So you have purchased a property in Spain and are now going to rent it out? Having done likewise my partner and I thought that as a nice idea we would leave a selection of recipes in our rental property for customers to prepare and enjoy.
Hopefully over time customers will leave their own copies of recipes so we will build a collection over time, so we both gain.
Do you have a recipe for Spanish food you would like to share? If so write and share it with us in our blog.
So to set you thinking here is a recipe for Spanish Paella
Spanish Paella Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
600 grams rice (short grain)
Half a chicken in pieces
2 artichokes
2 medium-sized red peppers
2 mature tomatoes
Black pepper
Garlic
Parsley
A strand of saffron
Olive oil (one glass, about 1/4 litre)
1/2 lemon
A sprig each of rosemary and thyme
Salt
Steps:
1: Fry the chicken in some olive oil. Put the browned chicken pieces into a pan with 8 glasses of water, and bring to the boil. Leave simmering for half an hour.
2. Cut the artichokes and red pepper and fry them.
3: Fry the tomato and garlic in olive oil in the large paella (special paella pan), then add the rice, stir for a minute and then add the chicken, chicken stock (there should be 6 glasses), artichokes, red peppers, the juice of half a lemon, black pepper, parsley, thyme, rosemary, the saffrón strands (grind them first. If you haven't got a grinder, use Colorante which you'll find in the spice and herbs racks in supermarkets) and salt.
4: Once all the ingredients are in the paella pan, turn the heat up to maximum and boil for about 10 minutes. Then lower the heat and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, the liquid should have evaporated. Turn off the heat, and leave to stand for five minutes. If possible cover while it is standing (many Spaniards use paper to cover the pan).
So enjoying cooking and eating your dish and enjoy a nice drop of Spanish wine with it!
We look forward to seeing your recipe's.
If you want to visit Spain you will find some 300 quality properties on our site.
Showing posts with label Buying a property abroad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buying a property abroad. Show all posts
Friday, 7 March 2008
Monday, 4 February 2008
Linen changes and doing the laundry
So you have purchased a rental property, great! I wish you every success in renting it out. However it might have suddenly dawned upon you that apart from a host of other things you are responsible for, you now have to manage linen changes and make arrangements for the laundry to be done.
Easy you might say. I can assure you it is not. As a fairly new owner myself I learnt the hard way. As a consequence of what I discovered here are a few tips which should help you. If they do, please provide feed back. I would love to hear form you.
1. Make sure you provide detail on your advert/webpage regarding linen changes and laundry. Most adverts will offer a linen change on a 14 night holiday; however some owners charge additional monies as well. Whilst good for the owner some customers are put off by this. “We’ve paid x for the apartment and still they want more…!!” As an owner you have to decide whether you will offer this service or not. As far as my property is concerned we provide a washing machine and there is normally a supply of washing powder for the clients to use. The fact you have a washing machine is an excellent point towards getting the all important rental bookings.
2. Also mention regarding provision of towels. Do you provide them or not? Again if you provide towels for bathroom use it is a positive as far as the customer is concerned it saves carrying them on the flight.
3. It is not a good idea to provide beach towels since whoever is contracted to do the laundry for you will likely charge extra for the additional work This happened to a neighbour of ours. He is charged 10 Euros per person for laundry. However he had a tendency to loan beach towels to friends and relatives, end result was a total of 15 Euros per person. On a 4 person booking this increased the cost of laundry from a total of 40 Euros to 60 Euros. Not a great deal you might say, however it is an increase of 50%. Over a few bookings it can really eat consume profits. Do place the fact you are not providing beach towels on your advert, this makes it crystal clear.
4. Do mention in your information booklet (or whatever you provide to customers) not to use your bathroom towels as beach towels. This makes them wear out quicker and the laundry bills higher!
Finally do provide a tip every so often to your laundry person, this will ensure you are well looked after!
Easy you might say. I can assure you it is not. As a fairly new owner myself I learnt the hard way. As a consequence of what I discovered here are a few tips which should help you. If they do, please provide feed back. I would love to hear form you.
1. Make sure you provide detail on your advert/webpage regarding linen changes and laundry. Most adverts will offer a linen change on a 14 night holiday; however some owners charge additional monies as well. Whilst good for the owner some customers are put off by this. “We’ve paid x for the apartment and still they want more…!!” As an owner you have to decide whether you will offer this service or not. As far as my property is concerned we provide a washing machine and there is normally a supply of washing powder for the clients to use. The fact you have a washing machine is an excellent point towards getting the all important rental bookings.
2. Also mention regarding provision of towels. Do you provide them or not? Again if you provide towels for bathroom use it is a positive as far as the customer is concerned it saves carrying them on the flight.
