Insight into the Spanish property market, guides to help you make informed decisions, and a directory of real estate professionals and home service providers from a source you can trust.
This is a website for buyers, owners, and sellers of property in Spain, offering reliable information and resources to help you get things done with confidence. It is run by Mark Stücklin, author of the Spanish Property Doctor Column in The Sunday Times (2005-2008), and the book ‘Need to Know: Buying Property in Spain’ published by Collins.
When you buy or sell property in Spain the sums of money are large, perhaps one of the biggest financial decisions of your life. The high transaction costs you will face like taxes and commissions only make the decision more important to get right. And when you own property in Spain you face a host of extra challenges to manage, and costs to control. Unfortunately, the Spanish property market is opaque and full of pitfalls, and notoriously unprofessional. Buying and selling property in Spain is not a decision to be taken lightly, and you may find it much easier to buy than sell if you don’t take care. In this market it is crucial to do your own research, and don’t rely exclusively on people who are trying to sell you something – let’s just say they might not have your best interests at heart. Spanish Property Insight is the only independent source of information and analysis of the Spanish property market. Don’t even think about buying or selling property in Spain without subscribing to Spanish Property Insight.
Left, British vice consul Rosslyn Crotty, center with paper Jose Luis Sanchez Teruel, representatives of associations AUAN, SOHA and CALU, PSOE executive in Almeria and various mayors and former mayors of the Valley of Almanzora.Andalusia has just modified its planning laws, and an estimated 30,000 rural homes in the region could benefit as a result, according to the property rights association AUAN.
On Wednesday, 20th July 2016, the Parliament of Andalucía approved a bill to modify three articles of the planning laws of Andalucía (LOUA) to permit the regularisation of isolated residential properties located on illegal land divisions (parcelaciones urbanisticas) on non urbanizable land (suelo no urbanizable). The bill was passed with the votes in favour of PSOE, PP and Ciudadanos and the abstention of Podemos and IU.
An estimated 30,000 houses in Andalusia that fall foul of planning laws could benefit from this change, say AUAN (Abusos Urbanísticos Almanzora NO).
Once the law comes into force in August homeowners will be able to request their homes comply by applying for an AFO certificate – a document that official declares their property to be assimilated in the planning regimen of ‘fuera de ordenación’ – a category assigned to properties that do not conform to current planning regulations but are accepted by the authorities.
“This change is the result of nine years of work by our association and it will deliver real and immediate benefits to our members,” said Maura Hillen, the president of AUAN. “Nearly all of them will eventually be able to obtain electricity, water and paperwork for their homes.”
The General Secretary of Territorial Planning and Town Planning of the Junta de Andalucía (regional government), Rafael Márquez, has said that this reform of the LOUA is sufficient, but if necessary more changes will be made.
Though a big step forward, it is not the end of the road. “We need more measures to speed up the legalization of these houses and for this reason I am heartened to hear the commitment made by Sr. Márquez,” said Hillen.
She also had words of thanks for AUAN’s legal advisor, Gerardo Vázquez. “We owe him a great debt of gratitude” she said. Gerardo Vázquez is one of SPI’s recommended lawyers in Andalusia.
Asked about the practical implications of this new law, Mrs. Hillen explained: “When this law comes into force in August, every property in Andalucía completed after 1975 will need an AFO certificate or a licence of occupation in order to guarantee compliance to the planning regulations. This carries obvious advantages in terms of greater legal certainty for prospective buyers”.
Though a big improvement that will make life easier for thousands of owners of property in the region, Hillen points out it’s not an amnesty and doesn’t solve all problems. “The house needs to comply with various administrative and physical requirements – all at the cost of the owner, of course. But it allows thousands of houses to exit a legal limbo and puts an end to the anguish of thousands of purchasers in good faith who bought these houses in the past. We are very proud that our efforts have not been in vain.”
Everything you need to know about property in Spain
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searaylady333 says:
This is a step in the right direction at last.
Will homes with demolition orders be covered by this law too ?