[amy-nightingale]

Hello everybody,

I am a newbie on here and have been reading through a lot of your posts.

My husband (30) and I(24) are thinking of moving to Galicia. He is a carpenter and I am currently studying Ecology and Conservation at uni.

We have already lived abroad in Zanzibar and rushed into buying land and building a house on it. (fortunatley the economy is going the right way over there!)

However, I dont want to make the same mistake again. I would like to find out as much as I can about Galicia beforehand.
If anyone could answer my questions that would be great!!

1. What is the work situation like? would my OH be able to get work as a carpenter there? and if so would he have to take any spanish exams etc or get licences etc?

2. Would I be able to get work out there as an ecologist, I am aware of the bears, wolves etc conservation programmes, but can I work there without knowing the languages fluently? (We currently know no spanish)

3. What are building regulations like? how easy or hard is it to renovate one of these 'total rennovation projects for $30,000?

4. how does it compare to british weather? i have seen there is a lot of rainfall and low winter temps etc?

5. how easy is it to sell a renovated property?

6. And lastly (for now!) how easy is it to keep horses out there (compared to bloody expensive here!)

Thanks in advanced,

Amy x x

 

[nigele2]

Hello everybody

Hi Amy and Welcome

I live part of my time in Asturias where I have had a flat and a growing number of spanish friends for over 3 years now. I also have brit friends in Galicia who earn a buck rthrough B&B, Scuba diving courses, he is a chef, she is in computer support, and they keep bees.

Based on that I offer:

1. What is the work situation like? would my OH be able to get work as a carpenter there? and if so would he have to take any spanish exams etc or get licences etc?

Not in any consistent form unless he gets very very lucky. The language would be a massive barrier even if unemployment wasn't great and the economy weak. My friends in Galicia as you see above have many trades, he has even appeared on spanish TV as a chef, and they find it tough. And they are both very fluent in Spanish and the local language.

2. Would I be able to get work out there as an ecologist, I am aware of the bears, wolves etc conservation programmes, but can I work there without knowing the languages fluently? (We currently know no spanish)

I think in general no unless you have a very particular skill and experience. Again the language would be a barrier unless you were funded by an overseas UNI possibly. But many UNIs are having funding cut here in the UK so I would have thought unlikely.

3. What are building regulations like? how easy or hard is it to renovate one of these 'total rennovation projects for $30,000?

Guess depends on if you want a shack or a mansion but my recently quoted flat renovation was quoted at 15000 Es and was nothing posh. 30K $ sounds too small but if you do it over years who knows.

4. how does it compare to british weather? i have seen there is a lot of rainfall and low winter temps etc?

Lots of rain but it is also beautiful. And I've had some great days there. But it is no Costa del Sol. There are also protected parts in the Rias for example. But if the weather is bad Gilicia I believe offers other compensations

5. how easy is it to sell a renovated property?

It's tough in Asturias according to my property agent. But as alwways it is a buyers market at the moment. However be aware selling property in Spain at a profit attracts tax. As with many parts of Spain there are ways around that but without good language control black market negotiations can be like minefields.

6. And lastly (for now!) how easy is it to keep horses out there (compared to bloody expensive here!)

Now with a c**p economy that should be cheap.

Sorry to be down beat but you need to be realistic. But don't let me put you off.

good Luck

 

[jojo]

We have a few regular posters from Galacia, Tallulah in particular who lives there with her spanish husband and their children. I'm sure she'll be happy to share, but I'm not sure it'll be much brighter than what Nigel has already said I'm afraid

Jo xxx