3. It is not a good idea to provide beach towels since whoever is contracted to do the laundry for you will likely charge extra for the additional work This happened to a neighbour of ours. He is charged 10 Euros per person for laundry. However he had a tendency to loan beach towels to friends and relatives, end result was a total of 15 Euros per person. On a 4 person booking this increased the cost of laundry from a total of 40 Euros to 60 Euros. Not a great deal you might say, however it is an increase of 50%. Over a few bookings it can really eat consume profits. Do place the fact you are not providing beach towels on your advert, this makes it crystal clear.
4. Do mention in your information booklet (or whatever you provide to customers) not to use your bathroom towels as beach towels. This makes them wear out quicker and the laundry bills higher!
Finally do provide a tip every so often to your laundry person, this will ensure you are well looked after!
Saturday, 26 January 2008
To clean or not to clean? - Money saving tips!
For a holiday rental property owner cleaning bills can soon mount up, unless you are careful! Hopefully you will find this article of value. I would really appreciate your comments.
You will be expected to keep your holiday rental property reasonably clean and tidy. The renter will check the fine detail you have placed about this on your advert/web page, and some will challenge you if it is not as advertised. Beware!
Being a fairly new owner myself I made some several blunders in this area which ended up costing me money. For what it is worth I share some money saving tips. Please pass them onto anyone else who would benefit.
1. It is not vital to clean straight after a booking. Indeed as I found out if you have a few weeks between bookings your property will only get dusty again and will need freshening up. If your floors are marble you will get lots of fluff balls. Leave the cleaning until just before your next booking. That way you save money. As a new proud owner we religiously cleaned straight away, cost 30 Euros per basic clean and 40 Euros including patio doors and balcony. So pre and post clean cost 60-80 Euros. If the rental is a short term one, 3-5 days this can really eat into your profits. Flag your dairy to remind you to inform your cleaner just before commencement of the booking.
2. If you use the property yourself make sure you leave it spotless. In other words wherever possible do the final clean yourself! Should you then get a booking following shortly thereafter you might not need to have it cleaned. If the next renter is either family, friends or a repeat customer they will not mind as long as you explain when it was last cleaned. Do however leave them a bottle of wine, cost 3-4 Euros. It works wonders!
3. Ensure you leave the basic for renters to clean the property themselves. If the rental is for a week or more they will want to tidy up themselves for example sweeping the floors and cleaning the toilets and bath or shower. We even leave leather wipes for our leather furniture. That way the renter looks after the place.
4. Do not have too many fussy items around your property such as ornaments. The more you have the more to clean and the higher the cleaning bill will be. Secondly you will use the property for your holidays, you do not want to do too much cleaning do you?
5. Unless you are a. a frequent user of your property and b. someone will water them in you absence, do not have real plants inside your property. The plants will perish and make your property look tatty. We purchased some synthetic plants which look fine.
6. Look after your cleaners and they will look after you, a small tip now and again, a bottle of wine, or sweets for the children will ensure they look after your property as if it were their own
Kevin Gale
Kevin is a director of Click Rent Stay Ltd a UK company specialising in privately owned villa and apartment rentals and ancillary products.
All the products mentioned in the article, namely privately owned villas, apartments, travel insurance and car hire can be found on the Click Rent Stay Ltd web portals namely, http://www.clickrentstay.com and http://www.clickrentstay-golf.com.
Labels: Buying a property abroad
Thursday, 10 January 2008
Rent out your holiday home - a customers view!
Renting your holiday home!
The DIY holiday property rental market has increased dramatically over the last few years. This is due to various factors including the explosion of the internet, a desire to cut out the commission charged by the high street travel agent, and the satisfaction of bringing one’s own research to fruition.
So what makes a good holiday home?
Requirements from a holiday home will differ from group to group and as will indeed the reason for the holiday. It is best to make a list for both, so that when you do your research you cover all the bases.
Expanding this point. You know your family or friends who will be holidaying with you. Would they be content to be in a remote spot, or do they prefer to be within walking distance of bars and restaurants and of course the beach? Do they wish to be near leisure activities such as horse riding or golf? If you have grandparents with you don’t forget that they may well want to be able to do there own thing. They will not want to be with you 24 x 7, they might wish to be able to walk into the village/town/resort to get treats for the kids, or just to have an hour on there own. Make sure you ask them what they want to get from the holiday. If you have teenagers/young adults with you, they may not thank you if there is nowhere to go ‘clubbing’. The aim is to keep everyone happy.
Villas
Renting villas for holidays is very popular, they provide a general feeling of luxury. A villa sleeping traditionally 2-20 can often be cheaper than renting a room or rooms in an apartment or hotel. Most villas come complete with an outdoor pool. However wonderful it sounds you must consider Health and Safety issues. Not many pools will be fenced off so you will have to watch small children closely. If teenagers remember they might be able to swim, however consider the effects of alcohol. Even a glass of wine over the family lunch can take effect in the heat! The good thing about villas are that one is not tied to meal times and you can do just as you please, eat outdoors or in, on site or go out.
