Buying in Los alcazares

Hi Toni64.

It can be very daunting at first but does get easier.

Your solicitor along with the purchase can set up your bank account for you along with all your utility bills, even obtaining your NIE numbers etc.

They will do all the due diligence for you and don’t be frightened to ask as many questions as you want.

You just need to give them power or attorney.

My advice would be to use an independent solicitor rather than one that your estate agent recommends, that way they are sold working for your interests.

Ask for a copy of the contract in English too if your not fluent in Spanish.

Try to use it as an exciting experience, it was the best thing we ever did, but we use ours as a holiday home and still live in uk, it suits us coming out in the winter months more so.

Do it for yourselves and what’s right for you, don’t try to please family and friends, it’s a big investment.

Not all but a very small minority so called family and friends are like pigeons they take food and drink from you then s**t on you, it’s called jealousy.

Good luck with everything and there is a lot of people on this great forum with future answers for you.

Thankyou so much for your reply ❤️ 

Also check with Spanish bank you will be using. Most non-resident bank accounts rip you off. €15 per month for couple of direct debits is the norm. If you have a mortgage, the bank will also want your current account.

Don’t rush in to the financial side of things. Enjoy Los Alcázares, it’s a beautiful town.

Hi we bought holiday home around 6 years ago through an Auction it did feel like squeaky bum time sometimes 🤣 but if you get a good Solictor and even better if they speak your language it will go through no problem.We opened a Bank account with Bank Sabadell but closed it last year due to the fee's they charge.We used Wise to transfer funds when we made made the purchase so we opened a Euro account with them and I contacted the Utility companies to provide them of new account details for Bill's to be paid from.I personally would open a Wise account and provide Solictor with them details rather than open Spanish account.As if you get hit with Bank Chargers and decide to change banks it wasn't easy transferring Direct debits.

We purchased in April this year in Los Alcazares after viewing 17 properties with various agents.   Yep agree very nerve racking ! Have opened an account with Sabadel and have used wise to transfer funds to that account in small batches ready for when we needed to pay for the our purchase. It has been plain sailing for us and all the worry we had has been overcome by what we now have - a beautiful property in the sun.  Lot's of advice on here - but for us it was about what we were comforatble with. We used 'mylawyer in spain' and they were fab from start to what will never finish as no doubt we will need some support later on - not the chepaest I'm sure - but gave us piece of mind so we could move forward. Hope it all goes well for you !

Nervous time of course, lots to learn but hopefully when you look back in a few months time you’ll say ‘best thing we ever done’…..enjoy it all….the squeaky bum times as well as the sunshine and vino….

We bought an apartment, having never been to LA and never seen the property other than on a WhatsApp call - we used Spain Homes and they were fantastic. We used www.abadabogados.com as our lawyers - they are based in LA and very competent if a little slow to reply - lawyers everywhere. 

Arrived for the first time in March this year and are over the moon with the apartment and love LA (Los Alcázares) - we tell everyone we bought in LA - they don't need to know it's not Los Angeles ;0).

Our apartment was new, and it took from Oct 2022 until March 2023 to close - frustrating. I got fibre and IP TV installed - fantastic service and fantastic price - TeleCable.

We will use it for ourselves but rent it for tourists also - we use Parasol Property Management as keyholders property maintenance/cleaning - excellent. https://www.parasolpropertymanagement.com/

We opted for Revolut Business as our bank for the direct debits as the fees are very low and the flexibility is great.

Welcome to LA (Los Alcázares)

Hi, I have just bought in Santiago De La Ribera. My husband passed away 2 years ago and it was always our dream to have a place in Spain so I'm fulfilling our dream, albeit alone.

I have just returned to the UK after spending a couple of weeks in Spain to complete on the house and start furnishing it.  Very daunting on your own..

I left everything with my agent and lawyer to sort out. He opened the bank account for me but now know that you don't actually need a Spanish bank account if you have a British bank account with IBAN. Saves on Spanish bank charges.

I'm back out for a couple of weeks on the 26th to hopefully finish furnishing it before enjoying some time there with family and friends.

While posting this, it would be good to know of some places to meet some new friends.

Many thanks! 

Hi

Hope it all went well for you, we are in Los Alcazares, we brought there 5 years ago, we were inland brought in 2004, but move to LA in 2018, wish we had made the move years ago. Love LA it's so flat and we can walk or cycle Happy days :)