# Looking some info on moveing to Spain



## G mann (Mar 20, 2008)

Hi there just joined my wife and i and 7,year old boy are wanting to move to Benidorm area in 2009 we have holidayed there for some time now and love the area we don't speak any spanish thats sort of why we are chosing that area as well so it might be easier to find work. We could buy a business but we don't know if this would be a good idea as you hear of so many failing, basically we are just looking some advice on work issues, schooling, good areas to live in the enidorm area or may be buying a business, would be grateful for any info regarding these issues thanks.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

G mann said:


> Hi there just joined my wife and i and 7,year old boy are wanting to move to Benidorm area in 2009 we have holidayed there for some time now and love the area we dont speak any spanish thats sort of why we are choseing that area as well so it mite be easier to find work we cood buy a business but we dont no if this wood be a good idea as you hear of so many failing, basically we are just looking some advice on work issues, schooling, good areas to live in the benidorm area or may,b buying a business, wood be grateful for any info regarding these issues thanx.


Hi & welcome to the forum
What kind of business are you talking about ...... please dont say a bar 

Benidorm gets a bad press. I like it now, but only out of season. I prefer the Southern area & old town, I'm afraid the Brit end does my head in.

Work will be more difficult if you dont speak Spanish I'm afraid .... have a look at the Costa Blanca News online newspaper (google it)


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## G mann (Mar 20, 2008)

Thanks for the reply, no i dont think we wood really be interested in a bar we were thinking more along the lines of mini market, coffee shop etc, we are just looking a better life my wife works legal secretary and i as doorman so she works all week and i all weekend i no thats what every,1 is looking a better life and it always doesnt work out like that but you never no unless you try.As to were we go to live well we cood keep an open mind as to were we go i suppose we havent really looked into anywere else.We wood appreciate any areas you cood recomend that we cood look into thanx.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

G mann said:


> Thanks for the reply, no i dont think we wood really be interested in a bar we were thinking more along the lines of mini market, coffee shop etc, we are just looking a better life my wife works legal secretary and i as doorman so she works all week and i all weekend i no thats what every,1 is looking a better life and it always doesnt work out like that but you never no unless you try.As to were we go to live well we cood keep an open mind as to were we go i suppose we havent really looked into anywere else.We wood appreciate any areas you cood recomend that we cood look into thanx.



Oh OK.
I dont want to sound overly negative here my friend, but what you must realise that a cup of coffee over here costs about €1.20 ... thats about 90p. You gotta sell a hell of a lot of coffee to make that pay. Mini market could be a good idea, although bear in mind that we're all market crazy over here. They are all over the place, selling all manner of things. If you have a particular line then maybe a stall at a market. We see the same stall holders at different markets all the time.

If you get a "proper" job you must bear in mind the hours can be long. You have the siesta mid way through the day which means you can still be working at night up till 8 or 9 on a regular basis. Thats why the Spanish eat late, when its cooler and when work is finished.


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## G mann (Mar 20, 2008)

I see were your coming from just we don't know what to do for the best. We know if we try to get jobs that the hours are long but it couldn't be any worse than what we are doing now and you get the added bonus of the good weather out there. Our little boy has A,D,H,D and we live in Belfast and the weather is crop here all year round so it means he doesn't get out much and as he is very hyper this can cause proplems for us as he needs to be out doors to burn his energy. We know we won't get good paying jobs like we have here but as long as we can earn enough to live on as we would have a good bit of savings with us and we would do any job. Thats why we thought Benidorm might be the best spot for us because we don't speak any spanish and it has a big ex-pat population so work might be easier to come by thanks Glenn. Any more info would be appreciated.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

G mann said:


> I see were your coming from just we dont no what to do for the best we no if we try to get jobs that the hours are long but it cood,nt be any worse than what we are doing now and you get the added bonus of the good weather out there,our little boy has A,D,H,D and we live in belfast and the weather is crop here al year round so means he doesnt get out much as he is very hyper this can cause proplems for us as he needs to be out doors to burn his energy.We no we wont get good paying jobs like we have here but as long as we can earn enough to live on as we wood have a good bit of savings with us and we wood do any job. Thats why we thought Benidorm mite be the best spot for us because we dont speak any spanish and it has a big excpat population so work mite be easier to come by thanx Glenn any more info wood be appreciated


Yep, the weather is a good plus.
Theres Brits all the way down the costas. Benidorm is though, as you say, a reasonably good bet.
Cost of living is about 30% cheaper than the UK in rural areas, but the salaries here reflect that also.


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## G mann (Mar 20, 2008)

Thanks again for the reply, we are heading out to benidorm another 2 times this year to do a bit more research and gather as much more info as we can but we would still appreciate any info from people on this forum as well,we know its not going to be easy and it will take time to settle but i am quite confident we can do it. It's something we have wanted to do for a long time and if we don't just do it now we may never do it and then might regret that for the rest of our lives, as i said above any info on moving to spain would be much appreciated and thanks again for the reply, Glenn


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

G mann said:


> It's something we have wanted to do for a long time and if we don't just do it now we may never do it and then might regret that for the rest of our lives



We felt exactly the same! In the end we decided that my husband would commute until he/we could financially support ourselves here. So he spends two weeks here and two weeks in the uk. I guess we're lucky that he owns his own business, so he can allow himself this privilige. When he's here, he's also trying set a sister company up and the plan is that one day rolleyes we'll have a business in spain and no more commuting.

