# Where to live?!



## HarrietandSteve (Aug 1, 2011)

Hi There, 

My boyfriend & I have been thinking of moving to Spain for a while and have just starting researching into different things. The hardest part is where in Spain is right for us? We would be looking for something not directly in the centre of a town but close enough to get there if needed. We currently live in Surrey, Uk and have access into London, I guess we are looking for something similar in Spain. 

So far it appears that "Andalucia" is very appealing? If anyone could give any advise it would be much appreciated? 

Thanks, 

H


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Hi There,
> 
> My boyfriend & I have been thinking of moving to Spain for a while and have just starting researching into different things. The hardest part is where in Spain is right for us? We would be looking for something not directly in the centre of a town but close enough to get there if needed. We currently live in Surrey, Uk and have access into London, I guess we are looking for something similar in Spain.
> 
> ...



Spains a big country! You need to do a list of your needs and requirements. I assume you dont want good access to London, altho if you do, then you need to be close to a good airport, Malaga has some good deals and regular flights - believe me, out of season, its cheaper to get to London from there than it is from Sussex!!!

Are you going to need work?? If so, you'll need to find jobs before you come as there is mass unemployment here - that said, if you're professionals, you may have a slight advantage - that will also determine where you live??!

Maybe come over and do some fact finding. But think about what you need to survive, before trying to pin point a definite area

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Hi There,
> 
> My boyfriend & I have been thinking of moving to Spain for a while and have just starting researching into different things. The hardest part is where in Spain is right for us? We would be looking for something not directly in the centre of a town but close enough to get there if needed. We currently live in Surrey, Uk and have access into London, I guess we are looking for something similar in Spain.
> 
> ...


hi & welcome

you're going to be asked quite a few questions - question 1 - will you be looking for work/needing to earn a living in Spain?


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## HarrietandSteve (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks Jo, We have mass loads to think about. We would both like to do something in Spain but not full time. Something part time like working in a Shop, Cleaning, Admin work? To be honest we would both do anything as the last thing we'd want is to be bored! I'd hope its a good way to meet people aswel. We are currently learning Spanish so I'm hoping that will help. 

We will definitely come over to view different areas etc, If we were to move it would be roughly around 3 years time. 


Harriet x


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Thanks Jo, We have mass loads to think about. We would both like to do something in Spain but not full time. Something part time like working in a Shop, Cleaning, Admin work? To be honest we would both do anything as the last thing we'd want is to be bored! I'd hope its a good way to meet people aswel. We are currently learning Spanish so I'm hoping that will help.
> 
> We will definitely come over to view different areas etc, If we were to move it would be roughly around 3 years time.
> 
> ...


you've lots of time to plan then and hopefully the economy will have improved by then

top tip (sorry jojo) learn spanish NOW - it opens doors everywhere & increases your chances of getting any sort of job - even cleaning - because you can then not just work for brits


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

You so need to come over and do some fact finding. Spain is no longer a cheap or easy place to live. It will require lots of planning and visits and as Xabiachica said previously, there is little work here at the moment. Ultimately, where you choose to live will be governed by your needs and your circumstances. Will you have a car? Do you need to be near a train station? Airport? Bus route? Do you have an income should you not find work?? Maybe come over for three weeks and see how that pans out???

Jo xxx


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## HarrietandSteve (Aug 1, 2011)

Fab- Glad learning Spanish now! 

We will certainly not bring our cars from the UK. I was thinking one car would be ok for the both of us, if in time we needed a second then we would have to think of that! We currently have a house & business here so this is all things that are going to have to be taken into consideration if employment is that bad in Spain. Maybe keep a share in the Business or even still be apart of it from Spain and possibly commuting back to the Uk once a month? 

Jojo do you have any ideas on the School's? I don't have children but would definitely be a plan for the future. 

Your advice & help is much appreciated. 

Harriet x


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Fab- Glad learning Spanish now!
> 
> We will certainly not bring our cars from the UK. I was thinking one car would be ok for the both of us, if in time we needed a second then we would have to think of that! We currently have a house & business here so this is all things that are going to have to be taken into consideration if employment is that bad in Spain. Maybe keep a share in the Business or even still be apart of it from Spain and possibly commuting back to the Uk once a month?
> 
> ...


