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Canary Island property magazineIssue 87

freedom4sale.com The largest single collection of Canary Island property for sale

Further information call 0034 928 177 538 Freedom for Sale 2w w w . t h e p r o p e r t y g a l l e r y . c o m

C.C. Centro Playa, Local No 9, Puerto Colon, San Eugenio Bajo,Playa de las Americas, 38660 Adeje, Tenerife, Canary Islands.Tel: (00 34) 922 719 925 / 922 719 889Fax: (00 34) 922 719 616 Skype: tenerife.propertye-mail: [email protected]

FAÑABE.

Very nice apartment on complex with communal pool

and gardens. Sold with utility room, 2 car garage,

views to the sea & mountains.

PRICE: 278.250 EUROS

BED X3, BATH X2. REF: D1479

MIRADOR DEL SUR, SAN EUGENIO ALTO.

Detached villa with its own private swimming pool on the

large terrace. The property is built over 3 floors, has air-

con, is sold furnished and was recently decorated.



JARDIN TROPICAL, SAN EUGENIO.

Studio apartment by the sea on fantastic apart-hotel complex.

Communal swimming pool.


BED X0, BATH X1. REF: A348

CLUB ATLANTIS, SAN EUGENIO.

Front line complex: Triplex apartment in good condition with

3 terraces, garden, spacious master bedroom.



ADEJE.

Prestigious villa situated in the south of Tenerife and enjoys

panoramic views of the coastline and the Atlantic Ocean.

13.600 m2 plot.

REDUCED PRICE: 2.200.000 EUROS


MAR Y SOL, PLAYA DE LAS AMERICAS.

Handicap oriented complex with 3 swimming pools with jets

& heated, medical service, restaurant, bar, etc. Furnished.


BED X1, BATH X1. REF: B1483

CLUB ATLANTIS, SAN EUGENIO.

Large corner property on front line complex beside

Puerto Colon Harbour and beach, beautiful views.


BED X2, BATH X2. REF: C1336

BED X1, BATH X1. REF: B1519

TORRES YOMELY,

PLAYA DE LAS AMERICAS.

Apartment with fitted kitchen, lounge and 2 terraces (6 m2

each one), parking space. Panoramic and sea views. 66 m2.


BUZANADA, ARONA.

Apartment with American style fitted kitchen, wardrobes

in the bedrooms and the building has a lift.

PRICE 42.500 EUROS

BED X2, BATH X1. REF: 13412

CLUB LA MAR, PUERTO SANTIAGO.

Apartment in good order and with lounge-diner, fitted

wardrobes, kitchen and terrace. Communal pool.

PRICE: 70.800 EUROS


SUR Y SOL, LOS CRISTIANOS.

Ground floor 1 bedroom apartment with 1 bathroom,

fitted wardrobes in the bedroom, lounge, fitted kitchen

and a terrace. Communal pool.



Bank RepossessionsSpecial Offers

HOLIDAY VALLEY, SAN EUGENIO ALTO.

Bungalow with terrace & garden.

Communal swimming pool.


BED X2, BATH X1. REF: C1625

www.freedom4sale.com - Over 10,000 properties across the Canary Islands Freedom for Sale 3

CONTENT

Design/Production: Paul Sully - 00 34 928 177 538 e-mail: [email protected]

Sales: Lynne Robinson - 00 34 928 177 538 or 617 225 369 e-mail: [email protected]

We can take no responsibilty for any damage or loss which may be caused as a result of material published herewith.

Published by Freedom Media slTel/fax: 0034 928 177 538 / UK: 0203 1500 538 / worldwide: 0844 5718 633

Paul Sully. Co-director. Editor. Design, web.

After graduating from the London College of Printing Paul went into the printing industry. Achieved a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree from Plymouth University in Psychology. Arriving in Lanzarote Paul sought a new challenge in founding the Canary Islands first specialist property magazine.

Stephanie Buchanan Design

Stephanie studied textile design at the University of Wolverhampton, then ‘fell’ into graphics after mar-rying a graphic designer! She came to Lanzarote in 1998 and together with her husband, runs a successful graphics and signwrit-ing business. Stephanie works as a freelance designer for Freedom Media.

Hilary Klart Accounts

Hilary although born in Buckinghamshire in England, has lived most of her life in Australia. Before arriving in Lanzarote where she married a local politician, she worked at KPMG in Sidney. Hilary is now in charge of accounts at Freedom Media

Tomas Martinez- Oliva Design

Tomas was born in mainland Spain and has lived in Lanzarote for the last 10 years. He is the youngest addition to the F4S team, with an English mother & Spanish father, being bi lingual he is a bright & entusiastic asset. After completing his Bachillerato, Tomas went on to study Graphic design and has spent the last year travelling around the U.S.

The Team

Property News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 This issues Canary Island property news round up

Tenerife section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Property price guide displayed in price order. Estate agents and properties in all areas of Tenerife.

New driving license laws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Lanzarote section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Property price guide displayed in price order. Estate agents and properties in all areas of Lanzarote.

Best way to make a money transfer . . . . . . . . . . 12

10 tips to maximise real estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Foreign buyers delight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Buying on the beach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Fuerteventura section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Property price guide displayed in price order. Estate agents and properties in all areas of Fuerteventura.

Moving to Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Property paperwork in Spain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Mortgage Overseas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Welcome to Issue 87 of Freedom4Sale

In this months property news, widespread reports that proper-ty prices have passed the worst and started to rise is predom-inant.

It’s been an astonishing six and a half years of decline, both in house prices and the amount of money invested in the Spanish property market - both values have dropped by half during this time.

Now, the very latest sales figures show a one percent increase in property values and, in the last month alone, asking prices are said to have risen by one percent too, the biggest monthly increase since 2006. This may seem small but its highly signifi-cant, the industry is on the rise.

1 in 7 of homes sold during this period were bought by for-eigners, a new high according to the reports and led as usual by Brits, followed by buyers from France, Russia and Germany (with Belgium and Sweden not too far behind).

While the house price decline has been hard on homeown-ers, it now creates a welcoming market for first time buyers. Spanish property is now the most affordable of any EU coun-try. When comparing average wages with average house prices today, property is twice as affordable in Spain than, for example, in the UK. This also comes at a time when interest rates have hit an all time low. If you are thinking of buying then now is the time to take action before any further subse-quent rise in prices, with lending conditions favourable.

Visit our website www.freedom4sale.com where you’ll find over 8,000 properties currently for sale across the Islands. Click on our search button to start a location specific search to find properties within your specified budget. By registering for a free account, you can save your own property searches, keep a list of your favourite properties, and receive alerts of new properties by email as they come on to the market as well as receiving our monthly newsletter.

Happy Hunting

The Freedom 4 Sale team

Lynne Robinson Co-director. Sales manager

Born in Surrey, Lynne attended Kingston University in Surrey & went on to work in advertis-ing sales for UK Press Gazette, Express Newspapers & Elle magazine. After living in Alicante for a number of years, she eventu-ally came to Lanzarote in 2000. Was invited to Freedom4Sale by director Paul Sully.

Freedom for Sale 4 www.freedom4sale.com

[PROPERTY NEWS]August house prices have biggest rise in 8 years

Caixa purchases Barclays bank

The average price of resale property in Spain in August stood at 1,656 euros/m2 and registered a monthly increase of 1%, according to recent data .This is the second increase this year after the price of second hand housing registered a slight increase of 0.2% in January. The increase registered in August is the highest since April 2006, when prices rose by 1.1%.

Year-on-year, housing prices fell by -6.3% in August, which represents a slowdown in the decline compared to August last year, when they registered a fall of -9.7% year-on-year.

The average price of resale property in

Spain has accumulated a decline of -43.9%

since its record high recorded in April

2007, when it stood at 2,952 euros/m2. In

this regard, 10 regions have registered

price decreases in excess of -40% since

the peak prices reached seven years ago.

The region of La Rioja has recorded the

greatest fall (-54.4%), followed by: Navar-

ra (-50.1%); Aragón (-49.7%); Castilla-La

Mancha (-48.8%); Murcia (-46.6%); Cata-

lonia (-46.5%); Valencia (-45.6%); Madrid

(-44.5%); Andalucía (-42.9%) and Asturias,

which has fallen by -42.4%.

Thirteen of Spain’s 17 regions registered increases in the average price of second hand housing in August. The regions to record the greatest increases were Mur-cia (3.3%), the Balearics (2.7%), the Ca-nary Islands (2.5%) and Catalonia (2.4%). In contrast, three regions registered de-clines: Navarra (-1.2%); the Basque Coun-try (-1.1%) and Aragón (-0.1%), while Can-tabria remained stable compared to the previous month.

The Basque Country remains the most ex-pensive region in Spain, with an average price of 2,919 euros/m2, followed by Ma-drid (2,205 euros/m2) and Catalonia (2,066 euros/m2), while the regions with the most affordable resale housing prices, are Cas-tilla-La Mancha (1,133 euros/m2), Extrema-dura (1,167 euros/m2) and Murcia (1,226 euros/m2).

On a provincial level, 62% of the 50 prov-inces analysed (31) registered month-on-month price increases, ranging from 4.9% recorded in Toledo to 0.2% in Burgos. In contrast, prices fell in 17 provinces (34%), with the most pronounced decline being recorded in Ávila, of -2.9%, and the slight-est declines, of -0.3%, being recorded in the provinces of Zamora, Zaragoza and Sevilla. The provinces of Ourense and Can-tabria remained stable over the month of July.

After nearly four months of negotiations, Caixabank, Spain’s third-largest lender, has said that it will pay 800 million euro for the network of 271 branches of the British bank. Barclays Spain, saying that it wants to increase its presence in Madrid where Barclays has 103 offices.

Implementation of the agreement is sched-

uled for the end of this year and is subject to regulatory approval, and the final price could be adjusted based on the value of the Spanish operations’ assets at the end of the year.

The group has a total network of 271 branches and a portfolio of 550,000 cus-tomers. The deal does not include Bar-

clays’ credit card operations in Spain, or its

investment banking business.

The Barclays network will join the 5,695

Caixabank branches adding a further 2,400

employees to the present workforce of

31,574. Many analysts are now suggesting

that the group will consolidate both staff

and branches in coming the months, in line

with other similar businesses, and the pro-

cess could be now be accelerated by this

acquisition. The bank predicts restructur-

ing costs in the region of 300 million euros.

