Ideal Country Property's Blog

Defend Your Consumer Rights!

FACUA Logo

Have you ever been a victim of fraud here in Spain? Have you ever bought a defective product, been refused a refund and not known where to go for help? Fear not as help is at hand in the form of the consumer body FACUA.

FACUA-Consumers in Action is a spanish non-governmental and non-profit organization dedicated to the defence of consumers’ rights. FACUA develops international cooperation actions with several consumers organizations to fight abuses and frauds in a globalized market.

Fight Against Fraud

FACUA (Federación de Asociaciones de Consumidores y Usuarios de Andalucí­a) has a dedicated Website, which is also available in English, Italian and French, and it covers a wide range of consumer info from cars to electricity bills to mobile phones to dentists. If you are looking for advice or want to know which person you need to complain to then visit https://www.facua.org/es/english.php.

What To Do In The Event Of Storms and Floods

Flood Airlift Rescue

The heavy rainfall in Andalucía has affected many of the provinces but here locally, the towns of Alhaurín de la Torre and Cártama have been worst hit. Freak flooding has led to the closure of hundreds of roads and railways around Andalucía. Rivers burst their banks in many parts of the region, leading to hundreds of homes being flooded. The ‘Protección Civil’ from Alhaurín has given these practical tips to bear in mind when faced with storms or floods:

Storms in the Countryside

• Avoid staying on top of hills or high places and do not shelter under trees, especially if they isolated.
• Stay away from wire fences, railings and other metal objects.
• If you are driving and are caught in a storm, remember that a closed car can be a good shelter. Slow down, exercise caution and do not stop in areas where you can a lot of water can collect.

 Storms in the City

Within urban areas there are also dangers from lightning.

• On the street, the shelter from the buildings lowers the risk of lightning strikes.
• When indoors be careful that there are no drafts, as they attract lightning so close doors and windows in case of storms.
• You should protect electrical appliances, computers, etc. by unplugging them to avoid them being damaged by a power surge or giving an electric shock. If it is absolutely necessary to have such items plugged in and operating, install a surge protector or a UPS.

 Preventative measures to avoid the risk of flooding

• Remove from outside the house items that could be washed away.
• Check periodically the state of the roof, the building gutters and nearby drains.
• Place important papers and especially hazardous materials in places where there are less risks of water or moisture damage.
• Do not park vehicles or camp out on dry river beds or river banks to avoid being surprised by a sudden flow of water or a flash flood.

  What to do in case of emergency by heavy rain

• Remain constantly informed through radio and other media about the weather and the current state of the situation
• If the house becomes flooded it is essential to leave as soon as possible the basements and ground floors and disconnect the electrical power.
• Use torches for lighting if possible.
• If you have to travel, try to use major roads and motorways if possible.
• If you are in the countryside, move away from rivers, streams and low lying areas of hill slopes.
• Avoid crossing flooded fords.
• Move to the highest spots in the area.

Home Flooded

For some photos (including larger versions of those used in this post) from the recent floods this month in Alhaurín and Cártama please visit the Diario Sur’s page: http://www.diariosur.es/multimedia/fotos/malaga/51266-temporal-malaga-afecta-alhaurin-torre-cartama-(16022010)-0.html

Can’t Cook – Won’t Cook!

Pepekitchen Web

Have you ever fancied yourself as a kitchen wizard or just wanted to be able to make that perfect Spanish Omelette but you lack the necessary culinary skills? Fear not as help is at hand in the form of José Maldonado.

José is the owner of “Pepekitchen” and is a professional Chef who specialises in giving culinary courses throughout the Málaga province. He has taught several “Cooking For Foreigners” classes in the Mijas Town Hall. He even has his own kitchen workshop in Arroyo-de-la-Miel (near Benalmádena) and offers a variety of courses. Perhaps the most interesting ones from a foreigner’s point of view are his “Cursos para extranjeros”, or ‘Courses for Foreigners’. The courses are made up of small groups (6-7 persons maximum), held in the Pepekitchen workshop on Saturday mornings in Arroyo, and the students learn about the local cuisine and culture amongst other things.

Kitchen Workshop For Foreigners

José also offers tailor made courses according to the individual’s or group’s needs. José will give you a personal assessment with no obligation whatsoever. In the meantime, you can always have a look at the official Website which includes, amongst other things, a recipe for making that famous “Tortilla de Patata”: http://www.pepekitchen.com/articulo/potatoe-spanish-omelette-recipe-tortilla-de-patatas/

The courses are available in English as well, so if Spanish isn’t your strong point, then feel free to contact him in English (or try out your Spanish for that matter if you wish!) using the form below.

