Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Why so many foreign people buy properties on Costa Blanca

Whilst other people choose to go on vacation there, many German people enjoy Spain to such an extent, they choose to stay. According to various surveys, a third of German people long for a better quality of life in a place with better weather than their homeland. Consequently, living in Spain is a popular dream.
 
The German magazine „Spiegel“ estimates that about 280000 German immigrants live on the Spanish mainland, 180000 on the Balearic Islands and 70.000 on the Canary Islands. For many people, though the dream of buying their own “place in the sun” will forever remain just that, a dream. However in recent years an increasing number of people have been able to turn that dream into a reality. Tempted by the long hours of sunshine and the leisurely and relaxed way of life, many have chosen the Costa Blanca area as their dream destination. In fact the Costa Blanca is an ideal location for a holiday home or even for permanent relocation. With its cultural richness, its excellent climate, low rainfall, fantastic hot sunny summers and easy access to major airports and motorways the Costa Blanca is an ideal place to live. Also the beaches and mountains of the regions are a delight for everyone.
 
You should have a good idea of what type of property you want to buy, where the property should be and how much money you want to spend. The decision to buy property in Spain is something very personal and depends on several factors. It is very important to be conscious about what you search and how you want to achieve it. A little planning in advance will give you a clearer idea of what you want and will facilitate the searching process.
 
Although the price of property along the Costa Blanca has risen dramatically over recent years, it now seems to have stabilised somewhat and certainly in the resale sector of the market there are some wonderful offers to be found.
 
Costa Blanca`s prices are cheaper than those on the Costa del Sol. In Costa Blanca´s South there is a lot of property available for under 150.000 €. With Capital Gains Tax (Kapitalerstragssteuer) set to drop in Spain from January 2007 for non-residents (from 35% to 18%) there should be extra profits to be made.
 
All in all, if you are thinking of buying an apartment on the Costa Blanca this may be the perfect time to take a look and maybe get your foot on the bottom rung of the Spanish property ladder.
 
With the help of the right real estate company, you will be able to sort out all your problems you are facing closing real estate deals overseas (language barriers, difficulties to find information on the properties available for purchase, poor access to real estate market tendencies, etc.) and accelerate the closing of the transaction. By delivering efficient, specialized services, overseas real estate companies can help you find the Spanish property you are looking for and that best fits your needs and requirements, accelerating a series of processes and looking after things in your place.

Posted by Properties Costa Blanca at 4:09:05 PM in Properties Costa Blanca (8) | Comments (0)

Hiring a car in spain

Requirements
 
The minimum age for renting a car in Spain is 21, although this might vary by car category. Persons who want to rent a car also must have their license for at least one year. It often happens that drivers under 25 have to pay a young driver surcharge, but this depends on the company.
 
The Spanish roads
 
Spain’s highways are called “autopistas” and most of them are toll roads. The speed limit on this kind of roads is 74mph/120kmh. On the open roads the limit is 55mph/90kmh and in the city it is 31mph or 50kmh.
 
Parking zones are indicated by the sign “Zona azul” or blue zone. In this area you can park for 2 hours with a parking disc. When the side of the pavement is painted yellow, this indicated that parking is restricted. Parking discs are available in most bog hotels and in town halls, but most of the time you will find one in the car you rent.
 
Insurance for rented cars
 
Insurance is extremely important when renting a vehicle. Of course this might differ from one company to another.
 
In Spain car rentals are required to have fire insurance and third party liability insurance coverage. Fire insurance generally provides an unlimited amount of coverage if the rental vehicle is damaged because of a fire. Third party liability provides and unlimited amount of coverage to people and property outside the rental vehicle that may be damaged or injured because of the rental vehicle

Some forms of optional coverage are available at most rental companies: collision damage waiver (CDW), theft protection, personal accident insurance and super CDW.
CDW and theft in most cases will have a deductible that you are still responsible for in the event of an accident or theft. Super CDW will reduce the amount of the deductible you are responsible for, but not all companies offer this. Personal accident insurance is offered locally and will provide death and disability coverage to the driver and passengers.

More Spanish property
 

Posted by Properties Costa Blanca at 3:50:33 PM in Properties Costa Blanca (8) | Comments (0)