ITV Homes from Hell

ITV Homes from Hell are looking for people who've had a bad experience buying abroad.  If you'd like to share your story with us please contact Laura Stevens on 020 7157 4247 with details about your story.

After just returning from another fabulous trip to our apartment on the Costa del Sol, which we bought a few years ago with absoluteley no hassle at all !!!

I just wish someone would balance these gloomy stories with surely  some of the joyous stories ~  But I guess no one wants to know when things go well  ~  But  many times they do ,  Let's remember that

Chesarina

Hi, I agree, we have lived here for almost 7 years and never had any real problems, things just get better, about time we had a positive programme but then perhaps people wouldn't watch it as everyone in the UK is so wrapped up in doom and gloom

...Seconded :

Myself and a good number of other expats that I know are more than happy with the lifestyle choices that we have made - but then again, how many average ITV viewers want to tune into a load of smug expats like us ? They would probobaly rather remind themselves about how 'better off' they were staying put in the UK.

...and the lack of interest in such 'feel good' programmes would more than likely put Sir Trevor McDonald out of a job.

- I can recall 7 years ago when we first moved to Spain, Channel 4 were advertising for people to apply to join a programme filming them as they made a new life for themseves moving to Spain. They were dissappointed to hear that we had a sound plan, some savings and a 'bit of common sense'.

I'm not suggesting for one second that the bad experiences reported were avoidable, or wishing to make light of them - just that the British public only seem interested in bad news.

- Why doesn't any TV Produce do something completely original and commission a programme titled  " I'm one of the majority of people who moved to Spain, and things have gone to plan, thanks "...?
 

Yes , I've got to agree that there's no viewing figures in the ones that can walk & talk . Only the half-wits that shouldn't be allowed out of the country.

I don't need to add my penneth worth to this thread, as everyone, and I mean everyone, knows my stance on these so called 'factual entertainment' programs!

However, I'm going to give it anyway!

We've purchased twice in Spain, and indeed have been living here on the Costa Del Sol for almost two years... so let me think a mo! Am I going to bother calling that number below?

Yes! I am!

Why?

As I would, just like a 'hell' of a lot of people, like to see a program called "Holiday Homes from Heaven".

There are loads of Brits thinking about either purchasing a holiday home or a change of lifestyle, so why not make informative programs on how to do it right, by interviewing people who have done so, and showing their properties.

Na! The Brits would rather see "wow! look at that! It cost 'em a packet, I mean serious wonga! And it ain't right! Serves 'em right! Lucky B******s! We can't even afford to go there on holiday, leave alone own another house!"

That's the kind of attitude programs like this generate and they do nothing at all, and I repeat, nothing at all to either help those who have suffered, or try and offer help and advice to stop others following suit.

I wish program makers good luck... Yeah! Right!

I can see this is a difficult issue!

It is true there are many thousands of people who have purchased in Spain and have had no problems.  They are enjoying a fantastic country with great weather, a lovely culture and friendly people.

There is a TV channel in the Costa Blanca called VIVA TV, which I think covers many Spanish lifestyle issues.  Also I seem to remember that a few years ago there was a channel on Sky called Living In Spain TV - this also featured lifestyle issues and success stories of living in Spain.  But I do not think the channel is still going.

It is good when we read positive stories on Eye on Spain because it gives hope to those of us who have their money at risk and are stuck in the Spanish legal system.

For those people who are caught up in the corruption and negligence of the Spanish Property sector and can only dream of a happy and relaxed life in the Spanish sun, then perhaps programs like Homes from Hell do have their place.

BUT.....I agree that the best way to make a program about Spain would be to have a balanced view featuring some success stories and some stories with problems.  At the end of the program they should feature independent Lawyers who can give advice on how to avoid the many pitfalls of buying in Spain.

I am leading the Finca Parcs Action Group in legal action and have organised the Bank Guarantees in Spain petition.  However, apart from demanding the authorities take action to resolve the current problems being experienced by hundreds of off-plan purchasers I am also looking to force change for the future so other buyers of Spanish Off-Plan properties will hopefully be better protected in years to come.

So although I have my money at risk and am involved in a rather negative set of circumstances I am also trying to look positively at the situation by being proactive and attempting to encourage change for the future. 

Kind regards

Keith

Keith,

You are reprenting a very worthy cause and a  stance against injustice on a massive scale, howver , surely you have to agree that  you are representing the minority here ..?

Tumbit

I agree - if you look at the whole of the Spanish property market including resales then yes of course those of us with off-plan/new build issues are in the minority.

However, if you just take the off-plan/new build market, then it is a different situation.

For example, you only have to drive around the Alicante & Murcia region and it seems that nearly every new build development has big issues.  Either the development is abandoned, unfinished, not to specification, no infrastructure, no essential services, no bank guarantees, developer defaulted on contract etc etc. 

Also there are many new developments where purchasers have been 'forced' or 'encouraged' to complete their purchases by Lawyers who they thought were acting in their best interests only to find that there is no Licence of First Occupation for the property.  We all know the problems associated with this issue.

I think there are more people involved in new build problems than we would like to imagine.

But I have to agree with you as a percentage of the whole Spanish property market we are in the minority.
 
