New life in ibiza!!

Vinyldreams

Active Member
Hi looking for some info please from you lot already living the dream.
About us, family of 3 me wife and 4 yr old son not sure if the cat is coming (hope not), visited the island lots as a holiday maker + 1 honeymoon I worked 1 summer in 99. We're looking to make a new life on the island we love.
We're looking to move over either this winter or next. Depending on house sales,
How much am I looking to pay on a year rental of a small 2/3 bed house pool would be great not fussed about location but nearer to cala tarida would be first preference ,

Learning Spanish now I'm poor at languages but wife and son multilingual so they should be ok will just take me a bit longer.

Main concerns are finding work, leaving grandparents(babysitters) behind, making new friends.

If any of you could advise or comment with your recommendations of estate agents, searching the Internet for a home brings up a lot of million pound properties!! Not ready to splash that cash as I don't have it!

I'm a printer so not expecting to find work in that field, I am quite handy and have renovated properties in the past so looking down that road,
My wife is a hairdresser who specialises in wedding hair I'm sure she will stay in this profession, not much can be done about jobs till we move, but is there any web job sites I'm missing?

Visiting in September for a week hopefully will work out what area works best for us plus look at some schools and accommodation .

Thanks for reading any comments or remarks greatly welcome.
 
We're moving over from the 1st of August, have been in the same boat, waiting for a house sale and moving over with little lad and dog, also leaving free childcare far behind!

You probably want to look at renting for a year or two before buying, Ibiza is a different place in the winter, and some resort type areas go dead once the tourists go home. Price wise, in the summer, a 2/3 bed house with a pool is going to be impossible to find, look in the winter, and you will be paying about €1100 a month roughly. You might get a landlord that will do it cheaper for the winter, and put the price up in the summer, or one that will rent from Oct - May. You might get one that agrees to average it out over the year. Basically, ask around, everone seems to be different and theres a lot more flexibility with what people will do compared to the UK.

Finding work is going to be your biggest task. I'd start looking now if you want to do building/reno work. Obviously theres a lot of development but theres a lot of people doing the jobs. If you can't speak Spanish you are limited to only working for English people. You'll want to start making contacts ASAP. You're wife will probably be able to make some decent money in the summer but again, she'll need to start working on it now. Get a website set up, do some marketing and start making contacts within the wedding industry on the island ASAP. We got married in May on the island and I can tell you now the expats tend to get to know each other and stick together when it comes to recommendations, so don't expect work to come in thick and fast for the first summer, she might have to work cheap just to build up a reputation. There are a few hairdressers who take on staff if she doesn't want to work for herself but again its very seasonal, and you'll need a year round income.

We've been planning this since 2011, its been incredibly hard work and now its finally happening I am ****ting myself. Its a big task but I am certain it will be worth it, I'm lucky in that I have a business already I can bring with me, without that I think we would struggle to make the move as we wouldn't have a guaranteed way to support ourselves. You are doing the right thing by planning well far ahead and I know it can be a daunting task so any other questions just ask!
 
Many thanks for your reply, are initial thought is renting as it would to stressful to buy while still in the uk, was hoping to get a deal on the rent which would average out over the year.
On the work side I'm looking to make some contacts on our next visit, also look into some business ideas but its all about gathering info at the mo, my wife already has a web site running which I'm sure she could adapt for the ibiza market the others option is work in a salon which she would be more than happy to do.

your lucky taking your business with u unfortunately we rent house in the uk so looking to sell some and keep renting some on long term contracts so we will have some income coming in.

cant wait to make the move were giving up a lot but it will be worth it!!
 
Just a heads up, you might have to declare that property once/if you get your residencia in Spain, I think they've got a bit hard on that this year.
 
The suns out in the uk love this weather but it won't last can't wait to swap 20 nice day a year to over 200!!!
 
The suns out in the uk love this weather but it won't last can't wait to swap 20 nice day a year to over 200!!!

I think its worse than that. Basically someone was saying they, or their friends, we're moving away for a certain number of days just to avoid paying it, it was that bad.

