Property crisis leads to social housing in luxury new developments

The downturn in the Spanish property market is forcing developers to adopt creative solutions to off load their stock of unsold properties. In some cases this means offering subsidised social housing on luxury golf developments. …

Purchasing a Spanish Property - The most valuable advice I can give about buying a home in Spain is “DON’T DREAM ABOUT IT DO IT”. Someone I am sure told you long ago “It is not the thing that you do in life you regret but rather the things you don’t do”. In no case can I think that this old adage is truer than in the case of those people I meet who are still dreaming of buying a holiday home or moving to Spain.

It’s sunny, economical, and safe. As part of the EEC you are entitled to live and work here, the political climate is secure and as Brits have been coming here in their droves since the sixties, we are an established part of the scene. As it is only a couple of hours away from the UK by plane it is really closer than many British holiday resorts.

Once you have made a decision to take advantage of what Spain offers, it is a case of how to go about it. There are more estate agents in Spain than almost any other business, many of them sell a house every three months but because of the high commissions these agencies charge, it is enough to make a living on.

Others are money making machines who spend absolute fortunes on Exhibitions, road shows, national press campaigns, telesales organisations etc. They tend to specialise in selling new build properties designed for the British market. That means in plain speak, overpriced ghettos built on reclaimed land. They have to recuperate their marketing costs somewhere and if they are subsidising your flight and accommodation, watch out. If you buy from one of these companies you will not only pay through the nose for you accommodation but also for the accommodation and flights of the people who came out with no intention of buying in the first place.

As with most things in life it is best to seek out the middle way, look for medium sized specialist estate agents, with a good reputation and a good track record is important. A new agency recently opened up may not be there when you need them. Property is not a pair of shoes, you may well need help from the agency long after you have moved in to the property. Does the agency offer after sales, does the property have its title deeds, can the agency recommend builders, lawyers and property maintenance.
Use the internet. One of the great boons to buying a property abroad has been the internet. To be able to get information about properties, areas, communications and to actually be in regular contact with your agent from home at the touch of a button has made buying abroad so much easier.

It means that weeks even months before you actually visit your property, you can get the true measure of the agent through whom you are buying. Are they professional in their replies, are the knowledgeble about their areas. Let’s face it if you don’t feel you can rely on them before you buy what chance of a decent after sales service do you have. So use this time to get to know your agent.

Use a lawyer. In Spain it’s not legally required to use a lawyer to buy a property. You can also go to Las Vegas and place all your money on a throw of the dice. Equally sensible.

Any estate agent who tells you not to use a lawyer is at best imprudent, at worst dishonest. Either way steer clear of them. Beware of in house lawyers if the agency offers it’s own lawyer you must be aware of a possible conflict of interest. You can find lawyers on the internet these days but beware of the Marbella lawyers who charge fortunes.

You should pay between 1 and 1.5% of the value of the house and with cheap property under 100,000 a minimum fee of around 1,500 should be the most you should pay. Check what comes with the service and are taxes paid for you? Do they arrange your NIE number (essential to pay taxes) is that included in the fee.

Too good to be true, no not really but you have to be carefull where and what you buy and from whom. If it is for holidays only or as many people do you are thinking of eventually retiring to the property you do not want something that will be a money pit. It has to be in good condition and secure, a maintenance contract is vital. Bearing in mind the property will be vacant for much of the time, isolated country houses are more demanding than for instance village or town houses, where neighbours will be able to look out for you.

If you are going to rent it out beware of the friendly Brit you meet in the bar who offers to look after the property and rent it out for you. You need professional help and you need to be secure if the furniture goes missing so probably will have the neighbour. If you are not there will you get your rent or will your friendly bar hop?

Let’s face it you wouldn’t give the keys to your first home to a man you hardly know. When you come to Spain do not leave your good judgement behind, bring it with you.

If rental income is something that will make the second home purchase possible for you, look for something that is different, there are tens of thousands of small apartments to let on the coast, the rental season is shorter than a daschund, for those of us that do not have regular clients.