Apartments
Apartments are one of the favourites with teenagers and families. The good thing about apartments is that they are normally grouped together around gardens/pools with a bar or and restaurant. If you have children or teenagers they can make new friends and to some extent amuse themselves. The owners may put on some entertainment. Check the advert for full details. The quality of apartments can vary so make sure you know what you are booking. There are varying types of rooms available ranging form studio’s, to 1, 2 or even 3 bedrooms. Fully consider your needs before make a booking. I always like to have more room than I need on holiday. So for example depending on price, for 2 persons, I tend to book a one bed roomed apartment rather than a studio. This provides that extra bit of space for your baggage.
Important points to consider when making your decision.
Cleaning: You will be expected to keep the villa/apartment reasonably clean and tidy. Check the detail on the website. One can sometimes arrange for someone to come and do the basics for you. This might be included in the price or incur an additional charge.
Linen change: Again check the detail regarding linen changes. Most adverts will offer a change on a 14 night holiday, however some will charge additional monies as well! If it is not clear on the advert ask! Also check regarding the provision of towels. Some properties provide even the beach towels which will save you quite a bit of weight for a large family. More room for duty free goods!
Directions: When booking check how you will receive the address and directions from the airport. Often the website permits these to be down loaded once full payment is obtained. Ask where the keys are collected from. It is not unusual to collect them form under the geranium pot outside, but you do need to know.
Terms and conditions: Make sure you fully read and understand these fully! These will inform you as the following: The time you can enter and must leave the premises, (You can sometimes re-arrange this to fit in with flight times); Security Deposits (This is a refundable deposit. A claim can be made against by the owner/agent for loss or breakages); and cancellation charges.
Welcome packs: Welcome packs are often either provided for free or at a modest cost, (on a per person basis). A pack will see you through your drink and possibly light meal. That said I know some owners/agents who supply a feast fit for a king or queen. Again check the advert. If a pack is not free do consider your arrival time at your holiday home. Will the shops be open? If likely to be closed you will be grateful for the basics to be delivered for you.
Vehicle hire: Some companies will provide vehicle hire as part of the package. Check the details. Your own car is very useful for getting around and seeing the best the area has to offer. Remember to take your driving licence with you. If a vehicle is not provided shop around as prices do vary. But please be wary. Some companies abroad are as not as health and safety conscious as others. Expect to pay for extras such as extended insurance cover, child seats or harnesses. When you collect the vehicle you will very likely be asked to hand over your credit card for details to be obtained. Make sure you fully check for dents and scratches when you collect it and when you drop if off. I know of several people who have been charged against there credit card for fresh scratches. They denied all knowledge but to no avail!
Travel Insurance: By law you are legally bound to have travel insurance. You will not however be prosecuted if you do not have it. It is simply your responsibility. Policies differ. Make sure you have full and financially adequate cover. Beware of cheap policies. They are not cheap if you end up not being covered. Do not put you or your family at risk. If you are holidaying in Europe make sure you also have a European Health Insurance Card. The card entitles you to free or reduced cost treatment in European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.
Finally enjoy your holiday it is what we all work for!
Kevin Gale
Kevin is a director of Click Rent Stay Ltd a UK company specialising in privately owned villa and apartment rentals and ancillary products.
All the products mentioned in the article, namely privately owned villas, apartments, travel insurance and car hire can be found on the Click Rent Stay Ltd web portals namely, http://www.clickrentstay.com and http://www.clickrentstay-golf.com.
The DIY holiday property rental market has increased dramatically over the last few years. This is due to various factors including the explosion of the internet, a desire to cut out the commission charged by the high street travel agent, and the satisfaction of bringing one’s own research to fruition.
So what makes a good holiday home?
Requirements from a holiday home will differ from group to group and as will indeed the reason for the holiday. It is best to make a list for both, so that when you do your research you cover all the bases.
Expanding this point. You know your family or friends who will be holidaying with you. Would they be content to be in a remote spot, or do they prefer to be within walking distance of bars and restaurants and of course the beach? Do they wish to be near leisure activities such as horse riding or golf? If you have grandparents with you don’t forget that they may well want to be able to do there own thing. They will not want to be with you 24 x 7, they might wish to be able to walk into the village/town/resort to get treats for the kids, or just to have an hour on there own. Make sure you ask them what they want to get from the holiday. If you have teenagers/young adults with you, they may not thank you if there is nowhere to go ‘clubbing’. The aim is to keep everyone happy.
Villas
Renting villas for holidays is very popular, they provide a general feeling of luxury. A villa sleeping traditionally 2-20 can often be cheaper than renting a room or rooms in an apartment or hotel. Most villas come complete with an outdoor pool. However wonderful it sounds you must consider Health and Safety issues. Not many pools will be fenced off so you will have to watch small children closely. If teenagers remember they might be able to swim, however consider the effects of alcohol. Even a glass of wine over the family lunch can take effect in the heat! The good thing about villas are that one is not tied to meal times and you can do just as you please, eat outdoors or in, on site or go out.
