Move To Spain – Part 1: The Idea Sprouts

Thinking of making the move to Spain? Of course you are! Want some hints and tips to make life easier? Of course you do! This is the first in a short series of articles aimed at helping you make those dreams come true. Enjoy!

Move to Spain Part 1: The idea sprouts

So you’re on your holiday (or “vacation” for our many American readers) in Spain – sat in a beach-front bar happily sipping your beer, and you spot that the bar owner has what can only be described as “the perfect life”. He gets to chat to dozens of happy customers all day while the busty blonde barmaid brings beer for him and all his mates. Of course you are absolutely right to assume that he only works 3 or 4 hours per day, 2 days per week. And it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that because his bar happens to be in a holiday resort – he is obviously on a permanent break and raking in the cash.

Of course YOU would be brilliant at running a bar in Spain!

Okay, so you have zero experience of running your own business, or being in a management position, or even doing anything remotely customer focused… and you struggle to keep to a budget when doing the weekly shop – but hey how hard can it be? You only have to pour a couple of pints and chat to a few people sometimes don’t you; apparently you’re quite the raconteur at parties. Anyway – you can get staff to do all the work while you top up your tan on the terrace. The money will just come rolling in. Happy days!

There’s always enough room for another “Red Lion”

It is vital that you realise that the resort desperately needs yet another British bar serving pints of John Smith’s and cooking mediocre all day breakfasts. The Missus isn’t the greatest of cooks, and she burns water… but hey, she’ll learn – and anyway… you have all those staff to do it. It doesn’t matter that most the bars doing exactly the same thing have closed within six months – your enthusiasm will more than make up for your lack of anything remotely resembling experience or know-how. So what if the visitors to your new venture don’t like you? There’s a whole new planeload on their way right?!

It’s nice to share – ask away!

Feel free to ask any residents as many personal questions as you like while dreaming about your move to Spain. We are more than happy to discuss our personal financial situations with you – after all it’s your dream so privacy counts for nought, and we never get tired of being on the receiving end.

Example questions to ask the locals that you meet in the bar

• What is your bank balance?
• How much money do you make in a year?
• What’s your business worth?
• How do you fiddle the tax man?

You may laugh at the cheek of those questions… but we (and many other relocators) have been asked them – more than once! 

Note from Elle about this “Move to Spain” article

Last time I posted an article with this tone (how to get the best from your holiday in Spain), I was lynched on a couple of Social Networking websites by people who took it all too seriously. So I would like to point out that of course this article is written with my tongue firmly in my cheek – apparently I need to spell that out to some (cough). Not all of us have the same ironic or sarcastic sense of humour… but hopefully it makes a few of you chuckle.

Moving To Spain – Part 2: Research

Moving to Spain – Part 3: The Recce Trip 

Elle Draper

Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.