EU Dreams are professionals and are dedicated to helping customers make the purchase of their new home a stress-free experience.
Below is some information that we have compiled to help you make that decision.
Location checklist Before you start looking for a property, it's worth asking yourself a few basic questions, which should save you time and money in the long run!
Do you prefer the town or country?
Do you want to be inland or on the coast?
Do you want to be isolated or in the thick of it? (Most people prefer to be within about an hour's travel time of a town.)
How much outside space do you want?
How close do you want to be to your neighbours?
How close do you want to be to shops, bars and restaurants?
Where's the nearest public transport, how often does it run, what time does it end?
How far is the beach?
How close are you to the nearest airport?
How far is it to sports facilities, golf, tennis, swimming, and so on?
How good are the local health and social services?
Arts and entertainment - what's alable in the area?
Neighbours - what are they like and how often do you want to see them?
Professional advice
Use qualified professionals to protect your interests and make the purchase of your new home a stress-free experience. Estate agents are a good source of advice. Only negotiate with ones that are officially registered and hold a licence. Ensure you have a good lawyer with an excellent command of English and the native tongue, to deal with the endless stream of rules and regulations. For instance, did you know that if you're buying in Spain you'll need to make out a will in Spanish before buying, or that you can inherit debts from a previous vendor?
Costs
Research all legal issues and costs involved. Your solicitor/lawyer will advise and assist you. Before you have decided on a property it's important to be fully aware of the legal process and costs involved in your puchase. Obtain professional advice and check your finances, taking account of these additional costs.
Be well prepared with your finances; taxes can be high when buying. Set up a direct debit from a native bank account to pay for bills. Be careful not to miss payments and read those red letters; foreign banks are not lenient with those who don't pay up in time. If you're considering renting out the property when it's empty, bear in mind that advertising in the UK for a property abroad could result in tax demands from both the English and foreign authorities.
Making an offer
Make your offer in writing if possible (of course, subject to contract), and include not only the price, but also the amount of deposit, when you're prepared to pay it, when you're prepared to complete, what you understand to be included in the price (for example furniture and fittings if applicable) and, an often neglected point, that all machinery equipment and installations are in normal working order.
For more information about buying abroad, the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has a number of leaflets available. Source - www.bbc.co.uk
Magic Spain by Ciara Carruthers
Spain has always held a certain magic for most, especially those from cooler climates such as Great Britain, Ireland and Northern Europe. Passion, as well as temperature, warms our skin as we come in contact with the vibrant people of Spain and all but a few fall drunk under Spain's spell.
Every summer, holiday makers come to magic Spain to have a taste of a life that may be really very different from their own life back home. Trading clouds for clear skies, scarf weather for flip-flop weather and English for, well, broken Spanish; in flocks they come.
But what IS this magic of Spain? Why does it attract us so?
Part of Spain's magic is inevitably provided to us by its people. Now, every nation has personality traits which could be perceived as positive or slightly negative, but what no one can debate when speaking of the Spaniards is their lack of passion. This passion is injected into every area of their existence. They love with passion and my, how they argue with passion. And that's what creates some of their magic. Everything is worthy of discussion. That passion creates a warmth which is equaled by their country’s climate and it is passed on to all people, natives and foreigners alike.
The tastes and aromas of Spain are certainly other culprits in this discussion. Where else can you go to a bar, any bar, and have the most flavorsome olives, the smoothest olive oil poured over the crunchiest bread, all accompanied by the deepest red wine...all in exchange for the small change sitting in your pocket. Source. www.expatfocus.com
Overseas Property - Buying Property Overseas
Thousands of Brits now own property abroad. The boom in overseas property ownership is growing, and is set for continued expansion as more and more people take advantage of positive exchange rates, excellent interest rates on mortgages, and the lower prices of property abroad.
For some, buying abroad is a necessity as opposed to a luxury. Many people have ‘missed the boat’ when it comes to the Britain property market and are looking to set foot on the property ladder by buying overseas property. With the present sky high prices for homes in the UK, others are able to use the equity from their current residence for buying a second home abroad.
With the advent of satellite phones, broadband connections and internet cafes, many people are now able to choose whereabouts in the world they live. Not satisfied with the traditional summer holiday abroad, people are now buying property overseas from which they can continue working in the same way they did back home, and taking advantage of the lower costs of living, or as a second home and splitting their time between a home abroad and one in their home country. With more airports materializing both in the UK and all around the world, flights getting cheaper, and the British having more disposable income, the overseas property market is opening up to us all.
Although Spain is still the favourite destination for Brits buying abroad, France, the USA, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand are also popular. Cyprus, Turkey, Dubai and Bulgaria – although less established, are also becoming fashionable destinations to own a holiday home.
Wherever you decide to go, buying investment property overseas is not something you should go into lightly. Specialist advice is needed for each country, which will have different rules, regulations and guidelines.
We work together with experienced professionals who are experts in property purchases in each individual location. Many offer subsidised inspection trips to enable you to get a feel for the locality of your choice, and all will offer friendly, helpful and specialist advice on buying and owning property, obtaining mortgages, and legal advice in their home countries. Source.www.spanish-villas-spain.com