Apartments
Apartments are one of the favourites with teenagers and families. The good thing about apartments is that they are normally grouped together around gardens/pools with a bar or and restaurant. If you have children or teenagers they can make new friends and to some extent amuse themselves. The owners may put on some entertainment. Check the advert for full details. The quality of apartments can vary so make sure you know what you are booking. There are varying types of rooms available ranging form studio’s, to 1, 2 or even 3 bedrooms. Fully consider your needs before make a booking. I always like to have more room than I need on holiday. So for example depending on price, for 2 persons, I tend to book a one bed roomed apartment rather than a studio. This provides that extra bit of space for your baggage.
Important points to consider when making your decision.
Cleaning: You will be expected to keep the villa/apartment reasonably clean and tidy. Check the detail on the website. One can sometimes arrange for someone to come and do the basics for you. This might be included in the price or incur an additional charge.
Linen change: Again check the detail regarding linen changes. Most adverts will offer a change on a 14 night holiday, however some will charge additional monies as well! If it is not clear on the advert ask! Also check regarding the provision of towels. Some properties provide even the beach towels which will save you quite a bit of weight for a large family. More room for duty free goods!
Directions: When booking check how you will receive the address and directions from the airport. Often the website permits these to be down loaded once full payment is obtained. Ask where the keys are collected from. It is not unusual to collect them form under the geranium pot outside, but you do need to know.
Terms and conditions: Make sure you fully read and understand these fully! These will inform you as the following: The time you can enter and must leave the premises, (You can sometimes re-arrange this to fit in with flight times); Security Deposits (This is a refundable deposit. A claim can be made against by the owner/agent for loss or breakages); and cancellation charges.
Welcome packs: Welcome packs are often either provided for free or at a modest cost, (on a per person basis). A pack will see you through your drink and possibly light meal. That said I know some owners/agents who supply a feast fit for a king or queen. Again check the advert. If a pack is not free do consider your arrival time at your holiday home. Will the shops be open? If likely to be closed you will be grateful for the basics to be delivered for you.
Vehicle hire: Some companies will provide vehicle hire as part of the package. Check the details. Your own car is very useful for getting around and seeing the best the area has to offer. Remember to take your driving licence with you. If a vehicle is not provided shop around as prices do vary. But please be wary. Some companies abroad are as not as health and safety conscious as others. Expect to pay for extras such as extended insurance cover, child seats or harnesses. When you collect the vehicle you will very likely be asked to hand over your credit card for details to be obtained. Make sure you fully check for dents and scratches when you collect it and when you drop if off. I know of several people who have been charged against there credit card for fresh scratches. They denied all knowledge but to no avail!
Travel Insurance: By law you are legally bound to have travel insurance. You will not however be prosecuted if you do not have it. It is simply your responsibility. Policies differ. Make sure you have full and financially adequate cover. Beware of cheap policies. They are not cheap if you end up not being covered. Do not put you or your family at risk. If you are holidaying in Europe make sure you also have a European Health Insurance Card. The card entitles you to free or reduced cost treatment in European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.
Finally enjoy your holiday it is what we all work for!
Kevin Gale
Kevin is a director of Click Rent Stay Ltd a UK company specialising in privately owned villa and apartment rentals and ancillary products.
All the products mentioned in the article, namely privately owned villas, apartments, travel insurance and car hire can be found on the Click Rent Stay Ltd web portals namely, http://www.clickrentstay.com and http://www.clickrentstay-golf.com.
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Furnishing your property abroad
This article is one of a series outlining the experience gained by my partner and I whilst purchasing a property in Spain. They are published to inform others embarking on a similar life changing path. Who knows if the articles are enjoyed and deemed beneficial they might even grow into a book, so please do provide feed back...If we sell enough we might even be able to pay off the mortgage!
Congratulations if you are buying a property abroad! One of the next large expenditures is the interior design of the property. Certainly when we purchased our property we were contacted by interior designers at least 12 months before the completion date. Such companies will supply anything from a knife and fork to a bed.
The first thing you need to do is decide what you are going to use the property for? Is it purely for your own use? Will you allow family and friends to use it? Will you rent it out? How often will the property be used? When you have decided upon the answers you are ready to move on to the next questions. What is your budget to kit out the property? Are you going to design the interior yourself or get someone to do it for you?
An interior design company will offer to install all you need, via a 'furnishing pack'. For a 2 bedroom apartment a pack will range from 6,000 Euros to whatever sum you want to spend. In our opinion avoid the lower priced packages, the goods are too cheap and will probably not last long.
Whilst a company will take the pressure off you, are you happy for someone to design the interior for you? From our perspective we were only too glad to take up such an offer. The pack was installed in one day. However we found a few things which we were not expecting:
1. The bedding was cheaper than we would like, whilst it looks good it will not last long.
2. We could have bought the kitchen items ourselves at the nearest large supermarket, they stock the same, and we probably paid 60% extra for them.
