Renting Land in Spain and Full timing?

VWBubble said:
Sounds cool how did you get a house sitting job ?
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Hang on a minute don't get to carried away with getting work out there now, I am not saying you wont, but we have a lot of friends out there English and Spanish that can not get work with the state of the economy now, years ago you could find the odd jobs in bars etc. but it is not so easy now. As someone else said you need to keep your car taxed and m.o.t again things are not so easy to get away with now, as in the past. In Andalucía the police will often photograph your vehicle with the number plate visible, why they do this I am not sure but I expect someone on here will tell us, may be to put on computer and cheque where you go. And there is the 6 month ruling, we would come home to see the family quite regular, a lot of things to think of, remember you can be traced with your mobile phone, but it is still worth. :drive: :drive:
 
you see jobs in the english papers that are on the costa,s .last winter two of us did 6 months traveling in my truck . spent about 2,800 quid thats ferry food diesel etc .inc beer wine and my lad smoked . we dropped from santander to valencia then followed the sea right round to santander again. it could take that long or a year or two.
we did venture in land to visit kenspain and a few other friends . but less miles less spent .
we dont eat out ,use bars or waste money on campsites . always found water and safe sensible places for toilet dumping .
 
over the last few years cars etc have been uplifted for not displaying tax .
even back in 2000 i got a fine posted to my home address for parking on the beach at denia . the police had only my reg number . so anything is possible .
there is an agreement now where they tell other countries about you .
 
we picked up house sitting jobs by getting to know lots of people,and we got to know them by working in their houses or fitting out their bars-it's a lengthy process,don't know what skills you have, but I was sort of following the tradition of the wandering apprentices from Germany and Austria. when I first went down there I immediately found work for villa maintenance firms,partly because I had my own tools. often the work would involve living in the villa or its grounds,in the van,and getting on with the job while the kids played in the pool and my wife used the washing machine.tough old life !
 
my son got offered lots work . picking in the fields for 6euro an hour . bar work . the chance of a job building playgrounds in spain . its what he did here. in portugal shops were advertising for staff. he did actually work in one pub for a week just for a laugh .
its abit like here they blame the africans we blame the poles. but most are just not interested in work or moving where the job goes.
 
So let me get this straight.
I need to make sure I drive out of Spain at 6 months?
So I could drive over to Portugal buy some food get a receipt to cover myself stay there for 6 months and go back to Dover as near on as a year to get mot?
Or if I do the tax online and renew the insurance online what would happen if I was late on the Mot?
I can't imagine everyone drives back before a year is up?
If the van was new then no mot due for 3 years.
I assume some people leave the Uk and say nothing to the insurance!
Thanks.
 
VWBubble said:
So let me get this straight.
I need to make sure I drive out of Spain at 6 months?
So I could drive over to Portugal buy some food get a receipt to cover myself stay there for 6 months and go back to Dover as near on as a year to get mot?
Or if I do the tax online and renew the insurance online what would happen if I was late on the Mot?
I can't imagine everyone drives back before a year is up?
If the van was new then no mot due for 3 years.
I assume some people leave the Uk and say nothing to the insurance!
Thanks.
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I don't know cos I have never done it, but I expect people keep a UK postal address (friends/ relatives etc) to disguise the fact that they are overseas. It isn't hard to SORN a car on-line & it won't appear on UK roads so maybe they don't bother with insurance, or MoT either? Big risk if anything goes wrong tho. Insurance is generally invalid without a current MoT (unless travelling to/from an MoT appointment).
 
i never did that 6 month thing ,as for the paperwork,that's all up to the individual to decide
 
you cant get tax without mot computer being known . or insurance .
mine doesnt require an mot so could insure and tax .
as for driving on sorn then vehicle could be up lifted and crushed . i believe its 10days in spain . there was several lifted year before last .it was in the spanish papers .
but many do just come back see family get mot tax etc then off again. if your permanently in one place they could get you .
many have uk plates on vehicles for ever it seems . some get caught .
all depends how honest you want to be . or how good a liar are you.
tell one lie it goes on and on and on .
 
vwalan said:
spain and portugal as loads driving around with no insurance mot or tax .been going on for years . once you get permanent then the authority try to get you .lots have been doing it for donkeys years . the tax can be a give away these days . plus they can compute your reg number . just return to uk get it all and go again .
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Can't speak for Spain but the GNR in Portugal are under instruction to get as much income from fines as possible, so they have many roadblocks now with full paperwork checks. The are mainly looking for the Portuguese who have not got the right papers but are just as aware of what we Brits should have. They check the long term car parks at Faro to see the non Portuguese cars that keep turning up and hit them for overstaying the 180 days. I would not be surprised if they are also checking the park at Silves as well these days. You can get a UK MOT done in the testing stations in Portugal but it will not be recognised in the UK when you come back as a friend found out.

