Following a visit to Salzburg this past weekend with my wife to visit friends whom she has known for many years, we have opened discussions about a possible move there from the UK.
I am english and my wife turkish and she studied there for 5 years up until around 2013. She now lives with me in the UK with flr residency.
We drove from London and spent only a couple of days in the city but I loved it and loved the people we met. She already has a long standing love for austria and Salzburg and has a family there whom she is very close with.
My question is this, how easy or difficult would it be for myself to find work and sustain us in Salzburg, I am a painter and decorator by trade with 12+ years experience but speak little German (of course I would learn as much as possible and remember bits from my school years). Her German is much better but can be a little rusty.
I know that as a UK citizen I am freely permitted to live and work in austria and as my wife know that she would be able to obtain residency also, the main issue is work and ensuring a stable position before any move could be made.
What is the average salary for a painter and decorator and how saught after are skilled decorators?
Failing that are there any other possible avenues we/I could explore.
Hope to hear from some of you and look forward to getting some knowledge on this subject.
Thanks
Dale
Considering a move to Salzburg
Hi Dale,
You could always set up your own business for the English speaking community of Salzburg. I do know there are a few native English speakers out your way. I don't know the going rate. I have a Kiwi friend he is a builder and he is always busy in Vienna and lower Austria.
I moved over from the UK 6 years ago and I love it in Austria. I am 30km south of Vienna though.
If you need any more help, feel free to drop me a line.
Simon
Hey Simon thanks so much for reply.
I had thought about setting up as such, I am self employed in the UK, but thought it might not be so easy straight away as I have no reputation in austria and no contacts with which to form a solid client base.
I wonder if you would be able to speak with your kiwi friend and find out a general income decorators can expect to earn? He may be able to give an indication if he is in the building game.
My wife was saying the problem could be the cheap labour from illegal workers. And although we have a similar problem in the UK with polish Romanian etc trades men charging low low rates, the area i which i am from is quite afluent and prefer people they can trust and who offer a high quality so I am always on work: I wonder if you can give an insight into this also.
We will have connections I guess with the turkish community already as she had some small dealings with them before, but she preferred not to be to involved with them as such.
Really would love to make this possible as she doesn't like the UK so much and Salzburg makes her happy. I know it would make me also so really hoping this new dream can quickly become reality 
Btw my wife's name is simla (sim) hence the Dalsim
Well Salzburg being on the boarder to Germany helps. We in lower Austria have Hungary, Slovenia etc.... They come over at half the price.Going rate for a builder is €25 an hour. The DIY stores in Austria are completely different to the likes of B & Q they seem to sell everything. OBI, Hornbach, Baumax, & Bauhaus are the main ones.
I would get some cards printed out, flyers.... attend English speaking events and hand them out. Hard work at the start but not impossible.
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