Buying a Spanish ruin up until recently guaranteed planning permission to build a new house under the guise of repairing the old house. The fact that the old house consisted of three stones and a battered wooden door was irrelevant as the local council wanted people to repopulate the countryside and the local builder was glad of the work.

Outside of Andalucia in areas such as Murcia, the Community of Extremadura, and even the Outskirts of Malaga and some parts of Almeria the rules are more relaxed, one of the things the Andalucian councils are insisiting on though, is that the property must still be inscribed in the local tax system. How many families are likely to be still paying rates on an old house that fell down twenty years ago? A surprisingly high number really, the couyntryman is not only slow to start paying tax but as the taxes are so low in the countryside he is slow to stop. So even in Andalucia with the right agent in the right area with the right property you can still find one of these bargains. Then all you need is the right builder and you’re there

Spanish Fincas - Fincas in Spain

Finca is a term that many foreign people and even estate agents use when talking about an old farmhouse, or more commonly a farmworkers cottage. This is not strictly correct as finca refers to a plot of worked land. These tend to be olive groves or almond plantations in most of Andalucia many have little or no construction on them except perhaps a 45m2 agricultural Almacen (potting shed).

The size of a finca ranges from 5,000 m2 up to hundreds of hectares although fincas of this size will tend to have a “Cortijo” on them and agents can be found who offer what are in reality no more than a building plot calling it a finca.

Many Spanish families have an inherited finca somewhere in the countryside, where they traditionally supplemented their income by harvesting the Olives and Almonds in the Autumn and winter. The latest generation have tended to use them as an excuse to to get away from the bustle of town life during the weekends and innumerable bank holidays. Many of them have built barbecues and extended the Amacen to include a bathroom, lounge and the occasional bedroom. Until recently this was done without planning permission, architect, or even any formal building skills. As it was only for weekend getaways who cared if the roof leaked, the lighting was sporadic and the plumbing erratic it was after all only a weekend getaway. As for planning permission weekend fincas were no sort of drain on the infrastructure, no-one ever intended to live there so why would the local mayor or the Junta care about a glorified potting shed.

Since the recent boom in inland property these recreational escapes have become a valuable asset, far outstripping the original cost of construction and are touted as country houses. Not all fincas are such ad hoc affairs and we have many old farm workers cottages with substantial plots of lands that we market as fincas, even though the term is not strictly correct after all we are estate agents not a Spanish English dictionary. It’s the same old story if you do find an agent offering a finca for sale make sure that it is a legal building and that it is structurally sound. Make sure that before you pay a deposit that your lawyer has checked the paperwork and planning permissions and if it does look like an overgrown potting shed get a qualified builder or architect to look at it for you.