Living in Spain

EU-citizens are free to enter, leave, travel or live in Spain and may also engage in any economic activity, either as paid employees, self employed, service providers or students under the same conditions as Spanish citizens.

In the past the majority of foreigners in Spain were retired people. But today more and more young people want to move to the South of Europe or to many other countries around the globe. Many young people fail.

You are young, single and want to move to Spain. Or you are young and want to move with your partner; you may have kids already. To give you and your family the best chance of starting a successful new life in Spain, we want to point out some essential issues:

The essential reasons of failure are:

1. The move to Spain not being well prepared with no long term plan A or plan B.
2. Not analyzed well enough the financial implications of the start and first few years.
3. Unrealistic expectations: illusions, holiday feelings; overestimating one’s capacities.
4. Not learning Spanish for work, shopping or for small talks with Spanish neighbours.
5. Wrong information and advice about buying a home or business, and doing business.
6. Doing business without enough knowledge and professional skills to achieve success.
7. Having paid too much for the business; e.g. a traspaso with a too high rent.
8. Having paid too much for a home, for renovation, decoration, and equipment.
9. Not considering that one takes himself with him, including unresolved personal matters.
10. Not well explored and evaluated before if the chosen place is really right.
11. Running away from serious matters instead of learning and growing with the situation.
12. Hanging around; chatting rubbish all the time about others, and learning nothing.
13. Not considering that every human being needs a deeper and intelligent meaning of life.
14. Serious personal or relationship problems ignored and suppressed all the time.
15. No strength, no creativity, no flexibility; but solely narrow-minded with rigid old norms.
16. Inflexibility because of a long term mortgage: the bank is the real owner, not you!
17. Spending too much money for the children’s international education.
18. Comparing all the time what is better in your country (it’s anyway a self-delusion).
19. A self-infatuation because of fun- and luxury-oriented self-confidence.
20. Not considering that most difficulties have to do with the person; not with Spanish life!

Another issue is the living costs people usually don’t really give attention to. Living costs in Spain today are in general not cheaper or more expensive than in any other country in the North of Europe. There as well as here in Spain, you have places where all things are more expensive or cheaper. How much cheaper (or more expensive) Spain is for you, depends on your demands, your spending habits, how willing you are to adapt to the local products (going to the market), and obviously your special likes. If you go to the local market, you will considerably reduce your shopping bill. Your wealth and assets, and your shopping habits may decide in 5 or 10 years time if you will succeed or fail with your life and business in Spain. And finally: don’t lose discipline, work hard and learn a lot!

Keys for success when moving to Spain

You must learn Spanish! The more languages you learn and speak, the higher are your chances to get a good job. Half of all problems you will have to face have to do with you and not with the challenges you will face. Permanently comparing with the norms in your country is poison for success and happiness. You need to build up a social system. And never forget: the money you spend is gone forever in just that moment. Don’t rush into buying a home. And you should not buy a home with more than 50% mortgage (based on the actual real market value!). The amount you pay monthly for the mortgage should not be higher than 20-25% of the money you dispose of on average each month. In general you should consider that with a mortgage the bank is always the real owner of your home and will always have the last word in any critical situation tomorrow, in 5 or 10 years! Start with renting an apartment for 1-2 years. And don’t pay for the rent more than 25-30% of the money you dispose in average each month. If you buy a home, you must know, later it can take 2-3 years to sell it; except you reduce the price drastically. The times are gone wher you can speculate with an increase in property value.

You can find a new life in Spain! It’s not that difficult! If you don’t want to fail: Coaching in Spain.