Spain Guide To Living, Working and Property in Spain

Friday 20 November 2009

Everything about Spain for expats, would-be retirees, property investment seekers and even international workers looking for a new life in Spain

Can You Still Get Mortgages to Buy Spanish Property?

Published on Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Can You Still Get Mortgages to Buy Spanish Property?The property market in Spain has many parallels and similarities to that in the UK in that if a property is competitively priced it will sell, where there are still pockets of demand there is buoyancy in the market, agents have talked the market up to an unsustainable level, prices have fallen below what the media and government are promoting and people still hanker after owning a home in Spain, just as there is a desire for homeownership in the UK.

The only trouble is, not everyone can afford to take advantage of some of the bargains that are genuinely coming to the market in Spain because they don’t have the cash in hand to pay full asking price in cash for a Spanish property…

We’re aware that properties in the UK are not selling in part because people cannot secure mortgage financing – but is the situation the same in Spain?  Can you still get mortgages to buy Spanish property or not?  In this report we’re going to look at what property financing products are available to British buyers interested in buying a home in Spain.

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15 Billion Reasons Not to Live in Spain

Published on Thursday, September 17th, 2009

15 Billion Reasons Not to Live in SpainDespite everything, Spain remains one of the most popular choices with Britons dreaming about or even actively planning a new life abroad.  It’s accessible from the UK with cheap flights aplenty, it’s a country you don’t need a visa to live in, and what’s even better is that in Southern Spain the sun shines almost all year round.

These are all fine reasons for choosing Spain as a relocation destination, but in this report we’re going to counter that positive argument with 15 billion reasons not to live in Spain.  You see, if you thought the UK was in a bad way economically speaking, you ain’t seen nothing until you read about the mess Spain has found itself in.

The Spanish government have seemingly acted as ridiculously as our own dear politicians in the UK in terms of digging an enormous budget deficit shaped hole, and now they’re looking to the lowly taxpayer to fill it.  And if you moved to Spain, you would become one of those lowly taxpayers…

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Is It Safe to Buy Property in Spain Yet?

Published on Monday, August 24th, 2009

Is It Safe to Buy Property in Spain Yet?We’re very well aware that Spain remains one of the most attractive overseas destinations for Britons of all ages thinking about going to live abroad.  The facts of the matter are, Spain is accessible from the UK easily and cheaply, Spain is warm, sunny and enticing, the cost of living is comparable with the UK whilst the quality of life is widely regarded as superior in Spain - and it’s a very easy nation to move to, set up home in, retire to or even get a job in.

Therefore, it is of no surprise that we have received a few requests for information about the current state of the Spanish property market from Britons interested in moving to live abroad in a sunnier destination than the UK – the enquiries have been along the lines of: ‘is it safe to buy property in Spain yet?’

The problem that many Britons are facing is that the high value of the euro in relation to the pound has eroded the benefits that they could otherwise have gained from the falling Spanish property market you see.  What’s more, others are worried about how safe an investment made into Spanish bricks and mortar is, bearing in mind how spectacularly the market in Spain has crashed recently.  So, naturally enough, it is important for anyone thinking about making a move to Spain to understand the state of the market right now.  Which is where we come in!  Here’s the latest overview of Spain’s property prospects in our humble opinion.

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Retiring to Spain and Living for Less

Published on Thursday, August 06th, 2009

Retiring to Spain and Living for LessWith the euro still riding high against the pound, the British economy in recession, the housing market on its knees and no sign of a particularly positive breakthrough on the horizon any time soon, we understand why many people approaching retirement in the UK are quite keen to leave, but are perhaps prevented from doing so because of fiscal restrictions.

Well, what if we were to show you a number of ways in which you could end up retiring to Spain and actually living for less?  Would that bring a little light to your otherwise dull day – made duller by the grey skies of the British summer?

It’s true you see, we have a whole host of ideas up our sleeve that will show you how you can now leave Blightly behind, move to Spain, soak up the sun and enjoy your retirement living for less in stunning Spanish surroundings…read on to find out more.

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More Bad News for Spanish Property Market

Published on Friday, May 15th, 2009

As if the scandals, demolitions, arrests and repossessions weren’t enough, more bad news for the Spanish property market was published this week in the New York Times.

It appears that the Spanish government have basically shot themselves in the foot if they were hoping that they could kick start some sort of positive promotion of the nation’s real estate landscape in the press! 

They have published some findings and statistics relating to who actually buys property in the nation, and as a result, there is nothing positive that anyone can actually say!

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Expat Property in Spain Affected by Falling Tourist Numbers

Published on Tuesday, April 07th, 2009

Statistics just released by the Spanish airport operators AENA reveal that tourist arrivals in parts of Spain previously hugely popular with international visitors, such as Lanzarote, continued to decline sharply in February.  This is having a clear effect on the property market in Spain too, which has already seen significant declines in terms of levels of interest and asking prices as well.

