British Gas safe plumber heating engineer looking to relocate and work Villamartin - Page 2

Hi Daddy

The best way is to go self employed because the self employed Spanish plumbers, are to my bitter experience, are just unskilled cowboys.

The Brits are desperate for a skilled plumber!!

Good luck with your search.

Kind regards

Thanks for that can you put my name out there as I’m looking to re-establish my business out there and by what I’ve read I’d easily keep ex pats happy

regards Paul 

Hi Paul.

I'm an ex gas engineer from UK, ran my own business in UK for 15 years. I became resident in January last year and relocated to Spain in March. Unfortunately our Gas Safe qualification means nothing here. You will not be able to certify anything without resitting the gas qualification here in Spanish. Also the regs (if there are any) are nothing like UK. Lots of Open Flued water heaters with flues that comply to nothing and ventilation non existent.

I took early retirement at 55 so didn't bother renewing my Gas Safe last year. To work legally you will have to register autonomo which means paying a set amount in Tax every month whether you earn anything or not. Is possible to carry out maintenance etc for expats but not officially unless autonomo.

Good Luck in your move

Thanks for that advice will really help with me getting established in Spain in the near future any more advice much appreciated , what’s it like round the urbanisations round golf clubs ?? 

regards Paul 

Villamartin and the surrounding areas are nice but very english with the ex pat communities. I live about an hr from there, the other side of Alicante. Where I live is more Spanish and can be difficult with communication as mainly Spanish speaking (Valencian). Villamartin, Torrevieja and surrounding areas English widely spoken. We sometimes have to go that way to get items we can't get up here.

What be a in between place to live which is lush and green but semi busy ???

Regards Paul 

Difficult to find lush and green ! Further north is greener, but greener means wetter. Usually lush and green is the golf courses. Depends what you want. Best place to find work is more ex pat area, so Torrevieja way. Villa Martin a good place for entertainment with the plaza area. Try getting to know a letting agent who can keep you busy. I'm just outside El Campello. 15 minutes to Alicante, 20 minutes to Benidorm. I do a little work for a letting agent and then if you do one job other people recommend you and it goes from there. I decided to buy an apartment to let out for an income rather than relying on work. If you NEED to work hard to live then it will be difficult. Cost of living lower here but try to have enough behind you to manage when you have no work. You will also find the working conditions here awkward. I'm fitting a new kitchen in our apartment but have to stop between 2 and 5 due to the siesta time or neighbours complain about making a noise !

That really helpful and I will try and look more into that 

Let’s defo keep in touch 

Paul