Checking In

[Brian]

I'll be in Valencia the first week of March to apply for my residencia, as well as make contacts and conduct interviews.

At present, the plan is to move in late May. It's going to be an interesting ride.

[Brian]

Well, I purchased my tickets tonight. It's official. I'm off to Valencia for job-hunting March 2-11. Wish me luck!

It's exciting and frightening at the same time, but part of the process.

I have about a 4-hour layover in Madrid on the morning of March 11. I would think that security will be quite tight that day.

[que]

Excellent news!

Good luck with the job hunting. Please run by us again in short your plans?

Moving with family to spain? and to work in which sector?

Sounds an adventure!

[Brian]

Originally Posted by que

Excellent news!

Good luck with the job hunting. Please run by us again in short your plans?

Moving with family to spain? and to work in which sector?

Sounds an adventure!

Thanks for the well-wishes, Que.

In short, our plan is to re-locate from the US to Spain this Spring (at the end of May). Yes, my wife and 2 kids are going with me! She is a Spanish citizen, which will help in the visas and permits for myself.

My goals for the trip in a few weeks are to look at pisos, talk to potential employers, and scout the IT market. I have found it very difficult to get hired if you are not currently over there with all the proper permits.

If I am unable to immediately find work, then I will start a private IT firm, as well as continue some of the IT consulting work that I currently do. (Terminal Services is a wonderful thing!)

[Diana]

Originally Posted by Brian

I'll be in Valencia the first week of March to apply for my residencia, as well as make contacts and conduct interviews.

At present, the plan is to move in late May. It's going to be an interesting ride.

Best wishes for the move and lots of good luck job hunting!

[parubin]

Originally Posted by Brian

Well, I purchased my tickets tonight. It's official. I'm off to Valencia for job-hunting March 2-11. Wish me luck!

It's exciting and frightening at the same time, but part of the process.

In short, our plan is to re-locate from the US to Spain this Spring (at the end of May). Yes, my wife and 2 kids are going with me! She is a Spanish citizen, which will help in the visas and permits for myself.

Good luck on this move !!. I imagine your wife is excited about returning to her home land, and so should be your kids. Starting a whole new life at a young age, has to be really exiting.

I hope everything's for good. I have only one question (if I may) what made you choose Valencia as your new home???

[Mike_2]

Wow, good luck! I'm in the same boat as you, figuratively speaking. My wife and I are moving to Salamanca in April. During the second week of March (less than 3 weeks away, yikes!) we'll be in Salamanca looking for an apartment. Then its back to the states to finish up some work and then back to spain on April 1st. I thought that was an appropriate day to move, its called April Fool's Day here in the US!

[Brian]

Originally Posted by parubin

I hope everything's for good. I have only one question (if I may) what made you choose Valencia as your new home???

Valencia is where my wife grew up, and her family is all there.

[ValenciaSon]

Good luck Brian. I hope you find a good job, a good apartment and good schools for the kids. I guess you won't be missing out on the Americas Cup or las fallas of '08!

[Brian]

Originally Posted by ValenciaSon

Good luck Brian. I hope you find a good job, a good apartment and good schools for the kids. I guess you won't be missing out on the Americas Cup or las fallas of '08!

Thanks, VS. We already have a pretty good lead on a piso- 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, large salon, on the 1st floor, in the suburbs, good school, good neighborhood, 600 Euros a month. Seems pretty cheap to me. (It's in the same building as the suegra).

Yeah, I'll be visiting and leaving right before Fallas this year.

[Ben]

You should still be able to catch a couple of mascletas, they usually have a few before Fallas week.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Ben

You should still be able to catch a couple of mascletas, they usually have a few before Fallas week.

Does the housing sound pretty reasonible to you, Ben?

[ValenciaSon]

Whereabouts in Valencia are you?

[Acosta]

Let us know how it goes Brian. As I work both in IT/Engineering/Cable-Satellite fields.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by ValenciaSon

Whereabouts in Valencia are you?

In the 'burbs, actually. Riba-Roja.

[que]

So how long has the idea of moving to Spain been on the table? And how hard a choice was it to make?

We look forward to tracking your move like others that have done so in the forum

[Brian]

Originally Posted by que

So how long has the idea of moving to Spain been on the table? And how hard a choice was it to make?

We look forward to tracking your move like others that have done so in the forum

We've talked about it as long as we've been married. It didn't make a lot of sense before now. We started the process about a year ago, and are finally ready to make the jump.

[parubin]

Originally Posted by Brian

Thanks, VS. We already have a pretty good lead on a piso- 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, large salon, on the 1st floor, in the suburbs, good school, good neighborhood, 600 Euros a month. Seems pretty cheap to me. (It's in the same building as the suegra).

Yeah, I'll be visiting and leaving right before Fallas this year.

You don't mention if the apartment is with or without furniture. In any case it seems pretty cheap to me too (specially for four bedrooms).

Valencia has grown very rapidly towards the suburbs in the past years, and there should be plenty of available offer of newly built appartments to let.

Most of new construction in Spain constists in two-bedroom appartments (I'd say that almost two every three new appartments consist of only two rooms). There should be no problem in finding three-room appartments either. If you need four, the offer will not be as wide.

There are four-room apartments, but they are mostly bought by people who actually needs them to live, whereas if you want to rent, it is much more attractive economic-wise for the land-lord to invest on two-room appartments (they are cheaper and they have more demmand). So if you really need a four room appartment to rent, you will probably have to look harder, and most likely it won´t be a new construction. More likely it will be a building from the sixties, seventies or eighties (four room appartmets were more popular back in those times when housing was cheaper and families bigger).

If you are able to find a new appartment (new construction) in a new development in the outskirts you will probably enjoy a nice atmosphere (impersonal but confortable) with young couples with kids as neighbourgs (good for your kids) and more likely, some attractions attached to the building (swimming-pool, gym, padel court) which could be very enjoyable in the nice mediterraneum valencian weather, specially for the kids.

As for the prices, I don´t now Valencia that well, but I would say around 800-900 euros a month, for a new appartment in a nice new neighbourhood (as described above : swimmingpool, etc...) consisting of three rooms without furniture.

I imagine your wife and family, being from Valencia themselves, will be of greater help.

Good luck.

[Marina]

I don't know much abou prices in Valencia area, but 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms for 600 Euros sounds pretty cheap to me (for that price in Madrid you would only get a one bedroom flat). Good luck with the paper work and let us know how everything goes.

Marina.

[Alan]

I missed this thread - just wanted to wish you luck Brian. And keep us up to date!