| The Comments |
Hi everyone.
We have been lurking for a while now, reading a lot and have finally joined up. I hope this is posted in the right place?
We are looking to relocate to Spain from the Uk but are a little unsure where would best suit our needs. We have been visiting and looking at areas and property for the best part of 3 years now and don't seem to be any further on. Unfortunately we have been caught out by a few wide boy estate agents who weren't completely honest or truthful with what can be done and what can't be done with properties and land. Originally we were looking at the Valencia, Alicante & Castellon areas but after another visit recently with the temperatures hitting just under 40 degrees celsius we realised that animals would be hard to keep.
We have recently started looking at Galicia, finances wise we have enough to buy a property and all associated costs and enough to live off for 2 years.
The reason for the move is that my partner suffers with an extremely rare form of Rheumatoid Arthritis which is getting progressively worse and isn't being helped by the damp and wet Uk weather. Damp cold weather is a real problem for her, she benefits greatly from dry hot weather as this seems to reduce her flare ups therefore dramatically improving her quality of life.
Our aim is to integrate fully into a Spanish community (our Spanish is a little rusty but once we have been there for a few days it soon returns) and become as self-sufficient as possible, growing out own organic fruit and veg along with keeping Chickens and Goats. Our end goal is to have our parents join us in Spain to live with us for the rest of their retirement.
We are looking to live in a quite area but not too remote as Doctor & Hospital visits will still be required due to her ongoing mediation and the various tests needed.
Her profession is Graphic Design/Marketing, mine is Conservation. Therefore she requires mains electric, good internet and telephone lines and I would like good fertile land with the area we live in.
I don't feel like I have even begun to scratch the surface with what I could write in this thread but I don't want to waffle on and bore you all to death with irrelevant details.
We would be grateful for any input, advice and pointers.
0
Like
|
Understand Galicia is the wettest region in Spain and in October alone it can rain for more than 18 days in the month. So might not be that suitable for your partner. I live inland almost 2 hours further south of Alicante and temperatures of 38c + bother us more than the goats , chickens, horses and mascotas .
0
Like
|
Galicia, although beautiful can be very wet. I think that you would need to come much further south for your partner to benefit from the warm, dry climate. When we were looking some years ago the WHO recommended the Costa Blance as being the second best place in the world to live (the first being Salt Lake City) for arthritis suffers. As Floella has pointed out the animals seem to cope very well with the heat, it's usually us who don't. I don't really think that you will find the 'ideal' climate as most require some compromises.
0
Like
|
Thanks for the replys, North is out then which we had kind of guessed. Just needed it confirming.
So if we stick with what we have already been looking at in the South (Alicante, Andalucia, Castellon & Valencia) this should meet our needs, leaving the rat race and money minded people behind.
We are perpared to compromise as we realise that is the only way forward, are there any areas that we may have missed out that are worth taking a look at?
0
Like
|
Hi - I live in a village about 25 minutes inland from Torrevieja in southern Costa Blanca, and this sounds ideal for you. Yes, it can be pretty hot in July and August but the rainfall is very low. The village has a GP surgery, pharmacy, butcher, baker, etc, although there is only a population of around 2,000. The people are very friendly and there is a significant, though not too large, expat community.
You need to be very careful when you buy an inland property with a lot of land, and have the deeds checked thoroughly. Things were done very differently in the Campo until recently, and you need to make sure the house is on the deeds, as well as the land itself. There were a lot of people who built their dream home without full planning permission (or planning permission given illegally by the council) and are now finding problems. It used to be the norm to just build what you wanted and then pay a fine to the council, but that is not the case any more.
Good luck in your search and I hope you find the good life!
_______________________
Claire
0
Like
|
Thanks Claire, we already new about the legalities issue surrounding property and land which is why we also know that we have viewed some property with unreputable estate agents. I can see that if people don't know what to look out for how thay can be duped into buying something that isn't quite legitimate.
This village sounds great, what are the property prices like and where is is?
0
Like
|
Hi again - prices here are very varied as many Spanish owners don´t really accept that there is a crisis! We don´t have many of these types of properties listed as our main business is in Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa and in the actual village itself.
I am however going to look at a property tomorrow and, assuming the paperwork is OK, then it might tick most of your boxes.
I will send you a private message.
_______________________
Claire
0
Like
|
Thanks Clare, lots of photos would be great too if it all checks out.
0
Like
|
liquid -sword, I would check on the legalities of keeping goats or other farm animals in Spain especially as you mentin about being "self suffient" Chickens ,no problem, but farm animals common to UK might prove more difficult if not impossible. One goat, pig or cow, might be okay in an acre of land ,however neighbours might object to the smell, but unlike UK where there is plenty of grass to graze, here it is mostly scrubland . Also for growing vegetables or fruit trees you will need a property that has irrigation or well water in addition to main water other it won't be cost effective.