According to market sources, the Catalan

Bank held intense negotiations with the

British Group throughout the month of

August culminating with the agreement

which was announced this month.

Further information call 0034 928 177 538 Freedom for Sale 5

[PROPERTY NEWS]Euribor lowest at end of August

The government of the Canary Islands has

launched another attempt to prevent oil

giant Repsol from carrying out explorato-

ry drilling off Lanzarote and Fuerteventu-

ra. Spokesman Fernando Ríos confirmed

yesterday that a formal review of the de-

cision by the Spanish Ministry of Energy

to allow the drilling has been requested on

the grounds that the process was “ridden

with error”. “No account was taken in the

impact assessment of the wealth of infor-

mation available on the environmental im-

portance of the waters off the two islands.

The authorisation blatantly contradicts

Madrid’s own view, stated in 2007, that

activities such as military exercises and oil

drilling should be banned due to the po-

tential damage they would cause to local

ecosystems” explained Ríos.

The Ministry of Employment and Social Security has reported that the 50 euros flat rate social security contribution for new self-employed persons implemented last year, has so far encouraged a total of 267,964 new entrepreneurs to register in the Spanish Social Security system.

The 50 euros flat rate was approved by decree-law in support of entrepreneurs, by the Council of Ministers in February 2013, within the strategy for enterprise and youth employment 2013-2016. This strate-gy includes a series of measures aimed at boosting youth recruitment and entrepre-neurship and thus contribute to reducing unemployment in the group under 30 years of age. In fact, of the 267,964 new self-em-ployed, 109,287 are under 30. Subsequent-ly, the law of entrepreneurs expanded the scope of the flat 50 euros rate to cover all new self-employed, regardless of their age.

Under this measure, during the six months

following the date of registration into the

Special Scheme for Self-Employed Work-

ers (RETA), the new autonomous workers

benefit from a 80% reduction in the regu-

lar social security contribution, by being

allowed to pay a contribution of only 50

euros monthly compared to the average

contribution of 250 euros. In addition, over

the next six month period, a reduction of

50% on the minimum average contribution

applies. After this period, self-employed

persons of 30 years of age or over will then

benefit from a 30% reduction in their contri-

butions for a further six months, while the

men up to 30 years of age and women up

to 35, will benefit from a 30% reduction on

their contributions for a further 18 months.

After recording the biggest drop in nine months, the Euribor, the index reference for the majority of Spanish mortgages, closed the month of August at 0.469%.

The index started the month with the dai-ly rate of 0.489% and fell to 0.434% on the last working day of August. With 21 daily values in the month, the Euribor closed August at 0.469%, representing a decrease of 0.073 points over the Euribor at the end of August last year, and less than the minimum rate registered in May 2013, of 0.484%.

Thus, the Spanish who have a mortgage of 120,000 euros over 20 years with a spread of Euribor + 1%, will benefit from a reduc-

tion in their payments of 48 euros per year.

The evolution of the indicator depends on increases or decreases in interest rates approved by the European Central Bank (ECB), which in June they decided to drop to a record low of 0.15%, a move which was made in order to address the risks of a prolonged period of low inflation.

The Euribor had registered record min-imum levels at the end of August due to repeated drops, which could be increased next month following the monthly meeting of the ECB. Rumours of the implementation of non-conventional monetary measures that have emerged during the last week in-tensified the fall of the Euribor waiting for

new reductions in interest rates.”

Thus, those mortgages due for review who will benefit from these falls will see a dis-count of just “a few euros monthly”. For example, on a mortgage with an outstand-ing principal of 75,000 euros over a 20 year term and a spread of Euribor + 1.5%, this represents a fall of scarcely 3 euros month-ly. However, according to Díez, although the Euribor is expected to continue to fall to levels of 0.4% in the coming months, its real effect on mortgages will be very small.

In fact, the fall of the indicator does not necessarily imply a reduction in mortgag-es, as many still include the controversial “ground clauses”, which set a minimum interest rate payable and prevents those mortgage holders benefiting from further falls in the Euribor beyond those set rates. The Banks, Savings Banks and Insurance Users Association (Adicae) estimated a little over a year ago that in Spain there are around four million people affected by these clauses.

The Euribor’s record high was registered in July 2008, when it stood at 5.393%. Since that moment it began a downward trajec-tory which halted in 2010, and resumed in mid-2011.

50 Euro social security boost Drilling block

Freedom for Sale 6 www.freedom4sale.com/tenerife

[TENERIFE SECTION]

Amarilla Golf

A well presented 2 bedroom apartment in a tranquil environment. Recently refurbished to a good standard and on a complex with communal pool and within touching distance to the sea and stunning scenery.

Web ref: 236857Estate Agent: Tenerife Property Shop Price: 125,000e

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Golf del Sur

An immaculate garden apartment that offers a generous spread of square metres and is situated in a stunning development that consists of 3 swimming pools, one of which is heated in the cooler months.


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Golf del Sur

Great opportunity to own a studio with excellent rental potential on one of the most popular complexes in the area. Landscaped gardens are two pools, bar/restaurant First floor & offers lovely views of golf & mountains


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Las Chafiras

This 3 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse is ideal for a family in a popular area close to shops, restaurants, golf courses & transport. Situated on a residential complex with pools and childrens play area


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Roque del Conde

How would you like to wake in the morning to the most fabulous ocean views? This stunning Villa gives you just that and so much more. Built on a 750sqm plot JUST REDUCED BY 200,000 EUROS for a QUICK SALE!


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485

Valle San Lorenzo

Comfortable independant villa is ideally located a short distance from Valle San Lorenzo in a quiet residential area.With private parking and a fantastic roof terrace to enjoy the views of the surrounding area and coastline.


5

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Chayofa

Chayofa Country Club is located in the South of Tenerife, approximately 18km from the Reina Sofia airport. There are many facilities on this well maintained complex

Web ref: 239576Estate Agent: The Property Gallery Price: 59,099e

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San Eugenio

Beautiful modern detached villa in Roque villas with fantastic view. Fully fitted kitchen, lounge-dining area, 2 terraces, balconies off top bedroom, closed private 24 m2 garage, store room.


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150

Los Cristianos

La Sirena is a very central residential complex in Los Cristianos, very near the Centro Cultural, and the bus station. 1 bedroom apartment on the ground floor, 1 full bathroom, equipped kitchen, sold furnished.


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Guargacho

BANK REPOSSESSION; Guargacho is a typical Canarian village with amenities to hand, into Costa del Silencio and Las Galletas; on the way to TF1 and The Chafiras. It is on the bus route to the tourist areas.

Web ref: 239572 Estate Agent: The Property Gallery Price: 60,500e

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San Eugenio

A property that oozes of luxury. Built against the hillside and has 3 levels. Double size lounge with large patio windows to enjoy the fantastic panoramic view. Multiple features inc jacuzzis, wine cellar, internal lift

Web ref: 239371Estate Agent: The Property Gallery Price: 3,250,000e

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Adeje

Large villa of 387 m² on 2 levels, 5 bright bedrooms, hallway, living room with fireplace, kitchen and 3 bathrooms. On the lower level there is a garage and store. Great views and close to several golf courses

Web ref: 239573Estate Agent: The Property Gallery Price: 1,200,000e

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3

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[TENERIFE SECTION]

Further information call 0034 928 177 538 Freedom for Sale 7Further information call 0034 928 177 538 Freedom for Sale 7Further information call 0034 928 177 538Further information call 0034 928 177 538Further information call 0034 928 177 538 Freedom for Sale 7Freedom for Sale 7Freedom for Sale 7

TENERIFE PROPERTY SHOP

www.tenerifepropertyshop.com

PEBBLE BEACH, AMARILLA GOLF AMG00359

With a choice of three terraces offering all day sunshine, recently refurbished interior with new bathroom and kitchen, two bedrooms and being sold at a price that offers value for money, this is sure to be sold very quickly. With stunning views of the golf course fairway and the marina, walking distance to local bars and restaurants and centrally located, ideal for that perfect holiday home in the sun. Price £94.500

PORT ROYALE, LOS CRISTIANOSLC00536

Based on a very popular complex, this easily accessible ground floor one bed apartment is spaciously laid out with a terrace area looking directly out on to the pool. Refurbished internally, based on a complex with reception and just a stone´s throw from bars and restaurants in the area plus Los Cristianos on your doorstep with its harbour, beaches and nightlife - an enviable location. Price e109.500

DUQUESA DEL MAR, GOLF DEL SURGOLF01286

An excellent opportunity to purchase a fabulous property in a highly desirable development in Golf Del Sur. Recent major overhaul with new furnishings and a brand new modern kitchen and with its south facing aspect offers a light, bright and airy residence. Large living areas consisting of lounge, dining area, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and utility area. Marble floors, air conditioning, private sunny terraces and a great location to boot. The complex is spotless and the communal pool is heated in the cooler months of the year. All local amenities are on your doorstep, alternatively you can head along the promenade walk to the commercial centre of San Blas. Priced to sell and genuine reason for sale. Price e169.000

THE PALMS, GOLF DEL SURGOLF01271

This newly refurbished 2 bedroom 2 bathroom bungalow conversion is situated in a lovely quiet position on the complex.

Spacious living areas, independant kitchen, new bathrooms, there are front & rear terraces & a roof terrace to enjoy all

day sunshine. On a well maintained complex set in tropical gardens with a pool bar - this is worth taking a look at!

