Do we or don't we?!

Hi

My husband and I want to move to Spain with our 3 year old twin girls to set up a business on the Costa Blanca. Perhaps an Aire for motorhomes with a small restaurant attached. We know the area well as we spent some time there travelling this year. I am really worried about the spanish economy at the moment and wonder if we will be able to make any money and if our business was not to succeed, would we manage to find any work out there? I am basically asking, are we crazy to think about such a move at this moment in time?!

 

Any information and advice would be very gratefully received!

Thanks Hannah

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are we crazy to think about such a move at this moment in time?

 

This is an extract from today's edition of a local newspaper, what do you think ?

 

Catch 22 for unemployed - Calpe, Costa Blanca News

 

JOBLESS in Calpe are finding it impossible to sign on with INEM.

Queues are so long at the local unemployment office that several people who recently found themselves out of work cannot register within the time limit.

Anyone wishing to apply for unemployment benefit must first make an appointment, but that has proved impossible at the Calpe office or on the internet, claimed regional Spanish newspaper, Informacion.

 

Although applicants are issued with written proof that they have applied to register, the document has no administrative value.  It does not entitle the holder to unemployment pay and is insufficient for enrolment on retraining courses or applying for work.

 

 

This message was last edited by johnzx on 18/10/2013.

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Hi Hannah

I think it's fine to move to Spain if you have an independent income, but to start a business or think you could find work there would be a bad move, I think. Highly qualified and/or educatedSpaniards are leaving because there's no work for them. Think how much harder it would be for yourselves. I'd put it on the back-burner and wait and see if things improve, but you could have a long wait. As I say, if you, for example, relied on a pension and/or rental income from the UK then it could be feasible; otherwise, not, I'm afraid.

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Hi
Havin purchased this year near granada my wife and I try to spend 4 or 5 days per month at our house and its great and we would love to be there all the time but we are practical and know its not possible with out a decent income we do see so many looking for work (spanish) and if they cant get jobs as immigrants we do not stand a snowballs in hells chance we are luck as we are self employed and can take small amounts of days off to go and we do take our visits around the availability of cheap flights.
My advice for what its worth is look, and maybe buy a place and use it as a retreat untill you can have enough of an income from pensions ect. to live comfortable this need not cost a fortune.

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Many young families around us have tried to find work and make some money. So far we only know one family who have managed, replicating the business they had in the UK.

There is just hardly any work.My advice is to spend holidays here as much as you can and search out any opportunities while you are here.

 

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Thank you so much for your responses, it is much appreciated and you have helped! I kind of knew what you would say I guess I just needed to hear it. I think we will hang back for now and keep watching to see if/when things get better.

 

Best wishes

 

 

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Regarding the "motorhome Aire" point you made . This would be well received in Spain as not enough camp sites exist in Spain compared to France ,which has thousands of Aires (overnight camp sites for Motorhomes run by the villages ). We have been to Spain in our MH and at this time of the year sites are full of the migrating Dutch German French British etc etc however many seem to be wild camping . (Wild camping is staying in the van at a local place not regulated)  but often welcomed by local traders. At some stage Spain is going to clamp down on the practice and keep moving people on . So yes an Aire de Camping would go well and you will have thousands potencial passing trade in the right spot and at the right price.

Good Luck 

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