Are people in the UK aware of how depressed the Spanish economy is?
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The guy who looks after our pool and garden just came to turn our sprinklers off, was telling me he was over 2000 euros a month worse off as he has lost several clients -he looks after houses, is a general handyman/jack-of-all -trades.
Yep, the outlook is gloomy, economy and weather-wise:spit:
Yep, the outlook is gloomy, economy and weather-wise:spit:
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STOP IT!!!!! :lalala::lalala:
Mind you, he must have been earning a fair bit beforehand, if thats how much he's lost???
Jo xxx
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Yes, he's not doing too badly. We pay him 300 euros a month and he comes once a week in summer to clean the pool, tidy the garden etc. He has a lot of clients and also does airport runs, building works etc.
At first I thought he was expensive but he is available at all hours and does all sorts of useful little jobs, even things on my cars so I think it's worth the money for the knowing he's there.
When I moaned about the £600+ extra it cost me to buy euros to pay the rent this quarter because of the exchange rate and hinted that we were considering moving he immediately said he'd talk to the landlord as we were such excellent tenants etc etc
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Re. your initial question, yes they are....especially those nearest and dearest when I'm whinging on the phone to them!!
The weather however here I can't complain about - it's been gorgeous for a while now so at least it means that I can escape for a few hours from all the bad news on the telly/online and faff around outside in the garden!!
Tallulah.x
The weather however here I can't complain about - it's been gorgeous for a while now so at least it means that I can escape for a few hours from all the bad news on the telly/online and faff around outside in the garden!!
Tallulah.x
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I opnly ever get asked about the weather & if the kids are doing well at schoolRe. your initial question, yes they are....especially those nearest and dearest when I'm whinging on the phone to them!!
The weather however here I can't complain about - it's been gorgeous for a while now so at least it means that I can escape for a few hours from all the bad news on the telly/online and faff around outside in the garden!!
Tallulah.x
if I try to tell them how bad things are 'crisis' wise here they just say 'well at least you have good weather'
well not at the moment we haven't
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XC...don't you ever go to bed?I opnly ever get asked about the weather & if the kids are doing well at school
if I try to tell them how bad things are 'crisis' wise here they just say 'well at least you have good weather'
well not at the moment we haven't
The time of that post....omg!I think it's difficult to get it across though sometimes just how bad it is...especially when they mentioned the D word as well. But I guess because it's not exactly a bed of roses over there.....:noidea::juggle:
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the thunder's been going all night - I just gave upXC...don't you ever go to bed?
I think it's difficult to get it across though sometimes just how bad it is...especially when they mentioned the D word as well. But I guess because it's not exactly a bed of roses over there.....:noidea::juggle:
I'm usually up at 7 anyway - but dd1 has suspected flu so she's not going to school & I could have had a lie in til 7.30!
D word?
I just don't think they believe that it can be bad at all over here - especially when my db keeps telling them how great it is in Oz - I don't belive him actually
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I think tv programmes like that'A Place in the Sun' have a lot to answer for. That and the euphoria of holidays with sun, sea etc.
What's that old saying about the grass being greener....?
I would venture the opinion that if you're finding life hard in the UK you'll find it even harder here.
What's that old saying about the grass being greener....?
I would venture the opinion that if you're finding life hard in the UK you'll find it even harder here.
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Totally agree with that!!!!!! Ok, so we have nice weather in the summer. BUT, at the moment there is very little work, we dont have extended family (in most cases), we dont speak the language or know the system (in most cases) and there is no welfare state to turn to (in most cases), it is no longer much cheaper to live here. So for anyone thinking of coming to Spain for a "better" life, in 99% of cases it isnt gonna be!
I love it here, but its a major struggle right now and we're sooooo close to going back to the UK. School fees are crippling, husband in the UK working most of the time so I'm on my own, I cant get a job, weather turning cold and house expensive to heat, so money very tight! As for the school fees, well ok, I could save a fortune if I put the children into state school, but at 12 and 14 what education would they get, how long would it take for them to learn the language well enough to get good results, exams etc.. and then what for them?? All cos mum wanted to live in Spain????
