We are a family of five hoping to move to Sax with three dogs and find work - Page 2

Thank you, im optimistic as the work thing cant be as bad as where I live now

Unfortunately, it most likely is. Imagine being in the area you're in now, looking for work, but not being able to speak the local language. How much chance would you have of getting a job?

After the crash in 2008 the building sector in Spain shrank by 96%. That's not a typo. It more or less disappeared. Spain for most ex-pats, even those fluent, means hard work, long hours and low pay. Spain is like that outside the big cities even for the Spanish to be honest. Work is hard to find and almost always low pay with zero stability.

I'm not trying to put you off, just being honest. I'm sure you could make the tree surgery business work, but it'll take time and you will need to be able to speak Spanish in an area like Sax.

As for Sax, it's a great place. It's not "picture postcard" Spain as it's a real Spanish working town. The old town is just like many inland old towns: Narrow street, some lovely houses, some falling down houses. Many houses that could do with a lick of paint etc. The new part of the town is fairly architecturally bland, but it's got everything you could need. There does seem to be a small Brit ex-pat community in Sax, there is a bar on the road that runs parallel to the new main street that has what appears to be mostly Brits. Not sure what it's called, never been in it. But generally speaking Sax is a traditional Spanish working town that is a great place to live. It's really cheap too, which is a bonus!

Fingers crossed we'll be out there in July to buy a house. Not for a perm home, not yet, we'll just use it when we visit. But plan to live it permanently once we move out in a few years. At least for a year or two.

There are far nicer parts of Spain to buy in, but few with the same facilities that are only 30mins from the coast. And those nicer parts are way more expensive!

Feel free to contact me. (PM)

V

Im not sure how to PM on this site 

Left side

Private message.

V

Hi Niki

Sax is lovely. Safe, clean and friendly. It's a very pretty town - mainly Spanish but with a good smattering of ex-pats of varying nationalities.I don't know how things are going to pan out after the covid and Brexit situation, but I feel far happier living in this area (I live in Elda, which is the next town from Sax.) than I would in the UK.

I'd be very wary about going down the rent to buy route - it's a bit of a grey area. If you're looking to buy, I can recommend Steve from Fabfincas - www.fabfincas.com He's a local agent, he's been here years and friends of mine have bought through him and been very happy. Feel free to PM me if you want to know anything else, or give him a call. 

Thank you, I will definitely have a look at what he has to offer. Obviously the job situation is a huge worry as it is in England. The problem is here is probably the same as there where manual work is a must unless you have a uni degree and live in a city. I am doing my TEFL course so being optimistic was hoping to get a teaching job. We don't want to live in a commercial holiday place but integrate locally. We go to Spain several times a year and picking up the language is easier when surrounded by it. I can read it just speaking it I sound  bit thick..lol 

Niki 

Hi Niki,

Just to add to what WDG has said about the employment perspective, the UK's pre-Covid unemployment rate was 3.8%, Spain's was 17.1%.

A friend of mine is TEFL-qualified and teaches English to Spanish people.  She worked for a company in Alicante whose clients are typically from businesses all over Spain, sponsoring employees to improve their English lanuage skills.  So a typical week would start with her collecting the student from Alicante airport, taking them to their 'host' family in the local area, where they stay for a week.  Then she visits them each day for 4-5 hours of teaching and conversation, before returning them to the airport at the end of the week.  When she first started the role, she spoke very little Spanish and was told she didn't need to.  Inevitably, she now speaks quite a lot of Spanish, but since the onset of lockdown, she's also lost her job.

It's a good idea to rent for 6 - 12 months, if you can afford to.  It may seem like 'lost' money, but look on it as an insurance policy, in case you decide Spain's not for you afterall.  Whilst property prices can be very affordable in Spain, the cost of buying is expensive - if you wanted to buy a property for, say Eu 200k, you would need to budget another 13-14% of the purchase price to cover property transfer tax (10%) and buying fees (lawyer, notary, land registry).  Property in Spain typically takes a long time to sell, so if you get the area wrong, not only would it be expensive to move, it could take years, rather than months, to achieve it.

Sorry to sound like I'm giving you "warts and all", but Covid-19 is only going to make it even more difficult for an already challenged Spanish economy and job market.

Kind regards,

Kim

If you emigrate before Dec 31st 2020 you would be classed as EU citizen and residency in Spain very easy - you would need to be resident prior to year end of 2020 and then have 6 months to obtain residency as agreed under the withdrawal agreement. 

However if you arrive and emigrate after Dec 31st 2020 you will need to comply with Third Country requirements - the easiest way to see the various requirements would be to look at Spanish consulate websites in the USA which give a good list of requirements -  you would require either a NLV ( retired non working ) or a self employed visa which requires a business plan etc. Chances of finding employer sponsored visa probably nil.  Note you have to obtain your families visas ahead of your move to Spain once a third country national .

So long story short - you would do best to come over now , rent a place to get started , and see what happens - arrive after mid July and you avoid Spanish taxes for 2020 including capital gains tax which if selling your UK home could save you a bit.

Good luck !

Thank you, all this Brexit crap has certainly put a spanner in the works, we were waiting till kids did gcse then college then save some more money but now with covid has properly crapped it for us. From what I have seen, we need to already live there to get a job, and have a job to find a place to live.. Cant win. 

You've been given some very good advice in the posts above. All I would add is that I agree with almost all of it, and.....

Sax may have cheap property prices but be aware Spain is no longer the cheap living option it once was. A family of five renting for a year without any income, you are going to rip through a lot of money. A lot of money. Aside from the obvious ones, little bills appear as if from thin air especially in the first year. Relocating a family of five to Spain is a huge risk, regardless of how bad you feel things are in the UK.

Sorry if I appear negative, but trying to be realistic. 

Steve