I’m starting work on what I hope will be the definitive Spanish property FAQ.
Not forgetting that the average age of foreigners buying property in Spain is 51 there may be a few of you old fogies who don’t know what an FAQ is, so for your benefit I’ll explain.
FAQ stands Frequently Asked Questions. Basically the 20% of the questions that 80% of people ask. The kind of questions that everyone needs to ask when buying property in Spain.
Given that Spanish Property Insight is all about user focus I thought I would consult you good people on which questions to include. A bit of teamwork always gets the best results.
So fire away. What are the questions you most want answered?
Please don’t anyone answer the questions here, as that will mess it up. Just questions please.
How do you go about finding a ‘good’ Spanish lawyer?
Asking the other people you meet, who are at the same stage of the purchase procedure, is not practical because it is not until later in the process when you discover you have no building licence/roof/golf course/water supply that you realise you do not in fact have a ‘good’ Spanish lawyer. And no friends either if they have taken your advice!
I have personally met 5 Spanish lawyers – one ‘good’ and four ‘bad’ (and I can quantify this). That gives a 20% chance of getting a ‘good’ one, which is not good betting odds.
An addition, is there an agency who can check out my new neighbours, eg. barking dogs. people returning at 4am. in stilletos, parking problems, lots of short term rentals etc. To sum up, neighbours profiling.
Having brought a property recently, the thing we felt was missing from all the books and sites was a really easy to follow, all in one place over-view of the buying process, from viewing onwards, maybe in the form of a mind map or some sort of diagram.
Do the lawyers involved in the purchase of your property assist you to set up Direct debits to pay for electricity/gas etc ?
Do the cost`s of water /drainage come out of the community charge on a small development or are you billed independently ?
Is it better to use a lawyer or rely on a management company to look after your tax affairs whilst renting out a small apartment ?
If you are only transfering small amounts of currency to cover mortgage costs and bills every month [ say between 400-600 euros per month ] what is the best and cheapest way to have these amounts transfered from a UK sterling account to a Spanish bank account ?
What charges do Spanish Banks normally make to set up Direct Debits [to pay bills and a mortgage] ?
What would you consider to be a reasonable setting up fee when obtaining a Spanish mortgage ?
As a none resident, but registered owner of a property. Do I need to apply for a “wealth tax” form or will one be sent automatically. Do I need to use a gestor??
AT WHAT STAGE IS THE “SNAGGING” LIST COMPLETED ON A NEW BUILD ?
IS IT BEFORE THE SIGNING OVER OF THE PROPERTY WITH THE NOTARY OR AFTER ?
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU GIVE THE BUILDER TO CARRY OUT THE WORK ON THE LIST ?
ON A NEW BUILD IS IT WISE TO EMPLOY YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT SURVEYOR ON COMPLETION OR WOULD THE NECESSARY CHECKS ALREADY HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT [IE BY A BANK AS PART OF A MORTGAGE APPLICATION ] ?
WHO HOLDS THE 10 YEAR BUILDING GUARANTEE ON COMPLETION ?
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