Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

donny-gal

Hi DS

Just watched in on I-Player.

Looks like again, ill prepared, no language skills, expecting work to come to them.

What was your opinion?

DG

droopsnout

Exactly the same as yours, DG.

Obviously, they decided to make a programme about those who hadn't made the move successfully. They probably contacted a forum to ask for volunteers to earn £20 to say how horrible it all is, although, to their credit, some did say they were unprepared. And at the end, one contributor said to learn the language and do your best to integrate.

And those are the two most important things, in my opinion. Well, after just being a decent human being.

Same old story, really. But then, The One Show is often the same old story ...

droopsnout

de1amo wrote: »

is that like--did you see the one show last night??--28th april--wed--i cant get uk tv and have to make do with endless repeats and eastenders on bbc entertainment-

Yes, de1amo, it was Wednesday night's programme.

de1amo

İ used to work in central spain and had little knowledge of the language. İ taught English and made a very good living from it. A lot of business people would pay a premium for me because i didnt speak the local tongue and they were forced to speak English.
İt all depends of course where you choose to live, İ am a realist and know a life on the beach in a world surrounded by other Brits is unsustainable unless your rich and on a big pension.
İ am in Turkey now where lots of Brits are living in this bubble but gradually as the economic realities come home to roost they are becoming impovrished with no where to go! They cant sell their places because only other Brits want to live in there 'ghettos'' and the money has dried up from the UK and the pound is finding its real level. The Turks are quite happy because they want their prime resorts back to a level of affordability and foreigners have no rights to claim any monies from the state.

folkestonelisa

Would we be mad.

We are planning on moving to spain in 5 years to open a business. Not a bar or cafe, but something else. Have an idea in mind but would rather not mention it as there are not to many of them.

We intend to save for the next madly for the next 5 years to have roughly £150,000 to buy a house, with a small mortagage and to start our business. We will be moving with our son who is 17 now and our daughter 9 now.

Before we come we intend to have spanish lessons, am at uni at the moment so plan on starting them next year, giving us 4 years hopefully to learn the basics to get buy.
I am 40 now and my hubby 47, so have a few years left working in us. Hopefully being a family business for my hubby and son and i may look for some work in the social services sector.

Can anyone give me any pointers, anything that ive missed in my big game plan, or even to tell me that its madness.
Not expecting it to be a bed of roses, and not expecting to be on permanent holiday, but just hoping for a bit more quality family life then we have now.

Thanks Lisa

droopsnout

Difficult to comment much on the info you give, but if there are only a few of the businesses you're thinking of, I wonder why that would be. There may be very good reasons, of course, but also perhaps others have tried the same idea and it hasn't always worked out.

I think you need to consider your daughter's needs and desires very carefully. She is nine years old now, so would be fourteen/fifteen if/when you make the move. Is there ever a more difficult age? Apart from the problems associated with adolescence, she will be about to launch into her GCSE courses (or worse, be in the middle of them), and her qualifications for the future may very well depend on her exam results, normally due just one or two years later.

Instead, she would have to cope with a new school, in a new country, with an unfamiliar language, with new friends, a different curriculum, a different pattern to the school (and working) day, new distractions, very hot weather (and possibly very cold in winter, too), and parents who are full of hope and good will, but who are at the same harbouring very natural doubts and worries. How could she answer exam questions in Spanish after just one year of Spanish secondary school?

I live in France, not Spain, but would say that with the present economic situation in Spain, you would have little chance of finding employment for yourself. Our forum members in Spain would be better placed to advise, though.

I know it's boring, and I really hate to run the risk of taking the wind out of your sails, but my advice would be save for a few more years, and thus avoid the need for a mortgage, allow your daughter to complete her education in the UK, and if your business plan is a good one, let your son establish the business (assuming it is in his chosen field) with his father's help and advice. That way, you will be better able to cope once in Spain, and better able to deal with the problems that could arise.

I might just add that none of us may be able to count on the maintenance of the value of sterling. In the eight years we have been in France, the value of sterling has declined by 30%. That won't matter for the income you will have that is derived in Spain in euros, but it will drastically reduce the value of any pensions you and your husband will be entitled to. Your savings in the UK would decline in value, too, if the pound weakens against the euro. You need to factor that into your calculations.