0
Like
|
Floella. Scrubland on the Costas, maybe, but the OP mentioned Galicia which is most certainly not.
0
Like
|
Correct but if you read all the thread Galicia now appears unsuitable because of the rain and as far as I am aware Southern Costa Blanca isn't in Galicia.
0
Like
|
Sorry, floella, missed that bit. So a goat is about the height of aspiration, then?
0
Like
|
No, but would it be a problem if it was?
Our end goal is being self-sufficient, we want to take life easy and get away from the rat race.
0
Like
|
No problem babaol. Re-reading OP and his desire to live a life of self sufficiency thought I had better give him a few things to ponder because many relocated here with presumptions according to what life is like in UK. In our case it was assuming we could purchase a plot of land that suited our requirements and not packaged in parcels sizes of whoch are directed by local admin. We only wanted 1500sq m and ended up with 9000 !!! Also living in a farming area ,had we wanted to keep livestock...which we didn't..., we wouldn't have been able to anyway because any new farmers have had to move to the otherwise of E15.
0
Like
|
Hi Floella.
Can you explain/expand a little more what you mean by the two following comments.
"In our case it was assuming we could purchase a plot of land that suited our requirements and not packaged in parcels sizes of whoch are directed by local admin."
and
"Also living in a farming area ,had we wanted to keep livestock...which we didn't..., we wouldn't have been able to anyway because any new farmers have had to move to the otherwise of E15."
0
Like
|
What I am saying liquid-sword is that where ever you decide to live please investigate that keeping livestock , even one goat, is allowed. Regulations here are constantly changing and just because your neighbour has livestock doesn't mean you can..as per my previous posting .
0
Like
|
What did you mean about parcel sizes of land? Also what did you men about being directed by local admin?
So is E15 a new law?
On our last trip down we were made aware that if properties have been disconnected from the mains then the local authority can insist you have a cesspit fitted to replace the soakaway before connection can be done. Also having to apply for a swiming pool licence even if one has existed for years.
0
Like
|
Various regions decide on buildable plot sizes and even these change within a couple of hundred metres. My area in the campo, less than a mile from our village plot sizes are a minimum of 5000 sq metres. Half a mile further from the village plot sizes have to be a minimum of 10,000 m. plus the soil is useless for growing anything but almond trees. Whereas in UK plots sizes are whatever is deemed suitable to build on. When we were initially looking for land we were told , by everyone, that digging a hole with a spade was an impossibility. True if the soil is the grey stony type so that was another note on our list to seek out the brown soil found where lechugas and broccoli are grown. The year we purchased our land our Ayuntamiento decreed that anyone wanting to keep pigs in the future had to relocate to the western side of our town. Presumably because my area is deemed better for building.
0
Like
|
E15 /A7 is the motorway from Perpignan to CDS. Can only speak about Murcia, where I live, properties in towns, villages and the new urbanisations have a maximum of 300 sq.m of land. Then as I previously stated outside of these areas plot sizes now are a minimum of 5,10 or 20,000 + sq m dependant upon how far from the commercial centres you are. This is totally different to UK where plot sizes don't come into the equation. Can't believe a property would ever have been disconnected from the mains. Only in as much as one would have to pay for reconnection. And unless one is in an urbanisation ,town,city being connected to the sewage just doesn't occur. All of us outside of our major town of Lorca have cesspit. Soak aways are only used for clean water and assists in watering the plants. None of our friend who have bought 10,000 m or more parcels of land have mains water. Some have to have it tankered in. One has a well and most only have totally undrinkable , bug ridden, irrigation water. ( husband caught Legionaires from it so know just how bad it is) For the latter one has to pay into a community fund. Although we have mains water, because we wanted an English style garden and not tons of gravel,we had to pay €4000 to be connected. However the price greatly increases the further away you are from the owners wells.....or where ever he gets the "dirty" water from. Plus everytime a property changes hands the new owners have to pay into the system. Sitting in cold ,wet UK and dreaming of a life in Spain, even constantly reading books about it, there are many anomalies that are never mentioned. it is a trap we all fell into . Having said that we love it here. So if you want a small holding you will not only have to make sure your local Ayuntamiento agree it is possible to achieve but also make sure you have the brown soil that you can dig with a spade and not the grey thats needs a hammer and chisel. Because of the lack of water inSouthern Spain local councils have been for the last few years refusing swimmingpool licences. So many people have got for a licence for a deposita instead and then built a pool. But if a pool is already insitu , even if you have to replace for one of the same size, you shouldn't need another licence. Having said that in Spain one is supposed to ask ,and pay,for a licence for almost everything from painting the outside of your property , keeping livestock to lighting a bonfire.
0
Like
|
Interesting and very knowledgeable post Floella, Perhaps you could write Driving Over Lemons 2 
0
Like
|