Timber Engineering Europe Ltd.

THE TEN GOLDEN RULES

  1. NEVER part with any money upfront and do not be pushed into buying. If you are told that other buyers are flying in later today, or any other such rubbish, to pay a deposit - walk away!
  2. NEVER buy anything that has a hazy description such as land advertised as "Investment" this means it will never get planning for anything, and all you can do is grow olives on it. Land that is advertised with "Water and Electricity nearby" leave alone, it costs a fortune to connect and odds on - the "nearby" will be miles away. Even If there is an electric pylon on the plot, it may not have any spare capacity for your project. If there is no town water to site and you are told that well water is available, make sure that there is water on the land and that the local authority will grant you a license. In times of water shortage it would be unlikely.
  3. NEVER agree to pay for property or land part cash and part sale price on contract, even if you are told it is traditional. You will regret it when the local government find out!
  4. NEVER use the same solicitor as the seller or one who the builder or seller, introduce you to, it normally ends in tears. The solicitor may not have any obligation to you if things go wrong.
  5. NEVER take the sellers word for it. In many cases it isn't what it seems. Make sure your legal representatives check and then double-check. Take a person who speaks the language to the council offices and check again. Get it in writing, and then get a notary to confirm the details and attest the document.
  6. "Restoration project" or "Requires some TLC" usually means derelict, so be warned.
  7. "Possible build 250m2 House" usually means not a chance because if there was any possibility, the seller would register a project and he could sell the plot for a lot more.
  8. "Project approved for *** " rarely means what it says. It may be genuine, but in a lot of cases the project has timed out and will not be renewed. The project may be for only a % of the claim, the rest would be illegal.
  9. Many new-builds are illegal; over-sized or on land not designated for dwelling. Even on land not belonging to the seller!
  10. All land has a status designation i.e.: Urban - You can build on this land, no problem here as long as you adhere to the license conditions. Permitted - Areas in which a % of the land size may be developed.

Campo; Rural areas where some development may be approved, although likely to be limited. Agricultural; Little or no chance of permission for anything. These examples do vary from district to district and from country to country.

Don't fall into the Almacen; trap in Spain. This is where a local will sell you a fairly large piece of land with a license for a 100m2 house, quite cheap in comparison with other plots. The land is not urbanized and the license is for a warehouse, granted by the local authority who only wants the revenue generated by issuing building licenses. When the Junta (main government) discover that you are living in it, a fine can be imposed, usually very heavy. There are no set limits to the fines, they can be 5000euros or if you are very unlucky 50,000 Euros.

There is a saying in Spain:
The British come to Spain and when they go home they leave their hearts in Spain. When they come back to Spain to collect their hearts, they leave their brains in Britain.

Finally, remember you need a license and or permission for most things in Spain and Portugal. There have been cases where people have been heavily fined for tiling a swimming pool or using an existing, unused water depository as a splash pool without permission.

Do not be put off by these warnings - remember millions of ex-pats of all nationalities own properties outside their native land and only a very small percentage fall foul of the law. There are no short cuts - do it properly and legally and you will not have any problems at all.

Get a good Architect you can talk to. Get a good Builder who you feel comfortable with. Get a good Lawyer who speaks English. Listen to what they say and don't do ANYTHING till they tell you to do so. Never let the thought of losing that "little gem" sway your judgment - there will be plenty more waiting for you.

IF IT SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE - THEN IT PROBABLY IS

By Chris Thorpe for Timber Engineering Europe may not be copied or reproduced without permission.

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