What are your main concerns when looking for property in Spain?

 I was wondering if people's concerns are changing when it comes to looking for property in Spain. I am aware that there are many who would stongly recommend that no one buys a property in Spain! But then there are many who would also highly recommend it! I believe that there are still many people considering moving to Spain and thus seriously considering buying a property or possibly renting. I am assuming that those who are interested have read many forums and heard all the pros and cons from those who have already been through the same experience (maybe not!) But with all this knowledge that everyone is collating what are your main concerns? When I say concerns I mean property related concerns not country concerns like bureaucracy or tax. Are they ....

Finding the right price?   Making sure your property is legal? Assuring your property is well built? Finding an honest Estate agent?

Making sure the area is the suitable? getting your property valued properly? ...... etc

Clearly all of these issues are important but what are or even what were your main concerns before buying a property here in Spain?

 As someone who is now looking for a property to rent rather than buy at the moment (for all the reasons given in previous posts) the most important thing for us is that the property will be warm during the coldest months of the year.  The last property we rented just a few kilometers inland Costa Blanca was freezing for about 8 weeks of the winter because of the way it was built and designed ie; no insulation and open-plan living where the stairs led up from the main lounge-diner.  The little gas fire we had in the front room just didn't keep the place warm and we had to sit watching the telly with a blanket and hot-water-bottles on our knees!

Our other real concern is that we don't want to be living in an area where one can hear dogs barking day and night.  Some would say this is an impossible quest!

We're not so bothered any more about falling foul of the utility companies as we belive we can take over a rental property where the owner keeps such bills in his/her own name and we pay them as they come in.

If we can't find what we're looking for this winter, a 2-bed place with a bit of outside space on the Costa del Sol, maybe a little inland, we'll rent an apartment in/around Benalmadena at first and search further from there.  

Good question.

There are many pitfalls with buying a property, not just in Spain but the UK and elsewhere, of course. And i think you have highlighted many of the problems and risks associated with property purchase at home and abroad.

However, i think the number one reason for people being concerned when purchasing in Spain, particularly, is the issue of whether or not the property is legal, either now or in the future.

Of course, i don't think anyone would or should touch an off-plan with a barge pole...ever.

Yet, if the price is right, many people will be attracted to buy a built property, including myself.

I purchased 3 years ago and my main concerns were Legality, location, location .

I choose to buy on an established urbanisation in the centre of Playa Flamenca, the reason for this it being established for 30 years less chance of problems with legality, used an independant solicitor who checked and double checked every piece of paper, and we have been lucky so far with no problems with services or town hall. 

I believe it is a mind set when buying, you have to remember it is a foreign country and not UK, and I think once you have established that mind set, life and the trials and tribulations of buying become clearer and less irratating.

It is not easy here or in the UK if you do not at least try and learn the language, the Spanish people and bureucrats especially, do appreciate you trying and in my case were extremely helpful at every stage despite my poor Spanish language skills.

Noisy dogs and neighbours you can get anywhere in the world, but researching and visiting the area you have chosen in all seasons and times of day and night does help , well it did for me, it is an important decision and the more work you put into research I truly believe the greater rewards you reap.

I love my time in Spain and my great neighbours and friends and I wish any prospective buyer the same pleasure as I have had in Spain.

bbbreakfast.

Almost word for word as i did with my last buy about nine years ago, and not to far from yours, mine Punta Prima. And not to much else to add.

I hate it when folk go to Spain and complain about, well....just about everything.

It's Spain...not the UK, don't like it...don't go...don't buy, go home, Spain is not different...it's Spain. In Spain you are different.

I also bought into an established nice community, have never had any problems with any legal stuff, the cops, or anything else for that matter, if i did it was trivial and not worth to much the mention.

Someone on here said "The weather isn't everything with Spain" isn't it, i think it is, will not hesitate to buy in Spain again but as you said ...do your research.

Good post bbbreakfast.

When I first bought in Spain I made all the mistakes you read about in EoS, but I loved my house in Orihuela Costa and it was perfect for me at the time.  I was a woman alone with only a little Spanish, and I made lots of friends very quickly and felt safe.  I was also able to find work which was crucial for me.

Then, after about three years, I felt that my needs were changing.  I wanted to be amongst Spanish people, rather than Brits, and I wanted to be away from all the expat shops and services of the coast, so I bought a little apartment in a traditional village.  I love the village and, although there are a fair number of expats there, you do feel that you are actually living in Spain!

Now, I am ready to move again, and this time want to be out in the Campo, with enough land to grow my own fruit and veg.  My main concern this time is finding a suitable plot, as they are seldom advertised, which is fully legal, and trying to make sure that I don´t fall foul of the planning laws, which are now pretty strict in this area.  It can be quite hard to get all the information you need.  Now that my Spanish is better, and I understand the way the town halls work (well a bit anyway), I know what questions to ask and have a good lawyer who can check things out for me.

So, people´s needs change all the time.  My advice is to try to work out exactly what kind of lifestyle you are looking for and then spend time getting to know an area really well.  That way you have a good chance of finding a property which meets your needs and aspirations. 

