# moving to spain



## danandleanne (Sep 20, 2016)

hi there my name is dan iam 40 years old and looking to move to spain with my partner and my two year old daughter.....iam just looking for some advise on work and schooling issues....iam currently a delivery driver in the uk and have my own business called handyman services. my core skills are in handyman services ie painting decorating tiling kitchen fitting and allsorts of other bits and bobs....just wandering is the a demand for services of this nature in spain ????..........many thanks dj


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

danandleanne said:


> hi there my name is dan iam 40 years old and looking to move to spain with my partner and my two year old daughter.....iam just looking for some advise on work and schooling issues....iam currently a delivery driver in the uk and have my own business called handyman services. my core skills are in handyman services ie painting decorating tiling kitchen fitting and allsorts of other bits and bobs....just wandering is the a demand for services of this nature in spain ????..........many thanks dj


Hi both,

I can't help at all with the schooling but here in Benidorm handy men are available by the hundred. 

Can't speak for other areas but with the unemployment rate in Spain generally there are a lot of tradesmen offering their skills for little money.

Hope you can sort something out for yourself and family. 

Steve


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

danandleanne said:


> hi there my name is dan iam 40 years old and looking to move to spain with my partner and my two year old daughter.....iam just looking for some advise on work and schooling issues....iam currently a delivery driver in the uk and have my own business called handyman services. my core skills are in handyman services ie painting decorating tiling kitchen fitting and allsorts of other bits and bobs....just wandering is the a demand for services of this nature in spain ????..........many thanks dj


Given the horrendous unemployment rate in Spain (maybe three times higher than the UK) and the potentially tens of thousands of out of work Spaniards who speak the language, know the system and share your skills...who will get any job that matches the skill set, you or a Spaniard?


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## danandleanne (Sep 20, 2016)

thanks steve


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## danandleanne (Sep 20, 2016)

thanks bob bob.......i like the comptition and i have a figure in my head to earn each week


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## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

danandleanne said:


> thanks bob bob.......i like the comptition and i have a figure in my head to earn each week


Don't forget you will be paying about €250 per month to be self employed. (if not at first after the startup period).


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## danandleanne (Sep 20, 2016)

hi simon.....i never knew that.....thanks for letting me know


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hi there,
What others have said is true. Unemployment is very high and even higher in the south where you are probably headed. Here are the figures. Andalucia 29.1% The Basque Country in the north is the best with 12.5%. 
EPA - Encuesta de Población Activa de las Comunidades Autónomas 2016 | datosmacro.com
You could probably get a few jobs, but it would be risky to say that you'd make a reliable salary out of it. Of course many people who do this get paid under the table, but ...
When you come over to scout places out you should make sure you get in touch with people who are advertising their services and see what they say. Also go to DIY places to see what they've got and the prices.
There are reduced rates when you start off self employed, but after 2 years the rates go up to over 250€. I've been self employed for many years.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

you may also have to pay the autonomo so that you can receive healthcare

Jo xxx


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## Evilbungle (Jul 8, 2016)

Hi Dan, 

Like tebo I can only speak for where I am in Spain (Barcelona área) but here there are lots of handyman services. Obviously I can't say if there are more handyman services than jobs I can only give you how it feels but every lamp post seems to have flyers up offering general services. 

What area are you thinking of? Maybe you should see if there is a Facebook group for that area where people offer their services then you can get an idea of the going rate? Can you speak Spanish? I know bob_bob seems to assume you don't but you don't actually say, if not you will be massively limiting your client base.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Loads of handyman type services here in my area. Most Brit immigrants I know prefer to use Spanish tradespeople as they can get better rates for materials, know the rules and regulations and have a local reputation to maintain.

This week I've had problems with my pool pump, dishwasher and a couple of small electrical problems. I shall look for a plumber, a person who specialises in repairing dishwashers, washing machines and an electrician, not a general handyman.
The going rate here for our local plumber (autonomo) is 15 euros an hour. Unemployed plumbers etc. working 'on the black' will work for 10 euros or less.

To become resident in Spain you need to prove an income of around 600 euros a month per person paid into a Spanish bank account. That includes children so a family of three would need to prove an income of 1800 euros plus savings. You also need to prove substantial savings and have private health care arranged until you set up as autonomo or get a job.

Round here post-season unemployment will rise to over 30%.


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## AlexRos (Nov 6, 2016)

There is a demand on painting/decoration the kitchen in Spain, etc but honestly with the crisis people tend to postpone such things for "better times" or at least pay the least. So a limited amount of people.


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## Anciana (Jul 14, 2014)

Living in Guardamar I met a Swedish couple, where he was a handyman and a licensed welder. He worked in a team with Spaniards on welding jobs, but on his own as a handyman catering only to Scandinavians, who often are uncomfortable even in English, much less in Spanish and do not trust tradespeople of other nationalities. He charged 18 euro per hour, had often more jobs that he could handle, a house with an orchard and a swimmingpool. All in the middle of high unemployment. But English is not a niche language.


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## Townfanjon (Jan 2, 2016)

Simon22 said:


> Don't forget you will be paying about €250 per month to be self employed. (if not at first after the startup period).


Blimey I didnt know that , how long does this last for ? Income tax on top of that ?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Townfanjon said:


> Blimey I didnt know that , how long does this last for ? Income tax on top of that ?


Yep. This payment is like paying NI in the UK.

It lasts for as long as you are declared self-employed. That is every single month irrespective of how much you earn.