Jo xxx
Morning ..... This is the very reason I asked if anyone thought it was a good idea to have a sticky with articles etc on the current recession here - because I dont believe many people in the UK do realise how bad it is here at the moment, or for that matter in the rest of the World!
I have been staggered at the amount of people I talk to in the UK who seem to think Gordon Brown is the only reason the UK is in a mess - and that the global recession simply isnt as bad as the news makes it out to be .... Im not a political animal and certainly not interested in UK politics so please dont take my G Brown reference as support for him!!! cos it aint!!
In my opinion, emigrating anywhere is a really tough road - even with lots of planning and research - the reality (once the novelty of a new Country has worn off) hits home and many people hit the Earth with a bang!!! If you add the biggest recession to hit this generation into that mix then its a scarey road indeed!
I think with most difficulties we face in life we are helped, supported and use the network of friends and family that a lot of us have to get through it - living in a "foreign" Country you are unlikely to have that support network and therefore any personal or professional crisis can seem insurmountable!
Good job we have each other on here at least we can let off some steam and share worries and concerns if we need to.
Sue :ranger:
I have been staggered at the amount of people I talk to in the UK who seem to think Gordon Brown is the only reason the UK is in a mess - and that the global recession simply isnt as bad as the news makes it out to be .... Im not a political animal and certainly not interested in UK politics so please dont take my G Brown reference as support for him!!! cos it aint!!
In my opinion, emigrating anywhere is a really tough road - even with lots of planning and research - the reality (once the novelty of a new Country has worn off) hits home and many people hit the Earth with a bang!!!
If you add the biggest recession to hit this generation into that mix then its a scarey road indeed!I think with most difficulties we face in life we are helped, supported and use the network of friends and family that a lot of us have to get through it - living in a "foreign" Country you are unlikely to have that support network and therefore any personal or professional crisis can seem insurmountable!
Good job we have each other on here
at least we can let off some steam and share worries and concerns if we need to.Sue :ranger:
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I hope "would be expats" simply look thru other posts when they find this site and read up on ALL the issues facing them if they were to move over here. At the same time its horrible to spoil dreams, but dreams are what they are - Dreams, which sadly arent usually reality or anything like!
Jo xx
Jo xx
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Hear hear, wise words indeed from our MODs!
It's the age-old problem of the grass always being greener on the other side, and many people just not realising the downside, as well as the advantages, of moving abroad. I also find that many would-be expats have some personal problems or issues back home which they want to escape from, thinking that moving abroad they can leave all that behind. Wish it were so! The fact is you don't, and you just take your problems with you, and still need to deal with them, perhaps without the support and help of close family and friends, and in a country where you don't speak the language and don't know the ropes.
Relocating abroad is a major move, and should not be undertaken without the most careful thought and preparation.
It's the age-old problem of the grass always being greener on the other side, and many people just not realising the downside, as well as the advantages, of moving abroad. I also find that many would-be expats have some personal problems or issues back home which they want to escape from, thinking that moving abroad they can leave all that behind. Wish it were so! The fact is you don't, and you just take your problems with you, and still need to deal with them, perhaps without the support and help of close family and friends, and in a country where you don't speak the language and don't know the ropes.
Relocating abroad is a major move, and should not be undertaken without the most careful thought and preparation.
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Things will get better for you, never fear. After all, you have a secure family business and property in the UK. I think you showed courage and enterprise in making the move but you had all the safety mechanisms in place.
We decided we'd worked long enough so sold up,took early retirement and left the UK. Our safety mechanism is one property and diminishing investment capital.
We'd both travelled widely, lived abroad temporarily before and I have worked as an interpreter/translator.
But I don't think I'd have summoned up the -courage? -initiative?-to have taken the plunge and set up overseas before that. Not if it had nvolved finding work, unless I had worked for a Company which sent me outside the UK to work.
