How long till I could make a living in Tenerife?

[Super Fulham]

Say a couple of 55 year olds moved over and bought a place out right , had enough for a car and say five years living expenses. If we wanted to do like I expect hundreds of others are doing cleaning apartments looking after keys etc , how long would you think if we made ourselves well known and built up a good honest and reasonable ( not cheap) reputation do you think it would take to be able to support our selves. Big advertising budget thrown in as well, no expenses spared to make our selves known.

[junglejim]

Welcome to the Forum !
Unfortunately the rental market using such services is in turmoil at the moment with the application of new Touristic Laws - you would have to sit down with a large bag of popcorn and read through the illegal lettings thread to get some idea of the issues .

http://www.tenerifeforum.org/tenerife-forum/showthread.php?23-The-Tenerife-illegal-lettings-thread
Most legal touristic complexes have a sole agent who organises and services the apartments , most illegal renters use various companies and both of these are open to large fines if caught !
There are many people unemployed here who want to make the same step at cut-price rates , think carefully before you invest in this area ,
Come on a long holiday and investigate!

[Super Fulham]

Thanks JJ , as I've said I'd have a good five years very comfortable living expenses , once here I could look and learn at What other areas I could make a living . I'd have a few bob put aside to help myself out as well .

[junglejim]

Easiest way is to long term rent rather than commit to buying then you can have a good look around at what's available to suit your skills .
Depending on lifestyle you could certainly live here a lot cheaper but you have to provide your own healthcare etc- pay your social taxes as self employed . paperwork in Spanish with added beaurocracy !
The video is very close to reality! Honest!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wtbQUaC9mE

[Super Fulham]

Easiest way is to long term rent rather than commit to buying then you can have a good look around at what's available to suit your skills .
Depending on lifestyle you could certainly live here a lot cheaper but you have to provide your own healthcare etc- pay your social taxes as self employed . paperwork in Spanish with added beaurocracy !
The video is very close to reality! Honest!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wtbQUaC9mE
Jungle Jim Ive known a few from my area go to Tenerife without a place to live in and hardly any savings about twenty years ago and are still out there . Obviously times were better then and I'm obviously not a young twenty something year old any more , but I'd like to think with a place paid for and few years of back up behind me I'd make a living. Like my mates a couple decades ago I might not go straight into paying taxes etc , though if I hit it off I would eventually like to go legal. I'd like to think the service I'd offer would be top notch and trust worthy , apart from the fact until I got my self up and running I wouldn't pay taxes for a while. I'm sure a few would be horrified by that , more would see it as a bloke just trying to make a go of it . Although the first months would involve paying no taxes etc and illegal , I'm of the old working class school where you can trust your own, but I'd like to give the government as litte as possible . As I've said that would be whilst I tried to build a living. After that I'd like to go legit.

[Muppet]

Seems to me you need to do some proper research into how being self employed here works, as opposed to how being self-employed works in the UK for example.

It is a totally different system and far from cheap. Forum member "goldenmaniac" has a website which has some useful guidance and she is someone who can set everything up for you.

You can be as "oldschool" in your plans as you like, but it doesn't work like that. The rental market as described above is difficult and unless you get to understand how things work here you will need to continue to dream.....