Price e125.000

VICTORIA COURT, LOS CRISTIANOSLC00537

This recently refurbished one bedroom apartment is located on the ever popular Victoria Court I development in the heart of Los Cristianos. Everything you need is within walking distance including the seafront, the town centre and a great selection of bars and restaurants and local supermarkets. The complex is very well maintained and has a pool bar on site as well! The property is spacious with a walk-in shower, double bedroom with fitted wardrobes and a recently renovated kitchen. The private terrace is ideal for relaxing or entertaining friends! Price £110.000

OCEAN RIDGE, AMARILLA GOLFAMG00358

Situated on a small well maintained community, this bungalow has two good sized bedrooms with built in storage and two shower rooms (one of them en suite), a recently redesigned kitchen to a high quality and dining/lounge area. The delightful terrace overlooks the community gardens and the heated swimming pool with views over the bay to Costa del Silencio headland. To the front, views of the sea over the golf course and Teide, and parking only 10 meters from front door. Price e 189.000

EL PASO, PLAYA DE LAS AMERICASLA01648

This immaculately presented 2 bedroom apartment is in one of the best locations in Playa de las Americas. Based on a very well maintained and private complex with pleasant pool & garden areas. The beautiful Playa las Vistas beach as well as the upmarket Safari Centre including the new flagship Hard Rock Cafe not to mention high end shopping with an excellent choice of some of the best bars and restaurants in Tenerife! Completely refurbished including a new fully fitted independent kitchen , a bathroom with walk in shower & new floor tiling throughout. Underground parking and storeroom included. A rare opportunity.....! Price e 365.000

LA MARETAOG00151

Immaculately presented 2 bedroom bungalow on a plot of 280 square metres in a quiet cul dul sac of only 4 properties. Very tranquil hideaway location, yet close enough to the main resorts and the coast. Only a 5 minute drive to the Spanish seaside resort of El Medano and a 20 minute drive to Playa De Las Americas. Oodles of private, sunshine and shade. Refurbished and tastefully decorated and furnished to a high standard. The kitchen is less than a year old and is fully equipped. The lounge and bedrooms are comfortable and the bathroom is nice, light and airy. Parking outside the front of the house is a doddle, no permits needed here. There is room to extend and even space to add a flat. If you are looking for something a little different away from the maddening crowds then take a look at this little gem. Price e229.000

ROQUE DEL CONDEPP00212

A high quality independent villa built to the highest standards throughout. Consisting of spacious & bright living areas, 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and with a private terrace including pool. Located in one of the most exclusive areas in the south with commanding views to the coast and La Gomera and all amenities close by..... Price e695.000

EL NÁUTICO, GOLF DEL SURGOLF01043

This fantastic 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment enjoys a fantastic frontline location just metres from the ocean. Based on one of the most luxurious apartment complexes in the South of Tenerife. With a welcoming reception area, private gym, bar and restau-rant on site and a pleasant pool area overlooking the sea. The apartment is spacious with ample lounge area and fully fitted kitchen. Air acclimitisation and electric shutters are standard in all rooms. If you are looking for quality and a place to relax then El Náutico should be top of your list. Price £425.000

Tel: + 34 922 714 700 + 34 922 715 064

Local 117 Puerto Colon, Playa de las Americas

Just a selection from our HUGE portfolio of [email protected]

Freedom for Sale 8 www.freedom4sale.com/tenerife

[TENERIFE SECTION]New Driving Laws in Spain

Most people who own property in Spain need to drive a car here too. We stray from the usual property themes to update you on the major novelties in Spain’s new traffic laws.

Spain has recently passed new motoring laws which came into force last 9th of May 2014. This new law merits an article unto itself as it significantly alters and impacts existing legislation. We have purposely written it in bullet points so readers can easily reach the section they are interested in.

This is not to be taken or construed as an exhaustive guide to existing road laws. As a word of caution, this new law only establishes ‘master strokes’; the fine print will be elaborated in detail in future regulation.

Major Highlights

1.Speeding. Art 1.10

• Increased in motorways to 130 kph (existing speed limits remain in force however if safety is in doubt)

2. Drink-driving & Drug-driving. Art 1.9 & 1.18

• The legal amount permitted is:

i) 0.5 grams per litre of blood or 0.30 g/l for new or professional drivers.

ii) 0.25 milligrams per litre of exhaled air or 0.15 mg/l for new or professional drivers.

For those – like me – who are still left clueless on the above I put practical examples for both men and women. Alcohol consumption and its effects vary from one person to the next depending on various parameters: age, gender, speed of alcohol consumption, empty stomach, exhaustion level and weight. In general terms for a man weighing 70 kilos this translates to 1.5 beers (understood as half pints in Spain) or two glasses of wine. For a woman weighing 60 kilos this translates to one beer or one and a half glass of wine.

• In addition to breath alcohol testing carried out by the Guardia Civil in its random road checks drivers may also be tested for drug-use. If you test positive, besides losing up to six driving points and incurring a hefty fine (detailed below in section seven), you may even lose your driving licence and have the car immobilised. The exception to this rule are medically prescribed drugs. These tests are mandatory and may not be refused without facing legal consequences. Anyone involved in an accident may be forced to take alcohol and drug tests (even pedestrians).

3. Cyclists. Art 1.12 & 1.14

• The use of helmet is mandatory for under sixteen-year-olds.

• The use of helmet is compulsory on cycling on interurban roads and its use is ‘recommended’ on urban roads as well.

• On overtaking cyclists a distance of 1.5 mts must be observed by drivers. If an overtaking maneuver poses “any” danger to a cyclist a driver must desist until it is deemed safe. Again an open-ended criteria that ought to be ruled in detail in my humble opinion to avoid grey areas specifically on affecting people’s life’s (cyclists).

4. Foreign-plated cars. Art 1.16

• Foreign residents: any vehicle owned or driven by them with a foreign licence plate must be changed over to Spanish plates – no exceptions.

• Non-residents: forbidden to circulate in Spain with uninsured foreign-plated cars.

• Non-residents: forbidden to drive in Spain foreign-plated cars which have not passed the equivalent of the Spanish ITV (UK’s MOT).

5. Children. Art 1.17

• Forbidden to drive under twelve-year-olds in motorbikes (as passengers).

• Following Art 1.8 and 1.17 small children, relating to weight and height restrictions (unspecified), may not


[TENERIFE SECTION]

occupy front or rear seats (sic). Note: Unfortunately the law is unclear on this point and leaves the door ajar to future regulation to elaborate this point in detail. This grey area leaves this article open to interpretation until the regulation is passed. Being a parent this makes me deeply unhappy.

I construe this as any child under 135 centimetres may not occupy the front seats even if placed on a child seat. They must occupy only rear seats and in addition should be placed on an approved homologated child seat (“Sistema de Retención Infantil” or SRI in Spanish).

Transporting children under 1.35 metres in height (4 feet and 43 inches) regardless of age requires the mandatory use of a child seat . This extends to rent-a-cars and taxis (you must source your own child seat and be able to demonstrate it on renting a vehicle). Professional drivers, such as taxi drivers, will not be held liable on passengers breaching the law. The fine will be €200 and the (private) vehicle maybe immobilized by law enforcement agents. Tourists should pay special attention to this point on passing through or on holidaymaking in Spain.

Children equal to or taller than 135 centimetres may occupy front seats so long as they wear a driving belt.

The use of seat belts is mandatory for all passengers.

6. Radar Detectors. Art 1.17 & 1.18

• The use of such speed-detecting devices is prohibited resulting in fines of up to €200 and you stand to lose up to three driving points.

7. Fines. Art 1.24

• Payment of fines increased to 20 days qualifying to obtain a 50 per cent discount.

• Fines range from €500 to €1,000 for driving at double the amount permitted (Art 1.20). Driving points lost range between four to six points.

• Fines range from €500 to €1,000 for driving under the effects of drugs (Art 1.20). Up to six driving points lost.

8. Penalty Information Exchange between European Driving Agencies

Additional second disposition.

European Driving Agencies will freely exchange information on road penalties relating specifically to:

• Speeding fines.

• Drink-driving

• Drug-driving.

• Jumping red lights.

• Non-compliance with mandatory use of seat belt.

• Non-compliance with mandatory use of helmet.

• Driving using a mobile or similar handheld devices.

• Driving on the wrong lane, reserved to specific vehicles or unauthorised overtaking.

The following three countries have opted out of the above penalty information exchange scheme: United Kingdom (DVLA), Republic of Ireland and Denmark.

Conclusion

Driving in Spain is fairly different from the UK. And I am not referring to driving on the other lane. As a real-life example after having lived and worked in the United Kingdom for the last four years only once did someone blow the horn at me (and yes, it was justified). On coming on holiday to Spain, in the space of only three days I was honked at no less than five times – all unjustified.

The lesson here is that on travelling abroad you would do well to acquaint yourself with local driving laws and get accustomed, as much as possible, to your new driving ‘idiosyncrasy’; take it from me!

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do” – St Ambrose.

Please note the information provided in this article is of general interest only and is not to be construed or intended as substitute for professional legal advice

Freedom for Sale 10 www.freedom4sale.com/lanzarote

[LANZAROTE SECTION]

SPECIALISING • NO.1 IN PROPERTY CONVEYANCE• FOREIGN INVESTMENTS• TRANSFERS OF LEASE• LAND LAW• INHERITANCE LAW, WILLS AND PROBATE• CONTRACT AGREEMENTS AND COMPANY LAW

LITIGATION• INTERNATIONAL DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW• ACCIDENT AND INJURY CLAIMS• CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW

• FAX: (0034) 928 80 64 28• SKYPE: ASGINTERCONSULTING• EMAIL: [email protected]• WEB: ASGINTERCONSULTING.ES

(0034) 928 80 63 63

FUERTEVENTURA C/ GALICIA 20, CORRALEJO

ARRECIFE C/ JOSE MOLINA 6, 1ST C

PUERTO DEL CARMEN C/ TEIDE 22

PLAYA BLANCA C/ LA LAPA 27

LAWYERS •ABOGADOS • RECHTSANWÄLTE

Lawyers1 Property Conveyancing

1 Civil, Criminal, Labour Law

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1 Evictions & Insurance Claims

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1 Tax Consultants

1 Companies & Self Employed

1 All Types of Paperwork

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Business Centre

[email protected]

1 Arrecife - C/ Jose Molina 6,1oC

1 Puerto del Carmen - C/ Teide 22, local 1

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1 Fuerteventura - C/ Galicia 20, Corralejo

1 Madrid 1 London

Offices

We speak English,Spanish, German

and Chinese

Legal Services

Specialists in Property Conveyancing

Call Centre1 (0034) 928 80 63 63

1 M : 615 085 036

1 Fax : 928 80 64 28Est. since 1988

• NO.1 IN PROPERTY CONVEYANCE

LAWYERS •ABOGADOS • RECHTSANWÄLTE

www.grupoestupendo.com

House For Sale in Nazaret, Lanzarote Good size property in Las Cabreras with fantastic views. Three large double bedrooms, ensuite bathroom and a family shower room. Sunny aspect lounge/dining room, galley style kitchen. Separate 1 bedroom and shower room annex. Good decorative order however it does need upgrading which is reflected in the asking price. Large integral garage with up and over door. Mains water and electricity and has telephone and wifi connected. Price 285,000 euros

House For Sale in Maguez, Lanzarote5 bed, 3 bathroom converted from a working mill a number of years ago to provide a wonderful character property. The property now requires renovation and needs someone with vision to realise its full potential. Comes with 2 separate apartments. Price 199.950 euros

House For Sale in Nazaret, Lanzarote 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom bungalow with lots of character on the hillside of the Oasis de Nazaret close to the famous Lago Mar, offering superb panoramic distant sea and mountain views. The property was built in 1976 and is in need of some upgrading, which is reflected in the asking price. The property also benefits from a garage with up and over door. Price 230,000 euros

House For Sale in Costa Teguise, LanzaroteThree bedroom, two bathroom property in Cuidad Jardin in Costa Teguise. This property is walled with two remote control electronic gates for access. The house is set back in the middle of the plot so you have garden all around. There is ample room for a swimming pool at the back of the house. The front drive and parking area also has a water feature. Price 349,000 euros

Costa Teguise Office Coronas Playa Hotel, Avenida del Mar 26, 35508

Phone: Tel + 34 928 346 105

Sue: 0034 608 928 550 [email protected]: 0034 608 608 109 [email protected]

Costa Teguise

Ground floor apartment located on the always popular front-line complex of Playa Bastian with three pools, direct access to the seafront promenade and to the beach.

