Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

donny-gal

mpython wrote: »

Apologies for not having read all the posts, but maybe someone can point me in the right direction?

I've recently inherited a sizeable sum (circa £100k) and have always wanted a place in the sun. I've been looking around for a couple of weeks and found a couple of properties I would like to go and see (a rural one near Vera and one on a large estate in Mazarron).

I've budgeted for the purchase costs (7%IVA and 3%& legal and other taxes) and I won't buy if it doesn't feel right, but I want to find an english speaking lawyer to act on my behalf rather than one recomended by the estate agent or vender (in case they are in cahoots).

Does anyone have any personal recomendations re lawyers?

Also, any other feedback, general or specific, about the 2 localities or purchasing in Almeria or Murcia would be most welcome?

Thanks in advance.

Hi mpython

We have a house on the Orihuela Costa. We bought it new 6 years ago, but it was finished as the residencia was so we knew what we were getting.

Please be careful at Marazzon, if the house(s) were built by Masa, there are some problems there, google "Masa Marazzon" if you want to read more on that. The place itself is fine, just some of the houses built by one builder who did build the majority.

The best recommendation I can give is to take your time, the euro is carp at the moment but shows not sign of deteriorating much more, though no sign of improvement too. Take a week or more holiday at both areas renting property and talking to the locals, there are ooodles of houses on he second hand market, don't be put off by the hype from new building companies, provided you get a decent solicitor (which you seem to be doing) then they will check there are no debts on the property. There are more estate agents than enough who will take you around property you specify. There are also folk selling privately, mainly because the estate agents are very expensive. Also bargain hard.

Where to go is the next question, are you holidaying, or living, initially probably the former, this is why we chose we bought, in between Alicante and Murica (San Javier) airports so greatest choice of flights (Alicante is often cheaper as it tags on to Benidorm). Do you like isolation, or do you like company. Do you want a choice of bars/restaurants you can walk to, or are you happy to restrict yourself to the local bar otherwise drive. Do you have children who want night life or will soon, not much point going for rural if you do as they won't want to holiday with you (maybe a bonus!). Pool or no pool, you do need access to a pool (or the sea) in the summer, but if you are holidaying only, then try for a communal one, or easy access to a beach.

For us isolation/rural was not a choice, we like people, access to places easily, shops, sea, so our choice was governed by that, and it works for us. Now taking early retirement we spend longer periods in the house in the autumn/winter/spring and our 24 year old son uses it for his holiday in the summer. Altough 20 minutes walk gets us to a choice of outlets, we are quiet where we are our actual Residencia is only 58 houses (quads).

DO NOT EXPECT TO MAKE A PROFIT ON YOUR PROPERTY. If you are looking for investment then don't look at Spain at the moment. For those of us who bought a few years ago it is OK, euro wise the house has not gone up but the exchange rate does make it profitable, estate agents permitting.

Try reading some of the "free" papers which are out there on line.
http://www.informernews.org/headlines.htm
http://www.costa-news.com/
http://www.roundtownnews.co.uk/
http://www.coastrider.net/main/index.php
http://www.theleader.info/

Hope this helps and not puts you off, but I would rather be honest with you. Feel free to come back and ask more questions, or PM with your email if you prefer.
DG

p.s. Sorry Les missed yours. We have the Certificate of Habitation, got it 5 years after, they were sat in the builders office and just needed collecting! Eventually our president found out for us.

donny-gal

Merrywidow wrote: »

BUMP....BUMP...guess you are all envious of Sloan's plans. Have you checked out the cheap hotel offers on the MSE front page? Look great value.

Hi MW
I think maybe these posts should have gone on the Ski-ers page rather than the living one, and may have got more response then. Over there now to have a pennyworth.
DG

seven-day-weekend

Oh yes, to have to say to Monty, the question of land is a good one, as sandy says, whether you want it or not. We would have liked a small amount (garden size, not half a mountain!), but we knew that a) in the village and b) on our budget we were unlikely to get any. Anyway, we haven't got any, but we do have a roof terrace and an azotea, so do have some outside space. Also our lane is very quiet, has no cars (except ours) and trails off into the mountain, so we can put flower pots etc outside.

If you do have land, you will have to maintain it, especially in the mountains; we know of a couple who do not maintain their land and they have had two huge landslides. They are on the edge of the village and their land is literally sliding down the mountain. The guy who had it before worked on it every day, maintaining the terraces and growing crops, and the land was fine. Land is nice, but takes work. Other expats with land, who are not here full-time, have done the right thing and paid one of the locals to maintain it for them. Their land now produces loads of local produce as well as almonds and olives, which they can sell for cash.

One thing that was important to us was if there was a bar in the village. It was important to us to be able to have some social life without driving for miles. As it happens there are eight (for a village of less than 400 :rotfl: ), five of which are open full-time, so we are spoilt for choice. If you are living as rural as we are it is very important to have a go at the language. Ours is still crap after five years (a bit old to learn a new language , ), but we can usually say what we want to and our neighbours help us out.

I'll come back again if I think of anything else.

gfplux

Hello mpython,
I assume it is a "given" that the places you have chosen you know very, very well.
Many people have bought a place "in the sun" and then have found that the time they can go there the sun is too hot, the traffic too heavy, the tourist a pain in the a*^e or out of season ALL the shops and bars are closed.
If you have not rented in your chosen destination I recommend you do so.
Good luck

seven-day-weekend

Hi all. I've just put a version of this post on my Facebook page, but thought other people here might be interested too.

