Help Me Recover, Rebuild & Restart
Donation protected
UPDATE #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db0w4sAakXA
VIDEOS OF SOME OF THE DAMAGE/WORK TO DO
How your support will help me:
Cover basic living expenses:
• Food (for me and my dog)
• Bills
• Utilities
• General day-to-day costs
Cover repairs to the home and studio:
• Fix damp and structural problems
• Plaster and paint interior/exterior
Help me get back on track with the studio and work:
• Build and host a basic website
• Promote my mixing, mastering, and production services
• Generate income doing what I’m skilled and passionate about
What happened?
I moved to Spain at the end of 2016 after the Brexit referendum, looking to start a new life. I managed to buy a house and, for a while, things were going well. I even co-founded a local social club that gave me a small monthly income and a sense of stability.
Then COVID hit, and everything changed.
Like many small business owners, I lost my income overnight. And to make matters worse, my business partner used the chaos to take control of the club through dishonest means, leaving me with nothing, which he is still running to this day.
With no income and rising costs, I sold my house and both of my cars to stay afloat. I downsized and bought a small piece of land, where I began building a modest home and studio. The house was finished in September 2023, but the build went €45,000 over budget, €25,000 more than I’d prepared for.
I’d set money aside not just to survive, but to finally launch my audio studio, promote my services, build a website, and grow a business doing what I love. That plan was put on hold when I hit a financial brick wall.
The money I had was eaten up by construction overruns and the cost of living.
Now, less than two years after moving in, the house is already showing major issues: damp and structural problems that need urgent repair. The builder has refused to take responsibility. He said he’d pass it to his insurance, but even if he does, that could take years. Taking legal action would likely trap me in limbo, and I need solutions now from him, not in a few years.
Transport has also become an issue. I had to sell both of my vehicles. The last one, sold to someone in Portugal, turned into another headache. I submitted the paperwork to the Spanish equivalent of the DVLA/DMV, but they claim it was never received. They now say I should have submitted it in person and are trying to charge me back taxes for the last three years.
I’ve listed everything I can for sale, unused studio gear, old car parts, a bike, but nothing is moving fast enough - https://www.milanuncios.com/anuncios-usuario/alus-236436563.htm
I don’t qualify for social assistance in Spain, and most local work is seasonal or swept up by locals. At 41, the job market here isn’t exactly in my favour, but I’m still looking for anything I can do remotely or locally to move things forward.
Right now, I’m doing what I can with what I have. I’m on my own out here, and while that’s not easy, I’m still standing. I haven’t given up, I need a bit of support to get through this part and take the next step.
If you can help with a donation or even by sharing this, it would mean a great deal and genuinely help turn things around.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for any help you can offer,
Spencer
P.S. I also make music, if you’d rather support me that way, you can buy a track or discography on Bandcamp:
Organizer
Spencer Lievens
Organizer
Chiclana de la Frontera, AN