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## PNE Matt (Feb 28, 2016)

This is my main reason for not setting up in Spain, I am buying a holiday home with the "possibility" to relocate my business to Spain. The 250 euros each month is not too substantial however if you are starting from scratch it is a considerable amount.
My business in the UK is selling and installing wood burning stoves and due to the seasonal nature of this don't think I could take the risk in Spain.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

PNE Matt said:


> This is my main reason for not setting up in Spain, I am buying a holiday home with the "possibility" to relocate my business to Spain. The 250 euros each month is not too substantial however if you are starting from scratch it is a considerable amount.
> My business in the UK is selling and installing wood burning stoves and due to the seasonal nature of this don't think I could take the risk in Spain.



Its a way of getting healthcare cover and building up a pension. It seems harsh and because it isnt on a sliding scale it perhaps isnt as fair as the UK system

Jo xxx


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## PNE Matt (Feb 28, 2016)

I've no problem with paying the 250 euros as I would be a "legitimate "business however I do wonder how many "self employed" people don't register and therefore have no future "benefits".


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

PNE Matt said:


> I've no problem with paying the 250 euros as I would be a "legitimate "business however I do wonder how many "self employed" people don't register and therefore have no future "benefits".


Well, I'm sure some do, but lets hope they and their family dont need to see a doctor/hospital and dont get caught without the right paperwork, invoices, numbers etc.. Spain has tightened up on illegal workers and of course to be a resident of Spain, you need to prove your income is enough to live on and that you have healthcare provision.

Jo xxx


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

PNE Matt said:


> This is my main reason for not setting up in Spain, I am buying a holiday home with the "possibility" to relocate my business to Spain. The 250 euros each month is not too substantial however if you are starting from scratch it is a considerable amount.
> My business in the UK is selling and installing wood burning stoves and due to the seasonal nature of this don't think I could take the risk in Spain.


Rent long term and use as a holiday home, if your earning in the UK then stick with it.


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## st3v3y (Aug 27, 2015)

To the OP. When I first started looking at the forum I found responses to questions like yours came across as a little negative. In fact I think some of them still are but to be honest I've never known any kind of forum that actually believes it would be remiss to not mention the facts as they are, like this forum does. And whilst you may find it negative, sadly it is also true.

I have a lot of friends in the same area as Mary has already mentioned and a lot of them are handymen all after the same type of work. I'd hate for you to throw caution to the wind in the belief that because you're a success in the UK that hard work will make that happen in Spain. It may well do but sadly it is less of a guarantee and I know plenty that have also returned back to the UK.

Whatever you decide I wish you good luck and fortune because if you can find a way to make it work then why not go for it. Just make sure you have a watertight 'plan B' to fall back on.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

jojo said:


> Its a way of getting healthcare cover and building up a pension.
> 
> Jo xxx


At the risk of potentially overdoing the forum negativity; does anyone in Spain that contributes to the Seguridad Social and who is more than 5 yrs away from retiring actually believe that there will be any meaningful pension available to them?

Certainly in my circles of friends and colleagues most of us don't think so. 

I know that theoretically the right to a pension is created by contributing, but I think it is misleading to make statements like this without explaining the extremely precarious financial situation that the state pension fund is in.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Overandout said:


> At the risk of potentially overdoing the forum negativity; does anyone in Spain that contributes to the Seguridad Social and who is more than 5 yrs away from retiring actually believe that there will be any meaningful pension available to them?
> 
> Certainly in my circles of friends and colleagues most of us don't think so.
> 
> I know that theoretically the right to a pension is created by contributing, but I think it is misleading to make statements like this without explaining the extremely precarious financial situation that the state pension fund is in.


No, I have said on other threads that I don't expect to get a as you say meaningful pension. Then again I've earn crap all my life so...


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

On the subject of pensions:

If you have built up a meaningful pension entitlement in UK then do not despair. Any pension entitlement you build up in Spain will be added to your UK pension to give you a better pension than if you just took the two pensions separately. What happens is about 6 months before you are due to retire you contact the Spanish pensions people and they are required to get in touch with the UK and anywhere else you have any pension entitlement and then Spain lumps it all together and pays you the combined pension.

Don't forget that you can continue to pay NI contributions in UK to make up your pension there - if you are employed you pay the weekly UK class 2 (self-employed) rate (£2.80) or if unemployed you pay the class 3 (unemployed) rate (£14.10).

https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/why-pay-voluntary-contributions


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

In certain instances people can claim national insurance auto credits too. Link is: https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility
Those who may qualify should apply.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

st3v3y said:


> To the OP. When I first started looking at the forum I found responses to questions like yours came across as a little negative. In fact I think some of them still are but to be honest I've never known any kind of forum that actually believes it would be remiss to not mention the facts as they are, like this forum does. And whilst you may find it negative, sadly it is also true.
> 
> I have a lot of friends in the same area as Mary has already mentioned and a lot of them are handymen all after the same type of work. I'd hate for you to throw caution to the wind in the belief that because you're a success in the UK that hard work will make that happen in Spain. It may well do but sadly it is less of a guarantee and I know plenty that have also returned back to the UK.
> 
> Whatever you decide I wish you good luck and fortune because if you can find a way to make it work then why not go for it. Just make sure you have a watertight 'plan B' to fall back on.


If willingness to work hard were all that is needed to be successful...why are there so may failed businesses and five million unemployed in Spain, I wonder....


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