Spanish Property Forum http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum This is an XML content feed of; Spanish Property Forum : Last 10 Posts Copyright (c) 2006 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:25:24 +0000 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:40:16 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 8.03 30 www.alltheseasons.com/forum/RSS_topic_feed.asp Spanish Property Forum http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_images/valid-rss.png http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum Buying in Spain : new property inspections http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59&PID=64#64 Author: alltheseasons
Subject: new property inspections
Posted: 11Jan2008 at 6:40pm

In response to customer demands InspectaHomeSpain, a company that specialises in new property inspections, creation of professional snagging reports, and the management of the process, have produced a series of free guides to help the buyer understand the completion process and operates independently of any agent, builder, promoter or lawyer

 

Commenting on the guides Roy Howitt explained that, since InspectahomeSpain started trading in Spain 4 years ago, we have inspected more than 1500 properties in Spain, built by more than 300 different builders and have gained a great deal of practical experience on how best to deal with Spanish developers and resolve issues and the guides contain practical common sense advice based on real life experience.

 

InspectaHomeSpain already provides free help and information to new property buyers via the website www.inspectahomespain.com   and have found that not everybody is aware of their consumer rights in Spain and, although information is available on various websites. these guides aim to provide a single source for information for new property buyers in Spain.

 

The guides include specialised publications for buyers on golf resorts including Polaris World, La Tercia, RODA Golf, Sierra Golf, Serena Golf and La Finca but the information will be useful to nay buyers

 

InspectahomeSpain also work to lobby local authorities for improvement and enforcement of building regulations and for people that want to carry out their own snagging inspections the DIY guide and checklist is invaluable as it gives you a good idea of what common defects to look for.

 

The guides currently available are:

 

This Questions and Answers Guide includes the most commonly asked questions and includes advice on The Certificate of Habitation, builders supply, questions to ask  your agent, before inspection and explains your legal rights and how to complain about poor service

 

The DIY snagging guide explains how to carry out your own property inspection and includes examples of common defects and sample reports

 

The Completion Series of Guides are written to explain the completion process, include valuable sources of local information

 

The Golf Property Buyers Series re written specifically for buyers on golf resorts and explains the process specific to that developer and includes Polaris World, RODA Golf, La Tercia, Serena Golf, Sierra Golf

 

The Real Cost of Buying in Spain, is a guide that explains what you will really need to buy for your property, people often don't realise that lights and shower cubicles are not included with the property 

 

Snagging Horror Stories is a example of what can go wrong with the process but gives practical advice on how to avoid the pitfalls

 

Snagging Research Report are the results of inspections of 350 properties in The Costa Blanca, Costa Calida and Murcia regions and identifies the cost common defects and trends from this area.

 

You can obtain copies of the reports by completing the form on the website www.inspectahomespain  or by e-mail guides@inspectahomespain.com.

]]> Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:40:16 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59&PID=64#64 Renting in Spain Forum : Buy a home http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=52&PID=63#63 Author: vmvm
Subject: Buy a home
Posted: 23Nov2007 at 1:33am

Hi there, I also want to move to Spain and I can recommend you some property related sites in Spain, mallorca property, Property for sale Tenerife South . They help me a lot in buying house in Spain. I hope these could give you some help also. And I think living in the tourist places isn't the advisable choice and this is only my personal opinion.
Good luck for you!

Property for sale Tenerife South ]]> Fri, 23 Nov 2007 01:33:28 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=52&PID=63#63 Murcia Property Forum : Is the Spanish property market about to crash? http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=57&PID=62#62 Author: yuqianminlj
Subject: Is the Spanish property market about to crash?
Posted: 24Sep2007 at 2:27am

Maybe it is really the right time to buy real estate in Spain now. It seems be crashing recently in Spain. I also want to buy some property abroad as investment. But I always can’t make the decision to buy in witch country. Now I have searched some property in gran canaria property and granada property and I will take them into my account.

]]> Mon, 24 Sep 2007 02:27:37 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=57&PID=62#62 Buying in Spain : Invest in buying a property http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58&PID=61#61 Author: andylow
Subject: Invest in buying a property
Posted: 06Aug2007 at 3:24am

As a result of Spain's beautiful scenery, pleasant climatic conditions, multi-faced cultures and so on. I think, buying property in Spain is a sensible choice so as to change my tedious life and start a new life in a pleasant environment. Recently, I've found on the internet that Spain's real estate industry increased dramatically, more foreigners and investors have bought houses in Spain, some people buy them for living or enjoying after retirement, others for making more money. So, I think, I must grasp the opportunity, mallorca property, tenerife property and so on are the hotspots which attract investors's attention. I also think, they are very nice. Hoping to hear your suggestions.