According to AENA, the total number of foreign visitors arriving in Lanzarote in February this year had dropped by just over 19% compared to the number of arrivals in February 2008.  They also recorded double digit decreases across all key tourist markets in Spain – this is very bad news for those with holiday homes in Spain that they want to profit from, and also very bad news for anyone attempting to sell their property in Spain.

Looking specifically at Lanzarote as a benchmark for Spain’s popular tourism centres, according to the latest figures from AENA total tourist numbers fell from 147,698 in February 2008 to 119,269 in February 2009.  This is a drop of 19.25%.  The cumulative figures for the year to date indicate a 16% fall overall in the number of people arriving on flights to Lanzarote compared to last year as the current economic crisis starts to bite deeply into Lanzarote´s all important tourist industry.  As a result of this, the Spanish property market is being affected by falling tourist numbers too.

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Sell Your Spanish Property in a Crisis

Published on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Sell Your Spanish Property in a CrisisIt’s really rather hard to ignore the fact that the Spanish property industry is in crisis and that the real estate market in many parts of Spain is suffering significantly.  This has had a massive impact on so many people’s lives, with those who need to sell a home to release equity or escape Spain altogether effectively prevented from doing so by market conditions.

What’s happening in Spain at the moment is not a one off event, recessions and tough financial times do happen on a relatively regular basis, and so the challenges facing home owners in Spain today have been experienced before and will probably be experienced again…which is why property insider Nick Snelling has penned his timely book ‘How to Sell Your Spanish Property in a Crisis.’

The book is for anyone out there who really needs to get their home in Spain sold, in spite of market conditions.  And because it has been written by an industry insider and contains advice from other hands-on property market experts, the book and its contents are truly valuable for all those homeowners in Spain who need to off-load their property, no matter what state the market’s in.  We think this book is not only perfectly timed, but that it holds long-term value, because markets have peaks and troughs on a regular basis.

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How to Beat Rising Expat Unemployment in Spain

Published on Friday, February 13th, 2009

How to Beat Rising Expat Unemployment in SpainAccording to a newspaper report out today, Gillian Merron, the British minister for consular affairs in Spain has intimated that expatriate unemployment rates in mainland Spain are rising.  This is worrying news for those already living in Spain and committed to their new country – and it’s also concerning for anyone contemplating moving abroad to the sunshine in Spain to escape the gloom of the UK.

After all, if expat jobless numbers are rising, what’s the hope that newly arrived expats will be able to find a job, earn a wage and make a living to ensure that their dream of a new life living abroad can be realised?

Well, in this article we look at how to beat rising unemployment in Spain so that if you do hanker after some sunshine and the inimitably laid back Spanish lifestyle, you can actually make your dreams come true and afford to make the move abroad a permanent one.

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Don’t Give Up Your Spanish Property Dream

Published on Thursday, January 29th, 2009

Don’t Give Up Your Spanish Property DreamSpain is still one of the top choices with Britons who would love to escape to the sun.  It’s so close to the UK, so easily accessible with cheap flight airlines servicing the main tourism airports well, it has an enviable climate, there are already plenty of Brits living in Spain…and all in all, Spain ticks so many boxes for would-be retirees and expatriates that its appeal is not diminishing.

However, the Spanish property market is in a bit of a mess right now, understatement), and it has been for well over a year.  This has had the effect of putting many off their dream of a move to Spain, but in our opinion at Shelter Offshore it really needn’t.

Our advice to you is ‘don’t give up your Spanish property dream,’ because there are motivated sellers out there willing to discount their property well below market value, so that even though the pound has crashed against the euro, you can still find a bargain home.

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Tourism Numbers and Property Prices Fall in Lanzarote

Published on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

Tourism Numbers and Property Prices Fall in Lanzarote British visitor numbers arriving in Lanzarote fell back dramatically in the last month of 2008, according to figures just released by the Spanish airports operator AENA.  This suggests that the double whammy of the credit crunch and the recent fall in the value of the pound against the euro has started to bite deep into Lanzarote´s all important tourism industry.

The UK has long been the number one marketplace for Lanzarote tourism, traditionally accounting for well over 50% of all visits made to the island by non-Spanish nationals, but the latest AENA figures reveal that British tourist numbers fell to 55,024 visits in December 2008.  These numbers were down from 74,167 in December 2007 revealing a decline of over 25%. 

But it’s not just tourism numbers falling, property prices are also falling in Lanzarote…this may be bad news for vendors and those in business on the island, but it is good news for anyone interested in a holiday home or investment property in this fabulous location…

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