IMO the school system is excellent - have a good read of the Education In Spain sticky at the top of the page


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Hi There,
> 
> My boyfriend & I have been thinking of moving to Spain for a while and have just starting researching into different things. The hardest part is where in Spain is right for us? We would be looking for something not directly in the centre of a town but close enough to get there if needed. We currently live in Surrey, Uk and have access into London, I guess we are looking for something similar in Spain.
> 
> So far it appears that "Andalucia" is very appealing? If anyone could give any advise it would be much appreciated?


Andalucia is larger than Scotland and just as varied. There are big cities, small rural towns, tiny villages, lots of coastline (mostly highly developed for tourism), lots of mountains, dry bits that are nearly desert and green bits with wet winters. Take your pick!

Andalucia's economy is based on agriculture and tourism, and hence most of what work there is is seasonal. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in Spain - around 30%. Immigrants live in tin sheds for the privilege of working in plastic greenhouses for €3 an hour. Work in the tourist industry involves incredibly long hours for very low wages and zero job security. 

With so many people chasing what little work there is, you really do need to be self-sufficient to live here. Having said that, if you live away from the coast and enjoy an unsophisticated lifestyle, it is possible to live well on very little.


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## HarrietandSteve (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks Alcanlaina! We have split the research between the two of us and it appears I pulled the short straw on location/areas as there is just so much to look at! I am trying to arrange to come over to Spain to visit a few different areas in one trip. So far I have read alot about Javea, strangely I have been there on holiday many many years ago so would be nice to go back! Also seems to be quite popular for the English? Any views on Javea?
I must admit the unemployment situation is very scary!


Harriet x


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Thanks Alcanlaina! We have split the research between the two of us and it appears I pulled the short straw on location/areas as there is just so much to look at! I am trying to arrange to come over to Spain to visit a few different areas in one trip. So far I have read alot about Javea, strangely I have been there on holiday many many years ago so would be nice to go back! Also seems to be quite popular for the English? Any views on Javea?
> I must admit the unemployment situation is very scary!
> 
> 
> Harriet x


I love Jávea - we've been here nearly 8 years now - but there really isn't any work here, either

it IS popular with the english, but there are a lot less of us living here now than when we forst came here


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## HarrietandSteve (Aug 1, 2011)

Ohh right- Is this because of the work situation? From properties I've viewed etc it looks beautiful. The work situation again does not sound great!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Ohh right- Is this because of the work situation? From properties I've viewed etc it looks beautiful. The work situation again does not sound great!


yes, it's because of that......

all the younger people I know here either have a long term successful business, a lot of them online, so the income isn't reliant on Spain, or one of them 'commutes' for work

of the families with kids (so younger, as in not on a UK pension) we met in our first 6 months here, NONE of them are still here, & ALL left due to lack of work

not just brits, but people from all over the world

many more have come & gone in that time too

and a lot of the pensioners have gone too, as the exchange rate bit


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## agua642 (May 24, 2009)

Hi
Seriously do good research prior to moving to Spain Javea is full of OAP's and locals have no money, & Its only seasonal work find somewhere with more people giving more oportunities. Or you will be joining the unemployed !! Queue


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

agua642 said:


> Hi
> Seriously do good research prior to moving to Spain Javea is full of OAP's and locals have no money, & Its only seasonal work find somewhere with more people giving more oportunities. Or you will be joining the unemployed !! Queue


I'd sat thats pretty much the case with all the costas in Spain. Inland isnt much better unless you look at the more cosmopolitan cities, even then the work situation isnt wonderful

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

agua642 said:


> Hi
> Seriously do good research prior to moving to Spain Javea is full of OAP's and locals have no money, & Its only seasonal work find somewhere with more people giving more oportunities. Or you will be joining the unemployed !! Queue


I wouldn't quite go as far as to say 'full' of OAPs, but yes there are quite a lot of OAP brits

the overall population is young enough to sustain 5 primary (and another planned) & 2 secondary schools though - one of which has a lot of portacabins as well as the huge main building, simply because there are many more students than planned for

not to mention an international school, too


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## HarrietandSteve (Aug 1, 2011)

Ohh- I wasn't aware of that! I will continue to look into this! Does anyone recommend doing inspection trips or just doing it on your own? 

Harriet x


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Ohh- I wasn't aware of that! I will continue to look into this! Does anyone recommend doing inspection trips or just doing it on your own?
> 
> Harriet x


I don't know anyone who would recommend an 'inspection trip'.......except those running them


that's not to say they are ALL bad.................................