Of course, it is to be hoped that the present uncertainty involving the economies of Greece, Portugal, Spain and Eire is soon sorted, but there is also the question of the UK economy and its effect on the strength of sterling. There remain a lot of doubts.

Whatever you decide to do, and under your plans as outlined you have four or five years to see how things develop, I wish you every success, and encourage you to keep the dream alive - but keep your eyes wide open.

donny-gal

Hello Folkestonelisa

We have a holiday home on one of the main ex-pat belts just south of Alicante. We bought and paid for this while working, and although we have taken early retirement are able to manage comfortably due to both having pensions and saving flitting between there and the UK. In the main ex-pat areas, there are private schools which follow the UK system(ish), but if you wish to put your child through the Spanish state system the time is now or after as DS said. Even with the Spanish state system please be aware that all books, and other needs are provided by you and not the school/government. If a child does not have a good enough understanding of Spanish they will keep them in the Junior school longer until they can cope with the secondary school. They do provide extra Spanish lessons while their Spanish counterparts are doing English. As being under pension age you will also have to provide private health cover for the family, until the business takes off and you can employ yourselves properly and then you can be under the Spanish National Health which is good. There is currently a scheme which allows you to have private medical cover via the Spanish National Health - this is no cheaper than private cover but does cover pre-existing conditions which private does not.

Choose your house purchase with care, ensure especially if you are in the north or mountains that you have one which has heating facilities in the winter it does get cold, not as cold on the South Coast as the UK, but still enough to need heating. £150k will not buy a lot on the costas, probably a quad or a small detached. Many of the holiday home type of properties are not well soundproofed if you have two teenagers in the house. Think about storage space, you will probably need a garage, not many come with these, not much storage space in holiday homes, and most have been built as that.

It is not madness but it is hard. Most ads seem to be cons, so the people who are there regular are very sceptical. You do not say if you are looking at a business for ex-pats living out there or holidaymakers. Depends where you set up, unless it is an actual holiday resort, then holidaymakers may be thin on the ground. Rental property is hard, by the time you have bought flights and hired a car you can go on a package tour cheaper. Not sure what sort of social services sector you mean. I also attended Spanish lessons, but being able to be polite in a restaurant and ask the way, and then hope you pick up an odd word when they reply very rapidly, is very different from being able to converse in Spanish.

The quality of life is great, there are loads of fresh fruit and veg on the markets, you spend much more time out of doors. You must though start eating more Spanish, there are English things in the supermarkets but they are not cheap. If you cook from scratch then you can do most English foods. The eating out looks cheap and it is, but still cheaper to eat in. It is very easy to drink more, smoke more (if you smoke) when they are "cheap", and it is very easy to get into the Manana (sorry no accents) way of life. Reliability is key we have found the Spanish more reliable on time keeping than the ex-pat's.

House prices are good at the moment, our has not gone up much from 7.5 years ago euro-wise, but we would being more £'s home. We feel fortunate we have a home in both currencies.

Maybe you would like to share the market you are targeting, and a rough area of Spain you are considering. Regardless like DS we wish you well
DG

folkestonelisa

Thanks for both your replies, they have certainly been helpful.

We have been looking at a sweet shop, obviously in a touristy area. Have been looking round valencia area, but will research areas more about a year before.

The schooling was something that we had thought about, and if that was going to be a problem for my daughter then me and her would stay here while hubby and son set up the business.

Health care we had already researched a bit and knew that we would have to pay for that.

We will spend the year before we want to move really researching the areas and everything else that we me may encounter.

Its just so hard to know whats the right decision to make.
Hubby is a taxi driver over here, with the money getting less and less and the hours longer and longer, while i am at university studying criminology.

If anybody out there has a crystal ball so i can see into the future then please let me borrow it. lol

donny-gal

Hi Lisa

There are sweet shops about, and large sweet stalls on the markets. You may need to consider somewhere like Benidorm which has year round tourists, and especially in the winter very popular with the older generation. Many places in Spain unless serviced by package holidays are dead between November and Easter.
DG

folkestonelisa

Thank you so much Donny-gal, you dont know how much i appreciate what you have said, as well as giving us plenty to think about. :T

Lisa