Web ref: 155495 Estate Agent: Location Lanzarote Price: e85,000

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Costa Teguise

A completely refurbished apartment in Los Molinos complex. This apartment is on the first floor of the complex and has a terrace of 12m2. Ideal holiday home


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Arrieta

Fabulous pizza takeaway. This busy business has an excellent turnover with good profits offering takeaway Homemade Pizzas, crepes, kebabs and lasagnes to locals as well as holidaymakers.

Web ref: 238333 Estate Agent: Grupo Estupendo Price: e16,000

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Playa Blanca

Top floor, 1 bed apartment for sale in the centre on Playa Blanca. Modern fixtures and fittings and sold furnished. Small balcony leading of the bedroom. Garage space available also if required.

Web ref: 194446Estate Agent: Playa Blanca Properties Price: e100,000

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Costa Teguise

Small private complex by the sea in Costa Teguise. Ground floor Apt on Alborada complex. Large terrace with views over the beautifully manicured gardens, large pool, and to the sea.


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Costa Teguise

One bedroom apartment on the first floor of the Los Molinos complex in Costa Teguise. The apartment has recently been re-furbished and has a brand new kitchen and shower room

Web ref: 239819Estate Agent: Grupo Estupendo Price: e120,000

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[LANZAROTE SECTION]

We can help you with every aspect of buying a property in Lanzarote, offering honest advice and an unrivalled after-sales service. We offer building and design services, holiday rental and property management/maintenance.

www.optimaestate.com [email protected]

Calle Varadero No 4, Playa Blanca, Yaiza, Lanzarote. 35580 / Mobile: +34 620 803 510 Phone +34 928 519 383

CENTRAL Located a 5 minute walk from the port, beach and town, this 1 bed bungalow is located in a popular urbanisation with large communal pool.

PRICE 129.500e

Ref. 114 PLAYA BLANCA

REDUCED Two bed apartment in the Town Centre of Playa Blanca with private entrance, balcony overlooking walking street and a large roof terrace with great sea views.

PRICE 297.000e reduced from 325.000e

Ref 409 PLAYA BLANCA

REDUCED Two bed two bath villa in Las Coloradas, close to Papagayo beaches. Walled garden with open outlook. Private heated pool and designated parking space.PRICE: 180.000e, reduced from 218.000e


IMMACULATE! Excellent 3 bed 2 bath villa on a large plot in Costa Papagayo. Beautifully presented both inside and out, with gorgeous rear gardens, pool terraces and private pool, secure off street parking and a stunning roof top lounge with views of the mountains. PRICE 289.000e


DETACHED4 bed 3 bath house located 15 minutes walk from the town. Set on large plot, the property has a modern interior.

PRICE 290.000e


NEW3 bed 2 bath villa in Costa Papagayo. 15 minute walk to Dorada Beach. Secure off street parking, extensive terraces and gardens, private heated pool and roof terrace. PRICE 278.000e


SEA AND MOUNTAIN VIEWSTerraced duplex with fabulous views to front and back. Deceptively spacious, the property has three double bedrooms, spacious through living/dining room and separate kitchen. PRICE 130.000e


MARINA RUBICON 3 bed 2 bath apartment located just behind the marina. Currently divided into two separate apartments (one 2 bed, one 1 bed), each with its own private outside space. With use of communal pool. An excellent long term rental investment PRICE 150.000e


SUPERB PROPERTY. Stunning 4 bed family home, detached, grounds of 2.500m2. Beautifully presented, with 4m high ceilings throughout and high quality fixtures and fittings. Extensive terrac-es offering 180º sea views, private pool, garage and many extras PRICE 1.500.000e

Ref. 457 COSTA TEGUISESEA VIEWS Great opportunity to purchase a large property with the interior to your exact taste – you design it! Located in small development on the slopes of Montaña Roja, these properties offer large plots and great outlooks. PRICE 575.000e finished

Ref. 339 PLAYA BLANCA NEWLY AVAILABLE 5 minutes from Marina Rubicon, 2 bed 2 bath town houses enjoy a privileged position a 2 minute walk from the sea front. Modern interiors, own parking, two balconies, private terrace and garden. All surrounding a large communal pool. Some offering sea views. PRICE 180.000 e

Ref 272 PLAYA BLANCASEA VIEWS Large detached 6 bed 4 bath property, on a corner plot in prestigious Los Riscos. Stunning sea views, currently laid out as two separate 3 bed 2 bath villas. Extensive terraces, gardens and private pool. PRICE: 725.000e


www.optimaestate.com [email protected]

More propertiesurgently required -

we now have clientswaiting


[LANZAROTE SECTION]

Whether you’re buying a second home abroad or you live overseas, at some stage you’ll need to transfer money between the UK and another country, from one currency to another. Your high street bank will offer to send your Pounds to an overseas bank account, converting them into Euros along the way, but there is another option. Currency brokers are specialists in foreign exchange markets and as such are better suited to transferring money overseas than banks.

By buying and selling large amounts of foreign currency on behalf of clients, currency brokers have been known to beat exchange rates offered by banks by up to 4% – a saving of up to £4,000 on a €120,000 transaction. Also, unlike banks, it is usual for currency brokers to charge no commission and waive other charges such as transfer or receiving bank fees. When clients open an account with a currency broker they are allocated a personal account handler, thus avoiding the “call centre” environment of banks.

Currency brokers have a range of solutions, or contracts, to suit different client scenarios. The Spot contract is the most basic and commonly used solution. This lets you fix an exchange rate with your broker for an immediate transfer.

If you are someone who prefers to budget carefully and protect yourself against fluctuating exchange rates, currency brokers offer Forward contracts. These are a type of ‘buy now, pay later’ solution that allow you to fix an exchange rate for future delivery of funds, often up to 12 months ahead.

If you are not risk averse and wish to take a gamble on rates improving, then you could opt for a Stop Loss or Limit order. The former will protect you against adverse exchange rate movements and secure your currency if it falls below a pre-agreed rate; the latter is placed at the top end of the market to secure currency at a specific price that may not be currently available. These tools allow you to aim for a higher rate while providing protection should markets move against you.

Finally, currency brokers can set up regular payment schemes for you. Examples include transferring Pounds into Euros on a monthly basis to cover overseas mortgage repayments or transferring a UK pension to an overseas account each month.

The FCA

In November 2009 currency brokers – officially classed as Money Services Businesses (MSB) – became regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The FSA has since been rebadged as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Such regulation should give peace of mind to consumers

who previously were nervous about entrusting their money with an unregulated money services business.

Naturally, ensuring your funds are in safe hands throughout the transfer process is of paramount importance. With this in mind we spoke to Nat Davison, Head of Private Clients at Global Reach Partners Limited, to understand how his company goes about giving clients peace of mind.

“When we speak to a new client the first question we are often asked is about the exchange rate. However, when we dig a little deeper the issue of security is generally at the forefront of someone’s mind. With any financial transaction, ensuring your funds are in safe hands throughout the process must be of the utmost importance. We strongly believe that we have the credentials to give complete reassurance to anyone who uses our service. Moreover, we proactively ask each of our clients to write about their experience of using Global Reach Partners on an independent review site so you do not just have to take our word that we do what we say!”

Davison welcomes the ongoing regulation his industry adheres to, “We are a registered Money Service Business (MSB) regulated by Revenue & Customs and meet stringent financial criteria designed specifically to protect client funds. We are also supervised by the FCA under the Payment Services Directive”.

Currency brokers get you more for your money than high street banks

What is the best way to make an overseas currency transfer?


[LANZAROTE SECTION]

We urgently need properties to rent on a long term basis

Freehold superior Restaurant. Ref. 1396In the centre of Costa Teguise

175 sqm build with 40 sqm terracefully equipped, seats 102 people

320,000e

House in Las Maretas. Ref. 1358With sea views in Costa Teguise.

3 beds / 3 baths, private pool, garage.145 sqm built on a 352 sqm plot.

285,000e

Finca and studio in Macher. Ref. 1397

4 beds / 2 baths. Jacuzzi420,000e

Montaña Blanca. Ref. 1395

3 beds / 1 bath / 1 wc and garage249,000e

Casas Verdes, Costa TeguiseRef. 1383

1 bed / 1 bath110,000e

Los Molinos ApartmentRef. 1394

1 bed / 1 bath, pool80,000e

Tel: 928 827 257629 751 602 - 665 683 799 - 628 789 189

Calle Puerto Cabras Numero 6, Local Numero 1, Residencial Las Moreras(San Marcial de Rubicon), Playa Blanca, 35580, Yaiza, Lanzarote.Telephone:- (00 34) 928 518 923 Mobile:- (00 34) 666 45 51 71 E-Mail:- [email protected] www.playablancaproperties.com

Lanzarote’s Preferred Estate Agency

E-Mail:- [email protected] www.playablancaproperties.com

REF AB292 Price: 185.000 €Detached 2 bed 2 bath villa with private heated pool in Playa Blanca. Excellent build with quality finish, including marble floors throughout. Located in a good position close to the coast & short walk to nearest beaches. Generous plot size, private garden, surrounded by lovely boundary wall. Decorated equipped & furnished. Complex has large communal pool.