]]> Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:24:16 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58&PID=61#61 Murcia Property Forum : Is the Spanish property market about to crash? http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=57&PID=60#60 Author: Iramyinman
Subject: Is the Spanish property market about to crash?
Posted: 18Jul2007 at 6:19am

According to the Times, the Spanish property market is about to burst. This leaves many sellers, buyers and property owners in an insecure position. What is going on? Is the real-estate market in Spain really about crash?

The Telegraph believes that there is no reason for any panic. In Spain the prices of the houses have been rising through the roof since 1997. Luckily, this increase is stabilizing. This leaves the market with more realistic prices than in the past, with advantages for both sides, chances for selling are higher and it will go faster and buyers pay reasonable prices.

According to the Spanish government the property inflation is slowing down from 18.5% in 2003, 17.2% in 2004, 12.8% in 2005, and 9.1% by the end of 2006. The first three months of this year the prices have increased with 7.2%. That is the lowest quarterly increase of the last few years. After the prices have grown with incredible rates in recent years, property prices are finally stabilizing.

The fact that the Spanish property market is over-provisioned cannot be neglected. Therefore there is a possibility that, in some isolated areas, the prices will slightly drop. But there is little chance that this decrease will occur in all of Spain. The prices of the properties in popular areas like the Costa Brava, Costa Blanca, Mallorca and Barcelona will most likely continue to grow because of their value– but more slowly than recent years.

Instead of heading towards an inevitable crash, the Spanish property market is preparing itself for a soft landing. Property owners and buyers around the areas mentioned do not have to fear a sudden depreciation of their properties, since these properties will hold their value in the future.

 

From realestate-dreams.com

]]> Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:19:56 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=57&PID=60#60 General Property News : MEPs investigate Valencian Land Grab http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=56&PID=59#59 Author: alltheseasons
Subject: MEPs investigate Valencian Land Grab
Posted: 01Jul2007 at 11:05am

The EU is planning an advice campaign aimed at people buying in another European country, following a fact finding mission to Spain to investigate the Valencian Land Grab”, where householders lost land to development without proper compensation.

MEPs agreed this was a violation of human rights and condemned massive urbanisation projects that might be environmentally unsustainable.

In adopting a resolution on the results of the fact-finding mission to Andalucia, Valencia and Madrid, MEPs consider that the obligation to cede legitimately acquired private property without due process and proper compensation, linked to the obligation to pay arbitrary costs for often unnecessary infrastructure development is a violation of an individual’s fundamental rights as determined by the European Convention and jurisprudence on Human Rights and as contained in the EU Treaty.

]]> Sun, 01 Jul 2007 11:05:03 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=56&PID=59#59 Buying in Spain : Buying in Spain using co-ownership http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=55&PID=58#58 Author: alltheseasons
Subject: Buying in Spain using co-ownership
Posted: 01Jul2007 at 11:01am

More people are planning to buy a property abroad using co-ownership to reduce the uncertainty, cost and risk – with Spain leading the way as the number one choice.

More than one in three buyers of overseas properties have decided on Spain and a growing percentage of them are evaluating co-ownership – called fractional ownership in the USA where it originated 20 years ago – as the most cost effective way to invest.

co-ownership versus standard purchase

A designer furnished villa with private pool at the just launching Benidorm Hills development would be £200,000 and with four family and friends buying together would cost each of them:

  • Cash deposit £15,000
  • 70% mortgage £35,000
  • Monthly payments £136.50
  • Weekly rental £600

A 2-bed furnished apartment with communal pool on a Costa Blanca resort urbanisation would be £100,000 and on standard purchase the single buyer would have to provide £30,000 capital.