3. The TV installed was a normal style not a flat screen, you would obviously pay extra for one, but we did not ask!
However one the plus side buying via such a company we did not:
1. Have to visit shops,
2. Be there to accept deliveries
3. Put curtain poles and other such items up
Overall it was great just opening the front door post installation and seeing it all clean and new and nicely laid out. The company even emailed us pictures once the job was completed. Would we do the same again? With the experience gained now we would like to design our own interior and do the whole process ourselves. The big question is do you have the time to do so? You can only answer that question yourself
Enjoy your property!
Congratulations if you are buying a property abroad! One of the next large expenditures is the interior design of the property. Certainly when we purchased our property we were contacted by interior designers at least 12 months before the completion date. Such companies will supply anything from a knife and fork to a bed.
The first thing you need to do is decide what you are going to use the property for? Is it purely for your own use? Will you allow family and friends to use it? Will you rent it out? How often will the property be used? When you have decided upon the answers you are ready to move on to the next questions. What is your budget to kit out the property? Are you going to design the interior yourself or get someone to do it for you?
An interior design company will offer to install all you need, via a 'furnishing pack'. For a 2 bedroom apartment a pack will range from 6,000 Euros to whatever sum you want to spend. In our opinion avoid the lower priced packages, the goods are too cheap and will probably not last long.
Whilst a company will take the pressure off you, are you happy for someone to design the interior for you? From our perspective we were only too glad to take up such an offer. The pack was installed in one day. However we found a few things which we were not expecting:
1. The bedding was cheaper than we would like, whilst it looks good it will not last long.
2. We could have bought the kitchen items ourselves at the nearest large supermarket, they stock the same, and we probably paid 60% extra for them.
3. The TV installed was a normal style not a flat screen, you would obviously pay extra for one, but we did not ask!
However one the plus side buying via such a company we did not:
1. Have to visit shops,
2. Be there to accept deliveries
3. Put curtain poles and other such items up
Overall it was great just opening the front door post installation and seeing it all clean and new and nicely laid out. The company even emailed us pictures once the job was completed. Would we do the same again? With the experience gained now we would like to design our own interior and do the whole process ourselves. The big question is do you have the time to do so? You can only answer that question yourself
Enjoy your property!
Monday, 10 December 2007
Selecting a Notary
Buying a property is one of the most expensive things any of us will do you in our lives. Selecting a legal representative to assist you is a vital part of purchasing a property, and even moreso if it is abroad. Expenditure on a legal representative should not be skimped upon; it could end up costing you a lot more in the course of time
You will find that if you purchase a property via a property development company or estate agent they will more than likely direct you to a specific legal company. This is usually welcomed since it will save you time and trouble in locating your own. However do check that the company is boni fide. Ask yourself specific questions. For example does it have a proper office? Does it have a web site listing its services and fee structure? Does the company appear to be professionally run?
If you wish to be at all legal meetings it is advantageous to have your lawyer present with you. However what if you do not wish, or cannot be present? For specific parts of the process you can appoint what is termed as a 'Notary'. The Notary will deal with the majority of matters on your behalf. In theory your lawyer and the Notary can be one and the same person. In essence you authorise the Notary to sign papers on your behalf to save you being present.
Although appointed by you, a Notary in the eyes of the law is an independent public official who neither works for the vendor nor the buyer. The principal role of the Notary is to guarantee the legality of the sale and to deal with certain administration tasks. Furthermore the Notary starts to function as a witness of the signatures in the contract and registers the new deeds
The Spanish government sets the notary fees according to the number of clauses in the deeds and the declared value of the property. They range approximately from 0.1% of the declared price of a property (for properties of 400,000€ or more) to 0.4% (for properties of under 100,000€). In case of a mortgage you must pay notary fees on the mortgage deeds as well.
This is one of a series of articles about purchasing a property in Spain. They are published to inform others embarking on a similar life changing path. Who knows if the articles are enjoyed and deemed beneficial they might even grow into a book, so please do provide feed back...If we sell enough we can might even be able to pay off the mortgage!
You will find that if you purchase a property via a property development company or estate agent they will more than likely direct you to a specific legal company. This is usually welcomed since it will save you time and trouble in locating your own. However do check that the company is boni fide. Ask yourself specific questions. For example does it have a proper office? Does it have a web site listing its services and fee structure? Does the company appear to be professionally run?
If you wish to be at all legal meetings it is advantageous to have your lawyer present with you. However what if you do not wish, or cannot be present? For specific parts of the process you can appoint what is termed as a 'Notary'. The Notary will deal with the majority of matters on your behalf. In theory your lawyer and the Notary can be one and the same person. In essence you authorise the Notary to sign papers on your behalf to save you being present.