REF AB302 Price: 290.000 €Good price. 3 bed, 2 bath villa located in fantastic position with lovely sea views. Situated close to coast, beaches, amenities & Marina Rubicon. Easy layout, spread over 2 levels with advantage of own private terraces & private pool. Fully furnished & equipped, this property is a good size. Communal garage & store room

REF AB341 Price: 225.000 €In excellent condition. Good sized 3 bed duplex villa situated in

good position close to coast. Just a short walk to Marina Rubicon

& close to beaches & shopping areas. Part furnished with spacious

rooms. Part of a complex, you will find a good size communal

swimming pool. Views of the pool & communal areas.

REF AB355 Price: 180.000 €3 bed 2 bath villa with private heated pool, situated in quite spot in Playa Blanca. Close to local school & main town centre. Rooms of a generous size, including private gardens & lovely terraced area out side property. Completely decorated equipped and furnished. Property rents well most of year.

REF AB358 Price: 170.000 €Beautiful, detached 3 bed 2 bath bungalow situated in quiet complex

with large communal swimming pool. Fully furnished & equipped.

Property of decent size with generous plot, large terraces, private land-

scaped gardens, & lovely views, at their best from the roof terrace.

REF AB242 Price: 190.000 €Great 2 bed, 1 bath villa with private heated pool & private

garage situated in highly sought out area of Las Coloradas.

Sold fully furnished & equipped. Mountain views to be enjoyed

from good sized terrace. Property rents all year round. Good

investment property.


[LANZAROTE SECTION]10 Tips To Maximise Real Estate Return and Minimise Risk

1. Don´t be in a hurry

Before browsing real estate advertisements and web listings, it is important to sit down with a blank piece of paper and think carefully about what outcome you wish to achieve from this purchase.

Is it a steady income from a buy and hold?

A capital gain from a property that can be renovated and quickly sold?

A property that can be rented initially and used as a retirement home in the future?

Time spent considering these basic issues is very well spent.

As Warren Buffett once said, an opinion poll is no substitute for thought.

2. Consider your exit strategy when you buy, not when you sell

Before signing on the dotted line, think carefully about who will buy this property from you in 3, 5 or 10 years time.

- Is it another investor? If so, you need to sell a strong rental yield.

- A tourist? They can be very fickle and vacation markets can get saturated.

- A local owner occupier? The biggest pool of buyers, but they will want to be in a safe clean neighborhood near good schools.

3. Do your homework on the selling agent

Prospective buyers often spend the vast majority of their research time examining potential properties but nowhere near enough time doing their homework on the person or company who is actually promoting it.

A good agent would be happy to give you client references.

Don’t be afraid of asking for this, the majority of people would take your request as a buying signal and will happily supply them.

4. Research the community / neighborhood carefully

This is crucial. Use the web to research local demographics and household incomes. As well as research crime data plus housing and business information. Check local rental and sales comparison (as a rough guide only).

If you are purchasing in a community ask for a copy of the last AGM minutes to ascertain the number of non paying community owners and bank repossessions. This gives an idea of how healthy the community is and if its likely to run into problems in the future. If there are a lot of postponed maintenance or bad debts building up it’s a potential risk. If you can´t do this diligence yourself, ask an expert to do it for you. It´s worth the fee.

5. Arrange an independent inspection report

A property might look great on the outside and the community might have terrific amenities, but that doesn´t mean the interior is in good condition. It takes an expert to determine if the air conditioner works, if the electrical wiring is safe, if the roof is in good condition, if there are issues with water/plumbing, if there is damp/mold, if the boiler is working properly etc. etc. Any one of these issues could cost thousands of euros to fix after you complete your purchase.

These inspections can be arranged by a bulider and usually cost 250-300 euros for a full report. Just make sure it has been arranged and completed before your deposit is put down

Here are 10

common sense

tips and tricks that

should be of use

to any real estate

investor.


[LANZAROTE SECTION]10 Tips To Maximise Real Estate Return and Minimise Risk

6. Appoint a competent property manager

A property manager generally has two roles to play: keeping the property owner happy and keeping the tenant happy. It’s not an easy job and it is very labor intensive.

A professional who manages your portfolio and your tenants well over a number of years is worth their weight in gold. Practically all property managers charge additional fees for placing a new tenant or renewing the lease of an existing tenant, so you should make yourself aware of these and input them into your calculations.

The better your management company is at doing their job, the happier the tenant will be and longer they will stay. Having tenants move in and out on a regular basis is a stressful and expensive experience that should be avoided at almost all costs.

7. Treat your tenants with respect, but demand it from them too

The best property owners are those who make an effort to keep tenants happy and nip problems in the bud. If a well-behaved tenant makes a request, make sure they get a polite reply and that action is quickly taken to

solve their problem.

Don´t delay or refuse to make requested repairs to your own property. All you will achieve is time consuming disputes and disruption to your income stream. Make sure you have cash flow set aside for these things and keep track of the cost.

Do not put up with tenants who are consistently late with rental payments. You need to be very strict from day one and don´t be afraid to evict if they are not honoring their rental agreement.

8. Try and pick a unit that stands out from others nearby

Choose a reasonably priced property in a nice neighborhood, but try and get the best one available. If the two bed apartmentson the upper floors have extra floor space or a larger balcony, pick that one. If one owner has spent money on expensive tiled flooring and an open plan kitchen, pay extra for that unit if the extra cost is less than the time and money it cost them.

If there is a decent view in the community, pick a unit facing it. If one community has great amenities (pool, tennis children’s play areas) and is priced only a little higher than a more basic community across the street,

consider spending the extra money.

9. Avoid deals that look too good to be true

If you find a property that looks like an amazing investment, take a very deep breath and figure out what you are not seeing. Probably fifty per cent of the time, it will be a great deal and you just happened to get there first.

The other fifty per cent of the time, others will have seen it before you and will have passed on it for a reason.

10. Keep on top of things.

Sometimes people switch off after they´ve bought and rented out a properly only to find huge problems building up without their knowledge. If something is going wrong, you need to be able to nip it in the bud.

Keep a close eye on money coming in and out of your property investment at all times, update your folder storing the paperwork every month and make sure you file your tax returns every year.


[LANZAROTE SECTION]Playa Blanca

Recently refurbished 2 bed bungalow in a superb position in a centrally located complex. Close to the pool, the property is sold fully furnished and equipped and found in good condition


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Playa Blanca

Smart newly decorated apartment, very centrally located within easy access to the centre of the village, supermarkets, restaurants and the promenade.

Web ref: 239793 Estate Agent: Optima Estate Price: e140,000

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Famara

First floor apartment in the village of Caleta de Famara with private roof errace and sea views. Consists of two bedrooms a bathroom and solana.

Web ref: 289828Estate Agent: 3D Property Finder Price: e155,000

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Costa Teguise

This apartment, located on the top floor of the private residential complex Las Cucharas has been fully renovated to a high standard, decorated tastefully, sold fully furnished.


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Charco del Palo

Excellent price for a 2-bedroom townhouse located in a small private complex of only 12 properties in Charco del Palo. Directly infront of the pool

Web ref: 238171 Estate Agent: 3D Property Finder Price: e150,000

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Costa Teguise

2 bedroom villa on the popular holiday resort of Sands Beach in Costa Teguise. In the resort rental scheme producing a small annual return. Situated on Plaza Palmeras. Communal pools & facilities

Web ref: 239772Estate Agent: Grupo Estupendo Price: e142,000

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Playa Blanca

Situated close to the coast, beaches, amenities and exclusive Marina Rubicon. This duplex villa is nicely spread out over 2 levels and has the advantage its own private terraces and gardens


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103

Playa Blanca

2 bed semi-detached villa with private heated pool located in a beautiful low maintenance complex. The property is close to the beaches, amenities and main town centre of Playa Blanca.


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Costa Teguise

Large terraced family home on a corner plot in Costa Teguise. Spacious family home situated on the very quiet residential complex “LA CALETA IV” and has lovely views over the green zone.


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Playa Blanca

Beautiful, detached bungalow situated in a quiet complex with large communal swimming pool. Sold completely furnished and equipped. Large terraces, private landscaped gardens, roof terrace.

Web ref: 238175 Estate Agent: Playa Blanca Properties Price: e170,000

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Tahiche

Bargain priced house. This excellent, large, home is in a quiet location outside the village of Tahiche, close to all the amenities of Costa Teguise and Arrecife. It has views to the sea,


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200

Costa Teguise

Fabulous property in the quiet residential complex of Estrella del Mar. The property is being sold unfurnished and comprises of 4 good sized bedrooms, and balcony. Space for pool.


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As prices hit rock bottom in a depressed economy, overseas investors are scooping up prime City and coastal real estate

Although hundreds of Spanish families are still being evicted every day for defaulting on their mortgages, foreign buyers have returned in force to the country’s depressed property market.

New data from the Bank of Spain last month showed that foreign purchases in 2013 exceeded €6bn (£5bn) for the first time since 2004.

According to a Global Property Search, online searches for properties in Spain increased by 29% over the first three months of 2014 compared with the same period in 2013. More than a fifth of all Spanish residential sales – 55,187 transactions – were to foreign buyers.

Foreigners are the only dynamic segment of the market today. These are people buying on the coast , islands and in cities. It is not just private buyers institutional investors are also in the market. The likes of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Blackstone, George Soros and Bill Gates are all getting into Spanish real estate.

Some institutional investors are buying in bulk from Sareb, the so-called “bad bank” that has acquired thousands of unsold properties from failed Spanish banks and building societies.

The bank controls about 200,000 property assets – homes and developments – and it is selling houses at a rate of 60 a day. Sareb is now implementing a new strategy for marketing and selling the €50bn in real estate under its control, which could create yet further

opportunities for international investors.

According the international residential research department, a surge in sales of both residential and commercial property began at the end of last summer, especially in Madrid and Barcelona, and included buyers from the US and Latin America. The French have also become big buyers around Barcelona.

