Winchy

Hi all,

Move to Marbella in two weeks!

Need help with...the best insurance cover for home contents, car and health. Please can you advise me on the most reputable companies...heard mixed reviews about Abbeygate...any others would need to be English speaking.

Also, how do I go about making an appointment to get my NIE number...I hear that if you turn up you will be given an appointment weeks away and need to get this sorted as soon as I am out there before I start work.

Thanks

Kim

missile

I would recommend Linea Directa for insurance, they speak english. You could arrange online before you leave UK, see here>https://www.lineadirecta.com/Recurso...Productos.html

You might want to consider an alarm?
You can DIY for an NIE, but I would use a gestor / abogado.

Enjoy your new life in spain

Fredbargate

I'm insured and happy with

http://www.ibexinsure.com/

Cazzy1

I disagree!! We used linea directa for all our insurances, when we got flooded they said we hadn't had enough rain and refused to pay out! We now use generali. They are cheap and very good!!

sujee

I would endorse missile's comments.
For NIE engage a gestor who will fill out the forms and accompany you for first appointment and then can collect for you a week later. They will also make sure they have the correct documents.

Good luck with your move

Winchy

How do I organise a gestor?? What do
I do?

lynnxa

I personally wouldn't use one - DIY is easy enough if you have the time

however, they don't charge much & if you ask around locally someone will for sure recommend one - or walk around the streets looking for a 'gestoría' sign & just walk in!

Fred James

LD are brilliant for car insurance but their household cover is very cheap and they have huge limitations on the cover. They are crazy to do this because they get a bad name (from posts like this) and lose out one the one thing they are good at which is motor insurance.

Go with them for car insurance but don't touch house insurance with them.

Chiclanagir

I used Abbeygate and took out an all risks policy to cover everything. My dishwasher literally caught fire but as we were in we were able to put it out, they didn´t want to know as it was an electrical fault. Moved to Liberty Seguros.

Domino

if you are coming out with an employer then surely they can/will help you with alot of these things.
HR should have basic info for all employees, they should be able to get you help in getting the NIE. Even the language schools around Granada have mentors to walk through with new students.

I see you asked the same question back in May and got similar responses - what have you been doing in that month, other than packing and panicing ??

rgds

ShinyAndy

Another vote for Ibex - we have contents and two cars with them. LD seemingly fail at every hurdle so I would never recommend them. Tried Abbeygate as has UK plated car at the time and they were helpful but expensive and had ridiculous admin charges if you needed to change anything/cancel.

Health insurance, why do you need this if you are working?

re the NIE I'm not sure now as it changes all the time and any advice you get will undoubtedly be out of date. If you speak some Spanish just turn up at the Police Station and ask, if not go find a gestor. Are you definitely going to be living in the Marbella district?

snikpoh

We're also with IBEX. We've tried LD on numerous occasions and each time they have failed to beat existing or other quotes!

They also seem to load the excess which doesn't help.

Worth getting several quotes and then compare them - just make sure you are comparing like-with-like.

mikelincs

Lynn, suspect from their first post that they do NOT speak Spanish, so DIY may be a lot more difficult. I certainly would suggest using a gestor.

lynnxa

it obviously depends upon location - but around here you can easily manage without one, even without a word of Spanish, if you can get someone to help you fill the form in


as I said though, gestores are cheap enough

however........... there are still reports of some extranjerías not issuing NIE/resident certs yet until they know what to do about the new rules

stonerjazz

I have lived here for 9 years, in Mojacar southern spain and have not bothered with insurance other than for my car. I have a leaking flat and the insurance on the mortgage has ignored me for 3 years. They just don't pay out. Replace if it goes wrong. Patch up if you can. Insurance really doesn't work outside of Madrid and the major cities. I have never claimed on my car insurance and use Linear Direct. However they seem really good.

Can I also say you would be wise to rent for a while. Marbella is a much busier place than here, with better services all round, but you still need to give yourself time. There are major bargains on repossessions in this area of spain but go straight to the banks to get lists directly, don't use an agent. Never use an agent as they see you coming. I bought from a friend and am very happy with my little flat.

Until you can speak spanish, use a 'people's solicitor' called a gestoria. Many here are tri-lingual. It will cost you more not speaking the language but go to a few and test their prices. Tell them that is what you are going to do and you will see the price drop in front of your eyes. Bartering is still very alive here.

Whatever anyone says, it is 50 years behind here and you are lucky if you manage to do more than one task a day. Requirements for documentation change all the time, and the spanish make money in this way from the tourists, even residential tourists like me. But now I speak spanish I don't get caught out so much. Oh, and get to know where your nearest hospital is, sign on with your doctors (if you are retired, if not, find the emergency medical centre) and get your residencia sorted asap because they are stopping issuing them to tackle immigration. You need to insist on one immediately and not take no for an answer.

Don't be taken in by the sun and sea and beauty and see the people here any different than the people of your own country. Business is business and if you take your time, don't get pushed into purchases or decisions, you will be ok. Just be as aware of human nature here as you are at home. Be as canny as you were back home. Nothing has changed - only the language and the weather!