Although appointed by you, a Notary in the eyes of the law is an independent public official who neither works for the vendor nor the buyer. The principal role of the Notary is to guarantee the legality of the sale and to deal with certain administration tasks. Furthermore the Notary starts to function as a witness of the signatures in the contract and registers the new deeds
The Spanish government sets the notary fees according to the number of clauses in the deeds and the declared value of the property. They range approximately from 0.1% of the declared price of a property (for properties of 400,000€ or more) to 0.4% (for properties of under 100,000€). In case of a mortgage you must pay notary fees on the mortgage deeds as well.
This is one of a series of articles about purchasing a property in Spain. They are published to inform others embarking on a similar life changing path. Who knows if the articles are enjoyed and deemed beneficial they might even grow into a book, so please do provide feed back...If we sell enough we can might even be able to pay off the mortgage!
Friday, 7 December 2007
Advantages of buying a property abroad
Once a upon a time, (all good stories start like that), my partner and I were on holiday sitting on a sun drenched beach. As usual our minds wandered to statements like 'Why can't we do this all the time?' 'Why do we cram in pleasure into a 2 or 3 or weeks holiday a year?' 'How could we make money to make our dreams a reality?' After kicking it around the answer was simple. Why not buy a holiday home abroad? It appeared to have lots of advantages. We could use it when we wanted too for weekends or holidays. We could offer it to family and friends and or even go with them and spend some quality time together. We could winter in Spain. We could rent it out to help pay the mortgage. The list advantages seemed endless.
Where to buy? After much debate we finally decided on Spain since it has lots of sunshine, with temperatures ranging from a minimum/maximum of 7C/21c in the spring to 16C/34C in the summer, 10C/23C in the autumn and 2C/17C in the winter. It enjoys an average of 320 days of sunshine a year. It has miles of beaches, lovely food, lot's of green golf courses, friendly people and the flights from the UK are reasonably cheap. Another huge benefit was perceived to be the fact that a great many of the Spanish people speak English. A major factor was the long list of activities and facilities the area offered.
We settled finally on the Costa del Sol to purchase our property. We simply felt it was right for us. Spain is a vast country and if you purchase a property you have to ensure the area is right for you, after all we are all different. This Costa is Spain’s best known coastline and is 99 miles long stretching form Nerja in the east to Gibraltar in the south west. It has a population of 1.2 million and very important for rentals some 8 million plus tourists visit each year. The scenery is dramatic, the coastline being backed by high mountain ranges. The coast is green and lush and the area virtually had everything on our wish list
Eventually we travelled to Spain, the end result being that we purchased a property at Casares Del Sol and we have had several enjoyable trips there this year.
The journey from concept to reality took some 2 years and we decided to share the experience with others considering embarking on a similar life changing path. Who knows if the articles are enjoyed and deemed beneficial they might even grow into a book, so please do provide feed back...If we sell enough we can might even be able to pay off the mortgage!
Where to buy? After much debate we finally decided on Spain since it has lots of sunshine, with temperatures ranging from a minimum/maximum of 7C/21c in the spring to 16C/34C in the summer, 10C/23C in the autumn and 2C/17C in the winter. It enjoys an average of 320 days of sunshine a year. It has miles of beaches, lovely food, lot's of green golf courses, friendly people and the flights from the UK are reasonably cheap. Another huge benefit was perceived to be the fact that a great many of the Spanish people speak English. A major factor was the long list of activities and facilities the area offered.
We settled finally on the Costa del Sol to purchase our property. We simply felt it was right for us. Spain is a vast country and if you purchase a property you have to ensure the area is right for you, after all we are all different. This Costa is Spain’s best known coastline and is 99 miles long stretching form Nerja in the east to Gibraltar in the south west. It has a population of 1.2 million and very important for rentals some 8 million plus tourists visit each year. The scenery is dramatic, the coastline being backed by high mountain ranges. The coast is green and lush and the area virtually had everything on our wish list
Eventually we travelled to Spain, the end result being that we purchased a property at Casares Del Sol and we have had several enjoyable trips there this year.
The journey from concept to reality took some 2 years and we decided to share the experience with others considering embarking on a similar life changing path. Who knows if the articles are enjoyed and deemed beneficial they might even grow into a book, so please do provide feed back...If we sell enough we can might even be able to pay off the mortgage!
'What to expect on a viewing trip'
This is one of a series of articles, 'warts and all' experienced by my partner and I purchasing a property in Spain which took us on a two year roller coaster journey. They are published to inform others embarking on a similar life changing path. Who knows if the articles are enjoyed and deemed beneficial they might even grow into a book, so please do provide feed back...If we sell enough we can might even be able to pay off the mortgage!
This article specifically covers the viewing trip. A bit of background. My partner and I had decided to purchase a property in Spain. Speaking to some friends they were also thinking of buying a property and suggested we join them at a property exhibition in Birmingham.