A report by Spain’s society of property registrars says Britons are still buying more property than buyers from any other country; they account for 15% of all sales to overseas investors, but that is down from 34% in 2007. French (10%), Russians (9%) and Belgians (7%) are next biggest.

For would-be British buyers, there are two key factors that are enticing renewed interest. The first is a belief that the worst of the eurozone crisis has now passed and that house prices, which have plunged 50% in some areas, are not going to fall much further.

People who want to make a lifestyle choice with a second home see that, if prices haven’t bottomed out after seven consecutive years of falling, they are close to it.

The second factor is exchange rates. The euro-pound rate, which last July stood at €1.05 but is currently €1.24, is key: When the euro reaches €1.23 the phones start ringing..

For other, non-EU, nationalities, the Spanish government’s so-called “golden visa” is also likely to spur demand. As yet there are no figures showing the impact of the visa deal, which offers legal residency to non-EU citizens who purchase a property valued at €500,000 or more. But estate agent Savills says a

similar scheme in Portugal has succeeded in attracting Chinese buyers.

According to Spanish estate specialists, Barcelona is among the current property hotspots for overseas investors, with growing demand for upmarket homes on the Islands. More than four in 10 purchases there are as a second home, with many buyers planning to convert the properties into hotels or holiday flats. The agency says there has been a surge in interest from Russian, Chinese and Israeli buyers. Other agents report new interest from Scandinavians, as well as clients from the Middle East and parts of Africa.

It is at the very top end of the market, where the wealthiest overseas investors hunt for a place in the sun, that business is most brisk. ONE upmarket estate agent in Spain said in a recent report that the firm’s Island offshoot had “sold more properties at the top end than in any other year of our 12 years of operations in this area”.

Most class “premium” clients as those able to pay at least €500,000 for a property. But more than fifty percent of clients are buying houses at two to three times that amount.

In the glamour areas of Tenerife, Marbella and Sotogrande on the Costa del Sol, there are even the first signs of a shortage of available property, according to agencies in the area

Most of the property on the coast will sell at the right price. Coastal developments will always be attractive.

What will be harder to sell are the developments that have grown up around provincial towns in the interior. Unless the population increases, who will buy them?

online searches for properties in Spain increased by 29%

Foreign buyers delight in the glut of Spain’s cheap properties


[LANZAROTE SECTION]

Playa Blanca

Immaculate villa situated in a fantastic position right in the exclusive sporting port of Marina Rubicon, the coast, beaches and amenities. Villa rents all year round, sold with forward bookings


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Playa Blanca

Semi-detached duplex villa located in a good position in the urbanization of Rubicon Playa. Situated close to the coast, beaches, amenities and the exclusive sporting port of Marina


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Tahiche

This house lies within its own walled garden, is in excellent condition and is being sold without furniture. Close to all amenities, only 5 mins from Costa Teguise and the Golf and beaches


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Playa Blanca

Exceptional detached villa, built on one level with private heated pool. Good position, situated in a highly sought out area, close to the town centre of Playa Blanca, amenities and beaches.

Web ref: 194445 Estate Agent: Playa Blanca Properties Price: e280,000

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150

Playa Blanca

Beautiful semi-detached villa in the Costa Papagayo area. Covered alfresco-dining area. 500m plot, garden, terrace with heated pool. Parking.


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120

Playa Blanca

A charming semi-detached villa located in the centrally located Los Calamares urbanisation; the villa sits in a peaceful cul-de-sac yet is within a 5 minute walk to the centre of town.


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Playa Blanca

Furnished semi-detached villa situated in Costa Papagayo, only 10 minutes’ walk from the town centre. Spacious garden with several wooden pergolas, a pool terrace and a heated pool.


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Costa Teguise

The residential complex Nautilus, built in 1988, is considered Costa Teguise’s finest. Front line complex, amazing views, well run complex


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103

Playa Blanca

A large, bright and airy detached villa with private pool located in a gated community. 8m x 4m private heated pool surrounded by large and partly covered sun terraces. Garden


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120

Soo

Lovely detached Villa with separate 1 bedroom apartment in the rural village of Soo. large rear patio area with kidney shaped private solar heated pool with large built in BBQ. Furnished


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188

Conil

Excellent Value - Spacious 2 storey villa with private pool and panoramic sea views located in lower Conil. Private pool, fantastic sea views


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204

Nazaret

Prece Reduced! A unique detached 3 bed villa with separate garage/studio located on the upper hillside in a tranquil area of Nazaret. Accessed via a private gated frontage. Good sized plot.

Web ref: 229640Estate Agent: Optima Estate Price: e325,000

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[LANZAROTE SECTION]

3D3D3D3Dpropertyfinder3D3Dpropertyfinder

3dpropertyfinder.com

Ref: f4s235613Puerto del Carmen

Ref: f4s236490 . Tias Ref: f4s235595 . Nazaret

179,000€ 349,000€ 550,000€

Ref: f4s236706 . Macher

675,000€

FEEL COMFORTABLE TO CHOOSEPROPERTY SERVICE WITH STYLE AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL3DPROPERTYFINDERHAND PICKED PROPERTY

FEEL COMFORTABLE TO CHOOSEPROPERTY SERVICE WITH STYLE AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL

3DPROPERTYFINDERHAND PICKED PROPERTY

matching people with homes

TELEPHONE: (0034) 680 44 6789E-MAIL: [email protected]

Beds:2 Baths:1 Built:70m2 Plot:120m2 349,000€

Beds:3 Baths:3 Built:170m2 Plot: 564m2

Beds:7 Baths:4 Built:220m2 Plot: 1200m2

Beds:5 Baths:4 Built:245m2 Plot:2000m2

Playa Blanca

Newly Available Stunning Property on a sought-after ocean front complex! This immaculate detached villa has 3 bed-rooms, 2 bathrooms and is sited on one of the largest plots on Playa Real. Views of the ocean from both the ground floor terraces and the large roof terrace. The property consists of a master bedroom with bathroom, 2 further bedrooms.

Beds: 3Baths: 2

Price:e425,000

Playa Blanca

PRICE REDUCTION. A two bedroom bun-galow situated on a complex with com-munal pool, large mature garden areas and all the amenities close by. The com-plex is situated just 200 meters away from the Flamingo Beach and the promenade, which takes you to the harbour of Playa Blanca. Excellent rental potential!

Beds: 2Baths: 1

Price:e148,000

Playa Blanca

This beautiful bespoke property designed by the owner and built by AJei Construction consist of 3 split levels down stairs with Master bedroom ensuite upstairs. All 4 bedroom face the sea and have breath taking view over all Playa Blanca, the Bocaina, Vista Lobos and Fuerteventura. This villa is finished to the highest of standards and boasts the best of modern features.

Beds: 4Baths: 4

Price:e950,000

Playa Flamingo, Playa Blanca

This type of property does not often come on the market in Playa Blanca. It´s situated on Playa Flamingo, which is a front-line holiday village of bungalows direct on the Playa Flamingo Beach. The family friendly complex is gated. This apartment is a tremendous holiday investment prospect. A lovely terrace and spacious lounge, the apartment itself has a large bathroom and double bedroom.

Beds: 1Baths: 1

Price:e199,000

Playa Blanca

REDUCED IN PRICE: Located on a beautiful front line complex, only a few minutes walk to the centre of the town and Playa Flamingo, this bungalow has stunning views across to Fuerteventura. The property has two double bedrooms, one with fitted wardrobes, two bathrooms an open plan kitchen and lounge with French windows opening onto a large south facing terrace.

Beds: 2Baths: 2

Price:e300,000


[LANZAROTE SECTION]Playa Blanca

CENTRALLY LOCATED WITH SEA VIEWS.- This semi detached villa is superbly located in the Los Calamares urbanisation, tucked away in a quiet corner yet only 5 minutes walk into the Town


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Uga

Stunning family home . On one level, this detached property is an exceptional size. 5 double bedrooms and 2 full sized bathrooms, most leading off a typical Canarian-style interior patio.


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400

Famara

NEW and Rarely Available, absolute beachfront Famara bungalow is located on one of the most sought-after streets on the island. It is almost impossible to be closer to the beach and ocean


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Playa Blanca

Beautiful family home in a fantastic location, only a 10 minute stroll from the popular Marina Rubicon. Detached villa on a 700m2 plot, established gardens, overlooking sunny terraces


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Playa Blanca

A stunning property located in Faro Park, just a few minutes walk from the local amenities. Boasts extensive sun terraces , a 7m x 3.5 m solar heated pool, established gardens, parking areas


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132

Charco del Palo

Unusual, enormous seaside property with outstanding potential At present this sprawling villa has 7 bedrooms , 5 bathrooms with 3 garages that could easily be converted.


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530

Playa Blanca

Here is your chance to own a fabulous villa in a quiet location, right on the sea-front! Situated close to the lighthouse, this detached front-line villa is the perfect family home.


