christmasoompa

According to your profile, you joined on 4th August. If you had a previous username that you used, then as said above, please contact Site Admin (use the 'contact us' link on the bottom of each page) to merge the two accounts.

Thx.

Andre Poole

That's ok, I have received a few replies, but thank you for trying to help

Andre Poole

Hi....thank you for your response....we cant afford to rent longterm as we will only be living off our private pension and we have spent two weeks already in manilva and find it to be exactly the place we want to live...have you had bad experiences that prompt you to say rent first...we are both in our 50's and just want a quiet life....

stevesainty

The main reason members of this forum advocate renting in the first instance is so that you don't burn any bridges in your euphoria about your new adventure.

Property in Spain once purchased is not so easy to sell, especially if you expect to get back the original purchase price, let alone the additional selling fees. It is not as straightforward as the UK property market.

As has been said already your UK house is a great asset and can command, usually, more in rental income than you will spend on rentals in Spain.

Two weeks is no time at all in assessing if either Spain or the area you have chosen is right for you. You need at least 6 months and preferably a year.

You need to see how living in the cold winter months will impact on your finances and also how some areas are like ghost towns in the off season.

We are not trying to dissuade you from coming, only trying to make you think about mitigating the risks if you decide, a year down the line, that Spanish life, or the area that you have chosen, is not right for you.

Good luck with your new adventure and remember the members on this and other forums are here to help you as we ourselves were helped when we made the move.

Fluffer

My favourite part of the world (La Duquesa and Sabinillas especially) and I will be coming "home" at the end of the year for mild winters and la Buena vida. I will join the chorus of others and say rent is a better option not least because of traps for the uninitiated (language, fee's, dodgy permits) but more so for the portability until you are absolutely sure where you want to live. Check out the real estate site idealista there are some nice places starting at 350 euros a month. Good luck...

quizziecat

Someone mentioned a padron, what criteria do you need to obtain one of these please, apologies for jumping in on this thread but I saw it here.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

tebo53

The "Padron" is like a register of people who live in the town. You need to be a Legal resident before you sign on the Padron. You are not forced to sign on and you don't particularly gain anything personally but the more people that are on the Padron the more funds the town/area gets from Government.

Johnboyuk

I approached an prominent estate agent in Spain about purchasing a property and they wanted 5% commission from me as a buyer. Then there is 10% transfer tax plus legal fees giving a total of around 16% on the price of the home. On top of all that, they had inflated the sellers asking price of the home to grind out some profit from them. So, taking everything into account, if property prices don't go up substantially, I would be in the hole as soon as I moved in and it could be long time before I get my money back. Maybe never if there is a 'no deal' Brexit and many decide to sell.

I don't know if this is the norm in Spain but all of this looks excessive to me. I have no experience of property purchase and may this was a rouge agent. Perhaps someone could advise on what is a reasonable amount to pay for a purchase. I know agents fees are not regulated so is it a case of shop around?

Loafing Along

Probably a rogue agent ! The seller pays the commission ! Normally when the sale is agreed the purchaser pays a percentage of the sale value as a deposit and a private agreement is signed. Normally the agent expects their commission at this point . So it may appear that the purchaser is paying the agent .The final sale is formalised later in front of a Notary.

When buying as a "rule of thumb" expect to add between 12% & 15 % to the stated purchase value to cover taxes ( the biggest chunk ), Notary, Gestor and other fees.