Getting a migration headache
Starting with the goal of saving money, I began the task of changing the hosting provider of several websites. Since these sites are small and non-commercial, the downside of breaking them was low. And so the saga began.
It looked easy from the migration instructions. Copy the website’s files and database, upload via the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), change the Domain Name Servers (DNS), and it’s done. The new host will be online, and most visitors won’t notice the switchover. See? I used some technical terms so I must know what I’m doing.
Not even close. It took numerous tries before I figured out the FTP’s IP address (which is a series of numbers), then the directory (folder) structure, and then the email settings. The only saving grace was that the sites I moved were fairly simple in function. After an aggravating week, I got all three moved over to the new host’s servers before my mid-August deadline. Even then, there was still some cleanup left with missing pictures, broken links, and the like.
If I knew then what I know now…
This is a great example of the Dunning-Kruger effect, Defined as the trait when one has a little bit of understanding and then assumes they know more than they do. Conversely, those with a lot of subject knowledge are unaware of how much they know.
After working on websites for years, this task felt like something I could easily handle. Yet, truth be told, I was a “content guy.” That is I created graphics, pictures, and text for news and educational sites. The backend of actually getting the site to work? That’s another department. Though I was an acting web admin for several months, and I learned a lot about the backend, it wasn’t my area of technical expertise. Fortunately, there were professionals there, guiding, fixing, and doing the heavy lifting of keeping it operational.
Now, I’m doing this on my own dime, and there’s no budget. In fact, I started this migration to save money, with the result of a lower priced hosting service and better features. What could go wrong? Quite a bit actually, but in the end I learned a lot. Primarily about what my limits are.
This is the point of the story
Currently, we are renewing our visas for another two years. As of this writing, the Community of Valencia is backed up on the reviewing process until October 2024. More or less from what I’m told. From experience and accounts of others, just getting an appointment is a major obstacle. The webportal is only available for a short time and open slots are rapidly booked up. I’ve read on social media and local news sites that people have had to repeatedly visit the webpage, fail to secure an opening, and repeat the process for the next week.
Ascribing to the aphorism “act in haste; repent at leisure,” I’m not a fan of throwing money at a problem.
So, we hired a gestor, a manager to handle the appointments, submitting the documents, and basically backing us up so we have the correct paperwork when we go to apply for the renewal in person. With the difficulty of getting an appointment, we certainly don’t want to be turned away and told to return at a later date because of an error. The gestores know what they are doing, having done this innumerable times as part of their job. We don’t.
I can do the research, but I still need to get the difficult-to-get appointment. Furthermore, our Spanish-language skills aren’t ready for bureaucracy. We can answer simple questions, show the requested form when asked, and that’s about it. I’m not above asking and paying for help when I need it. And the mental cost of having to repeat, return, and hope for the best is greater than the fee.
For those new to Spain
We planned our move to Valencia for the fall of 2020. We met with Graham Hunt of Valencia Property*, looked at a couple of apartments, and then our plans were totally waylaid by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.. We were in Valencia at the time when flights were suspended to the U.S. So, after a panicked trip to Barcelona, we realized we weren’t going to be stuck in Europe for the next year, while everything we owned, pets included, would remain in the U.S.. Deep breath and press on.
During the year back in Texas, we watched the situation closely. When the vaccines were available, we eagerly received our jabs and started the visa process in earnest. We didn’t use a paid service for this stage of the visa, since it was not required or – in some cases – allowed to have a representative. Part of the Non-Lucrative Visa’s (NLV) requirement was having a signed lease for the first year in Valencia.
And that’s where Graham came in. He vetted the properties in person, knew the right questions to ask, and guided us as questions arose. I would have never rented someplace over the internet, sight unseen, with thousands of dollars and time on the line. That’s why you get a local expert. Because what you don’t know can come back to bite you.
Ascribing to the aphorism “act in haste; repent at leisure,” I’m not a fan of throwing money at a problem. However, a little professional help is sometimes a necessity to sleep at night. Knowing what you don’t know is more important than what you think you know.
*DISCLAIMER: I don’t get any compensation for any mentions in my posts. It’s my experience being retold. Links are a courtesy to the reader.
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