Thinking of making the move - but where to start?!?!

HI,

Myself and partner are a gay couple looking to move to Spain, we have savings that will see us by a good 10 months but we are both going to be in need of work............. we dont know mainland Spain so are unsure of what area to start our new life.......... we would like somewhere with life but nothing thats non stop partying (were past that now).  We ideally dont want to spend more than 450euro a month on rent, is this a relalistic amount or a decent 2 bed?? 

If anyone has any advise for us it would be gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Hi Jodey - welcome to the forum.  You will find many people on here who are asking the same question so a good search of the forum will give you a lot of information.

Firstly I would say that 10 months money is not enough - I would say at least 2 years if you need to find work.  Unemployment is over 20% on the Costas and you will find that the main work for expats is in commission-only sales, unless you have a particular skill.  Many opt to work self employed but it costs a lot of money for Social Security payments, whether you are making money or not.  You will find lots of people just getting by with cleaning and property maintenance but most are working illegally.

I would suggest that you take a few holidays to places which interest you and see how you like it before making any committments.  Here in southern Costa Blanca you can get a long let from about 300€ per month plus utility bills so that should not be a problem.

If you are really serious about coming out then it is important to learn the language - that will give you a distinct advantage over other expats, although you will never have the same opportunities as native Spaniards.

Good luck and let us know how you get on! 

Unemployment in the Malaga Province (costa del sol) is actually 30% according to this article.  There's absolutely no work on the Costa del sol where I'm based, much like the rest of Spain.  Things aren't likely to get any better for at least 5 years in my opinion.  There's IT and finance work in Gibraltar.  Not sure what skills/qualifications you have?

The only realistic place to find work is probably Madrid and Barcelona, where there still seems to be plenty of jobs.  How's your Spanish?

As for renting, you could easily get somewhere decent on the costa del sol for 400-500.  There's thousands and thousands of rental properties to choose from.  Expect to pay at least double in Madrid and Barca though.

Sorry for the doom and gloom, but things are pretty desperate here.