it's not always doom & gloom

i have purchased two properties of Iberian in the last 4 years and the only reason i purchased the 2nd one was becasue of the good service i received from them the first time round. Whilst i aprreciate others have problems which i beleive is the minority on the most part Iberian as well as other leading agents make very many people happy in assisting them in buying a property in Spain. your experiance also depneds on what builder you end up with. I get fed up seeing all those negative programes on British t.v and would only wish they come to speak to people like me. Moving to Spain was the best thing i have ever done and i would certainly recommend it to anyone wishing to do it. Of course i had my ups & downs like most people but i have spoken to many many other people that purchased a property in Spain and i can tell you that i am only glad i chose Iberian based on some of there stories. I found their customer care/after sales service good both in the UK & in Spain and i can tell you that there are many agents lout there that are lacking in this area. I hope others read what i have to say and i am sorry to you that are having difficulties but this is my opinion.

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At last something positive. These forums are fully of negativity, it´s been said before but people who have had great experiences are rarely motivated to post their stories. I moved here 4 years ago and it´s the best thing I´ve ever done, I purchased a property recently and love it. The British media are generally negative about all walks of life (Daily Mail is the worst) and they have been agaisnt Spanish property purchasing since I have lived here. The voice of foreign property investment Amanda Lamb is anti Costa Del Sol because she says the investment opportunities have gone - wrong - there are loads of investment opportunities if you do your research and snap up a bargain. As for the tourists and the people who want to live here they just keep on coming and I am certain it will continue.  

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Glad to hear such positive experiences, I truly am. Fruitbat, you say  "At last something positive. These forums are fully of negativity"

Justin started a board, a whole board.. not just a thread, so any member could post their "happy" stories in it.  Hardly anything has been posted in there really considering EOS has over 14,000 members, many of whom will have been through the buying process.

Perhaps members with grudges against builders, agents & those associated with these are keen to be heard more than those who had an easy time of it all.

This forum is for everyone to post whatever they want so it's up to those with great stories to come forward & tell those of us who've been s**t on & who've lost money & been made ill over it all &, more to the point, give hope to those members who have yet to buy into Spain, don't you think ?

Message Threads for Happy Spain experiences

http://www.eyeonspain.com/Secure/ForumPosts.aspx?thread=526&dev=FB41&name=Happy%20Spain%20experiences

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It is great that this forum is for everyone and the fact that Justin has started a whole board for happy stories and there´s hardly anything in it shows exactly that unhappy experiences are more of a motivatation for thread starters than happy experiences. No matter how hard these boards might try they will never reflect what is actually going on in the real world because mainly negative experiences are posted and discussed. There are plenty of people who have grudges against developers, builders, agents, etc for good reasons but there´s many more people that are absolutely thrilled with their Spanish property purchase as it´s significantly improved their life. If you were thinking of coming down here and buying you would would more than likely not get an objective insight into purchasing a property from most of these forums, you might get scared off by the bombardment of hatred against developers, estate agents, vendors, etc.  This would be compounded by all the not so positive UK media coverage. It´s only a observation and it is similar in many other forums on many other subjects. 

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Hi Fruitbat,

I have many friends, not just internet friends from forums, who have bought through various agents & builders in our area of the CB & I have no memory of any not having problems. Our friends bought through Atlas, for example, & Atlas said their home was all ready for them to move into, totally omitting to mention that the builder had built around the lamp post which prevented our friends from accessing their drive. Someone who lived nearby took this photo a month before they were told they could complete. All was far from well ! It is only after another two years that the builder agreed he would block up the original gated access & open up another part of the  boundary wall so our friends could put their car on a newly constructed drive because the light obviously wasn't going to be relocated, though it certainly could've been.

This photo doesn't show the lamp to be where it really was as it's taken from an angle. Taken straight on would show it better. But you get the idea.

Anyway, enough said, I agree to differ with you on this emotive subject.