To cover more ground we split from them promising to meet at lunchtime and recommend suitable stands to visit. They were late back however and a phone call revealed that they had brought an 'off-plan' property on the Costa Del Sol, west of Malaga, and were just finishing the necessary paperwork.
Frankly we thought them to be deranged to make such a quick decision, however they knew that area of Spain well. We were more cautious. However upon their recommendation we visited the same stall and hey presto we had booked a viewing flight to Spain before you could say 'tapas!'. I must say though that the thought of a cheap weekend in Spain was quite appealing though. A weekend trip cost £95 each.
A few weeks later we landed at Malaga airport and were very impressed with a warm greeting from the sales person, Virgina. We were even more impressed that she knew our names. Our personal escort was very friendly and we were whisked away from the airport in a nice BMW company car.
No time to book into our hotel and freshen up, we were driven straight to various developments to view properties for sale. We did stop for a brief lunch, on the company. I did the wrong thing by drinking a large glass of wine. The day was warm and I must admit I soon nodded off in the back of the car, much to the annoyance of my better half!
After looking at lots of properties and developments at both ends of our financial spectrum we viewed a development we liked at Casares Del Sol approximately 25 minutes from Gibraltar. It seemed to have everything we were looking for. It promised luxury apartments with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a high tech kitchen, set amidst tropical gardens with 7 swimming pools. Being British we maintained the 'stiff upper lip' deciding to mull over the prospect during the course of the evening.
We were then booked into a smart hotel on the seafront in Marbella, all part of the package. By the next morning following a romantic dinner washed down by lovely wine, (wine in Spain is very cheap), we were convinced that the development was for us.
We did however visit some other developments with Virginia so as to be completely sure. There was no pressure placed upon us, the developments almost selling themselves. Virgina gave us lot's of help in seeing the various benefit's of exactly where to buy on a development. Consider for example things as views, noise levels, access as we get older (lift, stairs etc), proximity to pool, rental opportunity
What drew us to this development was that is was a mere 1 minute from the sea by car, 5 minutes to restaurants and shops, and 10 minutes to mountain villages. It promised to have stunning golf, mountain and sea views, and was, it had everything we were looking for.
We signed the purchase form and parted with 4,000 Euros, (good old Barclaycard). The lovely Virginia treated us to a slap up meal at Casares. Casares is a lovely traditional white washed mountain village whereby our development gets it's name. At this point she felt more like a new friend than a sales representative. As you can imagine we had many questions regarding what was to happen next and she was very patient answering them all.
We returned to the UK excited with dreamy thoughts of spending many holidays in our home in the sun. Virgina kept in touch occasionally informing us to progress on the development and even sent occasional photographs of our plot.
My advice is to carefully select which company you book your viewing trip with. Ask where you will stay during the visit, and of course what is the cost. Finally ask lot's of questions, compile a list before you go and get each question answered.
Our apartment at Casares Del Sol is now complete and we have enjoyed several trips there this year.
This article specifically covers the viewing trip. A bit of background. My partner and I had decided to purchase a property in Spain. Speaking to some friends they were also thinking of buying a property and suggested we join them at a property exhibition in Birmingham.
To cover more ground we split from them promising to meet at lunchtime and recommend suitable stands to visit. They were late back however and a phone call revealed that they had brought an 'off-plan' property on the Costa Del Sol, west of Malaga, and were just finishing the necessary paperwork.
Frankly we thought them to be deranged to make such a quick decision, however they knew that area of Spain well. We were more cautious. However upon their recommendation we visited the same stall and hey presto we had booked a viewing flight to Spain before you could say 'tapas!'. I must say though that the thought of a cheap weekend in Spain was quite appealing though. A weekend trip cost £95 each.
A few weeks later we landed at Malaga airport and were very impressed with a warm greeting from the sales person, Virgina. We were even more impressed that she knew our names. Our personal escort was very friendly and we were whisked away from the airport in a nice BMW company car.
No time to book into our hotel and freshen up, we were driven straight to various developments to view properties for sale. We did stop for a brief lunch, on the company. I did the wrong thing by drinking a large glass of wine. The day was warm and I must admit I soon nodded off in the back of the car, much to the annoyance of my better half!
After looking at lots of properties and developments at both ends of our financial spectrum we viewed a development we liked at Casares Del Sol approximately 25 minutes from Gibraltar. It seemed to have everything we were looking for. It promised luxury apartments with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a high tech kitchen, set amidst tropical gardens with 7 swimming pools. Being British we maintained the 'stiff upper lip' deciding to mull over the prospect during the course of the evening.
We were then booked into a smart hotel on the seafront in Marbella, all part of the package. By the next morning following a romantic dinner washed down by lovely wine, (wine in Spain is very cheap), we were convinced that the development was for us.
