Welcome
 

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If you have got this far, then you must be pretty keen on the idea of moving to Spain, and joining the thousands of ex-pat Brits, French, Germans, Norwegians, Rumanians, Russians...... that already live here.

There are hundreds of places where you can hear about the good things, this page is not here to deter you, but to try and help make your move as painless as possible, remember the old saying "Buyer Beware".

There are as many dodgy real estate agents here as anywhere else in the world, who are out to make as much money as fast as possible. If you take the time to check what you are being told before parting with your money, then things should go just fine.

A few little things to bear in mind when buying a home in Spain.

  • When you find some land or a property you like you will typically  be required to make a deposit of 6,000€. This is your reservation fee to reserve a property/plot. This money is only refundable if the seller pulls out. You will lose it if you change your mind.

  • In Spain a seller agrees a price they want for the property with the estate agent, the agent will then sell it for what they think they can get. We only charge a flat fee of 6,000€ making us the cheapest agent in the area. Some agents will charge you between 10-50% of the asking price.

  • At Caudete Property we make sure that the name and NIF/NIE (National Identity Number) on the escritura (title deed of the property) is the same as the identity document of the seller. This can save you weeks of paperwork as the details must be corrected by the town hall before exchange of property can take place.

  • We make sure the property is legal - Spain has a history of homes being built illegally, then registering them with the town hall and paying a fine at a later date. The banks will not arrange a mortgage on an illegal property, the fine must be paid, and the property correctly registered before they will do so.

  • When you agree to buy, make an inventory of what is in the house, and get a written contract of what will be staying in the purchase price, and what will be paid for as extras, and what will be taken away by the seller. It is not uncommon to have taps, lights, blinds, sinks, built in appliances, air conditioning, shower rails, fireplaces, gates and even doors taken away. This is the responsibility of the buyer, as we are only selling the house on behalf of the seller.

  • Several weeks before your purchase you will require a NIE number. You cannot buy property, cars or many services without one. We  to help you arrange this. It involves 2 visits a couple of weeks apart to the Police-immigration centre in one of the state capitals.

  • Get a Spanish Bank account, make sure that they do not create a non residents account (Cuenta de no residentes). You will need the account to get telephone services.

  • If you will need a telephone landline, make sure that the house you are buying is on a made up street, with a full postal address. Telefonica do not provide a service to houses in other areas. (not even for their employees!)

  • After you purchase, change the locks, even if the property is brand new. It is very common for the old owners/builders to come back and have a "look around" while you are out shopping.

  • If you are buying on a mortgage, make sure you are going to be able to afford the repayments. Miss three payments and the bank will re-possess.

  • If you are going to work while out here, you will need to be able to speak Spanish. Except for the tourist resorts, most people do NOT speak English, and you will have to be able to speak Spanish to work.

  • If you are resident of the EEC, then moving here is very easy. If you are a resident of a country outside the EEC you will need to have a work permit after your 3 month visitor visa expires.

  • If you move to the smaller towns you will also need to speak Spanish, as very few people will have any words of English at all.

  • You will find things very different to England, the food, the traditions, the eating times: You will be the stranger in this country, You will have to change and adapt to their way of life, not expect the Spanish to adapt to you.

  • Very Important: Get a solicitor to act for you.

  • Don't let the above put you off, the country is great, the people friendly and helpful, the weather fantastic and the way of life much better for your general well being.