Aside from the obvious opportunities for starting up a bar, restaurant or other type of ‘real’ business in Spain, or even an online business, another thing which might be well considering is ‘virtual’ work.  With nothing more than a laptop and an Internet connection, the possibilities are almost endless.

Many of those who are anxious to make the move but are put off by the lack of work opportunities in general and year-round opportunities in particular, will have specific skills which they used in their employment in their home country.  These might involve anything from computer design or writing skills to data input or general secretarial skills, all of which are greatly in demand by businesspeople across the globe.  In most cases, the location of the service provider, who acts as a freelancer, is immaterial as all the work is carried out using a computer and the finished ‘product’ is simply e-mailed to the client.

Because so many of the people who are interested in moving to Spain are keen to find a better and more relaxed way of life, virtual working can offer the ideal solution in that it allows the opportunity to work from home and to fit the working day around all the wonderful leisure pursuits that the Costa del Sol region has to offer.  In addition, because the projects that virtual workers take on are based in so many different countries around the world, they don’t have all their economic eggs in one basket!

Related Content: Finding Work In Spain, Starting A Business In Spain

Of course, two of the prime considerations when you are looking to buy a property on Spain’s Costa del Sol are the type of property and the precise location which will suit your requirements of either a holiday home or a permanent residence.  Despite the fact that these are such important factors, however, it seems that some holidaymakers have got so swept away with the idea of buying that they have handed over their cash without actually seeing the property.  In some cases, they have been shown a ‘similar’ property, but found to their cost that what they have bought is actually quite different, and without the benefit of the knowledge which can only be provided by local estate agents, even the location has proved to be something other than was expected.

Although it might just sound like common sense, potential buyers should always view the property that they are interested in before making a commitment to go ahead with the deal.  Naturally, where off plan properties are concerned, there may not be much to see in the first instance, but any good agent will take you to visit the site and will be able to provide you with detailed plans of the property so that you know just what you are getting.

Using a local estate agent who has first-hand knowledge of the area means that you will be able to get a clear idea of everything from the weather conditions that you can expect to which facilities are open in the winter.  The other huge advantages that local agents have is that they are much more au fait with planning regulations and any issues which might arise, as well as being able to offer assurances as to the reputation of the local building companies.

In reality, the Easter celebrations in Spain begin before the period of Lent, around the time of Shrove Tuesday, and it is then that villages and towns throughout the country truly get into party mode.  Floats and parades fill the streets as everyone dresses up in fancy dress and celebrates through until dawn.  Bars and restaurants are full to bursting and everywhere there is street music and dancing.

Running from Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) until Easter Monday (Lunes de Pascua), the Easter Week celebrations vary from place to place but are generally focussed on lively and colourful carnivals and processions, as well as music, dancing and, of course, eating.  Setting out from the churches of the towns, the processions see the local people carrying images of Christ on the cross and the Virgin Mary through the streets in what is a deeply significant and moving homage to their religious beliefs.  In many places, passion plays are also enacted, but whatever form the celebrations take, everyone from the oldest to the youngest takes part.

The city of Malaga is the place to head for on the Costa del Sol for those who want to experience some of the most spectacular Easter celebrations in the whole of Spain.  Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, is an ideal time to visit, but be sure to get there early so that you can take in the whole day of celebration and merrymaking.

Of course, wherever you are thinking about buying property in Spain, especially in later life, there will always be additional factors that you need to consider.  Current and future levels of fitness will probably be some of your more immediate concerns, not only with regard to the style of the property, but also in terms of its proximity to local shops and services.  If you are leaving family behind in your home country however, and especially beloved grandchildren, what is equally important is the ease with which you will be able to travel backwards and forwards.  With all the excitement of emigrating, it can often be easy to underestimate the impact of not being able to pop round and visit family and friends when you feel like it, so consider carefully how close you want to be to the airport.  Thankfully, the Costa del Sol’s main airport at Malaga is very convenient and offers a good number of year-round flights at really excellent prices.

Another thing to consider carefully is what your chosen area offers by way of things to do.  Although the prospect of simply doing nothing for a while is undoubtedly a tempting one, and of course exploring the region will probably come fairly high on the list of early priorities, be sure to investigate the facilities and activities that will be available, not just at the height of summer, but in the winter months too.

March 15th is the date set for the grand opening of the new Terminal 3 at Malaga Airport(AGP) and no less than King Juan Carlos himself is to be the guest of honour.  Four years in the construction, the new 250,000 square metre terminal will allow the airport to double its current capacity to 9,000 passengers per hour, and will house 86 check-in desks and 20 boarding gates, as well as a variety of shops, bars and restaurants.  In addition, plans are already in place for a second runway to be built in 2011.

The Spanish Ministry for Development has reported that some 500 guests, including many top politicians and dignitaries, will be present at the unveiling, but in the meantime members of the public have been testing the facilities in advance of the public opening before Easter.  In all, the testing will involve some 3,000 volunteers who will be vital in ensuring that everything works as planned before the terminal goes live.  Just as though they were boarding a real flight, the volunteers are each having to go through the entire arrivals and departures process from finding their flight numbers on the display boards and checking in their luggage to passing through security and finding the correct airport parking area, in an effort to identify and fix any problems in advance.

Once the new terminal is officially opened, it is expected that airlines will include more and more new routes in and out of what has already proved to be an extremely popular airport.  In the last two years alone, a total of 39 new routes have been added, including direct flights to and from Toronto and Montreal which have led to an increase of 40% in the number of Canadian tourists in the area.  Aer Lingus is just one of the companies which intends increasing its number of places to the Costa del Sol.

Indeed few remember that it wasn’t that long ago that San Pedro and Puerto Banus were fishing villages and harbours.  The coast has changed significantly and rapidly over the years as the population has grown with both the Spanish and a large amount of expats coming to enjoy the various benefits of the Coast and with the large amount of businesses that have grown organically as a result of this and as those born in the region grew up.

It seems fitting therefore that transport becomes easier for all and the modern solution to that, is the railway. There are more than 5.3 million users of inter- urban buses in Marbella all of which would be able to take advantage of the new railway.  This doesn’t include all those currently driving on the sometime overcrowded N340 or the tourists arriving on the coast who currently have to wait for bus services which, though much improved, still will never be as reliable as a train service. The new rail service will also bring the coast closer together as people can pop from one place to another with ease.

The new rail line will eventually run from Malaga City to Algeciras with stops in between in all the places you´d want them to be, San Pedro, Marbella, Estepona to name but a few and can only be of benefit to a busy region where the airport size is being extended to allow visitors from far and wide. 

Due to this, we will be populating the site on a regular basis and adding to the content that we already have, more information on living in Spain and other important aspects such as obtaining your NIE number and information on the Spanish Social Security System for both employed and self employed workers.

So please return frequently as it is our aim to not only present you with a wide range of properties for sale, but also to provide you with all the information you need to make your purchase or even your life in Spain that little bit easier.

Hopefully these will be of interest and of use to those who are looking to move here and need to work.

If you are buying a property on the Costa del Sol or any other region of Spain and have children, schooling is probably something you need to consider seriously. It’s a big step moving to a new country but evening bigger when you have to take the childrens schooling into cosideration.

Its also important that you are aware of the costs of living in Spain and how the move to Spain will affect you financially.