  • Cash deposit £30,000
  • 70% mortgage £70,000
  • Monthly payments £273.00
  • Weekly rental £250

These investment advantages will boost co-ownership

]]> Sun, 01 Jul 2007 11:01:12 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=55&PID=58#58 Spain Property Prices Forum : Prices still increase http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=54&PID=57#57 Author: alltheseasons
Subject: Prices still increase
Posted: 01Jul2007 at 10:54am

In the last 4 years the real estate prices in Spain have followed only one direction going north and the local experts expect that this trend may continue in the next months and with limited impact even in the next years. Some see in this phenomenon the results of the fact that the urbanism system of Spain is concentrated in the hands of small number of developers and builders. This in turn favors the inflationist trends on the market with no special regulations to stop these artificial increases.]]> Sun, 01 Jul 2007 10:54:59 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=54&PID=57#57 Buying in Spain : Top Property Checks http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=53&PID=56#56 Author: alltheseasons
Subject: Top Property Checks
Posted: 01Jul2007 at 10:48am

  1. GOOD ROOF OVERHANG
A decent roof overhang (30cm +), on all elevations will cut down maintenance requirements on outer walls. Not only will finishes such as paint or coloured render last longer, they will also be protected from dirty rain (which is common in Spain especially when weather fronts are driven up from North Africa). Window and door openings are also more protected, damp ingress is far less likely and any timber doors or windows will last much longer. The higher the outer walls, the larger the overhang should be e.g. 30cm+ for single storey, adding 10cm + for every storey thereafter such that a 2 storey building should have at least 40cm of overhang and 4 storeys 60cm + (Some poor designs actually have the lesser overhang at the higher level). Larger overhangs are more expensive, such that many roofs are under designed (especially at gable ends).  As the roof is one of the most important features of any building it is well worth making overhang a priority on any new works or choosing a house that has this valuable feature.

  1. MINIMAL FLAT ROOFING
Many properties have some flat roofed areas, but for low maintenance, pitched roofs are preferred. As a general rule, flat roofs did, do or will leak. Characteristics liable to permit water ingress, such as parapet walls, blocked drainage points, susceptibility to thermal/traffic related movement and waterproof membrane decay, mean that most flat roofs are an ongoing headache for owners, until the day they decide to add a new pitched roof over the top. Many Spanish homes include upper terraces or ‘solariums’ and as a low maintenance rule, it is better for upper terraced areas to be located over open nayas, such that any minor water ingress following or during heavy rain, won’t affect the main living areas of the house. Where possible opt for lighter coloured tiles for any upper terraces as they will be less affected by the heat. All such tiles should be grouted with a special flexible waterproof grout designed specifically for this purpose. Graveling over non-trafficked flat roof surfaces can also protect them from thermal extremes, though any pooling areas won’t dry out as rapidly.
Long-term water ingress can cause structural failure in both timber, reinforced concrete and steel beams. It should be noted that there is a current trend for flat roofed minimalist designs, make sure you check any newbuild specifications to ensure that any flat roofs are well designed to avoid future problems.
  1. STONE  FACING
All wall surfaces whether internal or external, main house or garden walls, will be relatively maintenance free if clad or built in stone. While stone is now expensive, in the long term, this natural material will save the owner considerable redecoration costs and allow lower walls to breath, and resist splash back staining (which is why it is typically included at low level on many properties). Fake stone and ceramic tiles do not always have the same breathable properties and those that don’t breath should be avoided. A typical villa will cost over €3000 to redecorate externally and this requirement may occur every 5 years or so (much less if roof overhang is poor). Choosing a stone faced house or paying the extra in the first place will save thousands over the years, it also won’t flake, is less likely to show hairline cracking or look dirty (any localised staining can be power washed off). It is not unheard of for new home owners to have to repaint within just a couple of years, if your builder can give you stone as an option it should be seriously considered. If not, as a bare minimum, make sure that lower walls are clad to include an angled top edge cement fillet over which the paint finish should extend. Pointing should be flush with the stone surface (typical in Spain) or ideally weather pointed (common in UK but not Spain), while proud pointing that extends beyond the stone face should be avoided. Remember, in the long-term stone works out to be cheaper than painted render.

  1. TEXTURED OR ‘MONOCAP’ COLOURED RENDER
Textured surfaces provide a much better key for paint finishes, ideally ensure that any sand/cement render finish is brushed after application and before drying (there is a special metal comb for this) to create a good key, otherwise dashed finishes also work very well and prevent paint key loss, which is very common over smooth renders. Modern ‘monocap’ renders are normally waterproof (but breath) and incorporate colour pigment, such that painting is not needed. In the long term they may get stained (especially if roof over hang and sill detailing is poor), and any key loss may make patching-in difficult to hide, such that painting over may eventually be required, so they are not ‘maintenance free’, but they can realistically give 10 years of good performance if applied correctly and combined with good detailing. Again opt for a textured finish, such that any future paint will have a decent key.