However, that does not mean the issues we face are any less serious or less important just because we are a minority.  There is a lot of money at risk and it is every off-plan purchasers 'Inalienable' right under LEY 57/68 to be provided with a Bank Guarantee to secure their off plan deposit.

Even many of those purchasers who were provided with the legally required Bank Guarantees are now finding that the Banks and Savings Banks are using every excuse in the book to avoid refunding the deposit money even though the developer has clearly defaulted on the contract.

Spain is a wonderful country and has offered a fantastic lifestyle to many people who now call Spain 'home'.
 
But if the Spanish real estate sector is to recover and confidence is to return, then these situations must be resolved and change needs to be implemented for the future.

Kind regards


Keith

Keith,

I agree with everything that you have said  ( personally, I Iive in a village called Lliber, where approx 50% of all properties are illegal , so I can understand your frustrations and your concerns )

However, I was really responding to the title of the thread - " Homes from Hell " -  suggesting that the media chooses to focus on negatives rather than the many positives of choosing to live in Spain.

Whilst I agree that there are many negatives, and many people who have suffered injustice, there are many more that have been largely satisfied with the choices that the have made.

I hope that the people that have been affected by many of these issues find a resolves, but I also hope that these things are taken in balance.

Maybe they could do one in the UK, I could give them a great area to look at. I bought my 1st place in 1995, a new build development which promised transport, schools, medical facilities, shops, leisure etc etc.

Within 2 years 3 houses were condemned.

I sold the house 5 years later and when I left there was nothing built except about 200 houses and 5 apartment blocks. In January of 2010 they finally got a transport system in place - 1 bus stop. Not bad considering the promises were basically a new commuter town only 20 mins from the centre of London.

Its not just Spain, maybe ITV should look closer to home to amuse the doom and gloom brigade that sit in front of their TV waiting in anticipation for the news to tell them of the worlds latest disaster.

It's just a real shame that the majority aren't sufficiently pro-active to effect change so that we can all benefit from the good life you quite rightly expose in Spain.

If everyone rallied round these issues that have devastated people's aspirations (through no fault of their own) then just maybe we could all enjoy the priviledge of living in Spain without fear of the ongoing legal injustices ( connected to the Banking and real estate sector), corrupt practices, and court maladministration that no-one can deny exist in Spain right now.

It really is in everyone's interest to work together on this and not become too divisive.

As has been said earlier the most important thing is to take a balanced view, however the media prefer to dwell on things that go wrong, as for them it makes a more interesting story!  However it would also be wrong to tell the many happy stories without pointing out the potential pitfalls of buying in Spain.

We have had a bad experience buying off-plan, as we never got a bank guarantee and the developer went into voluntary administration (we paid 38000 € deposit and the most we are likely to get back is 65% in 4-5 years' time).  It didn't deter us from wanting to live in Spain though, so about 18 months ago we bought an apartment in Jumilla where we now live very happily.  I wrote a book about our experiences (details in my signature) hoping that other people who want to live in Spain can learn from our mistakes.  The idea behind my book was to point out that things can go wrong, but without being totally negative about it.  To quote a cliché: forewarned is forearmed!

Sue

Sue

I wish you well but I also wish that  you strongly advocate a pro-active approach to improving the justice system in Spain so that people won't have to depend on reading books about what can go wrong!

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Of course!  I greatly admire people like Keith who are fighing for justice.  I would also say to Tumbit that yes, it may be a minority of people, however that doesn't mean we should ignore what is happening to them.  The point about justice is that it should be justice for all. 

I think one of the unfortunate things about TV programmes is that they always find total idiots, so I am sure many people watching think "well it was their own fault for being so stupid!"  Or they find people who were clearly greedy, so it is hard to be sympathetic. However there are also intelligent people out there who have become victims in spite of doing their homework beforehand.  Those of us who have managed to buy a property in Spain without any problems (in our case, second time around!) should not forget the minority who haven't been so fortunate.

Sue

Then please everyone sign Keith's petition to demonstrate your support (www.bankguaranteesinspain.com) , even if you haven't been directly affected you can still show your support. It's really important that we get this message across if we are to make headway on this.

Hi Sue

Absolutely, even though we may be in the minority we still need the support of the majority!

Anyone is welcome to support the Bank Guarantees in Spain petition even if they are not directly affected.  Support from any person is greatly appreciated.

There are a lot of questions in the petition, but if you are not affected and just want to add your voice to the petition and show support for the cause then you only need to click on the drop down menu next to the statement: I AM ADDING MY NAME TO THIS PETITION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASON.  Then select the reason from the drop down menu.

You only then need to answer questions A1 to A6 and then go to the bottom of the form and click: CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION.

www.bankguaranteesinspain.com

With the valuable support of the majority, maybe one day justice will be done and even those of us in the minority will at last be able to make the dream of a life in the Spanish sun a reality!!

Kind regards

Keith

Whoops!

Don't know how I managed to do this but I put the wrong website address on my posting last week (see below).  It should have read:

www.bankguaranteesinspain.com

Yes, that's better.  Sorry, folks.

Numbers are mounting, so if you haven't yet done so ...

Ruth