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Puerto del Carmen

Enjoying an elevated position with stunning views across to the mountains, sea and Fuerteventura, this unique house has much to offer. Large 1280m2 plot


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475

Tiagua

Beautifully renovated and tastefully decorated - the main house of this property is a collection of self-catering accomodation. Ideal to be run as a small independent business


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Macher

A detached villa, built in the early 90s in the traditional Lanzarote style. placed on the corners of the house. Stunning 180 degree views, of the sea and coastline


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Nazaret

Large, light and airy villa set high on the mountainside in Nazaret. There are outstanding views from nearly every room. Separate 2 bedroom apartment plus 2 garages. Private pool


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220

Puerto del Carmen

Lovely detached villa in the upmarket Risco Prieto area above the harbour in Puerto del Carmen. This comfortable villa is located in a quiet location and offers stunning sea and mountain views


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[LANZAROTE SECTION]

Tel +34 928 519252Mobile +34 636 365915

Website - www.cactusconsulting.com. E-mail: [email protected]

Ref 2072- Matagorda. Very well kept ground floor 2-bed apartment in a corner plot of a sought after residential complex. Good location, close to shops, restaurants and beach. Beautiful sea and mountain views. Very private, well managed and maintained complex. Reduced from e199.000 to e169.000

Ref 2060– Puerto del Carmen. One bedroom high standard, spacious bungalow with refurbished bathroom, on extremely well maintained complex with 2 heated pools, right on the front in Puerto del Carmen. Ideally situated on a nice quiet complex. Priced to sell. Reduced from e140.000 to e135.000

Ref 500- Güime. Large detached villa on the edge of the village with outstanding views. 8m x 4m heated pool. 3 beds and 3 baths bar and party room complete with pool table. Secluded garden. Independent 2 bed apartment with separate entrance terrace overlooking the pool area. e350.000

Ref 2059- Güime. Villa with fantastic views. 3000m2 plot, 500m2 built. 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms (one by the pool), 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on the lower floor with own kitchen and lounge. Massive garage for 4 cars easily be converted into bedrooms/bathrooms. Reduced from e595.000 to e495.000

Ref 2069- Puerto del Carmen. Two bedroom first floor apartment on frontline Oasis San Antonio complex in an area where properties rarely come up. Spacious and well maintained, with fabulous panoramic views. Complex has a tourist licence. Apartment has established rental history. Reduced from e210.000 to e190.000

Ref 2055- Puerto Calero. Only a few minutes’ walk from the main attractions of Puerto Calero with its world renowned marina. Spacious duplex ideal for a family. The closest beaches only 5 minutes drive away plus a regular bus service. No hills makes it perfect for all ages. e240.000

Our EXPERTISE is YOUR GUARANTEEFor more information on any property please visit our website www.cactusconsulting.com

Email [email protected]

[email protected]

Great Investment Reduced

Reduced Bargain

Demand for rented holiday homes in Spain has remained stable during 2014, according to the Fourth Annual Analysis of Trends in Holiday Rentals prepared by the travel website, Trip Advisor.

The survey, of 1,200 Spanish users between 28th and 30th July, is not limited to the summer season but aims to reflect the preferences of the traveller for the whole of 2014. In fact, 68% of those questioned said they would choose the holiday rental as their preferred option at any time of the year.

“The benefits highlighted by users of this type of accommodation include the freedom they have compared with a stay in a hotel, better prices, more privacy and savings on meals,” said Banca Zayas, head

of communications for Trip Advisor in Spain. He added: “However, this year the price has become more important with respect to 2013, now ranking as the third most important factor when choosing a holiday rental.”

With regard to the type and location of the properties preferred by Spanish travellers, 55% of those surveyed still choose an apartment and the beach as the most desirable options, and although one week is usually the ideal period for 34% of the respondents, “there has been a slight reduction in the percentage of travellers who choose to rent for two weeks (25% versus 26% in 2013),” its been reported. This year’s second choice of length of rental period is “just less than a week or a weekend”, (currently at 26% compared with 20% in 2013).

According to the study, other determining factors for

renting during the holiday period are a good location

(85%), a good environment (81%), that the property

has a dishwasher, television or air conditioning (67%),

that it be outward facing (59%) or that it has parking

available (50%).

Meanwhile, El Mundo reported that the online

platform HomeAway has also released data on

bookings made by its users for the period from June to

September 2014, which indicates an increase of almost

11% in the demand for holiday rental accommodation

in Spain this summer, compared to the same period

in 2013.

Apartment and Beach Still Preferred Holiday Rental Options

Freedom for Sale 22 www.freedom4sale.com/fuerteventura

[FUERTEVENTURA SECTION]

El Cotillo

1 to 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with spacious terraces, the ground floor has a sizable storage and the upper floors of a magnificent sun deck. Good quality finishes

Web ref: 239757Estate Agent: Aurytur Price: 99.000e

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Corralejo

Apartment in residential complex of Oasis Royal Corralejo. Comprising lounge, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and terrace. The complex has a communal pool.

Web ref: 239824Estate Agent: Aurytur Price: 75,000e

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Caleta de Fuste

Promotion of houses from 80.000 euros. They are duplex house with a ground floor, luminous and nearly new. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms , large terrace pparpaaparkingparking,quality finishings.


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Corralejo

Each house is a duplex with 3 bedrooms and fitted wardrobes, 2 bathrooms, 1 toilet, living room, kitchen, private garden, terrace, balcony and roof terrace. Sea views.


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Corralejo

This furnished corner detached villa for sale is in a well-established part of La Capellania (formerly Tamaragua), approx. just a 4-minute drive to the centre of Corralejo.

Web ref: 239400Estate Agent: Fuerteventura Property World Price: 84,950e

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Corralejo

This apartment is on a quiet and exceptionally well-maintained development that is within walking distance to the town centre, the famous sand dunes and beaches & shopping centre.


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Corralejo

This immaculate and well-presented corner detached villa for sale is located in La Capellania (formerly Tamaragua), a well-established development approx.


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Corralejo

Price reduced! - Well-appointed apartment for sale is on Las Brisas, a development just off the Natural Park in Corralejo. 2 bedroom, 1 bath, fully-equipped kitchen.


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Corralejo

For sale flat with 2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen and 1 bathroom. Full equipment. Close to supermarket, parks and 100 meters from the beach.


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Corralejo

Apartment with living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms and bathroom. Located next to the harbour, close to all the services, restaurants etc.


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Caleta de Fuste

Centrally located one double bedroom apartment for sale fully furnished. Well located in the heart of the popular tourist resort of Caleta de Fuste, just 4 mins walking distance to the beach.

Web ref: 239424Estate Agent: Fuerteventura Residences Price: 69,000e

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Costa Antigua

Great value 1 bedroom ground floor apartment for sale with large communal pool. Walking distance to shops and restaurants, this is a excellent value holiday home.


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Don´t miss out on these & other fabulous offers, now including bank repossessions. Contact us today

Caleta de Fuste - Golf Course4 bed - 2 bath villa

Furnished Price reduced 245.000e

Caleta de Fuste - Centre3 bed duplex

furnishedPrice 115.000e

Caleta de FusteLovely 3 bedroom bungalow

Communal poolPrice 71.500e

Caleta de Fuste - Centre2 bed bungalow

Fully furnished - Communal poolPrice reduced 85.000e

Fuerteventura Property World Calle Almirante Nelson 5,

35660 Corralejo, Fuerteventura

Tel: + 34 928 867 989 Mobile: + 34 696 079 572

[email protected] www.fuerteventurapropertyworld.com

Corner top floor two-bedroom apartment with uninterrupted sea

viewsPrice: 55.950e

Fully-furnished corner detached villa with private terrace and

spacious garden area Price: 84.950e

Three-bedroom townhouse with south-facing garden at the edge of

the developmentPrice: 109.950e

Immaculately-maintained four-bedroom individual detached villa with a self-

contained apartmentPrice: 170.000e

Real Estate

Make your dreams come true….

C/. Galicia, 29 – Loc. 1, 2, 3 35660, Corralejo

Fuerteventura

Tlf.: (0034) 928 537 197 Fax: (0034) 928 866 619 Mobile: (0034) 619 770 593

WEB: www.inmoaurora.es

SOCIAL: www.facebook.com/InmoAuroraFuerteventura E-MAIL: [email protected]

Real Estate

NNEEWW OOPPPPOORRTTUUNNIITTYY!!!!!!

For sale, two great villas, each with 3 bedrooms, 2 large bathrooms,

kitchen, living room, storage room, private parking and patio 200m

EEaacchh oonnee 221199..000000€€

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THE KEYS FOR YOUR NEW HOME ARE HERE! HERE!!

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Tindaya

Massively discounted designer villa with views to the mountains and coastline. A truly unique property that is contemporary and functional yet inspired by classical Canarian architecture.

Web ref: 236521 Estate Agent: 3D property Finder Price: 575,000e

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La Oliva

This charming detached villa for sale is located in an idyllic village of La Oliva, just approx. a 15-minute drive to the Corralejo town centre and 10 minutes to the fishing village of El Cotillo.


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Caleta de Fuste

A fine and substantial villa first line in the popular Las Salinas golf complex. This excellent family home has many comforts and features and enjoys good sea and golf views.


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Triquivijate

Wonderful detached 7 bedroom villa for sale fully furnished with potential to turn into a bed & breakfast business license already in place, or a truly distinctive family home.


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La Oliva

Stunning duplex for sale on a well maintained complex with a communal pool .Fully furnished with spacious terraces & roof terrace plus the added bonus of a private storage room & garage

Web ref: 239416Estate Agent: 3D Property Finder Price: 220,000e

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la Oliva

Spacious detached villa with a self-contained apartment on the lower floor that measures approx. 68.5m2 - fully furnished. Solar panels, double garage, spacious sun lounging area, pool


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Parque Holandes

Bungalow for sale with two terrazes.Last restructuration 2007) the House is completely furnished with air conditioned .With 300 hundred meters garden, comunal pool.


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Corralejo

For sale villa consisting of a plants and is distributed in: Ground Floor: three bedrooms, living room, kitchen, two bathrooms.

Web ref: 239825 Estate Agent: Aurytur Price: 153,000e

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Tiscamanita

Large Country villa with views and space for a pool in the pretty village of Tiscamanita. Brand new with garage, 1,500 metre plot with space for a pool. Stunning country views.

Web ref: 239417Estate Agent: 3D Property Finder Price: 150,000e

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Corralejo

The property (DUPLEX) is located in Corralejo, has two floors and is divided into:Ground floor: living room, kitchen, bathroom.First floor: three bedrooms, a bathroom.


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Caleta de Fuste

Great opportunity to buy a fully furnished 3 bedroom town house in the popular golf resort, and an exceptional price. This great house is conveniently situated close to the pools area.


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Caleta de Fuste

Lovely 2 bedroom apartment in the prestigeous Golf Course, close to shops, restaurants and the sandy beaches of Caleta de Fuste. Sunny terraces, a large roof top solarium views, communal pool,


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It’s fine for the expatriate employees when moving abroad. They simply pitch up at a new office in a new country, spot a few familiar faces, are shown to their new desk and start work. But for the rest of the family, particularly the accompanying partner, the transition abroad might not be so simple. It is quite likely that an accompanying partner will have chosen to sacrifice or downshift a career in order to support the employed partner. Dual-career couples do not really have a place in the fast-moving expatriate world. While the academic world has taken some steps to address their needs, the reality continues to be that few companies choose to employ both partners. Thus the accompanying partner is sometimes forced to create and maintain a different kind of career, if he or she is to continue with a mobile lifestyle. How can accompanying partners maintain a career abroad?