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Hi Fruitbat - we bought off-plan on a development called Playa Diamante in August 2001.   We had previously been on an inspection trip with a carefully selected company, only to find on arrival at the airport that this company was part of one of the big boys touting for business.  The trip was a disaster.  We returned home undaunted but disilllusioned, in the realisation that these companies work for themselves, not us.  We searched the internet to find an estate agent in our favoured location.  We gave him clear instructions and he found us what we wanted straight away.  The builder, Golf Invest was very good.  Our house was only slightly behind the timescale we had been given, and they build quality is good. Our only issue was the 'black money' we had to pay in cash when completing, that our solicitor told us was legal!

We have since bought again with Grupo Masa and sincerely wish we had not.  Our positive experinces with Golf Invest foolishly led us to believe that the horror stories were not true, but we now know differently.  The property is years behind schedule, the builders do not care a damn and we are out of pocket and very stressed.

If our first purchase had been with Grupo Masa we would never recommend anyone risking their money on property in Spain.  However, our experience with Golf Invest was very good.  I don't know how you find the good ones, but they are there.

 

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Hi Janis I have bought several properties in Spain and I have to tell you that I have not had problems with any purchase - all my experiences have been happy ones and I am thrilled with purchases that I have made. I am delighted to be living on the CDS despite experiencing extremely frustrating situations sometimes. Sorry FruitBat but this starts as negative   Yesterday morning at 8.30 I went to the cop shop to collect a clients NIE certificate - owing to the current confusion prevalent at police stations with the new residents certificate new procedures have been introduced (AGAIN) without any provision for the consequences (this is Spain). I had an appointment with a client at 10 am and under normal circumstances I would have been in and out in 10 minutes including queuing time but I do not do q's and so would rather arrive early be first and get in and out. Having been fourth in the queue and waiting until 9.55 I finally got in there only to find the certificate still not available - this is the third trip and I collected the wifes one on first visit -´so it will be back again next week as the client cannot complete without this. Then met the client and went with them to the bank as we needed to arrange some formalities over the account - we went in to find there were four people seated at desks (including the branch director who unfortunately I do not know well) - I had a quick word with customer services and we were directed to the one solitary cashier to help us. Thankfully she had a seat beside her desk and proceeded to deal with the enquiry - while I am there to assist I like clients to think for themselves and start getting used to dealing with the locals - gotta do it sometime - but in this instance it was a very good job I was on hand - the client who I have to say is a lovely lady - started to get agitated (Brit mentality) as the queue for the cashier grew longer and longer and people were walking out after waiting 10 minutes or so - all the while the cashier who I have to say was very helpful - was also answering the phone every 5 or 10 minutes - the cashier was not terribly experienced (and may in fact only have been the telephonist) - the experienced senior staff who are above dealing with mundane tasks like this just let things carry on eventually we got everything sorted (I hope) - and left after about an hour - meanwhile the q had been getting longer and shorter and longer again with people coming and going and nobody making any sound of complaint - this is the Spanish way.

The point of my tale is that it was a very frustrating and time consuming morning - despite that at the end of the experience I could still smile about it although it screwed my day by about 45 minutes - by lunchtime I was not a stress free zone and stress is something I never suffer - despite the frustration I was able to smile and I was telling someone my experience this morning and laughing about it - I would rather have to deal with that and be able to enjoy living here than have things dealt with in a reasonably efficient manner by post or phone in the UK and have to live there.

Thought for the day "Work to live and not live to work" - it probably would never work for me but it is the Spanish Ideal and I reckon they have got it just right! Wish I could be more like them

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I would agree that there may be some good ones out there, but the big boys seem to operate a "take your money and run" policy.  We bought our first property through a big company after an inspection trip (no names but it is a book of maps).  All seemed to run smoothly but we were, basically, told porkies.  When we went to the notary, we thought we were signing the deeds.  Well, that's what they told us.  All we were doing was handing over power of attorney to a solicitor but we were led to believe this was it.  That was now 5 years ago and we still haven't got deeds.  We paid for electricy and water up front.  We have now been told that our urb is on mains water but we haven't had a meter fitted so when I next go over, I may find we have no water.  Have written to the big boys but have had no reply.