In the meantime, I'm trying to learn spanish and I'm looking for work, although with two kids and no husband half the time, its not a priority for now

Jo


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## G mann (Mar 20, 2008)

Hi jo thanks for the reply do you have any regrets about moving abroad, you get all kinds of different feed back was it the same for use some good and some not so good but i think you need to try things for urself.We have been looking into buying a business but then people seem to be a bit negative about that issue but we would like to work something as a family surely every business is not doomed to fail. Glenn


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## ea7/gm0vpg (Mar 22, 2008)

Hola,
Still a newbie here in Spain... been here for two years and have no regrets. Should of done it a long time ago. Steep learning curve having completed a reformation project. 
We have friends on the coast who bought a business two years ago, typical bar. Advice... well looking at the state of the market here take your time as it is a buyers market. Look at every angle and don't jump in. If you have the luxury of time and money move here and rent for a short while. Feel the goods and you could earn up with a bargain. Stand back and view from all sides.....

Best of luck.... he who hesitates is lost forever. 

atb Neil


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## G mann (Mar 20, 2008)

Now thats what i would call a good reply some,1 thats not so negative yes i see were your coming from i think thats what we will propably do as we should have enough savings for up to 2,years without working and as you say would give us time to look around for the good buy,s.We are defenitly moving out just trying to get the best advice and info from people who have done it cause we dont want to fail but what to hack you only live once and thanx again for the reply. Glenn


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

G mann said:


> Now thats what i would call a good reply some,1 thats not so negative yes i see were your coming from i think thats what we will propably do as we should have enough savings for up to 2,years without working and as you say would give us time to look around for the good buy,s.We are defenitly moving out just trying to get the best advice and info from people who have done it cause we dont want to fail but what to hack you only live once and thanx again for the reply. Glenn


You seem to have misunderstood my posts mate

I have no regrets at all about moving here and love it. The lifestyle, the weather, the people ..... excellent. I dont have to work here though 

I can only give you the benefit of two years of being on ex pats forums, and the experiences people have had in running bars and coffee shops. I'm not being negative, just telling you as it is  ea7/gm0vpg is right, you have to be very careful and take your time and be aware that people will do just about anything to make you buy their business, even including renting crowds to sit in the place for when you come to look at it!


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## G mann (Mar 20, 2008)

oh no i dont mean to sound as if the negativety is coming from you just we were in Benidorm 3 times last year and most of the people we talked to seemed as if they were trying to put us off thats why i joined this forum.I appreciate the info you have been giving me and would appreciate any more that you have for me thanx Glenn


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

G mann said:


> Hi jo thanks for the reply do you have any regrets about moving abroad, you get all kinds of different feed back was it the same for use some good and some not so good but i think you need to try things for urself.We have been looking into buying a business but then people seem to be a bit negative about that issue but we would like to work something as a family surely every business is not doomed to fail. Glenn


We've only been here just under 2 months. NO REGRETS!!! I absolutely love it, I'm home, I never want to go back to the UK! As for work out here?? I can see it isnt easy, my husband has one or two contacts who are in the same line of work in Marbella and they may be able to work out some kind of business opportunity - my husband provides and installs multi-media, hi-fi, custom lighting, hi end security systems, smart houses... etc. But thats by no means a dead cert or a major money spinner. But as he has a business in the UK, it may help to secure a business here???

I think if you come out to Spain, you shouldnt expect to be able to walk into a business and make money srtaight away, you should have enough funds or an alternative income to last you several months. Running bars seem to be what everyone wants to do (except me!!). I read somewhere that if you do open a bar/coffee shop, you should have enough money put by to support yourselves for the first year and not expect the business to support you straight away. But I dont know, but since I've been here, I've seen an awful lot of empty bars - its out of season I know, but all the same.....

I wouldnt want to put you off though cos life is great here!

Jo


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## algorfa (May 12, 2007)

Hi G Mann,

Please do not get the wrong end of the stick, what others are telling you is correct, you will find it difficult to live to the level you may be used too and it will be even harder to get a job as you do not speak Spanish.

Put yourself in the position of the Spaniard looking to employ someone at home in the UK, you deal with all English speaking customers, but you have a Spaniard who does not speak English, would YOU employ that person or would you employ someone who speaks fluent English. You answer.

You talk about opening a coffee house, but where do you buy your stock, etc you can not go around to Makro and find the staff all speaking English.

My advice, would be start learning Spanish NOW and keep looking. Many jobs in Spain are found on a face to face basis, lots of work from the guy in the pub, once they get to know you and keep looking for info, this will be the most important thing you will ever do as once you have moved, then you may not be able to afford to move back to UK if things go wrong.

It may be worth renting out your place in UK and renting in Spain, then if things do go wrong, then you can always go back, bridges and burning come to mind.

You say that there is a lot of negativity, but the respondants are telling you as it is.

Good luck.


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## G mann (Mar 20, 2008)

Thanx again for the reply,s some good advice will take it all on board and do alot more research I guess it would be a good time to start learning spanish as it would make life alot more easier for us moving out thanx again Glenn.


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