First find your passion

We believe that if a portable career is to withstand the tests of time and frequent upheavals, then you must choose work that you love, which inspires you and fills you with energy. It takes at least two years to establish a new business in the non-expatriate world. It is vital that a portable career can be kick-started by your own motivation and excitement. If you love what you do you will be enthusiastic. If you are excited about your work others will become excited too; they will want to know more and this, in turn, will breed success. Reconnect with natural talents that may have become buried in the mire of the rat race and the pursuit of income. Explore growing interests and new possibilities inspired by your new experiences.

Manage your expectations

It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to move smoothly from place to place without needing to rethink what you will do professionally. Uninformed and unrealistic expectations are one of our greatest sources of discontent. Managing your expectations appropriately can help you counteract this. Don’t assume that your transition to another culture will be easy. Anticipate challenges and even temporary setbacks. If you know what to expect, you won’t be setting yourself up for disappointment. The better you prepare beforehand the more easily you’ll make the move into your new environment. Find out what opportunities may be available to somebody with your talents, skills and training.

Through a buddy or mentors try to discover what kind of work, paid or volunteer, other people in your situation are doing. Also check on whether there are places to study, and check the availability of affordable childcare, good Internet connections and reliable transportation. You may need to recycle some skills, or learn a few more before you are truly set for your new location. It is worth adding here that any time you spend on research and planning will not be wasted. Find out in advance whether your brilliant idea is viable in your new location, if at all. Plan it out – imagine that you have the career of your dreams and live with it for a few days. See if you still consider it to be ideal after a few days. It is always wise to look at your idea from all angles and do thorough investigation before spending any money.

Improvise

At the same time, develop your improvisational skills and ability to respond to changes and unexpected developments. In this world of fast-paced change and information overload, it is hard to plan and predict everything, especially when you are in a new environment and culture. Learn the skills to deal with the unexpected, recognise unplanned opportunities

and engage fully in your current reality.

Listen to people

Sadly, few jobs come to us, especially when we’re new in town. It is likely that you may have to create your own work wherever you go. One of the best ways of finding out what goods and services people in a given area need and want is to go out among the local community. Chat with people who have been around for a while to find out what they are complaining about. In our village, people were always wishing they could find reliable babysitters, gardeners, cleaners and window cleaners. While you yourself may have no desire to baby-sit, garden or clean, you might like to manage a team of other people to do such jobs.

Problems are opportunities in disguise, so find out what gaps exist in the local market and see if you might be able to fill them in a way that uses your skills, experience and talent or allows you to grow new ones. Of course, a newcomer may not be immediately privy to such information so think about kick starting the process by attending networking meetings, social events and civic gatherings. More than three quarters of all positions are found not through agencies or advertisements but through networking. You can also read the local paper to see what people are doing, what advertisements are posted and what people are asking for in the ‘wanted’ sections. Go the supermarket and see what is being advertised on the notice boards, and which local amenities have placed their brochures there. Contact these people and gather information from them.

You may notice a service that seems to be missing in this community that you’d taken for granted elsewhere.

So go out there and start listening and looking with eyes and ears wide open. Your creative application of your skills, talents, experience and vision for your future combined with your current location will create a whole new world of possibilities for you. It will most likely come in very unique packaging!

If you’re moving abroad because your partner is, continuing your career isn’t always easy. Nor is finding a job abroad. Here are some tips on creating a job you can take with you.

Moving to Spain. Unpacking your career


info@lanzarotepropertysales.co.ukwww.lanzarotepropertysales.co.uk

Fuerteventura property Special selection

House For Sale in La Oliva, Fuerteventura House For Sale in Antigua, Fuerteventura

Impressive 3 bedroom villa, La Oliva Fuerteventura

Stunning 3 bedroom , 2 bathroom villa in La Oliva. 1000 m2 garden with plenty of space for a pool. The area is a mix of nationalities and very popular as a residence due to its location and local amenities. Stylishly decorated and beautifully furnished. Excellent property, must be seen, reduced for a quick sale.

Price 220,000 euros

Large Country villa with views and space for a pool in Tiscamanita, Antigua, FuerteventuraBrand new 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom detached villa with garage on a 1,500m2 plot with stunning views to the country side. garden surrounded by dry stone walling. Lovely tiled floors with solid wooden stairs and fitted wardrobes. Garage and space dug for a swimming pool. The master bedroom has a large terrace with amazing views to the country side and pretty Canarian village of Tiscamanita. A real bargain to find this quality and space in a brand new villa for the pricePrice 150,000 euros reduced to sell.

Before signing anything there are some important pieces of paper you and your lawyer should have a look at ...

The Escritura Publica and Nota SimpleThe Escritura Publica is the registered title deed of the property. It is entered in the ‘Registro de la Propiedad’, the Property Registry, and is the only guarantee of title in Spain. It contains a description of the property, the details of the owner and any mortgages or legal claims that exist against the property. This document is important because it tells you if the seller is the owner of the property being sold. A nota simple contains further details of any mortgages or charges against the property and is also available from the Registry.

The IBI receiptBefore purchasing a resale (not new) Spanish property check out the ‘lmpuesto sobre Bienes lnmuebles’, or lBI, which is the municipal property tax. Ideally, you’ll be able to see the IBI receipts for the last five years because that is the limit of liablity for unpaid back taxes and is attached to the property, not the owner. A new property bought from a developer will not have an IBI

receipt (because it has never been ‘owned’) so it will be your responsibility to register the property for this tax.

The Referencia CatastralEvery property sale must quote the ‘Referencia Catastral’ of the property in question. The Catastro is another system of property registration in Spain, concentrating on the location, physical description and boundaries of the property. While the Property Registry focuses almost exclusively on ownership and title, the Catastro is concerned with property valuation.

These two systems do not communicate with each other, and it is common to find that the catastral description of a property differs greatly from the one in the Property Registry. It is a good idea to request the actual certificate from the Catastro with a full description of the property. The certificate is in two parts, one being a description of the property and the other being either a plan or an aerial photograph.

Community fees, statutes and minutes of the AGMThis only applies if you are buying a property in an urbanisation or where there are some ‘communal’ resources, shared amongst a number of properties.

These are the fees charged by the ‘Comunidad de Propietarios’, the Community of Property Owners, a legal body that controls all the elements held in common; the lift, gardens and pool for example. Each owner is assigned a quota, or percentage of the expenses which, by law, must be paid.

Utility billsThese assure you that the bills are paid and also provide an idea of what the running costs of the property will be.

MiscIf you are buying a property in an urbanisation, make sure that it is legal and registered by asking to see the approved ‘plan parcial’ at the town hall. If the property is on the beach, make sure the development is also approved by the Jefatura de Costas. For a new property, make sure that it has been declared for IBI and that the developer has made the ‘declaracion de obra nueva’. Also ensure that the escritura mentions the house you are purchasing as well as the plot of land on which it stands. As an additional safeguard, it is wise to examine the town planning maps for the area around the property, called the Plan General de Ordenacion Urbana, or PGOU.

Property Buying Paperwork in Spain



Excellent buying conditions are luring Britons back into overseas property, with bargain prices and a stronger pound making it more affordable than ever. Many prospective buyers who have been sitting on their hands for years are deciding to go for it whilst property prices are still low and the pound is trading at an 18-month high. Great, if you’re a cash buyer. But how easy is it to obtain finance for your overseas property purchase?

Quite understandably - overseas lenders have become stricter about to whom they lend to since the global downturn and they’re now judging each case on its own merits including what and where you want to buy. Just as the UK market introduced more stringent affordability criteria on 26 April, margins have tightened up abroad. But something positive too: the European Central Bank (ECB) in June cut its main interest rate to a record low of 0.15 per cent - down from 0.25 per cent. This should lead to reduced borrowing costs across the eurozone, along with the further weakening of the euro currency: a double dose of good news for UK buyers. Plus it still is very possible to obtain finance, especially if you have a healthy

deposit to put down and can demonstrate that you have a sound financial profile.

Lenders will generally require more details about your income and outgoings now, so it’s important to have your accounts in good order. They’ll also use the debt-to-income ratio, which establishes whether you can afford to maintain the mortgage repayments, so it’s important to prepare all your paperwork in advance. If you intend to finance your overseas property purchase with a mortgage, the sooner you get the ball rolling the better, even before you’ve started looking at homes.” As with any aspect of buying a property abroad you mustn’t let your heart rule your head. You need to give yourself time to research the mortgage market, so that you can find the best possible deals and decide on things like whether a foreign currency or sterling mortgage will be most suitable.

Arranging the financial side of things upfront is fundamentally important. Securing a mortgage is no longer such a given, and it can vary according to the time of the month or year, we have seen an increase in family members clubbing together to get a mortgage as lending criteria have tightened up.

“An ‘Approval in Principle’ (AIP), will do just that – it will tell you exactly how much you can borrow and what price range you can realistically consider.

Any seller, given a choice, will prefer a purchaser who can demonstrate that they have their finance in place, and having an AIP could make you better placed to negotiate price. It’s tangible evidence that you can take along when house hunting and it can also lead to your application being fast tracked once you’ve chosen your dream home. And it costs nothing.”

It’s really important not to get carried away with property you can’t afford, and you must also therefore take into account the associated costs of buying a property abroad before you go house hunting. You should add at least 10 per cent of the asking price to cover things like taxes, insurance, and fees. The application process for an overseas mortgage can take anything from six weeks to several months – another reason to start the ball rolling as early as possible. It takes time to get all the necessary documents together, and you must be prepared for some strict deadlines attached to the mortgage and general property purchase.

We always recommend that an overseas mortgage and the income used to service the mortgage repayments are in the same currency, thus avoiding exchange rate issues. Plus if you have plans to pay off your mortgage early, you should check what the redemption penalties are on any mortgage deals on offer, particularly fixed rates

Arranging the financial side of things upfront is fundamentally important

Mortgages: an overview of what can you borrow and where?

Whether you are buying a property, funding an inspection trip or paying your monthly mortgage, you need an FX provider you can trust. Global Reach Partners are specialists in foreign exchange and will ensure that you get the best guidance in order to make the most of your transactions. We offer competitive rates of exchange, with no hidden charges.

- 24/7 access to live rates of exchange

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The foreign exchange experts you can trust

Buying your dream home overseas?

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