Basically the Portuguese want you to go there and will always cut you a bit of slack if you treat them OK but they do get tough on the basics like MOT and insurance and drink driving, I saw a car clamped with it's MOT one day out of date. (Portuguese cars have their MOT sticker on the windscreen)
 
vwalan said:
you cant get tax without mot computer being known . or insurance .
mine doesnt require an mot so could insure and tax .
as for driving on sorn then vehicle could be up lifted and crushed . i believe its 10days in spain . there was several lifted year before last .it was in the spanish papers .
but many do just come back see family get mot tax etc then off again. if your permanently in one place they could get you .
many have uk plates on vehicles for ever it seems . some get caught .
all depends how honest you want to be . or how good a liar are you.
tell one lie it goes on and on and on .
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Would'nt you just renew the insurance a d tax before the mot ran out?
 
i was in portugal from feb and march this year . agree with every thing said .
i got stopped twice in portugal and once in spain for no seat belt . but as my truck is registered in 2000 and not after march 1st 2001 it doesnt need them . and its mot exempt they love me .hee hee .
luckily the dog was hooked around a rear seat belt as they did look in spain to see. (required for kids etc .)
i carry the exemption papers so its ok . but they are out there looking .
 
Another thought that comes to mind is can you transfer the van over to a Spanish reg?
 
Spain and Europe

Hi guys,i have a friend who lives near Valencia and he says the police are getting quite hot on stopping more vehicles,he has been stopped in his vito three times in the past month,they seem to be looking for for people working on the black,so be careful there or keep tools etc well hidden ! ,as far as the overseas insurance goes most companies here will only do a max of 90 days at a time,Les who lives up the road from me in France insures his Dax sports car with a company in the Channel islands,they seem more keen on doing a longer term abroad insurance,maybe do a bit of a web search there ?,it seems to be that you can only insure the car with the country it is registered, ie a French car can only be insured with a French company to use it in the rest of Europe.
On a different note a Nationwide flex account is a great thing to have as you can withdrawl and transfer money abroad without stupid costs !
If you need to book your ferry crossing to Spain or France with Brittany Ferries give me a nudge before you book and i will let you or any one else who wants to go on one of their routes have my membership number,you can book as a friend of mine and get discount on your crossing,every little helps !
regards Mark:)
 
better you than me . many have . many have tried . its not as straight forward as you think . you need an address and be registered as living in spain . there is a term for it my minds blank.
unfortunately you are not used to how the foreigner works . not your fault . its a big world out there .
i like n,brown have been visiting living working over there all my life . one way or another . try doing business with them its a mine field .
i usually brought cars/ vans in from holland or germany to uk much easier.in fact easier still from america . or was.
 
all insurance bought in the eu covers the whole of eu and some others for the whole of the policy .but only for the minimum in that country.
again many that live over there do run bangers just for that reason .
all this 30/90 days is crap . thats only for full cover . but lots give full cover for 12months.
 
vwalan said:
all insurance bought in the eu covers the whole of eu and some others for the whole of the policy .but only for the minimum in that country.
again many that live over there do run bangers just for that reason .
all this 30/90 days is crap . thats only for full cover . but lots give full cover for 12months.
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I'm insured with Safeguard, 365 days full cover & breakdown in EU and some other European countries also Morocco for 30 days.
 
safeguard used to do a full year in maroc . i was with them with a vw,
saga cover 365.
at the moment mine covers eu,iceland,croatia,switzerland,liechtenein. others on notice and an extra fee.
its a gibralter based company.
lots are gib based . i wonder why .hee hee.
 
iampatman said:
I'm insured with Safeguard, 365 days full cover & breakdown in EU and some other European countries also Morocco for 30 days.
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Me to minus the breakdown cover as they don't cover vehicles as old as mine

Someone made this comment further back, I'm a little sceptical of it

" You can get a UK MOT done in the testing stations in Portugal but it will not be recognised in the UK when you come back as a friend found out. "

If its not recognised in the UK it means its not on the computer therefore its not a valid MOT test therefore its no good for your insurance... yada yada yada

Rich
 
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