We've just had a change of address - the old name for our lane was Division Azul (Blue Division) - the Blue Division were a bunch of Spanish fascists who fought for Hitler in the war:eek:.

Our lane has now been named in honour of Gerald Brenan, an English author who lived in the village in the 1920s and wrote a book about the village ....and they have spelt his surname wrong.

However, Agustin who lives at the top of the lane has noticed it and he and his wife Loli are something high up in the Spanish equivalent of Residents' Association/Mothers' Union....so I think they will get it changed.

Another lane has been named after a Danish man who lived here for a while in the 1950s. He took a lot of photos of the village and they are now permanantly on display in a little room over the town hall. His remains are in the village cemetery. I'm glad he has been remembered. His son still visits (and takes photos), so it will be nice for him to see the lane named after his dad.

The lane named after Mr Van Hansen used to be named Calle (street) Generalisimo .:rotfl::rotfl: I think perhaps the Socialist Mayor does not want this particular part of the area's heritage to be remembered.

As for our house in particular,apparently the villagers used to call it 'Casa del Diablo' - House of the Devil - so we lived in The Devil's House in Fascists' Lane. Im glad to say we now live in Sunshine House in Gerald Brenan's Lane!

Found a picture of the plaque that is on Casa Brenan from this link:

http://www.barrhead-scotland.com/Culture/Writing/gerald_brenan.asp

Gerald Brenan died on January 19, 1987 while in the hands of the Spanish Medical Services who had undertaken to care for him. He was acclaimed for his services to Spanish literature with such books as The Spanish Labyrinth, History of Spanish Literature and St. John of The Cross.
A plaque dedicated to his work was fixed to the house where he had lived in Yegen, it reads:
"In this house for a period of seven years [1920-1934] lived the British Hispanist GERALD BRENAN, who universalised the name of Yegen and the customs and traditions of La Alpujarra. The Town Hall, grateful, dedicates this plaque."
YEGEN, 3 JANUARY, 1982

gallygirl

mpython wrote: »

Apologies for not having read all the posts, but maybe someone can point me in the right direction?

I've recently inherited a sizeable sum (circa £100k) and have always wanted a place in the sun. I've been looking around for a couple of weeks and found a couple of properties I would like to go and see (a rural one near Vera and one on a large estate in Mazarron).

I've budgeted for the purchase costs (7%IVA and 3%& legal and other taxes) and I won't buy if it doesn't feel right, but I want to find an english speaking lawyer to act on my behalf rather than one recomended by the estate agent or vender (in case they are in cahoots).

Does anyone have any personal recomendations re lawyers?

Also, any other feedback, general or specific, about the 2 localities or purchasing in Almeria or Murcia would be most welcome?

Thanks in advance.

I agree with the advice from the others. Think carefully about when you will use the property. We have an apartment (where there are still some apartments for sale - PM me if you would like info on the area) about 5 miles from Vera. We looked at Vera, Mazzaron & other areas but found something wrong with all of them, or at least they weren't right for us. The apartments we saw were all on modern complexes (nothing wrong with that, so is ours ) but there was no view and you had no idea you were in Spain. No shops & only 'holiday bars' nearby. Also, the rooms were all v v small and we were not happy with build quality. And I did not want one in an apartment block with communal stairs etc, in terraces where you are overlooked. Others were too remote - we wanted to be able to lock up and leave and have someone local to look after it). Others which were in towns/villages would have been too noisy or had no outdoor space.

I felt like Goldilocks until I found one that was 'just right' . We're on a modern complex with English neighbours, a decent size, private terraces, overlooking mountains and a 20 mins walk to village where the bars & shops we frequent are run by Spanish and we have to speak Spanish there . Although I would have liked closer to the beach (we're 10 mins drive), having seen what the front (including Vera) is like in high season I'm glad we're a little inland.

Happy to pass on solicitors details if you PM me.

Good luck - it's a lovely area :j

leadhead

Does anyone know anything about getting Prescriptions filled in UK, while living in Thailand.......(lived in and paid taxes in uk all life, but now living abroad))

At least 2 of the tablets needed are still under patent, which means there can be no alternative generic equivalents manufactured until the patent expires.
Because they are under patent, they are expensive @ approx £1 each!!!

If the prescriptions are granted, they will be paid for using a pre payment certificate,,,,,,,,is this all above board?

seven-day-weekend

You are supposed to have your healthcare in the country in which you are resident. Paying taxes to a country makes no difference.

However, I assume if you already have UK prescriptions you can get them filled. What you can't do is keep having your prescriptions from the UK as though you had never left.

sandy2_2

When I lived in UK and had repeat prescriptions, I still had to go and see the Dr every 6 months and I think the repeat prescription had to be handed in to the Dr for every renewal. Or do you mean you want to hand in your UK prescription to Thai pharmacy, or there is someone in UK who will send you the medication?

leadhead

sandy2 wrote: »

When I lived in UK and had repeat prescriptions, I still had to go and see the Dr every 6 months and I think the repeat prescription had to be handed in to the Dr for every renewal. Or do you mean you want to hand in your UK prescription to Thai pharmacy, or there is someone in UK who will send you the medication?

Yes, there is someone in the UK, to send the medication, and yes, the possibility of having to actually see the Doctor could put a halt to this...