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi and welcome, 
I cannot speak for down south, but up here in wildest Catalunya the unemployment situation is only set to get worse. Anyone seeking a job here had best be a local or you might as well not bother applying. That said the weather here is perhaps a little milder than Andalucia in the summer though it still can get pretty damned hot. Winters, well we have had snow here and frosty mornings, but we have also picked olives in teeshirts in December and had a bbq on Boxing Day in similar clothing. 
House prices here are probably comparable to down south, but we have less to choose from and now that Ryanair are thinking of ditching flights to REUS we will be more or less cut off from the outside world unless ofcoarse you drive to or live nearer Barca, (not an option if you aren't well off). 
All in all Spain is a great place to live, as long as you have enough money to live on without having to work here because at the moment unemployment is biting hard, however, that said I wish you the best of luck and happy hunting.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Ohh- I wasn't aware of that! I will continue to look into this! Does anyone recommend doing inspection trips or just doing it on your own?
> 
> Harriet x


Inspection trip???? Do you mean the ones the estate agents used to do, "bring your credit card or dont bother coming" type trips???

My husband went on one of those when we first started looking. They werent happy that I wasnt with him (they like both partners there to sign up) and even less impressed when my husband refused to put a deposit down on a property - any property! They got really nasty and he had to make his own way back to the UK

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> Inspection trip???? Do you mean the ones the estate agents used to do, "bring your credit card or dont bother coming" type trips???
> 
> My husband went on one of those when we first started looking. They werent happy that I wasnt with him (they like both partners there to sign up) and even less impressed when my husband refused to put a deposit down on a property - any property! They got really nasty and he had to make his own way back to the UK
> 
> Jo xxx


seriously - they ditched him

that is SO out of order...............but I have to say I'm not _that_ surprised


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## HarrietandSteve (Aug 1, 2011)

OK sounds like I will avoid that then! Not good at all......


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## HarrietandSteve (Aug 1, 2011)

Hi xabiachica, Just been looking through some properties in Javea. The closest airport is Alicante, Are there trains or public transport to and from? Or a Car would definately be required?

Thanks, 

Harriet


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## pladecalvo (Aug 11, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> not just brits, but people from all over the world


Even the Romanians are going back!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

HarrietandSteve said:


> Hi xabiachica, Just been looking through some properties in Javea. The closest airport is Alicante, Are there trains or public transport to and from? Or a Car would definately be required?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Harriet


we're about halfway between Alicante & Valencia airports - Alicante a bit easier access wise

there's no train station in Jávea, but there is a bus service to both

we also have an carpool FaceBook group which is mainly used for the airports

however, depending on exactly where you live in Jávea you'd probably need a car in any case, unless you were actually in the port, old town or arenal itself - if you're looking at villas a car would be an absolute must


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

People who have experienced Spain as holiday destination have no idea of what it is really like here, although surely Spain's worsening economy must feature on UK TV programmes other than 'Newsnight'????
I live in Andalucia and whilst unemployment nationally is running at 21% in my nearest town the figure is 34%. I suspect the true figure may be higher.
Any jobs going will -quite rightly - go to local people. There is no comprehensive welfare system here as in the UK. A thorough working knowledge of Spanish is essential as few people speak English, even on the Costas. 
If you are self-employed you have to pay a hefty sum each month as autonomo, whether you earn ten or a thousand euros. You will qualify only for emergency medical care until you have amassed the necessary contributions. As has been pointed out, long hours and low wages are the norm here, as is instability. Not a good situation for settled family life.
Many British and other Northern European immigrants are heading for home. Others are stuck with negative equity in unsaleable homes.
To enjoy life in Spain you need to have a regular, contracted well-paid job, a steady source of UK income or be retired with a good income from pensions or other investments.
That's not to say that it's impossible to find work here. There are openings but there are hundredsw if not thousands chasing them.
Sorry to be negative but I'm telling it as it is here. Sometimes when driving past ugly blocks of half-occupied flats stuck out on the edge of the campo with no amenities, unkept public spaces and graffiti and rubbish every where I wonder what kind of 'dream' the poor sods who live in these dire places are experiencing....


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## agua642 (May 24, 2009)

Hi,
I agree with all your comments, I drive past this blocks and see the same! It's such a shame, dream what dream, the Spanish economy is in a real mess. Corrupted, no one pays into system 100% not because they don't want to , because they can't & if they did they wouldn't be able to live half comfortably, huge Social Seg payments & taxes would all go to crap governments. Ahhh so annoying X


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