Looking For Unbiased Opinion

[PREMIERRON]

Hi to all....
I am english (male) 42 with a partner and she has a daughter aged 11
we are looking to move to your fabulous country, i have been in the construction industry for 20 years, Mandy (my better half) is a fully trained care worker (for the old and disabled), please help, i am after your opinions on our chances of making it in paradise
1, employment situation
2, best places to make a home
3, education
4, crime and safety
5, what are the pros and cons, is it truly the best place to live or not

many thanks for your time

Ron

 

[J D Sauser]

Hi to all....
I am english (male) 42 with a partner and she has a daughter aged 11
we are looking to move to your fabulous country, i have been in the construction industry for 20 years, Mandy (my better half) is a fully trained care worker (for the old and disabled), please help, i am after your opinions on our chances of making it in paradise
1, employment situation
2, best places to make a home
3, education
4, crime and safety
5, what are the pros and cons, is it truly the best place to live or not

many thanks for your time

Ron

I think you need to READ a little more about our fabulous country, on here and else where so to be able to clear some of your basic questions and be a little more specific on the remaining questions.
There are people living all over the island, many of which who will attest that THEIR place and/or region is THE BEST of the DR.
Similar about crime, some have fallen victim of it and some have managed over years without problem... and many of those who have experienced such a contrast in life here, are neighbors.
Employment? Well, as you will read, most will tell you not to count much on employment. You may be right to think that you are more qualified than many here, or feel great about being able to speak English or some other language... Well, first of all, the language in life and business here is Spanish! Then, it may be though to find your qualifications not only admired but paid too... at least the way you were used to.

But well, you and your wife seem to be working in quite different fields, so maybe it's time you bring that together and build a nursing home or a place for elderly ex-pats in need of some supervision and care?
In other words, I think that most who make it here, do it on implementing, doing, building creating or providing something new or at least in a better quality and or/better price/quality ratio.

Try to familiarize yourself with the "Search" feature of this cite and especially try to just read the Forum to get a feel.

Furthermore, you will find a lot of advice recommending first to RENT and settle "LITE", so you have a way out or to relocate within the island... do this for at least 6 months (I'd say 12 months) before BUYING too heavily into this "fabulous" country.

This is indeed a great country for some, and you may one (actually 2) of them, but to others it has proven a disaster, and part of making it a success is how you approach it... it's as important as the foundations of a building. I for one, I am doing marvelous here... but I am still settled "LITE" after over one year.

My unbiased opinion? ... most of us here try to appear unbiased... but biased we all are, based on our experiences and the way we interpret and judge other's experiences... so it's just my J-D biased opinion.


... J-D.

 

[DrChrisHE]

I agree with J-D... you might try looking at this site (although after reading it, I wonder why I EVER considered living here). It is sobering.

Dominican Republic

I will say that the US State Dept tends to be on the alarmist side but then again, they also say that the DR is among the most ex-pat friendly countries...AS long as you've read their cautionary statement.

Good luck!

 

[Hillbilly]

The guy is a Brit....
Humm, unbiased? Hardly.
Your building talents MIGHT be useful if you were to be contracted by one of the major overseas (Mostly Spanish) companies currently building hotels here. Otherwise, they are literally a dime a dozen.
As for "qualified health worker" , well we have Haitian maids, religious sisters and family to do that sort of work.

What J.D. suggested is probably the wisest thing. Make a small nest egg so you can live here for a few months or more, and create your own old age facility. A proper place, located along a beach or close to one. Cater to ex-pats living on Pensions or Social Security. Advertize accordingly...It will work...

Otherwise, just come here and vacation for a few years...

Everything else you asked about is dependent on your ability to earn a living....

HB

 

[amparocorp]

unless you have a good bit of money, the move here will not be easy. there are people with money that have a very hard time. double your trouble if you do not speak spanish. everything here is about money, it can be easy or it can be brutal. why don't you put away 30k US dollars to live on for a year, come here with that and see how you do? you either make it or break it. either way you will have had one of the best years of your life, guaranteed.

 

[PREMIERRON]

Thanks for your replies guys ,
i have taken onboard all you have said and i am looking at the forum to gain as much knowledge as possible , however you usually find that most people use these sites as a place to vent their anger about something or another , but it is proving very interesting
thanks again and any more pointers will be gratefully recieved

Ron

 

[Chip]

#1 priority to address before coming here is income.

Just don't assume that you will come here and get a comparable job with what you have now in a matter of months, years or ever.

There is a great deal of competition, and if you don't have some exceptional skills and good connections, forget it.