  1. MINIMAL SUB GROUND LIVING SPACE
No mater how good a sub ground damp proofing system may be, if you have the option, go for a house that has all living space located above external ground level. Not only does this eliminate the risk of retained soil related damp penetration, but also reduces the risk of flash flooding. Penetrating damp at basement level will also cause problems of condensation in upper living areas. Most underbuilds are not designed for use as living space and may well not include proper horizontal and vertical damp proof membranes. Garages that include drives sloping down to the door rather than away should also be avoided. Sump pumps tend to fail in thunderstorms (due to power cuts) and gulleys get blocked, so if you’ve got the choice of a property that’s  ‘high and dry’, it will generally be the preferred low maintenance option.

  1. LESS TIMBER WINDOWS
Timber windows are often the most attractive option especially in more rustic style properties, nowadays however, timber look aluminium and UPVC is visually almost indistinguishable from the real thing. The re-treating of exposed timber window areas e.g. sills and lower casements will be a regular (bi annual) requirement. While in the very long term UPVC and Aluminium may prove to have some problems of their own (e.g. if coloration breaks down), they won’t rot and are definitely the best current option. Some older properties do however deserve to be kept in their original form and indeed for some older buildings, anything other than timber may not be permitted. If real timber is chosen , hardwoods are generally more robust, and all timbers should ideally be pressure impregnated rather than just surface treated.

Doors.
Unfortunately it’s not so easy to fake a door, unless glazed (frame and casement only is wood effect), the larger panels tend to look less realistic and it has to be said that a front door is such an important aesthetic feature of any house, it’s well worth installing an attractive timber one. For low maintenance, inclusion of a portico (or at least tiled canopy) will protect the door from the worst of the weather. For town houses inset doors (creating a porch with outer security bars) are the best option. Ideally exposed doors will be set above external entrance level and include a weathering strip at the base, which encourages water to drip onto the lower external porch floor area, (such floors should be laid to a good fall away from the door). Rustic older properties may include brass cover panels to the lower third to reduce weathering, full timber doors should be retreated regularly (good initial treatment of upper and lower edges is essential, (shaded porch protection will also stop the adverse effects of too much sun). A good locking system and security hinges can help to make a thick timber door relatively secure, but additional security bars (e.g. to outer porch) are recommended.
Wherever possible external windows and doors should be set at least half way into the opening. Flush external fitting (one of the biggest mistakes made in 70’s UK house design) will not only look boxy and less substantial, but it will make the frame and casement more exposed to the elements.
Internally timber doors are fine, though they must be properly treated against insect attack including frames and architraves.
  1. THE RIGHT TYPE OF TILE JOINTS
Floor tiles are the norm in Spain and make sense in this dusty and hot climate. As well as acting as a heat sink (for summer cooling), they will stand up to years of mopping (which the Spanish seem to prefer over the vac). While most internal ceramic tiles will be quite hard wearing, lack of damp proof membrane on lower floors can result in salt staining and general degradation, so ideally all tiles in contact with the ground will be tiled over a floor which includes a  damp proof membrane or tanking system.

