Relocation at Spain One Stop

Day to Day Info you need to know   page 4

On these pages you will find info on :

Page 1 Cars | Computers |Jobs |  Post Office  | T.V. | 

Page 2  Creepy Crawlies | Mosquitos |

Page 3 Electricty |  Gas /Water | Phone

Page 4 DIY | Chemist |Shopping

Chemist

The Chemist shop or Farmacia.

 Much the same as the U.K. but you can buy just about anything over the counter without a prescription. In the larger towns and cities they are clamping down on this and will only supply antibiotics etc with a doctors prescription.

DIY

DIY is starting to take off here in Spain and there are a few stores that specialize in diy products, Leroy Merlin and AKI both of which are similar to B&Q. Prices in these stores are quite good but plaster cement and building materials are expensive and you would be better off buying these things fron a builders yard. For example a 15 k sack of cappa fina (fine plaster) in a diy store costs approx 29.00 e in a builders yard  3.50 e . Shop around you can save a fortune. The ferreteria ( ironmonger) is the best place to get most things for diy, they sell almost everything you will need. Try to learn the Spanish terms for the things you need, as you usually have to ask.

Opening hours for Leroy Merlin 10am until 9pm Mon to Sat

Shopping

Supermarkets are much the same as in the U.K. but there are not many brand names you will recognise. If you like savoury pastries and pies the choice is very limited. Nearly all pastries here are sweet. The sliced prepacked bread also has a lot of sugar content.

If you want the brands you are used to in the U.K. you will pay more because of the import duty. You will also have to travel to find a shop that stocks what you need. We have found that the supermarket, Super Sol  who have shops all over Spain, stock a lot of U.K. brand names. But be warned they are expensive.

There are also lots of british shops springing up at the moment, where you can buy the things you are used to. I shall try to get the addresses and include them here.

Buying anything that needs consumables to work e.g. vacuum cleaners need dust bags. Check that the store you buy the goods from, stock the things you will need to use it. More often than not the stores do not hold these items in stock, or you have to go to another shop to get what you need. If they dont hold it in stock, ask where you can get it from. If they don't know Don't Buy It .

Siesta.

Shopping can be difficult if you have not planned in advance where you need to go and what you need.  The opening hours take a little while to get used to. Most of the large Supermarkets open at 10:00 am and close at 9:00 pm  Most of the smaller shops as a rule open at approx 9:00 am and close for siesta between 1:30 / 2:00 until  4:30/ 5:00  and then close at 8:00 pm

Shopping in Spain, you must inspect everything you buy. There seems to be no real quality control. The number of times we have bought things that we have found to be defective, I have lost count of. After being used to the price of things in the U.K. you will think you are getting a real bargain but check and check again .

Money back guarantee on goods in the larger stores is for 15 days after you buy. You must have the receipt. Anything after 15 days you usually have to wait for servicio tecnico ( A man with a screwdriver and a hammer)  to come and repair it "Manana" (tomorrow, the day after or never) or Lunes (Monday) problem is they don't tell you which one. 

For an explanation of your consumer rights go here