The AFO was initially introduced in Andalusia as a means for Local Councils to legalize properties which had been built without the correct licenses. In Spain, when a house is built, it requires a ‘certificate of first occupation’ to formalize its legal status. This certificate confirms all the appropriate planning rules and regulations have...
Continue readingMaria
I rarely need an excuse, to visit the charming town of Maria, the second most northerly outpost of Almeria, Andalusia´s furthest eastern province. The drive from Velez-Blanco to Maria never fails to captivate me. The craggy mountains, the lower reaches of the rolling hills planted with Almond and Olive, the pine forests higher up...
Continue readingProperty Buying Costs
We’re often asked about the buying costs when purchasing a property in Spain. The single biggest cost is the purchase tax which on a second-hand property varies from around 7% to 11%. In our region, of Andalusia, it is 7% but remember, this is the registered or catastral value, not necessarily the price you...
Continue readingBuying a modern Villa in Spain
Selling up in the UK and buying a villa in Spain can be an exciting proposition. The cash received from your old-terraced house in Wigan will buy a four-bed villa with a swimming pool in Almeria. But like a child in a sweetshop, shopping for houses in Spain, can seriously affect your judgement! All...
Continue readingHealth Insurance
For those moving to Spain with the luxury of an SI and free public health, you may want to skip this story but for those who will need health insurance, read on. It’s a personal story… my story and I will do my best to be factual. When we moved to Spain full time,...
Continue readingHouse Renovation in Spain
There is an almost unlimited supply of old houses to renovate in Spain, particularly in small towns, villages, and rural areas. This is partly because of de-population, young people gravitating to big cities looking for jobs and partly because of complications bought-on by inheritance laws. The result, a glut of cheap property. This potentially...
Continue readingSpanish Golden Visa
Spanish Residency by Investment has many benefits for applicants and their family members. It is one of the fastest means of obtaining a temporary residence permit in Europe, with processing times of less than three months. The investment threshold is relatively low compared to other Golden Visa Programs, with a minimum investment of €500,000....
Continue readingVélez-Blanco shines in the candlelight
On Saturday night Vélez-Blanco was left in candlelight and filled with magic and tourists. As many as there can be when the August festivities arrive. This time, the visitors arrived a month early, to enjoy the Noche Blanca, a night of culture and spectacle that made the municipality of Velez shine under the candlelight....
Continue readingMoving to Spain on the Cheap
Going to a supermarket or a restaurant in our beautiful part of Spain is cheap, by comparison to the UK, Holland, and Belgium and certainly Scandinavia, where prices can be eye wateringly high. But… and an important ‘but’, the biggest difference in the cost of living between northern Europe and southern eastern Spain, is...
Continue readingSecond Hand Cars in Spain
I may be an estate agent, but I get asked about cars almost as often as I do about houses! Buying and selling second hand cars in Spain is a pain, there’s no sugar coating it. Living in Spain is a privilege and for most-expats, wild horses wouldn’t drag us away but boy, Spanish...
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