The right joints between tiles are key to minimising maintenance. The best options are to go for minimal joint e.g. less than 2mm or choose a very dark jointing grout, e.g. very dark grey or even black. While lighter greys and sand colours will look fantastic when new, on larger visible joints e.g. 7mm, the joints will mark in trafficked areas and eventually become unsightly, whereas un trafficked areas will remain clean. Go for black in the first place and your floor will come up pristine every time it’s mopped.
The same principle can be used for wall tiles, though black may be undesirable. Fortunately most vertical discolouring is due to water sediments e.g. in showers. Choose a beige or earth coloured jointing grout to avoid this. White grout will look great at first, but shower walls and walk in shower floors will soon show unsightly staining. White is best reserved for dry, non-trafficked areas only.
External tiles should be frost proof (in recent years many terraces that have been good for 30 years, have suddenly suffered frost damage). Again darker or minimal jointing is best for trafficked areas. All terraces exposed to the sun should ideally use a flexible grout and jointing compound to avoid cracking and leaks.
  1. LAMINATE FLOORS IN THE RIGHT AREAS ONLY
Laminate floors look great when in good condition, but cheaper versions will suffer joint movement, surface spalling and even dramatic heave, if used in damp or humid locations (bathrooms, kitchen or low levels). Real wood, block parquet flooring will be more tolerant and hard wearing, but is of course, much more expensive. If you do opt for laminate or wood, ideally save it for low trafficked, dry upper floors e.g. bedrooms. The best location for laminate is an upper floor of an outdated apartment. Low damp risk, solidity of floors and thicker composite floor tiles make laminate a viable choice, but inclusion of a vapour check membrane, foam rubber layer and good edge detailing (to allow for movement), is essential. Lay boards towards the light source (main window) to avoid any slight joint movement from being exaggerated (due to shadow). If possible, choose board joints with a deliberate ‘V’ indentation, which is less likely to catch and spall and will cope much better with slight movement. Cheaper versions will not tolerate mopping.
  1. COMMUNAL POOL
If you swim a lot and like your own space, nothing beats having your own pool. Pool maintenance will however take up quiet a bit of your time, and larger tasks, such as retiling or new filtration equipment, will be costly (though much cheaper than in the UK). If your pool cracks you may have to face very costly repairs, which may include slope retention. If you don’t live in Spain and fail to employ a pool cleaner, you will need to spend the first few days of each visit getting your pool ready for swimming which is no holiday! If you plan to rent your property out, a pool may be a must for most tenants, but they will want it pristine and operational, so unless you have a pool maintenance company at your service, you may be better choosing a property with a communal pool, which will normally be clean and well maintained for the whole swimming season. Most Spanish villages and towns also have public swimming pools, though the swimming season may be quite short e.g. mid June to end of August. A roof terrace or garden located Jacuzzi may be the best half way option if you want some luxury and a chance to cool off without too much maintenance.

  1. THE RIGHT SITE & LOCATION
Increased exposure to the weather will increase maintenance requirements. Building elements can suffer damage from wind, driving rain, frost, damp, flash flooding, sun exposure etc. As mentioned in previous articles facing South/ SE half way up a not too steep hill, is generally the best option to avoid over exposure to wind, rain, groundwater frost etc. Being the wrong (north) side of the hill will mean that the property will not benefit from the rapid drying and warming effects of the Spanish sun (potentially remaining damp and cold for most of the winter). Sunlight also helps to reduce problems such as mould on inner walls. There is however such a thing as too much sun exposure. Unless detailing is good, some build types may suffer significant thermal movement if over exposed to the sun all day. Shade provided by trees or other buildings may help to ensure a more stable microclimate around the property. (Trees that are too close should be avoided).
Serious structural repairs may be required if the house has been built on inadequate foundations for the substrate type. While there are many solid properties in Spain, others (though often quite grand above ground) have been built with virtually no consideration for the poor substrate below, steep slopes also require additional care, but many flat sites can also have problems, making structural cracking a likely future problem. Careful inspection of the building and site is important if these issues are to be identified and avoided.
Summary
There are of course many more features that can help to keep maintenance to a minimum, but if you can find  a property that meets the above criteria, you are generally on the right track to a lower maintenance future.

It is important to realise than properties differ greatly. Even the same design on a different site may have different maintenance implications. Never be blinded by a new paint finish, an unpainted house with a good roof overhang, set on decent foundations is generally a better low maintenance buy than a pristine flat roofed ‘box’ on the edge of a cliff, ‘new’ does not necessarily mean trouble free. Of course practicality is often sacrificed for beauty and the ideal home is that which satisfies the owner’s practical and aesthetic needs. For this reason, less practical high maintenance homes may still make very good long-term investments, but unless you have the funds for upkeep, opt for the low maintenance choice.
]]> Sun, 01 Jul 2007 10:48:42 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=53&PID=56#56 Renting in Spain Forum : Buy a home http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=52&PID=55#55 Author: andylow
Subject: Buy a home
Posted: 21Jun2007 at 7:58am

I've travelled to Spain before, I was surprised not only by its beautiful scenery but also by its booming real estate. So from then on, I've made up my mind to buy a property in Spain. It is said that Spain's property is very flourishing, more and more foreigners have come to Spain for investing in real estate, such as canary island property and property for sale granada are cited examples, they are very suitable for living. Moreover, we don’t have to worry about money, because we can easily get loans from banks. I wish everyone who likes Spain can buy an ideal house in Spain and live a comfortable life.

]]> Thu, 21 Jun 2007 07:58:51 +0000 http://www.alltheseasons.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=52&PID=55#55