Spanish Property News

Despite or may be because of the doom and gloom filled media many people are wondering if they can still fulfil their dream of moving to Spain. With savings in the bank now bringing a minimum return they are attracted to the opportunities in the Spanish property market and the potential to rejuvenate their lifestyle.

A fear which is preventing people from making the move is the “no going back” syndrome. If you sell your property in the UK it can be difficult to return – especially with the current mortgage situation. What if your Spanish dream doesn’t work out? What if you don’t like living in Spain? What if you need to return to your family in the UK?

Spain does not work out for everyone so it is always sensible to have a Plan B. Rather than selling up in the UK more and more people are looking to rent out their original home whilst they trial a new life in Spain. It has a number of advantages – you retain your asset and the rent covers your mortgage or provides an income. Most importantly you do not have to start all over again should you decide to leave Spain.

However it also brings its own set of challenges, not least being an overseas landlord with an emotional attachment to your rental property. Finding a good UK based letting agency is vital to ensuring you can enjoy your life in Spain without worrying about what is happening to your property in Blighty. Communication is key for overseas landlords and you need a letting agency that acknowledges this and is prepared to keep you informed and take real responsibility for your property.

Director of SurreyLets, Sally Asling, has this advice for potential overseas landlords “Letting your home in the UK whilst you move abroad is a sensible option as if things don’t work out you still have your home to return to.

Once you are overseas and are content it was the right move, you can either sell your home and reinvest in more conventional buy to let properties to maximise your returns on your investments whilst keeping a foothold on the UK property Ladder or sell up.

It is however imperative to work with a Letting Agent that you trust and find out who will be dealing with your home on a daily basis. Too many larger companies pass you over to call centres and the personal touch disappears. Here at SurreyLets we pride ourselves on offering clients a personal and professional service that is tailor made to suit you. The professional staff can advise you on all aspects of letting you home and assist you with every step along the way, ensuring your best interests are put first”

Often people who try this approach find that the knowledge that they still have a ‘haven’ in the UK helps them settle into their new life in Spain, and it is soon a case of “Never going back”.

Labels: buying property in Spain, Letting Agents in Surrey

Ninety-two percent of ex-pats living in Spain have said the weather is their top reason for leaving the UK, while eight-five percent appreciate the slower pace of living. The top four reasons for ex-pats to leave the UK are: Better weather, better quality of life, higher standard of living, lower crime rate. These findings have just been released in a survey conducted by Alliance and Leicester.

As I write this in the middle of November, I'm looking out at a clear blue sky and clear blue Mar Menor sea, having enjoyed a day where the temperature reached around 21 degrees....and I whole heartedly agree with the survey results. Despite all the apparent doom and gloom surrounding property in Spain the glorious weather and the excellent quality of life here has not changed. With some excellent value properties now available, if you are in a position to buy, now really is the time to get your foot on the ladder. In Murcia prices have always been much lower than the national average and the landscape and culture here remain unspoilt - come and see for yourself soon.

Survey results at Alliance & Leicester website

Labels: buying property in Spain

With the pound slipping to an all time low against the Euro you may think it is a bad time to be looking for property for Spain. However here in Murcia, developers have developed a pricing structure which helps clients from the UK beat the low exchange rate.

On certain developments you can purchase your Spanish property at a fixed sterling price. This is clearly a benefit because the price you sign for in sterling is the price you will pay on completion - you do not have to worry about the impact of changes to the exchange rate. In addition, the developers are offering excellent exchange rate terms - far above the current market rate.

For example a property available at a price of 136,000 euros is also available at a fixed sterling price of £90,600 - therefore you are getting an exchange rate of 1,50 euros to the pound. This option is not available on all developments and the rates offered do vary - however it does provide the opportunity to turn back the clock and beat the current currency market conditions.

Labels: buying property in Spain, Exchange rate