BTW, I'm a professional engineer in the State of Florida where I have my business and won't hazard to say that I have more drainage experiance than probably 99%(if not 100%) of the professional civil engineers here on this island, and as of yet I have not been able to rummage up any work.

 

[Spicedwine]

Unbiased?

Another opinion?? We have been here a little over a year. My spouse is fortunate and is an IT person and can work anywhere he has an internet connection. He had been coming here for years.. I came with him as green as grass. Never had visited, had not idea what to expect. It has been a great year of learning. I have asked many questions of the contributors to the board, and have many great neighbours who have guided me through.
The first thing I will offer you in the way of advice is to learn the language, I am still working on it, but it is essential in making life easier. Employment should not be something you are counting on as everyone else has stated..
Either bring something new that people want/need or save a bunch of money and vacation for several months if you can. We do not have school age children and that would be a concern for me also. You are heading into difficult age years as it is and to head to a developing country will not make these any easier for your daughter to cope with. Read and learn, ask lots of questions, we never think your silly, or pm someone who you think can answer you best. Take lots of time, I of course, think the North Coast is the only place to live.... lol!!! you see each of us has our own opinion and the only one that truly matters is you and your partners....
Good luck and don't give up the dream, but be prepared to amend it slightly.

 

[Lambada]

however you usually find that most people use these sites as a place to vent their anger about something or another
Ron

You'll get one or two doing that of course, but not the majority, not on this board. Most of the people posting here on a regular basis love living here. But they also know how difficult it is to land a really good job, particularly in your field. In your partner's field the pay is next to nothing & the 'status' non-existent.

So for starters, please don't make assumptions, because if you do it over one thing you might be at risk of doing it over other things too. Open mind & reasonably full pocket is the way to start here, now . It was different when we moved here from UK 15 years ago but that was then.

The sheltered living facility is a good idea & there will be a need as more & more aging expats are living here. But you will need serious funds to do this, a good understanding of Dominican law & business practices and a general feeling of being at ease with how life is lived in the DR. I wouldn't advise attempting such a project until you've lived here for at least a year & know how things work.

 

[Dolores1]

What specific skills do you have in the construction industry?

 

[PREMIERRON]

I cut my teeth working for a small building company , loft conversions, extensions, general building work and re vamps....worked with them for 6 years then moved into the kitchen,bathroom and study buisness, was a surveyor/installation manager for 2 years but continued with installations untill now ( 18 years installing) i am council of reg'd gas installers registered and CITB electrics to part p . i guess these qualifications won't amount to much , from what people are saying the employment situation is quite bad in DR , and obviously this is the main hurdle to overcome

 

[Dolores1]

If you are a skilled laborer, I would think you could find work with foreigners that are remodeling or building. People all the time are remodeling kitchens and baths. You would have to build up a clientele by word of mouth. But if you have sufficient saved up (and the pound can go a long way here), I think it would be doable. There's lots of hands here, but skilled construction labor is in short supply.

I would head to a place where lots of building is going on... for instance, Punta Cana or La Romana.

 

[Skippy1]

Ok ....some advice.
I am one of the lucky ones who is working here. I am a Brit and work in the Engineering sector here in Santo Domingo. My wife also works here as a Doctor.
I got my job which is a 5 year contract via a Gov department in Spain working on some infrastructure projects here.

Now my story is very rare and its not easy to do but it is possible.
From the details about your general building experience I am afraid you will become very frustrated here trying to find a living wage. One poster advised you could work for the expat communitites remodelling homes....well maybe but there really is not enough ex pats to go around and they are normally the first to complain that the craftsmanship is appalling here but all would only pay local wage levels to have work done.
Your wifes skills are needed here big time but she would not be able to live on the wages try GBP 1.20p an hour thats what you are looking at in some places.

Now probably the best idea came from Hillbilly. I would also add maybe if you had enough funds you could build your own nursing home and cater for the ex Pat oap market as the local one would end up draining your resources not adding to them.

By all means consider setting up a small business but be careful to read and understand the labour laws as they are very different from the UK.
Building techniques here are quite different, very basic and mainly reinforced concrete. Shuttering and cold pour, some block work but nothing like back home. General fittings and carpentry floor tilling are also basic and to the bottom end of UK standards your skills would be completely wasted on some sites here.

The building industry here is pretty closed and a cartel that runs on constant back scratching. Development land is normally hard to buy of any size unless you are a member of these groups.

You will need to completely forget all you have learned about building regs as they do not exist here anything goes if you have the right connections.

I do not want to burst your bubble but reality will tell you that you need to readjust to a completely different life country and values. Tradesmen here do not really exist in a white form and very few would ever pass a trades test back home.

Skippy1