 Having spent the last 5 years or so driving up and down the coast between Fuengirola and Marbella looking for our ideal apartment within our budget, we think we have found it.

2 beds, Sea views from the terrace, what more could we want.  Well, we have had to compromise, ideally we would have liked an open terrace, i.e.not one enclosed with the floor of the apartment above acting as a roof.

Our concern is that there could be our elusive 'perfect' apartment (in budget) around the corner and we have just not seen it yet.  On the other hand we could spend the next ten years looking for something that doesn't exist.

Kelju

Personally having an open terrace is the worst thing you can have on a property in Spain they always leak and you will be seeking shade as often as you can unless you like a really deep tan like this lady

Rod

This message was last edited by rod on 13/02/2013.

 Claire's s story sums up why I am terrified to buy at this time. We now have a plan to spend as much time in each area of southern spain as possible before renting for at least a year. If I thought I could change my mind about where I wanted to be and then sell easily I would buy, but in this market I feel that we have to know that our purchase is for the long term. 

There are so many stories of people trapped in a house that they cant sell that it feels like such a huge decision compared to ten years ago. My main concern when I look at houses on the internet is whether or not they have good insulation and central heating. My first priority initially was to be on the coast but it's amazing how much your priorities change after researching forums etc.

 I like the idea of living in a Spanish village inland Costa del Sol because I want to feel part of a community where I can improve my Spanish and get involved with local traditions.  However, because we are only going to be spending the winter months in Spain at first, my husband thinks it would be better for us to be near the coast where it's warmer, in an apartment which should afford better insulation that a typical Spanish, village house.  We also won't have to bring our car to do a supermarket shop, there are loads of trains/buses to enable us to expore other areas and a huge choice of bars/restaurants. BUT, I can't see us finding that 'community' I'm looking for if we remain along the coastline (although I could be proved wrong).  I've searched for less tourist-driven towns just inside the coastline and the only possibility I can see is Velez Malaga.  Does anyone know anything about this town?

We will be renting, at least at first, so we can spend the winter in different areas every year if we want to. The biggest problem we're finding at the moment is actually locating a rental property. The few that are reasonably-priced are let for months to come....suprise, surprise!  I'm amazed at some of the prices on holiday lettings and owners direct.  So far, we've noted that the only way of securing a property at a reasonable price is to rent from one of the local Spanish families inland.

 If you want a nice Spanish village close to the sea which is quite and property very reasonably priced I would try buying or renting in Palomares, Nr Vera, Costa Almeria.   The village is very Spanish (it does have 1 british bar/restaurant) and has a couple of banks, small supermarkets an iron mongers and a chemist as well as a couple of other shops.  There are several trafitional Spahish Tapas bars and restaurants.  On the outskirts of the village (about a 3 minute walk) there are a number of small modern communities of about 70 houses/appartments built around a communal pool.  These are gated communities for safety but still very close to a village.  It is about a 10 to 15 minute walk to the nearest beach.

Hi eileen66 - I´m from Glasgow too!

I think that the problem of re-selling is much worse for those of us who bought at the peak of the market, rather than buying now when prices are much lower.  I have rented out my house on the coast because it is in negative equity and that at least covers the interest part of the mortgage.  I can´t sell it, but there are lots of very low prices around now, so selling on should not be as much of a problem for people who buy at the bottom of the market.

The big question of course is, are we at the bottom of the market?

As you say, renting first until you really know an area is the best idea.   

 Thanks for the info Nigela.  I'll check out Palomares on Google...

If you are looking for a "place in the sun" why not consider the Costa Calida > Murcia Cartagena area. The Costa del Sol is double the price for a similar property and at the end of the day its down to your main requirements.  You can have a life in North of England in afour bedroomed detached house that cost £200k the same house in the South/ London area will cost £400k and unless you have to be there for family ofrwork reasons why pay over the top. Spain is your oyster. 

Costa Calida and the Northern Costas have everything you might be looking for but you wont be paying over the top.

hi all

have been looking and searching for a while and think we have found the place for us, inland from malaga nice village good mix of expats and spanish, found a place that suits our needs to a tee, main concern as its gets chilly in winter is there is no central heating or damp proof course which we know is the norm in spain, still seems strange to us though, but hey small price to pay for tranquillity 

One of the major concerns when buying in Spain is that the banks are so corrupt.  I deposited 200,000 euro in 2003 on 2 frontline golf apartments and my lawyer secured a bank guarantee with Banco Popular, one of Spain's largest banks.

The guarantee promises to refund all monies deposited in the event of something going wrong, such as late delivery or non-delivery, bankruptcy etc.

The apartments were built - with no golf course - the building licence was revoked in 2004, as it had been illegally obtained and the town hall would not issue habitation licences due to the illegal status of the properties.

Despite the bank guarantees, and letters from the Town Hall confirming the illegal status of the properties, the bank refused and are still refusing to honour their guarantees.  They also refuse to discuss the matter.  This is clearly fraud, yet the banks are allowed to get away with this type of behaviour.  They are supposedly regulated by the Bank of Spain (Spain's equivalent of the FSA in the UK) yet the Bank of Spain refuse to get involved.  Spain's housing minister and minister for works are also fully aware of the situation yet also refuse to offer any help.  The response is the same from all other Spanish authorities.  Such behaviour is stifling the Spanish property market, and their government are in total denial, so refuse to adress the situation.

