help/advice on making the big move to spain

[donnamarie]

Hi all, newbie here, been thinking of moving to spain for years now and would like to move costa blanca or costa del sol area. Want to rent a property to start with so some advice on where to find rental property would be great. We also want to buy an exsisting business ( just a small one) so we can fund our life in spain. There seems to be a lot of negatives about buying a business and just wondered if it was worth a try, not looking to buy a really expensive business. anyway please read and give me some much needed advice that i need, thank you Donna x

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by donnamarie

Hi all, newbie here, been thinking of moving to spain for years now and would like to move costa blanca or costa del sol area. Want to rent a property to start with so some advice on where to find rental property would be great. We also want to buy an exsisting business ( just a small one) so we can fund our life in spain. There seems to be a lot of negatives about buying a business and just wondered if it was worth a try, not looking to buy a really expensive business. anyway please read and give me some much needed advice that i need, thank you Donna x

Hi Donna

Welcome

It really depends on what kind of business really. I can only tell you that time and time again the advice from people who have been involved in bar businesses in Spain is "don't to it".

One thing you have to bear in mind is the self employed "stamp" here is €230ush a month, whether you do any turnover or not. Its a hefty wedge when you are starting up, but of course necessary if you want health cover.

I'd suggest something in the way of looking after villas for people when they are away. Its not big money, but once the word gets around its regular money. Person who used to look after our vill has about 20 of them now, and charges €45 for a changeover and €8 for just a check visit.

[donnamarie]

hi,thanks for replying. not sure i would be interested in a bar anyhow, but just want to make the move to spain and from what i can see working out there is not an option unless you speak the lingo, which i do not at present. What does this looking after villas mean? how do you go about that, i would have thought other people will have caught onto that idea already. thanks donna

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by donnamarie

hi,thanks for replying. not sure i would be interested in a bar anyhow, but just want to make the move to spain and from what i can see working out there is not an option unless you speak the lingo, which i do not at present. What does this looking after villas mean? how do you go about that, i would have thought other people will have caught onto that idea already. thanks donna

Oh yes of course its not a new thing, but there are so many people over here with holiday villas that there is always an opening. I didn't come over here with the intention of working, but already look after some villas and polls just by being here. If I actually made the effort and did flyers to put through all the holiday villas around here that I know no one looks after then I could probably do quite well!

Spanish helps, but its not impossible to get work without. If you look through the threads here there is a list of about 10 job agencies that I put up with jobs available in Spain

[donnamarie]

thank you, it just seems a minefield and i want to go so much before its too late, i am 38yrs this year and my youngest child is 13 so making plans for the next few years. have thought about just packing up and going over there and hoping for the best, but am not sure that is the best idea, Donna

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by donnamarie

thank you, it just seems a minefield and i want to go so much before its too late, i am 38yrs this year and my youngest child is 13 so making plans for the next few years. have thought about just packing up and going over there and hoping for the best, but am not sure that is the best idea, Donna

Aye, as they say, theres the rub!

Do you go for it "only live once" style, or do you play safe and then in 30 years time say ..... I wish we'd tried it!

On that, none of us can help you ....... only you can decide.

But research first, definately dont just pack up and go. Starting a business is a long term thing, its not going to happen overnight. I owned a freight company in the UK and it took 10 years to build. When I sold it I had a Safeclean Upholstery Franchise, and that took nearly 2 years before I had an acceptable income.

Just bear in mind that the cost of living here is about 30% less than the UK in rural areas, but also bear in mind the salaries are less too.

[donnamarie]

hi, thanks, i know what you mean, i am having that crisis now, live the dream before you regret it but we have to be practical as well don't we, like how we are going to make a living etc. my kids are much older now so it will only be me and the hubby but we still need to earn. i am a support worker for the elderly but i assume not much call for it out there, but i was wondering if the expat community who are getting older would need carers, just an idea, lol Donna x

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by donnamarie

hi, thanks, i know what you mean, i am having that crisis now, live the dream before you regret it but we have to be practical as well don't we, like how we are going to make a living etc. my kids are much older now so it will only be me and the hubby but we still need to earn. i am a support worker for the elderly but i assume not much call for it out there, but i was wondering if the expat community who are getting older would need carers, just an idea, lol Donna x

Well i wouldn't know where to start, but I would have said support worker is something that would be in demand. The hospital system over here very much relys on the family for support in recovery. Of course, when there is no family what does the patient do?

[donnamarie]

yes i suppose i could always look into that as an option. well will have to keep gathering hints and advice and start the ball rolling and see what happens x

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by Stravinsky

The hospital system over here very much relys on the family for support in recovery. Of course, when there is no family what does the patient do?

This was always my impression/concern - The reality is that in such cases the nurses become "family" very fast indeed - least ways if you speak Spanish. My wife (who's Spanish) was in hospital last year. We were there of course - but somebody seemed in the room just about every 10mins or so.