09 Feb 2011 12:52 AM:

Hi Guy,

Thanks you very much for your very helpful advice.  I believe there was a farmhouse on the land, rather than a barn (almacén) which is meant for storage and occassional sleep-overs by the farmers at harvest-time, etc.  However, I will have this checked.  In Aragon, in most areas it is even possible to build new houses in rural areas and obtain a habitation licence, unlike in Cataluna where we first looked to buy.

Your advice about the well is very good.  We have been concerned about the water and getting a well, as there is only a cisterna at the moment. A water-diviner has checked the finca for water and has reported that a 40-metre well is needed, but I take your point about a deeper well. There is irrigation water about 500 metres from the finca and we are waiting for a reply about the possibility of connecting to it.  It probably is quite expensive, though.

Many thanks, much appreciated!

 

Thread: Certificate of habitation for a finca needing total restoration - query

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07 Feb 2011 9:19 PM:

Many thanks for your replies.  We have now seen the finca and the building is nowhere near ready and although there was a building licence, it has now exprired.  I don't think the family followed the plans when they began restoring it.  The property agent arranged for a local architect to check the building against the plans.  It should be possible to extend the building licence, but it will cost quite a lot of money to put it right and complete it .  After that a habitation certificate will be issued.  We have not yet decided if we want to go ahead with the purchase.  If we do, we will instruct the architect to sort things out and negotiate an extension to the building licence, before we complete on the purchase.  We have been advised that it is possible to put an extension of the building licence as a condition of purchase in the deposit contract, so we wil not lose our deposit if it is not possible to extend the licence. 

If anyone needs a bi-lingual, competent architect working in southern Catalunia and Teruel province of Aragon, I can give her contact details.

 

This message was last edited by Finca-in-Spain on 07/02/2011.
Thread: Certificate of habitation for a finca needing total restoration - query

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07 Feb 2011 8:47 PM:

I have just returned from Spain, where we were looking for a smallholding for my son, who wants to move to Spain.  It was jolly cold in Mora d'Ebre (on River Ebre in southern Catalunia) and I certainly could not live there without having the heating on during winter evenings. Having a shower in the morning was an ordeal as it was so cold, altough there was an electric radiator (not very efficient) in the bathroom.  I really don't see why British pensioners who have moved to Spain should not keep the WFA; after all they have paid for their pensions over many years.  They certainly need heating in winter, at least in inland Spain, although it may be sunny during the day.  Sue, thanks for your informative and sensible comments.  Will look your book up - not that I plan to retire to Spain, but probably will be spending some time in winter over there, if my son settles in Spain.

Thread: How bad has it been in Spain

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28 Jan 2011 12:00 AM:

Hello Maria or anybody who can advise!

We are considering of buying a finca with some land in a rural area in Aragon.  It has a building that an English family began to restore a few years ago; the property was probably advertised as "needing total restoration".  That is, the building was still standing, not just ruins.  There are architect's drawings and permits in place and the exterior has been restored and about half of the inside is habitable. The family was living in the building when they had to return to the UK last year for family reasons and are now selling the finca. 

We have just discovered that the building does not have a habitation certificate and presume this would only be granted once the rest of the rooms inside are habitable.  Do you anticipate any problems with obtaining the certificate?  Who provides the licence and what paperwork is required?  How much does it cost?  Or does the property need LFO (Licence of First Occupation)?  If yes, is this more complicated and more difficult to obtain?  Do we need to worry?  Is our dream about to end in fiasco before it even started?

Many thanks.  

 

 

 

 

This message was last edited by Finca-in-Spain on 28/01/2011.
Thread: Certificate of habitation for a finca needing total restoration - query

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