniture or buying in Spain.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

ABERAFON said:


> You are very lucky having found something like the property you currently live in and with somewhere to go as well when the time comes to move, but I always believed that the more research I did and the better prepared I was the luckier I got. so you must have done the same. That is why when I hear of people wanting to relocate to Spain or any other country for that matter and see that they just have the view that it will be okay on the day I worry about how long they will last and when they will return to their home country broken and skint. I saw so much of it and continue to see it amongst the many people I knew and know who loved being in Spain and lost everything.
> 
> Unlike many who went to Spain, I never felt comfortable cutting my links with the UK whilst I still needed to earn a living and although times were good then in Spain and I saw many business opportunities I never felt confident that it would last. I suppose because I had a successful small business in the UK I was sensitive to what I saw as too hot an economy that was too reliant on housing, bit like the UK is today being over reliant on housing and consumer spending.
> 
> Even though I have knowledge of Spain, had property there and have spent and still spend time there, making any sort of move there. even just to live for extended periods in a second home, still needs careful thought and not because of the investment in a property but to what sort of economic future Spain will have if they don't sort out their fiscal woes. I feel so sorry for the Spanish who are without jobs and income and I can't see how this will improve for about a decade or so as there appears to be no real strategy coming out of Madrid as to how they will address these problems. People will only be able to put up with this for so long and then who knows. lets all hope that the country turns around more quickly and that I am being far too pessimistic :fingerscrossed:


I honestly can't say we did any research or planning even,other than to consider our finances! We decided one day we'd had enough of running our business- not IBM but not small. - and decided to pack up and go.
We decided in September, flew to Prague and found a place to live in October, left for good in December.
We left the business with our General Manager but that didn't work out so we sold ..in 2006. House too. Luck again...
But....I'd been visiting Prague for thirty years, had good friends and when we moved to Spain we first moved into my son's house here.
The main thing for us was doing everything within our finances and knowing we had enough to weather any disaster that might befall us.
Plus we have no dependents.


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