Sellers Beware! (part 1)

David Laver

KNOW WHAT YOU OWN! The most important commodity for any real estate business has to be the quality of property available to their clients. Not only the location & price but more than ever the legal information supplied at the time of sale.

It seems that each week there are more requirements from the Junta de Andalucía, local authorities and banks for the type of paperwork owners have to supply to complete the sale of their property. The reality for many owners is that a property that was purchased as recently as 18 months ago, may not have been correctly registered and is currently likely to have problems with this new legislation.

This was mostly due to an uncertainty over what was required by the Land Registry office and the Junta de Andalucía for the correct registration of property in the countryside. The laws were very ambiguous and therefore open to a different interpretation by everyone. Over the past 18 months this uncertainty has been removed and there are now very specific guidelines regarding the correct registration of rustic property (property in the countryside). Everyday we have owners asking us to list their property for sale believing that it is correctly registered. Unfortunately for most properties this is not the case. 

Check Housing Paperwork

A look at the most recent Nota Simple will tell you what is registered in reality. The information reflected in this document must match the property to include all outbuildings and most importantly the swimming pool. The Nota Simple is the document that the buyer’s solicitor or bank will ask for at the time of sale. Any discrepancy between what is being purchased and what is registered will create a problem. In many cases things such as swimming pools, garages and extra living space have been omitted from these documents, where this does not make the property illegal it means that the property is not properly registered and therefore is not ready for sale.

Many rustic properties were sold with building licences which enabled the construction of storage sheds. These properties were then sold as houses, many with unlicensed pools.  As recently as a couple of years ago this was accepted as normal practise. With the Junta de Andalucía now taking a firmer stance on the legislation for country property, it is now impossible to sell this type of property as a house and most banks will no longer give mortgages on this type of property.

Up until the summer of 2009, it was an easy but expensive process to rectify this error using a Certificate of Antiquity (Certificado de Antigüedad) in all rustic areas. This entailed an architect measuring the area that had not been registered in the original Escritura and confirming that it was more than 4 years old. With the new plans stamped by the Spanish School of Architects, the Nota Simple could be corrected. Unfortunately for some owners who have this issue, a tightening of legislation in the Land Registry means they will be unable to use a Certificate of Antiquity to have the Nota Simple changed.

Protected Rustic Land

Rustic land is divided into two types: one is Normal Rustic (suelo no urbanizable) and the other is Protected Rustic (suelo no urbanizable protegido). Up until the summer of 2009 it was possible to register the extra build on both types of land. Now however, the Land Registry will no longer allow any new registrations on Protected Rustic land. This means that if you own a property on Protected Rustic land and you have an unregistered pool or extra metres built, you have no way to register them and you will find it very difficult to sell.  Perhaps more importantly there is the constant risk of a substantial fine for having a swimming pool or extra meters that are not registered.

The required process to register the property correctly is using the Certificate of Antiquity. Although it seems a little unfair to have to pay to correct paperwork that should have been correct at the time of the original purchase, it will allow for the sale process to take place and allay any fear of a fine from the Junta de Andalucía.

We strongly advise anyone who currently has a property with any unregistered living space or a pool to seek legal advice as it seems that everyday a new piece of legislation arrives, stopping owners from registering their property. The simple fact is that if it is not registered properly, you can not sell and will have the constant threat of a hefty fine.

If you are in any doubt about the registration of your property, it is a simple process to obtain a new Nota Simple from your local Land Registry (Registro) or Ideal Country Property can order them on-line for you at a small cost.

Hide Caller ID In Spain

Block Caller ID

It seems that many people have inquired about how to hide their number when making telephone calls within Spain. It’s very easy to do.

For mobiles, there is normally a  permanent option normally via a menu section to hide the caller ID (“Ocultar Número” or “Envío ident. llamante” if your phone is in Spanish). If you just want to hide the number before a particular call, then dial #31# before the number you want to dial on your mobile.

For landlines, simply dial 067 before the number you want to call and your number will be hidden. Simple!

I hope this helps. I have tried this with a mobile phone on the Orange network and it works just as well.

Our House Is In Order

David Laver

Alhaurín el Grande is surrounded by charming countryside, yet is only half an hour drive to Málaga or the coast. This enviable location is making the town more and more popular with clients from northern Europe, alongside a growing Spanish market.

The best news is that over the last year, property prices have dropped significantly bringing in some exceptional bargains. In particular, with the weakness of the Pound to the Euro, we have seen many UK owners who are returning home able to reduce the price of their property without actually affecting their Sterling bottom line.