Think about inland little white villages where you can buy property cheaply and the competition for rentals is less. Make your house special, include luxuries like satellite television.

Get good pictures taken, be professional about it. If you do it well, it may well turn out that you can buy a second property later and so on. You will need to look at the tax implications of this second income so get advice.

Do you want to build the house of your dreams?

With the help of a professional architect and an experienced builder, building the house of your dreams can be easy. But it will take a minimum of personal supervision to get the work done the way you really want it.

Finding Architects and Builders
A good architect is as important as a good builder.
To find an architect or/and a builder you can:
- surf on the internet;
- look in the yellow pages phone book;
- visit the local bars and ask for a trustworthy builder and architect;
- drive around and ask for the names and addresses of the architects and builders of the houses you like.

Choosing a Spanish Builder
When you have the architects plans ready, you can give them to several builders and ask for a quote (presupuesto). Do not forget to check on the quality of workmanship and the reputation for finishing on time. Some architects will propose a builder, but you can choose somebody else.

Using an English-speaking Agent
Look for a reputable agent who has satisfied clients. But do not sign any documents or powers of attorney without checking the contents with a lawyer. Some of the powers of attorney presented to the clients are too wide.

Spain is probably the best place in the world to do this as costs are lower than in the UK and the restrictions although tighter than before, are still less stringent than in Great Britain.

Spanish Building Costs
Building costs are less than in the UK with materials being up to two thirds less. Labour is around £50 a day for a skilled man if he is local the Brits tend to charge more which makes hiring a British jobbing builder a risky process. If you calculate around 8/900 euros a meter for work to be done including planning permissions but not taxes you will not be far wrong.

You will also need an Architect who will charge around 10% of the value of the project and will have to produce a mountain of paperwork. Starting with a basic project then a full project followed by a project of execution, each has to be approved by local and regional councils as well as the Architectural college, the council will then appoint a technician (perito) to check that your building has been built to the standards laid down. On top of this you will need a geotechnical survey to guarantee the stability of the ground and if you are very unlucky an ambiental study to make sure you will not disturb some lesser spotted newt or something (read ecologists).

Malaga province is by far the most difficult area to build from scratch. The amount of land required to build a single dwelling on differs from Council to Council , within the councils area land can be registered as Urban, urbanisable, irrigated rustic and dry rustic. Each zone has different rules and each real estate agent has different ethics, some don’t appear to have any. So if you are planning to build start by consulting a good local builder you can get a reliable second opinion before you commit to purchasing a plot. Granada and Jaen as newer areas recently discovered by us Brits planners are still flexible but again make sure before you buy.

Timescale
Beware of unrealistic timescales if a builder tells you your house will be ready in six months he is either an optimist or a liar. Nine months is achievable but uncommon depending on the size of the project and the builder / architect you have chosen. Ayear and a bit is about average although it’s a rare builder who tells the truth, part of the Spanish culture is that they do not like to say no. They love to please and firmly believe that bad news should be eaten in small portions. So get a good builder and be patient.

Now I know it sounds daunting but what I am really trying to tell you is not don’t build a house but do be carefull whom you do it with and where you do it.

Areas of the Spanish inland

Competa, Vinuela, Alheurin El Grande, Rio Gordo, Comares, Colmenar, in Malaga province are the areas that were the first areas to become popular for inland adventurers and as such are now on the beaten track rather than off it. As the most accessible areas to the coast with the longest history of sales to foreigners. Prices are higher than the newer areas. The worst have also have taken on some of the features of coastal towns with all day English breakfasts etc.

More exciting as far as the real rural buyer is concerned are areas like Estepa, Seville province but still within an hour of Malaga, Olvera and it’s surrounds in Cadiz is within the same distance of the airports and has some real bargains still to be found. Granada province with it’s snow capped mountains and historical wonders, Extremadura is another exciting opportunity to get that house in rural Spain without breaking the bank.

