Property Buyer’s Checklist

When purchasing a property in Spain, or indeed anywhere, there are certain steps you should take in order to bring about the best result possible, and hopefully, to land yourself that dream house abroad. Taking time to visit the area in which you are thinking of buying and seeing as many properties as possible is really the best method of ensuring you have the widest range of choices available to you.

When you think that you may have found your dream home, probably after months and months of searching, remain patient and ask yourself the questions on the following checklist. You might find that you ‘perfect’ home is not so perfect after all. Perhaps you’ll love it for its flaws, but do make sure that you go into any property purchase with full knowledge of what you are buying.
So, ask yourself the following questions:

1. How much does the house really cost? Take into account any work which you will need to do, or want to do on the house, solicitor’s fees, water costs, upkeep, etc…Figure out how much it will cost you monthly and whether or not you can afford it comfortably. Be honest!
2. Is the area where the house is located safe and clean? A great house is suddenly not so enjoyable when you realize that the town itself is quite run down and unsafe.
3. Have you met the neighbours? You want to be sure that the people who you will be living near are more or less on your own wave-length, i.e. if you have a family of small children, you probably won’t want to be living next door to a shared house of 18-22 year old party animals!
4. Have you driven or travelled using other methods around your soon-to-be home area? Will you be stuck in the middle of nowhere or are there larger cities within reach? Make sure that the area, not just the house, offers you the kind of life you desire.
5. Speaking of cars, if you choose to buy a car or bring one from home, is there an area where you can park it?
6. How many bedrooms and bathrooms does the house have? Will it be enough to house any guests you would like to ask over? Or are there perhaps too many bedrooms and bathrooms, which will go unused?
7. What facilities are available nearby? Check out the local supermarkets, gyms, cinemas, shopping centres, etc…Will you have everything you will need within a reasonable reach?
8. What is the weather like all year round? Yes, we know that Spain generally has a great climate but if your dream house is located in a mountainous village or by the coast, winters may not be as mild and pleasant as you had in mind. Check this out with the neighbours or local shopkeepers (which gives you a great opportunity to practice your Spanish).
9. Are there plans for future development in your area? It would be highly upsetting to buy your property for its views, only to find in a year or two ugly developments going up, concealing the sea or mountains around you.
10. If you are buying in an apartment block, are there any rules which you should know about? If you want to lease your apartment long term, will that be a problem? Are there pets allowed?

Although there are no guarantees when in comes to buying Spanish property, keeping you eyes open and asking as many questions as possible, instead of hoping for the best, is the way to ensure that you find your dream home.