The majority of our clients looking to buy, want the rural dream of a peaceful location with a plot of land populated with olive, orange, fig and avocado trees. They want the pretty home with terraces from which they can enjoy the stunning views of the surrounding mountains after taking a refreshing dip in the swimming pool. As it is now impossible to build a house or a swimming pool in the countryside, these existing country homes are in short supply and in high demand. That said, we do still have a good selection that we can offer you.

Ideal Country Property has been based in Alhaurín El Grande since the company formed in 2007. With the property market slowing down considerably since then, the number of Estate Agents in the town has decreased from 30 to just 5, leaving Ideal Country Property as the predominant inland specialist.

Part of the reason for many of the agencies closing down is the Junta de Andalucía inspecting Real Estate Agents for compliance to the ‘218 Decree’ (“Decreto 218″), which regulates the information given to customers purchasing or renting homes in Andalucía. Many agents did not comply, failing to supply all the information required on each property and ended up with large fines. We have been inspected twice and have passed with flying colours, getting commended both times on how much information we actually give to our clients.

In this day and age it is essential to be able to assure the clients of the legality of their new property and we are pleased to be able to do that. Buying in Spain has become more complicated and it seems like every week a new property-related law is passed or changed that affects what can and can’t be done in the Andalucían countryside. To keep abreast of these changes we have regular meetings with local solicitors and architects so that the information we pass on to our clients is relevant, correct and up-to-date. Coupled with years of local real estate experience, this equates to being able to offer in-depth local knowledge and advice to our clients looking to buy or rent, and owners hoping to sell.

We are  expecting this to help us have a busy and successful 2010.

You can find us at our new addess on the main street (Calle Gerald Brenan, 83) next to Casa Paco.

Picniks – Confectioners Of Distinction

Picniks Of Alhaurín

PICNIKS  is a local British cafeteria that I would describe as being like “Starbucks” but with style.

The owners take an active interest in their customers and never give you the impression that they want you to eat up and leave so they can fit more clients in. There is a wide variety of homemade food available and the quality is superb. In addition to the set menus there are daily specials to satisfy even the most demanding appetite. One such example is the homemade beef burger. I tried the 100% season beef burger last week and when I first saw it I thought that the whole cow had been used due to the size of the meat! The seasoned meat is not only ample but deliciously seasoned and served with a rasher of bacon, melted cheddar cheese, salad and crisps. I’d even go so far as to say that this is the best beef burger I have ever tasted in my life! Try this and you’ll probably never want to eat in a McDonalds again!

As well as the fine quality sandwiches, soups and cakes (including deliciously soft and large ice buns, which on their own put Picniks on the map) there are a range of speciality hot and cold drinks. Of course, if you’re just looking for a great cup of coffee and a friendly atmosphere, then Simon, Debbie and Kate are happy to oblige. You can choose to sit inside or soak up the sun and watch the world go by outside on their ample terrace. Kate also makes celebration cakes to order and has an ample variety of eye-catching and fun designs. CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO SEE LARGER VERSIONS.

DOWNLOAD SANDWICH & MEAL MENU

Alternatively you can contact Picniks directly by filling in the form below.
PICNIKS CONTACT FORM

Easyjet Flight Departure Check

Flight Status

Due all the bad weather conditions lately, Easyjet’s telephone lines have been overloaded with people calling to check on the status of their upcoming flights. The technical people at Easyjet have come up with a special webpage so that you can check the status of your flight online. All you need to do is click on the link below, select which airport the flight is leaving from and press the”check flight departures” button. Simple!

http://www.ideal-country-property.com/blog/EJfcheck

300€ Discount On Securitas Alarm System

WE ARE AUTHORISED REPRESENTATIVES OF SECURITAS DIRECT SPAIN.

Securitas Basic Alarm Pack

Landlines In The Campo

The Vodafone shop in the “La Trocha” shopping centre in Coín can help you set it up and they have English speaking staff, which is a bonus if you don’t speak much Spanish. Maybe now it’s time to start saying “Adiós Telefónica”!

And for those of you that DO have a regular landline and Internet, you should consider the possibility of using VOIP to make cheaper telephone calls. The Federal Communications Commission defines VoIP as “a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular phone line.” Certain VoIP providers may limit you to calling only people using the same service, but others open it up to anyone with a phone number – local, long distance, international and mobiles. Some services now include VoIP adapters for use on regular phones too.

As a final mention, something worthy of note is the Blog by Javier Prenafeta. He states regarding this service: ‘the quality of this service compared to a land line is not the same, there can be problems with coverage, outgoing calls will display the mobile number (not the associated land line number), and the price of calls to non-geographical numbers is a lot higher than normally expected with a land line.’