In the last five years programmes like “Place in the Sun” have featured companies like ourselves who have been opening up new areas to the more adventurous buyer. Whereas rural Spanish properties at the beginning of the decade meant half an hour from from the beach.

Some buyers now are even finding their ideal home is more easily reached from Madrid rather than Malaga. Extremadura for example with it’s ample lakes and houses for less than £30,000, most of which would cost ten times that on the Costa del Sol are a chance for the majority to enjoy the lifestyle of the minority. Areas like rural Almeria and Granada can also offer the property hunter wonderful opportunities including skiing.

The British buying a Spanish property, be it a holiday home, or a permanent residence have historically been wary of buying rural Spanish properties a bit like the early settlers in Australia, whether for fear of dangerous natives and wild beasts, I cannot say. The only real unknown that you will find buying rural Spanish property is that rare beast the Bargain. Rural Spanish property tends to be considerably cheaper than it’s coastal equivalent. As for the natives they tend to be far friendlier than the coastal tribes, offering home grown produce and the occasional bottle of local wine to the newcomer.

As most of us do not come from the coast in the U.K. and the reality of living in Spain is very different from the holiday fortnight. A lot of people retiring to Spain can find themselves isolated in the rootless urban sprawl that much of the coastline now consists of.

The friendliness of people in rural Spain will be much easier to live with than the ebb and flow of life by the sea. The country Spaniard has always lived better than the townie and as everyone is known to and by his neighbour crime and all the other diseases of the urban sprawl such as traffic queues are left to the less fortunate who have followed the herd to the sea.

About the town of Canillas de Albaida
Canillas de Albaida has Moorish origins from the 13th century. Its Arabic name meant ‘The White One’. The Islamic past is reflected in the layout of the streets and squares, and in the use of terraces for cultivation. The parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Expectación, standing in the main square, was built in the 16th century. There are also two shrines, the 16th century Santa Ana and the 17th century San Antón.

• Nuestra Sra. De la Expectación, church
• Santa Ana Hermitage
• San Antón Hermitage
Town Hall
• It is in Plaza del Generalísimo, 10. Phone: 952.55.30.06
• The Mayor’s name: Excmo. Antonio Gregorio Díaz Navas.
calbaida@sopde.es

Health Center
• Consultorio, Carretera Canillas-Málaga. Phone: 952.55.31.83
• The nearest hospital is in Vélez-Málaga, “Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquía”, urb. El Tomillar, s/n. Phone: 951.06.70.00//Emergencies: 951.06.70.21
School´s
• Junior’s education: Colegio Nuestra Virgen del Rosario, Ctra. Canillas s/n. Phone: 952.553.053
• Senior’s education: The nearest is in Cómpeta, I.E.S Jorge Guillén, Avda. Constitución s/n. Phone: 952.553.393 // Headmaster’s name: José González
• University: you have to go to Malaga’s university.
Phone: 952.13.10.00 // 952.13.10.32

Nearest Large town
• Málaga, 52 km
• Torrox (Costa), 21 km

Festivals & Traditional Holidays

• San Antón, the nearest Sunday to 17th of January
• In summer, on the 24th of June, San Juan
• The most important festival is Nuestra Sra. Del Rosario, the first weekend of August.

Situation & Population

• 700 inhabitants

• The village is surrounded by high mountains of which the Atalaya and Verde mountains dominate a landscape of pine and oak trees.

Hotels

• There is not hotels in this village, but you can find one B&B, to get information you have to go Bar El Cerezo (952.553.018)
• About rural houses ,in the surroundings of the village, Phone:952.553.006.

