[Anonymous]

Hi – reading the posts about the overdeveloped property market, etc., etc., – we are considering buying a house situated inland in Granada. It is not off plan – it’s a normal village house which has been restored. We’re buying as a family home and not looking to sell on at an extortionate price – so hopefully there should be no problem.
Anyone else in same situation?

[Anonymous]

Hi.
As with any resale purchase protect yourself as best you can by employing an independant lawyer or gestor experienced in property transactions.
Be aware that many older properties have title deeds that are not in order (or don’t exist at all!) and so this can take time to rectify.
Ensure there are no outstanding debts attached to the property.
Ensure that restoration (or any other works) have been carried out with the appropriate permissions and that the Catastral records correspond with what actually exists.
Check for things like the potencia of the electricity supply that is available, is there a boletín for any electrical work that has been carried out. If important to you check what phone/internet coverage is available in the village.
If you’re purchasing through an estate agent ask them to confirm in writing what their commission is. Be aware that many properties are for sale through more than one agent often at very different prices.
Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the sound advice – have mentioned all of this to the lawyer.
Today I’ve discovered the house was first registered at Land Registry in Dec06 – so theoretically someone else could claim it up to Dec08! Lawyer states it’s 99.9% probably OK but there’s an element of risk involved. As I understand it, if a claimant did come forward they would have to claim against the current seller and we would also have to do the same thing.
I guess we could ask for guarantees or some such.
As I write, lawyer is still doing the searches, and hopefully we’ll be ok. Fingers crossed!!

[Anonymous]

I would visit the local council planning department and ask if anything is planned for the street. Take your lawyer or a translator.

Lawyers often overlook something as simple as this because many believe their job is to check the purely legal aspect of property transfer.

Good luck

[Author]

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