I would like to move to Spain, advice would be appreciated.

Hello.I am 23 years old, 24 in May, and I am interested in moving to Mojacar in Spain.First of all, I would like to know if there is anyone here who either lives in Mojacar, or knows anything about what it is like to live there anyway.I have been on holiday there five times now, and each time i have come home feeling upset because I love it there so much.I much prefer it to the U.K.I would like to mention that I am not a very independant person.I live with my dad and brother and have never lived on my own.I am good at doing housework, but not too good at cooking, i only know how to do that a little.I'm not sure how to go about looking for accomodation in Spain.So, if anyone could tell me of any properties, the cheapest ones you know of if possible, i would appreciate it.My family do have a decent amount of money, but  it would help if i could find somewhere that isnt too expensive.

I would also like advice on what kind of  work i could do there.I only know afew words and phrases in Spanish, unfortunately.

A family member of mine has accomodation there.They live here, but stay there when they go on holiday, and i have stayed there when i have been on holiday.I dont see them very often though, and i'm not sure if they would help me out or not, which is why i would like to ask about it here.

I know some people might think that you just feel that way when you have been on holiday, and that you should " get back to reality ", but i would honestly feel much happier if i lived there.I dont have too many friends here, which is another thing i was coming to.I know it might not be safe if i move there on my own, but i'm not sure if any of the friends i do have here could move there.And my family couldnt.I do have friends who live in Spain, the spaniards, i dont know any English people there, who I met on my holidays, but obviously they have their own places.

It has done my confidence the world of good everytime i have been.I find Spanish people to be very friendly, polite, and they have a good sense of humour.And the country is beautiful.

Hi,

I'm not in Spain yet, but will be in a few months and the best advice I can give (from what little experience I have seeing as I'm not even there yet!!!) would be:

1) Do lots and lots and lots of research - I've found this website, especially the forums a godsend - I lurk alot more than I post because I'm always sat with my mouse hovering over the "print" button to get all the info I need!

2) Learn Spanish - you say you only know a few phrases, there's nothing stopping you learning more and I've suprised myself in how quickly I have been able to pick things up.  Label everything in your house with the spanish word for it! And I try to learn a new useful phrase every day and use it - it helps that my husband is learning with me so we can do this together.

3) Take enough money to live for a good few months in case work isn't readily available (and from doing my research, it appears that work can be very hard to find) We're moving over in September with enough money to live for approx 2 years before we need to work (although we intend to work alot sooner than that!)

4) Be realistic - we know that moving to Spain is not going to be easy.  I'm 26, my husband is 30 and we have a 10 month old son. We're not retiring to a sunny climate to sit on the patio drinking sangria all day - we will have to work at some point, we will have to support ourselves, and our son just like we do in the UK.  We're leaving all of our friends and family behind - no more nights out, as no more babysitter.  No more new clothes, as no job when we get there.  I'm confident that Spain will offer us a great lifestyle and I can't wait to watch my son playing on the beach, and I can't wait to join in with the fiestas but I'm aware that Spain won't solve all our problems - in fact initially it might even create more. I think you need to be a strong and brave person - and maybe even slightly mad (!!!)  to uproot your whole life and move it somewhere else.  Going somewhere on holiday is very different to living in that place.

I don't know if I've helped at all, I know that when you first think about moving to another country it can be difficult to know where to start.  Like I said, I can't wait to move to Spain, I only have a few months left in the UK now, and in honesty, these last few weeks since our property has been completed and we are starting to really arrange things have probably been the most stressful in my life! More than getting married AND having a baby!

Good luck!

Hi Jenna,

I couldnt agree more with what u have said, it isnt easy  but it is well worth it once you get everything sorted. Im sure you will have a great time over.

All the best

Jenna, thank you so much for your reply.I hope we can stay intouch.You have given some brilliant advice.I will definetly take what you said on board, and keep you informed on how things are going

Until it is possible for me to move there, i wish i could go on holiday there more often.Hopefully i will be able to go there again soon.However, i still think it is sad when you get on the plane to go home again..

Good luck with your move there ! xx

Hi Beth

I think that the advice that Jenna has given is spot on.

I think the first thing you have to do is ask your family whether they are willing to help you. You need to know what that help might be. For instance will they allow you stay rent free for a period of time. If so, how long for?

If they are happy for you stay but would expect you to pay rent immediately then you need to have sufficient funds to see you through a period of time where you may have no work/income.

Once you know that, you can start moving forward because you will know what amount of savings you will need & how long it might take you to save that amount of money. Of course, in the meantime you can be learning Spanish!

In my opinion, you should also have a return airline ticket on which you can change the date. This gives you the option to return home if it doesn't work out.

You don't say what type of work you do in the UK but jobs in Spain are very hard to come by, particularly if you have minimal or no Spanish. The pay is also a lot lower than in the UK. Therefore, you would need to do research into what types of jobs would be available to you & make sure that while you are saving that you gain some experience in that type of job.