Restaurants

• Restaurante La Plaza, lamb, suckling pig, baby goat and all kind of fish speciality. Plaza Mayor s/n. Phone: 952.553.254
• Café-Bar Cerezo, rabbit and chicken speciality and spanish Tapas. C/ Estación, 5. Phone: 952.553.018

Banks
• Unicaja, Avda. Andalucía s/n. Phone: 952.553.030

The Duke of Osuna signed Olvera`s Purchase in the 13th Century and he will keep the ownership of the Villa until the 19th Century. Napoleonic Troops ocupied the villa in the 18th Century , they were settled in until 1812 when they left.In 1868 took place the Gloriosa Revolution, after the Republican Period the Crownship is back.AlfonsoXII gave the villa the title of Town By the Royal Decrete Law in 1877.

Nowadays, after recovering from the difficulties during the 1st decades of the 20th Century,Olvera keeps on living from Agriculture ,Foresting and Farming also complemented with the Touristic activity of the village and the surroundings.
The most important monument is the Arabian Castle from the 12th Century, close to is the Nuestra Señora de la Encarnaciòn Church, a Neoclassic buliding from the 18th Century, both of them in Plaza de la Iglesia, where you can also visit La Cilla Museum.

Town Hall
• It is in Plaza del Ayuntamiento Tel. 956 13 0011
• The Mayor’s name is Francisco Parraga Rodríguez
• Planning’s department: Antonio Casado Tel 956 13 00 11
• Chieh Architect: Juan Rocha

Health Center in Olvera
• Avda Julian Besteiro s/n Tel 956 04 54 01

School´s in Olvera
• I.E.S. Zaframagòn c/ Manuel de Falla Tel. 956 12 04 74

Sports Center in Olvera
• Polideportivo Municipal c/ Atenas s/n Tel : 956 13 00 81

Nearest Large town to Olvera
• Arcos de la Frontera : 70km. Located on a hill, but also near the Guadalete river, beautiful views from the lake.
• Algodonales: 20Km 135sqm. Near by Jerez, Ronda y Sevilla. Well known for Aerial and Sky Sports World Competitions.
Festivals & Traditional Holidays

• Carnaval , February
• Easter March/ April
• Quasimodo Pilgrimage, April
• Dia de la Asuncion de la Virgen ,August 15th.

Situation & Population

• 9100 inhabitants

• Is placed in the North-East of the province of Cadiz, to 130 km of the capital.

Hotels in Olvera

• Sierra y Cal c/ Avda Ntra Sra de los Remedios Nº 2 Tel 956 13 03 03
• Fuente del Pino c/ Ctra Jerez-Antequera Km 103 Tel 956 13 02 32
• Estacion Via Verde c/Camino de la Estacion Tel 661 46 32 07

Restaurants in Olvera

• El Gabi C/ Julian Besteiro Tel 956 12 01 00
• La Bodega C/ Julian Besteiro Tel 956 13 10 85
• Rincón Andaluz C/ Bruselas ,3 Tel 956 13 07 61
• Meson Lirios C/ Julian Besteiro Tel 956 13 03 75

Banks in Olvera

• Caja Mar c/ Plaza de la Concordia Tel 956 13 07 25
• La Caixa c/ Julian Besteiro Tel 956 12 00 09
• Banco de Andalucia C/ Llana,53 Tel 956 13 00 60
• Banesto C/ Llana,31 Tel 956 13 09 79

About the town of Comares
Comares stands on a rock which overlooks the Periana Corridor and part of the Axarquia sierra to the North, while the immense Velez Valley and the Sierra de Tejeda are visible in the south.

Of Arabic origin, its location suggests that it must have been built as a military vantage point, its layout still conserving the typical features of fortress towns, its narrow, winding streets lined with white one or two-storey houses.

Places of architectural interest include the remains of the fortress, Masmullar Hill, the Arabic cistern and Our Lady’s Church, built in Mudejar style.• There is a castle with fort, at its beginning was roman and them Arabic.
• Sra. De la Encarnación church, from XVI century
• There are many interesting places with different routes like: “Olive oil route”, “Wine route”, “Grape route”.

Comares Town Hall
• It is situated in C/ Generalísimo, 1. Phone: 952.50.92.33.
• The Mayor’s name is Exmo. Sr. Manuel Robles Robles.
• Planning’s department: Yes.
• Chief architect: Enrique Mañas.

