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Thinking about buying property in Andalucia?

Want to know more before you go ahead?

Here are some of our experiences, which might help you to decide.

Beginnings

Janet had wanted to buy a “little house in Spain” for years, but until now it had only been a dream. There had been one or two false starts, involving some of the more pushy – and less helpful – companies on the coast, but this time she was an independent traveller, able to look around where she wanted, free of the minders. With her friend Josie, she had made an appointment with an agent, but all they had were houses on mountains up long and difficult tracks. Having drawn a blank there, they had begun to trawl the estate agent’s windows in the areas around Málaga and Nerja. So far, they had not had too much luck; Janet was on a limited budget, and everything on offer was way too expensive. “Oh no madam, there is nothing in your price range here!” To make matters even worse, the afternoon siesta had just started and they had just discovered that tomorrow was a fiesta (in this case, a public holiday), and nothing would be open. The following day they were due to fly back home. Another wasted trip was looming, and despondency was setting in.

About this time, I decided to call to see how things were going. “Hello”, I said, “it’s Roy, how are you doing?” I was told the sorry tale, and all I could do at the time was to wish them luck.

Back at home in the office, I searched the Internet for likely agents in the area, and sent a text message to Janet with about half a dozen telephone numbers. It all seemed a bit too late, but it was worth a try. Most of the numbers lead to agents who were closed, or closing, or who only had expensive properties on their books. Fortunately one number was for an agent in Central Andalucia who not only was open on the public holiday, but who also said that they had several properties on their books which could be suitable. Although they normally needed advance notice for an appointment, they had just had a cancellation, and were available the following morning. A time was agreed and hope returned.

The first property

Janet and Josie met the agent the following day at a restaurant near the village of Villanueva del Rosario. The agent’s name was Anne, and she and her husband had left England a few years before, to settle in the area. There were dozens of properties on Anne’s books, and several were within the right price range. Anne explained that in order to secure a house, a 10% deposit was required, and that it was to be paid into her bank account. This was a bit of a worry. Here was Janet, in a strange country, with someone she didn’t know, and they wanted money sent to their bank account! . Nevertheless, a shortlist was drawn up and they set off

All the suitable houses were in the same town, Villanueva del Trabuco. This is an old market town despite its name, which suggests “new town”. The older part is built on a gentle hillside, so that the houses on the upper levels have views across the rooftops of the town centre. All the older houses are of traditional Spanish construction, with stone walls and tiled roofs. The walls are finished in white, which gives rise to the name “white villages” or “pueblos blancos”. The town is divided in two by a river, and there are newer buildings on the flatter terrain on the eastern side of this river. Some of the older houses had fallen into disrepair, and it was these which were within Janet’s budget.

Five were chosen for viewing, all in the older part of town, on the hillside. These houses were built when donkeys were the only means of transport, so the roads are narrow and steps link the various levels. During the walk around the town, they met two other purchasers who had just completed their purchase and were moving in. Janet reasoned that if the agent was at all dodgy, there was no way she would have allowed them to meet other clients, so she was reassured that Anne was genuine. All five houses could have been suitable, but a choice had to be made, and with time now running out Janet selected a three bedroomed house with a small courtyard. It needed some work done to bring it up to standard, but it had considerable potential. She decided to buy it.

Because time was fast running out, and there was no opportunity to visit a solicitor to draw up the pre-sale contract, Janet signed a simple form giving Anne power of attorney so that the first of the legal formalities could get under way. By this time she had decided that Anne was trustworthy, and that she wasn’t about to be ripped off. Quite a contrast from the high-pressure salesmen on the coast!

Shortly after this, I telephoned again – fortunately mobile ‘phones work over most of Andalucia – but there was only the briefest of answers, followed by a strange whooshing noise, and a lot of laughter and just a little giggling. It seems that they were driving along one of Andalucia’s less than perfect roads, and had just hit a pothole. The “whoosh” was the sound of the water from the pothole flying through the air and over the car! After composure was regained, Jan gave me some brief details about the house she had just bought, but I had to wait for the video camera recording to see what it was really like.

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