Hi Everyone,

We are looking to semi-retire in the River ebro/ Tarragona area and are looking to buy a small countryside finca - preferably habitable but not necessary - to carry out a small business when we arrive.

Can anyone reccomend a good Real Estate Agent in the area that speaks English and is reliable ?

Looking to come out on 8th April for a week to look around.

thanks in advance for your help.

All the best
Alan and Lin

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

Most estate agents speak English or will find someone who does , they want your money!
Have you thought about how your purchase and business will work with Brexit ? are you aware of NI cost? a few years ago I was paying 280 euro p.m even when I wasnt earning! also all businesses have to be VAT registered regardless of T/O , my advice would be go and rent for a year or so and wait for the Brexit dust to settle.

Hello. Buying a country finca property can be fraught with difficulties. It can be done, we've done it, but you need to have a good working knowledge of the land laws, zoning laws, building laws, etc. The countryside in Spain is dotted with empty properties and there's a reason - the Spanish authorities don't want them renovated. They would like everyone to live in towns for infrastructure purposes.


The Spanish aren't generally interested in country properties and local Spanish agents don't tend to sell them. English speaking agents are aiming at foreign buyers and they (in our experience) will tell you anything to get a sale. As far as I'm aware Spanish estate agents are not regulated. In our 9 year property search we were told blatant lies that would make your hair stand on end! Anyway, as in the UK, estate agents get their commission from the seller and have no incentive to point out pitfalls to prospective buyers.


And don't in any circumstances paying any sort of deposit to an estate agent. You hear all sorts of stories and here's another - friends of ours lost a 12,000 euro deposit simply because they believed everything they were told.


We're an hour and a half south of Tarragona - the other side of the Ebro Delta - and we'll be there in April. PM me if you'd like to meet up. We'd be happy to give you the benefit of our 9 years' research and our experiences.