Comares Health Center
• Consultorio Comares, C/ José Antonio, 10. Phone: 952.50.82.94
• The nearest main hospital is in Vélez-Málaga , Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquía, urb. El Tomillar, s/n.
Phone: 951.06.70.00//Emergencies: 951.06.70.21
School´s
• Junior’s education: public school, San Hilario Poitiers, C/ Encinilla, s/n. Phone: 952.509.249. // Headmaster’s name: Juan Tornero Galera
• Senior’s education: You have to go to Vélez-Málaga, I.E.S “María Zambrano” ( Crta. De circunvalación, Vélez). Phone: 952.54.03.26// Headmaster’s name: Manuel Pérez Marcos..
• University: you have to go to Malaga’s university.
Phone: 952.13.10.00 // 952.13.10.32 www.uma.es

Nearest Large town
• Vélez-Málaga, 28 km
• Málaga, 24 km

Festivals & Traditional Holidays

• In San Hilario de Poitiers Honour, they celebrate on the 25th,26th and 27th of August.
• Village celebration is on the 14th of January.
• On the 7th of September, is “Fiesta de las Candelas”.

Situation & Population

• 1450 inhabitants.

• It’s a little village built on the corner of a big rock

• Beautiful countryside, mountain and sea view.

Hotels

• El Molino hotel/restaurant: Barriada Ventorros, 13. Phone: 952.030.012.
• Atalaya Hostal: Las Encinillas, 7. Phone: 952.509.208

Restaurants

• El Molino de los Abuelos, Tradicional Spanish dishes. Balcón de la Axarquía, número 2. Phone: 952 509 309.
• Bar-Restaurante Ortega. Lamb specialities. Lugar la Loma, 4. Phone: 952 115 333.

Banks • Unicaja: C/ José Antonio, 6. Phone: 952.50.92.06

Spanish Town Houses

In many areas of inland Spain the countryside is sparsely populated with large estancias or farms. Landowners were granted these lands after successful military campaigns whether against the Moors or the Communists. So the farmworkers lived in the towns. Bearing in mind the security of living in town this made perfect sense and many are built on a hill with it’s own castle.

Old Spanish Town House Construction

Built largely of stone and mud with cane and mud floors these houses often resemble a “tardis” set in a rabbit warren. Old townhouses are built for comfort and nothing is cooler in the summer nor cosier in the winter than a traditional town house. The older parts of the towns are very reminiscent of their smaller cousin the white village, with their narrow winding and generally climbing alleyways they are a romantics dream.

Spanish Neighbours

Neighbourliness is a way of life in inland Spain and do not expect to go unnoticed in your new town it will not happen. Your neighbours will know all about you in days of you shaking hands to buy your new home and what they do not know they will invent. The positive side of this is everyone will want to know you and help you.

Learn Spanish!

If you make an effort to learn the language then you’re in and an avalanche of home made sausages, fresh fruit and veg will make it’s way to your door, alongside a friendly Spaniard with a bottle of the local wine from his finca. I tell people this often and I am sure no-one ever believes me until they arrive. One of my pleasures is weeks after they have arrived bumping into clients who have recently moved and have them tell me how friendly the neighbours are as if I had never mentioned it.

One of the things you should be wary of though is noise, the Spanish are not the quietest neighbours except during the famous siesta and the youngsters do love to rev up their scooters and mini motorbikes, try and avoid busy thoroughfares where the youngsters like to race their bikes, a good agent knows where they are and will warn you a bad agent neither knows nor cares. So ask.

Spanish Town Houses are Good Value

Cost wise town houses are very good value. We have houses in throughout Spain from as little as £20,000 completely habitable, and with all the paperwork in place. Most older town houses will require some work with new bathrooms and kitchens being number one on the list. However these items are not as expensive as in the UK and many houses needing little more than a repaint.