Despite what is often said to buyers by unscrupulous agents, you should always employ a properly qualified building surveyor to survey your intended property in Spain (whether it is new or old). Below are some of problems that can relate to older Spanish properties… Subsidence Just as for new Spanish properties, older Spanish housing can be affected by subsidence. Whilst [...]
No Blog on Spain in August would be ‘worth its salt’ if it did not mention fiestas in Spain- because the summer in Spain is replete with them. Seemingly, every village and town is alive with partying, shows, bands and religious processions that dazzle with colour and charm as ancient traditions and modern activities are gloriously intermixed. Village and town [...]
Most pets adapt easily to life in Spain despite the considerable difference in the summer temperature. However, there are some health issues that need your specific attention. Make sure that both your cats and dogs have specific annual vaccinations (against viruses and bacterial problems). Most specifically, you must protect them against: · Mosquitoes (mosquitoes) which cause leishmaniasis, a fatal disease. [...]
‘Plan E’ is socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s master plan to revive the Spanish economy. Plan E stands for Plan Espanol para el Estimulo de la Economia y el Empleo (Plan to Stimulate the Economy and Employment of Spain). It involves the Spanish government spending prodigious amounts of money primarily on construction and infrastructure (drainage, roads etc.) projects. [...]
Over the past few weeks a further controversy over the safety of buying property in Spain has erupted into the press. This time it revolves around the illegality of properties situated too close to the seashore. Earlier this year Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas was reportedly advised that part of his luxury villa in Marbella would be demolished. This has been [...]
The routine of Spanish working life varies depending upon where you live in Spain. Certainly, what happens in the big cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia is quite different from that in provincial towns and villages. The siesta, for example, whilst hardly apparent in the major cities tends to be de rigueur elsewhere. This is particularly true of Mediterranean [...]