Just wondering if anyone else has been like us - over the christmas holiday period we were in full swing and excited about moving to spain. We have big plans and we were building up the momentum. A few agreements/disagreements here and there, but nothing much to stop us.

Then we go back to a 9-5 dull life jobs (hey, but I’m grateful for now that I have one) and the focus on planning the move to spain goes off the boil for a few weeks!!! Maybe its due to the cold winter we’ve been having at times or maybe life is too comfortable here in the UK and we just get on with it and have a moan every other day.

My wife wants to run her father’s bar in the local village in la mancha. I’m saying no way jose as I dont want to be passively smoking my way to death. Still got energy in me to have a good time lol!

Anyway, we are now thinking of completing her father’s upper floor level (as he hasn’t put windows or any partitions in) and starting a B&B;type business. Wife is keen on this, but I want to visit other areas of the country and see how affordable property is in each region.

Arrgh! So much time is needed for all this planning as well as money to research all of it.

And now my boss is now virtually looking over my shoulder so I’d better logoff for now.

So much planning and not enough time. Sigh.

I hear alot of expat bars are for sale and those that are running are not busy. Thats bad, but what is it like for spanish owned bars? Are they doing good business still or going through the same pain barrier?

Steve

SteveBarbosa reading you post there , All of the top 20 airports posted declines in spain this year down about 17% , well Tourism is down as we see and hear that , bars over charging holiday makers for drinks food and so on , hotels in citys ripping off there guest ..... RIPOFFSPAIN ..... the bar/hotel owners know who that are and dont give two hoots but by postting this i will come in for some objections ,

Working in IT i have network a pub in in Madrid where there lot off Tourism . 48 cctv cams , light systems , Alarm system , safes and Sound and Vision , think when i was finished with the place we think there up 3 km off kat 5 and kat 6 , wasnt cheap job and tock few heads to do the job ie lads from Bridge Media Ireland
but you can get cheap drink in the place but price do go up and down , but this pub profits are down , planning was long one with Madrid town hall , thye dull 9-5 job for the guy that owns it tock just over 1 year from start to end , two get the place opened . the guy stayed with me in Elx and god he just want to give up ... but he got them doors open ...... passively smoking is going on in the pub food in day time ... but as in hours he work from early morring to late at nigth

the pub/Hotel game is 24 hours aday your alwas on call with guests that if you want to run a successful operation . dont for get the frist year is alwas the hardest , but will reward you .  any more just ask

SteveBarbosa - 16 February 2009 09:35 PM

I hear alot of expat bars are for sale and those that are running are not busy. Thats bad, but what is it like for spanish owned bars? Are they doing good business still or going through the same pain barrier?
Steve

The credit crunch/crisis hasn’t made much of an impact on bars in our little bit of Granada, because nobody had any money in the first place. The average village bar just ticks over with coffee and beers throughout the day, a few lunches - you won’t get rich but then you knew that.  It’s certainly likely to be a steadier (but lower) income than cities and coastal resorts.

They say the cheapest provinces in Spain are Teruel - beautiful and not that far from Valencia - and then way up in Galicia - beautiful but miles from anywhere.  Pockets of Andalucia are still cheap, and so is Extremadura.  I can’t say I know Castile that well but it’s a bit flat, isn’t it?  I’d go for mountains every time.  Walking, mountain-biking and wildlife are now big and growing draws in Spain and could make a B&B;business quite promising, - aiming at both Spanish city folk and Northern Europeans, who are beginning to realise the country is not just cheap beach holidays.

Passive smoking?  Just buy yourself a carton of Ducados and smoke actively instead!  Everyone lives to 90 down there anyway so it can’t be that bad….(only joking).

SteveB
You will know when is the right time to take the ‘leap of faith’.. But better if you have researched and planned it! (With a BIG contingency plan as back up!!!)....

I have been in Spain 10yrs.. but it is tough right now (I have been unemployed for nearly 3 yrs now and cash has run out).. Other halfs children are still in the UK and have jobs.. We know although their outgoings are high.. they are probably a lot better off (financially speaking) than we are. 
A move abroad is the best thing we did.. but when things are tough - they are very tough.
That is not to say you can’t make a go of it.
Just have a ‘plan B and C and even Z!’.

NB There is little/no state support/benefits here.. and if you have de-registered in the UK they will not willingly let you back into it!!! (As we have just found out!!!).

Good luck…
SJ

Jurdy - sounds like a big cabling job there! Why not go wireless instead? Maybe the overcharging guests is due to having to cover increased costs to run the damn business???

Mart - I know what you mean by flat lands - my wife’s area is undulating, but 40km north is the cuenca sierra region which is mountains. I’d prefer something closer hence why I am trying to check out ‘real’ prices in different areas. This is difficult to do until you’re actually out there liasing with agents and sellers. The web is great for guaging a rough idea, but the web is also sometimes the last thing to be up to date (esp. in spain).

Susan - In terms of contingency I’m afraid I don’t have one. Its a case of starting a new life. If I try my hardest to make it work out then great, but if it still fails then I will have to face that issue if it arises. Probably have to come back to uk for a while again (provided I’m not de-registered - how do you do that anyway???). Plan A, B, C etc. yes, but it has a point where you cannot eliminate risk - you have to run the gauntlet to a certain length before jumping into the deep.The main thing for me is that I want to be with my immediate family more (i.e. wife and kids) and not working for some other, paying 1k a month nursery fees, rushing the weekend as a family, then back to work monday morning to face yet more aggro.

Recession is good in its way , it bring out some very good Ideaes , with people having some time on its hand , are there night in .....

jurdy

SteveBarbosa - 17 February 2009 07:55 PM

The main thing for me is that I want to be with my immediate family more (i.e. wife and kids) and not working for some other, paying 1k a month nursery fees, rushing the weekend as a family, then back to work monday morning to face yet more aggro.

I hear you loud and clear Steve, and for me thats the best possible motivator, which puts everything else into perspective.  Good luck with everything!

Maya