There are so many obstacles to overcome, both social, economic and sometimes legal.
When you are hard up in the UK and it's cold and wet it is very tempting to translate memories of summer holidays on the Costas into plans for a new life.
And to be honest it's probably much preferable to be hard up in Benidorm than Barnsley (if that's your taste).
Bbut you would have to learn to do without the many support mechanisms which, although much-maligned, are there for you in the UK.
I wonder if there are statistics showing how many people have packed up and gone back to the UK? There were many news reports about this last year.
That programme 'Spain Paradise Lost' should have made people think twice about a dream life in the sun.
Hi M
I couldnt find any upto date or accurate figures for expats returning to the UK, this article is from May this year, and I am confident things have got much worse since then. Its also interesting to note that the UK Foreign Office only added their "Returning to the UK" page to their website a couple of months ago .... it never used to be there!
Sue :ranger:
For many British expats, their dreams of sun, sand and stress free living have finally clouded over and 100’s are returning home to the rat race and cooler shores they were quick to bid “adios” to in happier times.
The low value of the pound to the euro, the collapse of the Spanish construction industry and the global economic crisis, combine to make Britain a more workable option for many expatriates.
Language and cultural differences, endless red tape and almost parity in living costs, means that some ex-pats yearn for the bosom of their motherland, despite the UK’s deepening recession and changes in the social and political landscape.
The sub-tropical climate and laid-back Spanish lifestyle can not conceal the poor state of the Spanish economy any longer.
Ramsey-Douglas, a removals company based in southern Spain, told Digital Journal:
“Even people who we moved here from the UK quite recently (some only 6 months ago) are returning. The vast majority of our enquiries are currently from people going to the UK from Spain, rather than from the UK to Spain.”
The country’s unemployment figure stands at four million; 17% of the working population, which is more than double the European average. The majority of jobs have been lost in the construction and tourism industries, brought about by the financial meltdown which took a real hold last year.
Louise Cant, Director at Hudson Properties in Marbella explained to Digital Journal:
“
The main reason is lack of job opportunities and the need to be able to speak Spanish, which many UK ex pats haven't got to grips with.”
“Those who own properties and who are leaving, tend to be families who are forced to return as they cannot afford school fees.”
“Some are selling at lower than bank valuations, often at 40% reduced prices from the peak valuations of 2 years ago. Others are keeping and renting and those with enough equity in their properties, are able to legally hand the property back to the bank with no legal or monetary penalty
.”
House prices depend very much on what the outstanding debts on the properties are, as some owners are in negative equity and cannot sell for less than they owe the bank. Louise adds:
“As a last resort, some are walking away and facing legal repossession with the prospect of bad debt following them.” She continues: “It is generally apparent that there are huge numbers of ex pats leaving as work is scarce and benefits simply do not exist!”.
No new homes have been built for four months by any major developer.
The British Embassy approximate that around one million Britons reside in Spain for part of the year. Many of them choose to remain officially living in Britain for tax or pension reasons so the British authorities still consider them as British residents.
Julie, from Ramsay Douglas added “Even those who have second homes here and just visit for several months of the year are coming less, as everything effectively costs so much more than it did just a year or so ago.”
The British Embassy has posted advice for those returning to the UK on its website; many retirees who had hoped to spend their autumn years enjoying the lower cost of living and better weather have seen the value of their pensions drop by up to 30% due to the lower value of the pound. They now need to re-apply to gain UK status it would seem.
No official or accurate figures exist for those returning to the darker skies of Blighty. Some might argue that the UK is in fact cheaper when it comes to every day living, and of course, your pound may go further than your euro:
Louise added: “The cost of living in Spain is certainly an issue for those who earn sterling especially the pensioners and also families who have resided here whilst the main earner in the house hold continues to work in the UK.”
I couldnt find any upto date or accurate figures for expats returning to the UK, this article is from May this year, and I am confident things have got much worse since then. Its also interesting to note that the UK Foreign Office only added their "Returning to the UK" page to their website a couple of months ago .... it never used to be there!
