Possible move to Gibraltar area

[mieka]

My husband, son and I are considering a move from cold Calgary to warm Spain. My husband is a marketing expert. We would prefer to live in Spain and work in Gibraltar. We haven't been to Spain for 2 years and things were pretty down economically then. We welcome small town life where my son can learn Spanish and I can paint. Would you recommend Sotogrande or Jimena? thanks

[xabiachica]

Originally Posted by mieka

My husband, son and I are considering a move from cold Calgary to warm Spain. My husband is a marketing expert. We would prefer to live in Spain and work in Gibraltar. We haven't been to Spain for 2 years and things were pretty down economically then. We welcome small town life where my son can learn Spanish and I can paint. Would you recommend Sotogrande or Jimena? thanks

we have a member here who lives in Jimena, so hopefully he'll come & give you his recommendations

are you Canadian? if so, the first thing you need to do is work out which visa you'll need

have a look at the FAQs - there is lots of info there, including visa info for non EU citizens

things are infinitely worse than they were 2 years ago, unfortunately

[jimenato]

Hello

Jimena and Sotogrande are very different.

Sotogrande is on the coast, has lots of golf courses (including Valderrama), an expensive marina, loads of very expensive villas and many apartments which you can actually rent quite cheaply at the moment.

Jimena is inland and is a traditional Spanish pueblo blanco (albeit with a thriving expat community).

They are both convenient for Gibraltar and also for Sotogrande International School if that's what you have in mind for your son.

For arts and for your son to learn Spanish, Jimena would probably be more suitable.

[mieka]

My husband holds a German passport, so he would be eligible to work in Gibraltar as far as we understand. I have a preference for smaller communities as long as there are sufficient services such as markets, bank, etc. What would be the price range for a 3 bedroom townhouse with a terrace or garden area? I can only find holiday rentals online. Perhaps there is a link for longer rentals in Jimena? thanks again

[mieka]

Originally Posted by xabiachica

we have a member here who lives in Jimena, so hopefully he'll come & give you his recommendations

are you Canadian? if so, the first thing you need to do is work out which visa you'll need

have a look at the FAQs - there is lots of info there, including visa info for non EU citizens

things are infinitely worse than they were 2 years ago, unfortunately

By infinitely worse do you mean, crime and homeless everywhere, depressing as hell, or on the verge of total collapse? We get little coverage of Spain's economic crisis. I'm aware of the staggering unemployment.

[jimenato]

Originally Posted by mieka

My husband holds a German passport, so he would be eligible to work in Gibraltar as far as we understand. I have a preference for smaller communities as long as there are sufficient services such as markets, bank, etc. What would be the price range for a 3 bedroom townhouse with a terrace or garden area? I can only find holiday rentals online. Perhaps there is a link for longer rentals in Jimena? thanks again

Around 400 Euros. You have to be here to get them I think, seems to be mostly by word of mouth. I know of a couple of houses which might interest you. Let me know if you are visiting and I will see if I can arrange some viewings.

[xabiachica]

Originally Posted by mieka

My husband holds a German passport, so he would be eligible to work in Gibraltar as far as we understand. I have a preference for smaller communities as long as there are sufficient services such as markets, bank, etc. What would be the price range for a 3 bedroom townhouse with a terrace or garden area? I can only find holiday rentals online. Perhaps there is a link for longer rentals in Jimena? thanks again

yes if he has a German passport he can live & work in Spain or Gib without any special visa

you & your son would have to apply to exercise treaty rights as his family once he had registered as resident in Spain (if you choose Spain over Gib to live) - he should register within 90 days

In order to register as resident your husband would have to prove a source of income & healthcare provision for himself - & then for you & your son as his dependants once you apply - if you don't hold EU passports you can only stay for 90 days without applying for residency

if you have a look at the FAQs thread you'll find links to long term rental websites - Jimenato might know a local agent though...........

[Alcalaina]

Originally Posted by mieka

By infinitely worse do you mean, crime and homeless everywhere, depressing as hell, or on the verge of total collapse? We get little coverage of Spain's economic crisis. I'm aware of the staggering unemployment.

Hard to sum this up in a few words, but here goes!

The problems are related to the economic crisis and the subsequent austerity measures. Unemployment (33% in the southern half of the country and over 50% for under 25s), homelessness (often caused by house repossessions), cuts in health and education, no money to repair roads or infrastructure, town halls not being able to pay their workers, abandoned half-finished building projects, etc.

It isn't always obvious superficially, you can see people out shopping or enjoying themselves at the feria or on the beach. But behind the façade there is genuine hardship and growing social unrest; if you live here it won't be long before you are affected by a strike or a demonstration of some sort. There are no increases in crime, as far as I know, but there are definitely more people begging on the streets or door-to-door than four years ago.

The thing that most affects expats (apart from the lack of jobs) is the stagnant property market - it is extremely difficult to sell a house and many have returned to the UK and left their Spanish properties empty.

Then there is the uncertainty caused by Spain's debt level, spiralling borrowing costs, and the euro-crisis. A few people worry that their money is at risk in Spanish banks, especially if Spain were to leave the euro.

All this doesn't mean Spain isn't still a great place to live, but it's important to be aware of what's going on. It's a good idea to read El Pais in English (free online) if you want to keep up to speed.

[mrypg9]

Just to add to what Alca has said...the Spanish economy is in deep recession, Spain could well be applying for a bail-out in the autumn. There may be restrictions on currency transactions but I doubt that would affect you. There is talk of Spain leaving the eurozone but the Spanish Government seems determined todo all it takes to stay within the eurozone.

Crime in the form of house break-ins and street crime is indeed on the increase in some areas, especially those that are perceived to be 'wealthy'. Scarcely surprising when you consider the unemployment rate, although I'm not so sure the majority of crimes are committed by desperate Spanish people.

From my experience of Canada -I had property in the Ottawa Valley - I'd say the cost of living is higher here in Spain than in Canada although rental prices seem around the same.

Strikes and demos do take place but don't have a great deal of impact on every-day life,certainly not in my area.
Public transport is usually severely curtailed for a day but as the majority of Spanish workers are sadly not unionised and not all of those that are obey strike calls you don't need to worry unduly about public disorder. The country does not grind to a halt.

It is unlikely that Spain's economy will recover for a few years yet as the austerity measures without accompanying plans for growth have pushed the country into even deeper recession.
But if you have a secure job or a business you can run from Spain you will settle happily and enjoy a very pleasant lifestyle.

I came here four years ago, very reluctantly after a three year stay in Prague. It was my intention to spend a few years here then move on to France then back to the UK or another European country but I am now very happily settled here and here I will stay.