As Brits, we tend to view banks as safe and honest - not the case in Spain.  Generally advice published on the subject of buying property in Spain will recommend making sure you have a good lawyer and a guarantee from a reliable bank or insurance company. Unfortunately these guarantees can be a waste of time as the banks issuing them have no intention of honouring them.

When we were looking to buy a house I definitely wanted something with Central heating as I know that inland it gets cold in the winter!  Once we found our house I wanted a decent Solicitor who would make sure the property was legal and everything was good with papers to the house.  I also needed to know, for peace of mind, that the house wasn't likely to fall down a few years down the line so we hired a great surveyor.  We had a thorough survey but had a verbal report as it was 30% cheaper.  Had there been any real problems we would have reverted to a written survey so we were happy with that.  The surveyor Skyped me and went through everything and I was well happy!  I was happy that I had used a good solicitor as there was a descrepency (?) on the land size which was picked up so that has been sorted as well at the vendors expense.  We are now looking forward to our first visit before we move full time!  I would say if you know the area and want to buy then buy.  Now is the time!  If you want to stay in the winter months get a house with heating or if you're buying consider that you can have it installed!  That way you know you can be cosy when the weather is cold.  Have a survey so you're happy the house is solid and use a good solicitor.

One of the major concerns when buying in Spain is that the banks are so corrupt. I deposited 200,000 euro in 2003 on 2 frontline golf apartments and my lawyer secured a bank guarantee with Banco Popular, one of Spain's largest banks.

The guarantee promises to refund all monies deposited in the event of something going wrong, such as late delivery or non-delivery, bankruptcy etc.

The apartments were built - with no golf course - the building licence was revoked in 2004, as it had been illegally obtained and the town hall would not issue habitation licences due to the illegal status of the properties.

Despite the bank guarantees, and letters from the Town Hall confirming the illegal status of the properties, the bank refused and are still refusing to honour their guarantees. They also refuse to discuss the matter. This is clearly fraud, yet the banks are allowed to get away with this type of behaviour. They are supposedly regulated by the Bank of Spain (Spain's equivalent of the FSA in the UK) yet the Bank of Spain refuse to get involved. Spain's housing minister and minister for works are also fully aware of the situation yet also refuse to offer any help. The response is the same from all other Spanish authorities. Such behaviour is stifling the Spanish property market, and their government are in total denial, so refuse to adress the situation.

As Brits, we tend to view banks as safe and honest - not the case in Spain. Generally advice published on the subject of buying property in Spain will recommend making sure you have a good lawyer and a guarantee from a reliable bank or insurance company. Unfortunately these guarantees can be a waste of time as the banks issuing them have no intention of honouring them.

Well said Mike. This is THE issue in Spain. In my opinion this is the only thing to consider when buying in Spain - it is corrupt to hell. I think the scale of the corruption is greatly understated. The amount of money that has been defrauded is in the billions, probably near 50 billion. That's a lot of people who've been defrauded.

fazerelli, thats awful for you!  Must admit I never would've bought off plan but like you said you thought you had everything in place to be safe.  Luckily we don't need any mortgage and the only bank we've had dealings with is our solicitor client account.  Spain is a very corrupt country there is no doubt about it!

Btw your name is very similar to mine!  Do you ride a Fazer by chance?

 I think the bottom keeps being "just nearly reached" when another bombshell explodes. The latest being the tax bombshell.  I have previously owned in Spain and suffered from an illegal building taking my sea view etc. etc. but had decided to buy again. I have actually bought the Euros and have them sitting ready to buy but suddenly the news is that Spain will tax owners of property on their world-wide income - whether they are permanent residents or not!  I had already spoken to the small accountant I know and he hadn't even heard of it!!!!  Then a lady in his office contacted me to say it was to be 5% of all assetts world-wide, over €700,000.  This would be a huge amount to me as I have retired and sold my business but kept much of the property portfolio.  To check this out I contacted a very large firm of accountants and they said it also incuded income!  So my income from Australia would be taxed in Spain as well.  I thought this totally draconian and have sought clarification and now had another opinion from another firm of accountants!  And that is the trouble - in Spain you don't know where you stand.  In England the taxes are there as simple as anything and any changes are well publicised and documented.

I have now heard that following the publicity of this tax a few people have GIVEN AWAY properties rather than pay tax that in many cases would be more than the value of the property.

So I have just rented a nice villa in Marbella for a little over €2,000 a month to include the utilities - I know exactly my outgoings so If they bring in a law which says Swimming Pools are to be taxed at €100 a day then that's the landlord's worry. And I can still come and go as much as I like - as can my children and grand children and if the neighbours have 12 dogs chained around the back who start howling at midnight (what is it about the Spaniards and the howling / barking dog thing????!!!) then in 6 months I can move somewhere else.