We are now buying a house to retire to but have learnt our lesson and are going through a highly respected, highly recommended developer and have really done our homework by asking other residents and buyers in the area for their views.  But it is very difficult at the outset because you don't know the area, you think you are doing everything right only to find the ones you trust cannot be trusted.  This time, we have used the last 5 years to scout out the area and get, we hope, everything right including an independent solicitor.  So the advice is, check it out and don't think these cheap inspection trips are going to be wonderful, they get their money back in the end.  Remember, the agents only show you the places they want to sell you and get the big commissions on. 

Caveat Emptor

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" But it is very difficult at the outset because you don't know the area, you think you are doing everything right only to find the ones you trust cannot be trusted. "

Hear, hear !

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"Learn from the mistakes of others - you can't live long enough to make them all yourself". (Eleanor Roosevelt).

That's why this and other forums exist mainly, so that those who have had bad experiences can warn others of the potential pitfalls. This inevitably can give the impression that it's all negativity.

But at the same time, you only have to take a cursorary look around the many varied threads to find that there is also a general exchange of information and advice aimed at helping everyone to enjoy a trouble free and happy experience of living or buying property in Spain. I, like Smiley, have bought (and sold) several properties in Spain (both off-plan & re-sale) and fortunately have had no major problems (touch wood!) That's not to say it's always been plain sailing, and yes at times things can be very frustrating and stressful, and I enjoy a good cynical moan at times, but on the whole, I'm happy with my lot.

Naturally, many of the TV shows prey on people with disaster stories, as these make more compelling viewing, but even these programs appear to be starting to show success stories as well now. Personally, I think the EOS forum has found a happy balance, and I think it's a great resource for anyone planning on taking the plunge.

P.S. This is just mine and probably Smiley's opinion; those who agree with us may not be right, but we admire their astuteness!

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" you only have to take a cursorary look around the many varied threads to find that there is also a general exchange of information and advice aimed at helping everyone to enjoy a trouble free and happy experience of living or buying property in Spain" & " Personally, I think the EOS forum has found a happy balance, and I think it's a great resource for anyone planning on taking the plunge. P.S. This is just mine and probably Smiley's opinion "

That says it all as far as I'm concerned, Rob, it really does. Wished we'd had the luxury of forums like this one before buying. Oh, it could've been SO much easier. I know most members do seem to appreciate the effort we make, after all we've been there, done that, got the teeshirt & actually can sit back & watch others flounder but we don't ! It's not in my nature & not in lots of people's in EOS either. Whether members heed the warnings is another thing.

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Hit the nail on the head, JeanSis.  First time was so, so easy....we thought.  It's only now we realise where we went wrong.  If I had known about sites like this I would have made sure that I would have done it right the first time.  This time, hopefully, it's all going well because I learned not to trust anyone.  The contract for my new place was fine and had no problems, but I did get an independent solicitor to check it first.  A sad indictment on the way the big boys operate but a necessary lesson.

The annoying thing is, after having complained to the first company, they sent me a nice letter about how sorry they were and would be looking into the problems......3 months later the only communication from them is "Do you want to upgrade your property with us?"  No prizes for guessing my response.

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Bob, you said " The annoying thing is, after having complained to the first company, they sent me a nice letter about how sorry they were and would be looking into the problems......3 months later the only communication from them is "Do you want to upgrade your property with us?"  No prizes for guessing my response."

We had so much hassle with every department of Millennium Worldwide that once we finally managed to get them out of our lives we received a letter from their legal dept, who we'd just had terrible arguments with, asking us if we'd like them to be our fiscal rep ?  They wanted more than our solicitor to do it too ! Needless to say that went in the bin straight away !

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