We did however visit some other developments with Virginia so as to be completely sure. There was no pressure placed upon us, the developments almost selling themselves. Virgina gave us lot's of help in seeing the various benefit's of exactly where to buy on a development. Consider for example things as views, noise levels, access as we get older (lift, stairs etc), proximity to pool, rental opportunity
What drew us to this development was that is was a mere 1 minute from the sea by car, 5 minutes to restaurants and shops, and 10 minutes to mountain villages. It promised to have stunning golf, mountain and sea views, and was, it had everything we were looking for.
We signed the purchase form and parted with 4,000 Euros, (good old Barclaycard). The lovely Virginia treated us to a slap up meal at Casares. Casares is a lovely traditional white washed mountain village whereby our development gets it's name. At this point she felt more like a new friend than a sales representative. As you can imagine we had many questions regarding what was to happen next and she was very patient answering them all.
We returned to the UK excited with dreamy thoughts of spending many holidays in our home in the sun. Virgina kept in touch occasionally informing us to progress on the development and even sent occasional photographs of our plot.
My advice is to carefully select which company you book your viewing trip with. Ask where you will stay during the visit, and of course what is the cost. Finally ask lot's of questions, compile a list before you go and get each question answered.
Our apartment at Casares Del Sol is now complete and we have enjoyed several trips there this year.
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
'Off plan v On plan'
This article is one of series written following our own recent experiences when purchasing a property in Casares Del Sol Spain. The path to property purchase abroad has many routes and along our path we have picked up some knowledge.
Hopefully you will find this and the other articles interesting, please do give feedback If enough find it of benefit a book may follow. If we sell enough it might even pay for the mortgage!
Specifically this article briefly explains the two types of property purchase. My sound advice is to engage an English speaking lawyer to lead you through the purchase maze. In Spain a property lawyer is called a Notary. The law in Spain is different to elsewhere and at first will seem daunting and complex but you will soon pick up the process. It does make life much easier if you can speak to your Notary.
Very basically there are two types of property purchases abroad. 'On plan' where you buy a resale or newly completed property and full payment is quickly due as in a normal house purchase, and 'Off plan' where you buy a property still to be built or which is partially built. Payments are in stages.
In Spain ‘On plan’ deposits are normally known as arras, deposito, fianza, and reserve. Whilst the deposit amount is negotiable expect to pay around 10 per cent of the purchase price, the balance is paid upon completion. Check as to whether your purchase contract, contracto states plainly whether the initial deposit is to be returned in the event of non-completion. Expect there to be conditional clauses attached to a purchase contract, and are called clausulas abrogatorias.
‘Off plan' is often the preferred option both for the vendor and vendee. From the point of view of both parties the deposit can very low, in some cases 3-4,000 Euros. There is usually a 30 day cooling off period after which time normally 20-30% of the purchase price has to be paid, minus the initial deposit. The vendor loves 'off plan' since it is easy to sell the dream.
Friends of ours have been privy to this poetic licence occurring when buying their own specific properties ‘off plan’. Example 1: The internal floor space looked less when they obtained the keys than on the original specification, no less than 7 sq metres less in fact. Example 2: The apartment block was further down a hill than on the original plan, and consequently nearer to noise and the associated dust from road traffic.
Lastly before you decide which type of purchase is for you do lot’s of research!
Hopefully you will find this and the other articles interesting, please do give feedback If enough find it of benefit a book may follow. If we sell enough it might even pay for the mortgage!
Specifically this article briefly explains the two types of property purchase. My sound advice is to engage an English speaking lawyer to lead you through the purchase maze. In Spain a property lawyer is called a Notary. The law in Spain is different to elsewhere and at first will seem daunting and complex but you will soon pick up the process. It does make life much easier if you can speak to your Notary.
Very basically there are two types of property purchases abroad. 'On plan' where you buy a resale or newly completed property and full payment is quickly due as in a normal house purchase, and 'Off plan' where you buy a property still to be built or which is partially built. Payments are in stages.
In Spain ‘On plan’ deposits are normally known as arras, deposito, fianza, and reserve. Whilst the deposit amount is negotiable expect to pay around 10 per cent of the purchase price, the balance is paid upon completion. Check as to whether your purchase contract, contracto states plainly whether the initial deposit is to be returned in the event of non-completion. Expect there to be conditional clauses attached to a purchase contract, and are called clausulas abrogatorias.
‘Off plan' is often the preferred option both for the vendor and vendee. From the point of view of both parties the deposit can very low, in some cases 3-4,000 Euros. There is usually a 30 day cooling off period after which time normally 20-30% of the purchase price has to be paid, minus the initial deposit. The vendor loves 'off plan' since it is easy to sell the dream.
Friends of ours have been privy to this poetic licence occurring when buying their own specific properties ‘off plan’. Example 1: The internal floor space looked less when they obtained the keys than on the original specification, no less than 7 sq metres less in fact. Example 2: The apartment block was further down a hill than on the original plan, and consequently nearer to noise and the associated dust from road traffic.
Lastly before you decide which type of purchase is for you do lot’s of research!
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