There will obviously be legal and clever ways to avoid it I am sure with a bit of clever accounting. Just might be something to add to your list to check out before you move.
 
Can I just add, when you're considering work, you'll be better off (financially!) working for someone and being contracted to them, rather than being "self employed" (unless you can make a lot of money with whatever you do)...

I've just had to sign up as being self employed and now have to pay out 260 euros a month, plus 120 every 3 months, PLUS 21% of my earnings!! (and a one off 116 euro "start up", gestors/paperwork fee!).. then add that to paying out for a babysitter to enable me to work, and my take home money every month now is about 280 euros! Not very happy about this, but they seem to have been cracking down on illegal workers recently here! (unless its just here in Es Cana and we got unlucky!)
 
Wow don't sound good, thanks for the info keep it coming, sound like your punished in tax in ibiza like the uk , better off sitting on ya bum getting hand outs, not my style!!
As stated above my wife will probable work in a salon so should be quite straight forward , I'm working out if it would be better staring a business in ibiza or invest in uk and not work in ibiza.
 
Can I just add, when you're considering work, you'll be better off (financially!) working for someone and being contracted to them, rather than being "self employed" (unless you can make a lot of money with whatever you do)...

I've just had to sign up as being self employed and now have to pay out 260 euros a month, plus 120 every 3 months, PLUS 21% of my earnings!! (and a one off 116 euro "start up", gestors/paperwork fee!).. then add that to paying out for a babysitter to enable me to work, and my take home money every month now is about 280 euros! Not very happy about this, but they seem to have been cracking down on illegal workers recently here! (unless its just here in Es Cana and we got unlucky!)


Yeah my partner designs and makes jewellery, so we looked into the Autonomo process, not exactly encouraging people to help themselves when the country is on its arse! Think she's going to just get a part time job for now and just develop the creative process a little ;)

We're actually moving to Es Canar lisa on the 1st August. Any tips or anything on the area? Best place for cheap food shops etc. Only ever been once (and didn't realise we had until we looked it up online)
 
Best for bigger food shopping is Eroski on way into Santa Eulalia, The Aprop at top top of town (up from bus stop/taxi rank) is ok for "bits" but expensive as are the Spars,
Apache (bar) get`s more ex-pats than most others, But if you want cheep beer & food Tres esquiners (walk up small side road next to Apache) or Ses Archades ( up past Apache & Aprop, Take the right towards Cala Nova, About 60m) Both more "local" than most,

Have a good one
Tim
 
There ya go, that's more or less what I would've said... Apart from the Aprop and the tabacos next to Moe's there's hardly any (if any at all) shops open in winter in Es Canar. You can walk from the Tabac to the Aprop and not see a single person or car in winter, lovely and quiet!! But most of Sta Eulalia stays open (shopwise) and certainly in Ibiza town there's all the clothes shops open......

Es Canar is a lovely village, with a very friendly, welcoming ex-pat community both in summer and winter... Hope you enjoy your time here, if you see my show advertised anywhere (Popeyes, Anfora Hotel and Nags Head are my venues at the mo), pop in and say hi!! (Rock Show Lisa Mac!) :)
 
Thanks to you both!

Yeah initially we didn't want to be up here, but I went and had a look around Santa Eulalia last month, and spoke to a few people up there and they said its better up that way come winter. Plus its really nice, so we're very happy we changed our minds. Have already heard good things about Tres Esquiners too so will check that out, and of course look out for your show Lisa.
 
to paraphrase mandy rice davies, they would, wouldn't they?

i personally think there's no finer place to sit out the excitement of winter than san jose village.

True, I did take that into account to be honest, but after spending a couple of days up there I figured it was worth a shot. San Jose was our original target, but due to the way our house sale fell, we didn't really have a great deal of options in the south. We're only in this place for 3 months initially, so if we hate it, we can revert back to the south. Everythings going to be better than watching the rain dribble down a window in the UK ultimately.
 
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