Buying Property in Spain - Things to Consider
So you have now made the decision to buy a property in Spain,
whether as a permanent residence or as a holiday home. You will
find below a number of points that you will need to consider and
think about prior to buying a property in Spain.
Firstly, I would suggest that you go on to the internet and see
what the various agents advertising property for sale in Spain
have to offer. You will find that many of these companies are
run by people who are already living in Spain and will know the
many problems and pitfalls that arise when buying a property in
Spain.
The next point you will need to consider is where you want to
live? Are you someone who prefers to be in the heart of things,
say living in a town (urbanization), or are you someone who
would prefer privacy and tranquility, therefore you may decide
to buy a property in the country (campo) you may even wish to
look at property in the mountains, or by the lakes or on the
Coast. If you decide that you want everything close at hand to
you, then it may best be if you look at properties in a Town or
on the Coast especially if you require medical facilities close
at hand.
You next step should be what sort of property you would like to
purchase? Do you want to buy an apartment, townhouse, villa,
finca (country house with land) or a property that needs some
work doing to it. However, what you must remember is your budget
(how much you are willing to spend on the property of your
dreams in Spain).
You have now made the decision on where you want to live and
what sort of property you want to buy. So now you need to start
contacting the agents, both those on the internet and those who
are located in the town close to where you wish to live. These
people will not only provide you with the details of properties
they feel would be of interest to you, but they should be able
to help you with arranging contact with solicitors, banks (if
you may need a mortgage to purchase the property), schools, and
medical facilities in that area.
Please note that if you should need to arrange a loan with a
Spanish bank you will need to hold an account with them prior to
the purchase of the property.
Another important piece of documentation that you will require
to enable you to purchase a property in Spain is your NIE number
(similar to UK National Insurance Number). To obtain one of
these you will need to arrange a visit to the local police in
the nearest town to where you are purchasing your property (such
as Malaga, Marbella, Seville etc). However, if you are not able
to do this in person, a solicitor in Spain can arrange this for
you (but you will be charged for this approximately