Remote work from Spain

It’s 7:00 a.m. when the alarm goes off. I get up, open the curtains, and take care of my quick morning routine. I prepare some breakfast and eat in the morning twilight. I put on a pot of coffee. While waiting, I set up my workstation, which at the moment is located on the sunny coast of Spain. The workstation is ready, the sun is already rising – one more coffee in hand, and the workday can begin.

A month of remote work abroad is now behind me, and based on my experience so far, working remotely and living in Spain has been a very functional combination. I work at Olas as a Project Manager, responsible for the execution and management of construction projects—from the planning phase all the way to handing over the completed home. When I started at Olas, I naturally did not expect to end up working in Spain, but here I am.

Practical arrangements and preparations

From time to time, I’ve dreamed of living abroad for a longer period. In spring 2023, I got the idea that my current life situation might be the right moment to try it. So, I brought it up at work, where it was immediately met with a positive and supportive attitude.

We began looking into the practicalities, such as what living and working remotely from Spain would require. It turned out that staying in Spain for two months does not require visas or other permits.

I simply ordered the European Health Insurance Card, and of course, made sure my insurance was in order. Next came the search for a rental apartment, which turned out to be surprisingly challenging. Not because it’s impossible to arrange housing from Finland, but because demand for apartments on the Costa del Sol is enormous these days. For me, an important criterion was that the apartment had enough space to comfortably work remotely. I found a suitable apartment in Riviera del Sol, Costa del Sol. I also didn’t mind the fact that the place was surrounded by golf courses. The only things left to arrange were flights and a rental car, which were easily taken care of once I found the right options.

Everyday remote work on the Costa del Sol

As a Project Manager, I naturally spend a lot of time on the computer, so I feel that the actual work hasn’t changed much. Whether in Spain or in Finland, I’m equally in front of my laptop and on the phone.

Meetings are a big part of the job, so I’ve arranged all of them remotely via Teams.

Beforehand, I was a little nervous about whether it would be harder to focus on remote work. But based on my experience, in some ways I’m actually more productive because there are fewer interruptions compared to working at the office. On the downside, in remote work you miss out on so-called “informal knowledge.” Normally, at the office, you’d have coffee breaks and casually exchange thoughts with colleagues.
That’s why it’s especially important in remote work to be proactive with colleagues and partners, to stay up to date on things.

Usually, I also visit construction sites regularly to keep track of progress, but that’s something I haven’t been able to do from here. All in all, I’d say that working as a Project Manager is possible remotely, at least for a few months at a time. Spain is also a good destination in this sense, since with a longer stay you could still travel back to Finland if needed. Based on this experience, I can certainly recommend remote work abroad to anyone whose job doesn’t require constant presence at the office or on-site.

At 14:50 (15:50 Finnish time), I check my email one last time and prepare for the next workday. I shut down my computer and have dinner. Then I pack my things, change into sports gear, grab my tennis racket, and head out. An hour and a half of tennis works well as recovery after the workday.

Anton Kalliokoski
Project Manager
Olas Group Oy
tel. 040 746 6897
anton.kalliokoski@olas.fi
www.olas.fi