Perhaps you also need to spend some time out of season when Mojacar is much quieter & colder, to see if it still appeals to you in the same way.

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm but from what you have said, you have quite a bit of research to do before you make the ultimate decision.

I hope it works out for you.

Regards

Noreen

Hi Beth, sorry for my delayed reply, I've not had chance to get on the PC for a few days.....

You asked about what we're going to do for work - my hubby's a fitness instructor here and he's hoping to start a personal training business when we get to Spain, or at least remain in the fitness industry.  But he's prepared to do anything to keep us in Spain once we're there, he has a very good work ethic and isn't scared to work in a job that isn't what he wants to earn a living.

I'm a drugs worker here, so my work skills are not trasferrable really - I'd need to be completley fluent in Spanish, which I'm not and have a good understanding of social support services in Spain whch would take alot of time. So I'm having to look at a completley new career.  I have many business ideas, the main one being a singer in clubs/bars (i'm a trained singer with quite a bit of experience, I just haven't done it for a while) I've researched this line of work thoroughly now and I'm having second thoughts about it for various reasons but it still seems to be the option that's most feasible to begin with so if that's what I have to do, then that's what I have to do.

In answer to your other question, we don't know anybody out there. We met a few people when we bought out there (18 months ago) and never stayed in touch but we know where they live (they bought a house very near us) and I'm just going to knock on their door and say "remember us??!  We're just going to put ourselves out there, Once we're all moved in we'll ask our neighbours over for a BBQ, I'll join some groups etc.  I think that if we don't integrate as much as possible then homesickness will be much worse and we'll need all the friends we can get.  We're moving to Algorfa, very near Quesada and Torrevieja where there is a very large ex-pat community.  Before we got to Spain we thoguth we wanted somewhere a bit more rural where we could buy a bigger house and more land for our money.  It wasn't until we got there that we realised that being around other ex-pats would be a benefit to us, by helping us to settle easier and offering us more opportunity to make friends while our Spainsh is still very limited. It's not the way everyone wants to live but we felt that we'd be quite isolated if we didn't have the support of other Brits who have already established themselves in Spain. On the flip side, I'm looking forward to integrating with the Spanish community, expanding my language skills and learning about their culture.

When are you thinking of moving over Beth?  By the time we get out there, we'll have had 2 years prep time!! (not suggesting that long is needed, that's how it worked for us because we bought off-plan so had to wait for our house to be built!)

I have posted this question on another thread but have not received any replies, possibly too technical a question.

Can anyone advide me as to the method used to calculate tax for self-employed persons who are resident in Spain? I have been informed by various tradesmen that they are paying between 250 and 550 Euros per month but were unable to explain how this was calculated or why there was a difference.

Do certain professions attract a higher tax banding or is self-employed tax calculated on the expected income of the individual or the known incomes of others in like professions?

I am currently self-employed in the UK and am initally seeking to be self-employed in Spain to find a way around the health regulations and to ensure that I, and my family, have adequate health cover, for the least outlay. I have checked out private medical insurance plans and, so far, am not over impressed with them. Bupa's plan is one of the best in terms of areas covered and, as a former international client, I have been offered the possibility of a reduced premium.

Hi Lifeline,

If  you wish to be Autonamous (self employed) you will need a Gestor (accountant) to calculate and submit TAX and IVA(VAT) declarations.

You will pay approx 242€ per month which will entitle you and your family to healthcare and social security as you will be issued with a social security number.

This will also entitle you to a Spanish pension if you have contributed for more than 15 years prior to retirement age.

You will need to submit quarterly Facturas (invoices) for income and outgoings for yout Gestor to pay your IVA.

you will get a tax bill at the end of the financial year,your tax is based on a percentage of the PROFIT you have made.

You can offset any mortgage payments,electricity,water and other bills you may have connected with your prime residence.

You can also claim if your wife is not working and for any children that you have living with you.

A good gestor will get your tax bill reduced down and in the first year of trading it is considered that you will often pay no tax at all because of set up costs etc...

Like anything it is all about knowing the system.

The first year i was here i received a rebate which you are issued instantly and can cash at most banks.

Hope this helps

Georgia 

Thany you Georgia for your comments and most useful information.

Is the 242€ that I will pay each month caluclated as advance tax and possibly rebated to me if my business fails to make a profit? I ask this because here in the UK start up businesses can take up to 3 years to break even and some don't even make it at all. What would the position be if my business consistently broke even and made no profit at all?

Hi Lifeline,

The 242€ is for the equivalent of National Insurance payments and is set each month regardless of earnings.

If you wish to work legally and appear on the Spanish social security system you must pay this monthly.

It does seem a little high in comparison to the UK but i find that you pay less tax as compensation.

A lot of people work illegally and avoid paying this,this annoys us legal workers as it reduces their overheads and they usually end up working for cash in hand with no iva etc....

I have found that the tax authorities will allow you a couple of years grace to show your business is making a profit before they start to ask questions,they are quite understanding with start up businesses.