Sue :ranger:
For many British expats, their dreams of sun, sand and stress free living have finally clouded over and 100’s are returning home to the rat race and cooler shores they were quick to bid “adios” to in happier times.
The low value of the pound to the euro, the collapse of the Spanish construction industry and the global economic crisis, combine to make Britain a more workable option for many expatriates.
Language and cultural differences, endless red tape and almost parity in living costs, means that some ex-pats yearn for the bosom of their motherland, despite the UK’s deepening recession and changes in the social and political landscape.
The sub-tropical climate and laid-back Spanish lifestyle can not conceal the poor state of the Spanish economy any longer.
Ramsey-Douglas, a removals company based in southern Spain, told Digital Journal:
“Even people who we moved here from the UK quite recently (some only 6 months ago) are returning. The vast majority of our enquiries are currently from people going to the UK from Spain, rather than from the UK to Spain.”
The country’s unemployment figure stands at four million; 17% of the working population, which is more than double the European average. The majority of jobs have been lost in the construction and tourism industries, brought about by the financial meltdown which took a real hold last year.
Louise Cant, Director at Hudson Properties in Marbella explained to Digital Journal:
“
The main reason is lack of job opportunities and the need to be able to speak Spanish, which many UK ex pats haven't got to grips with.”
“Those who own properties and who are leaving, tend to be families who are forced to return as they cannot afford school fees.”
“Some are selling at lower than bank valuations, often at 40% reduced prices from the peak valuations of 2 years ago. Others are keeping and renting and those with enough equity in their properties, are able to legally hand the property back to the bank with no legal or monetary penalty
.”
House prices depend very much on what the outstanding debts on the properties are, as some owners are in negative equity and cannot sell for less than they owe the bank. Louise adds:
“As a last resort, some are walking away and facing legal repossession with the prospect of bad debt following them.” She continues: “It is generally apparent that there are huge numbers of ex pats leaving as work is scarce and benefits simply do not exist!”.
No new homes have been built for four months by any major developer.
The British Embassy approximate that around one million Britons reside in Spain for part of the year. Many of them choose to remain officially living in Britain for tax or pension reasons so the British authorities still consider them as British residents.
Julie, from Ramsay Douglas added “Even those who have second homes here and just visit for several months of the year are coming less, as everything effectively costs so much more than it did just a year or so ago.”
The British Embassy has posted advice for those returning to the UK on its website; many retirees who had hoped to spend their autumn years enjoying the lower cost of living and better weather have seen the value of their pensions drop by up to 30% due to the lower value of the pound. They now need to re-apply to gain UK status it would seem.
No official or accurate figures exist for those returning to the darker skies of Blighty. Some might argue that the UK is in fact cheaper when it comes to every day living, and of course, your pound may go further than your euro:
Louise added: “The cost of living in Spain is certainly an issue for those who earn sterling especially the pensioners and also families who have resided here whilst the main earner in the house hold continues to work in the UK.”
durr ?!?! amp-e-tait yer l-bows ?
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You're all painting a pretty bleak picture!
Other than the obvious financial effect the current situation is having, has the 'atmosphere' changed in Spain.
I guess the 'holiday' season has now ended, so what is the general feel of the place, does it feel grey and misserable, or are people just getting on with it?
Steven
Other than the obvious financial effect the current situation is having, has the 'atmosphere' changed in Spain.
I guess the 'holiday' season has now ended, so what is the general feel of the place, does it feel grey and misserable, or are people just getting on with it?
Steven
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Yes, we do seem a miserable bunch dont we!! Sorry! I guess it is partly cos the summer is over and the weather is probably better in the UK at the mo and the sunshine does make eveything seem better!
Things are bad here and it seems that in the last few days the Spanish news seems to be admitting that there are problems here and then theres the exchange rate which is not good if you're funding from the UK.... It doesnt look like its gonna pick up anytime soon either
Jo xxx
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