Scotsmark72

Hi everyone.

My wife and I are planning on moving to Playa Blanca from Scotland later this year. We've had 2 fantastic holidays there in the past 12 months and have decided that we'd like to live there.

We're planning on renting at first with a view to buying in a year or two. Work won't be a problem as I work offshore in Africa, so I'll always have an income. My wife, well, she can sunbathe and shop all day when I'm away, if she so wishes.

I have read extensively from message/info websites about what's required for living there, health care, schools (for the future) etc.
What I haven't seen/read, however (and this could be because it doesn't exist) is does Lanzarote have an equivalent of a 'Council tax', like we have in the UK?
Also, apart form a monthly lease, what other bills can I expect to pay: water, elec, gas? optional with sat-tv, mobiles etc.

Any information anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Lynn R

Spain does have an equivalent to Council Tax, called IBI, but if you are renting then this would normally be paid by the landlord (along with the annual community fees if you are renting an apartment or a house on an urbanisation). As the tenant you would need to pay the utility bills (electricity and water, there are few properties in Spain which have natural gas but some do use bottled gas for cookers and heaters - as I do). Satellite TV, as you may have seen from other threads on the forum, may or not become a thing of the past as far as UK channels are concerned when the new satellite comes into operation some time this summer. We have already lost access to Channel 5 and a few others. This can be got around by connecting a laptop or android to your TV via HDMI cable and using a service such as Filmon but obviously you would need internet access (which is more expensive in Spain than it is in the UK) for that.

It's difficult if not impossible to give estimates of costs as everyone's consumption is different.

Elle1971

Hello Scotsmark.

I lived in Playa Blanca for 6 years (I left in September and now live on the Mainland). Very happy to help answer any questions that you may have. We started off living in Parque del Rey for a couple of years, and then moved closer to the Marina for the last few.

You won't have to pay the equivalent of Council Tax whilst you are renting (as has been said before)... as it will be included in your rent. You'll need to cover things like internet usage, but you'll often find that electricity and water are included. There is no gas used except for barbecues. We paid around €70 - €80 per month for a villa with a pool (not heated). That was for 2 people (or 3 when nipper was with us) and 3 dogs. I can't remember how much the water was but it wasn't expensive. Get yourself a water filter from a chap called Ray who lives in the resort (top bloke, and his missus, Jen, is a good friend too) - you'll save a fortune in bottled water. I can give you his number if you drop me a PM. We took our filter with us when we moved... one of our best purchases there.

Internet isn't cheap there (it is an island after all). Movistar (Telefonica) is the main provider there, although other providers will piggy back their services. There is sometimes a wait to get a landline and ADSL fited, as not all areas of the town have the infrastructure. If that's the case for your new pad... then you can get a dongle. Orange, Vodafone and Movistar all have offices in the town centre. Do NOT sign a contract until you have tested reception in your new home though (get a new pal with a mobile - that will give you an idea).Vodafone have the best coverage, followed by Movistar and then Orange.

You can pay for Sky TV... but will need a large dish and a subscription if you want the major UK channels. We never had that there, but opted for Nilesat, which is an Arabic service. It was a one-off fee... and gave us BBC World News, as well as a load of English speaking channels. We downloaded any other programmes we wanted.

For food, there are two large Hiperdino supermarkets in the town. One in the centre, and one up by the Iberostar Papagayo. Ropers is best for frozen stuff, fresh meat and fish, and veggies.

If you're looking for a bank, then Solbank (now called Banco Sabadell) staff are all fluent in English. Say hello to Alberto from me - he's a darling! The Bank Manager is Dario, and I still keep in regular touch with him. Solbank fees can be a little higher than other banks... but personally I have found the service to be worth every extra centimo.

There are some amazing people in the town, but of course some sharks. Keep your cards close to your chest, and don't tell anyone your business... and certainly not your financial situation, or you'll have them crawling all over you - it's the same anywhere. It's sounds obvious - but so many people make a new friend and live to regret sharing their personal info.

Happy to answer any questions that you may have - and if you want my phone number or email for a chat, then drop me a PM. Sounds like you've been doing your research, in which case you may well have tripped over my blog anyway.

Good luck with the move... it's a lovely town and we were very happy there. We didn't move away for any negative reasons against Playa Blanca or Lanzarote... we just went in a different direction and were ready for a new adventure. We're looking forward to popping back to see clients, family and friends as visitors now!

Elle xx