# Velez-Malaga?



## Richy2015 (Sep 28, 2015)

Hello all,

Just wondered if anyone has any direct links to Velez-Malaga estate agents please? Seems that there are a few but cover mainly outside of that area, so looking for specifically in Velez-Malaga itself

Kyero are a good one, tried that

Any Ex-Pats in the area at all as any helpful advice etc would be very much appreciated

Thanks in advance

Richy


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I've owned a house in Vélez-Málaga for almost 14 years and lived here permanently for almost 11. 3 months ago we sold our house and have just bought an ático apartment in the same town which we will be moving into when we have had some work done on it.

Essential Properties, whose office is in Torre del Mar, have a lot of properties in Vélez-Málaga on their books, and they sold our old house for us. 
Essential Properties

I know more foreign buyers who have bought through them than via any other agent in the area.

Whilst we were looking for our apartment we viewed some properties with Casa Real who do have an office at the southern end of Vélez-Malaga, in Real Bajo, and they were professional and helpful although we didn't buy through them in the end. 

If you have any questions about the town, fire away!

PS If you don't speak Spanish you will find it hard going dealing with practically all the estate agents based in Vélez itself, as few of them have more then a few words of English - Casa Real included.


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

We found Essential Properties very helpful when we were looking and English speaking. Nick was the agent we mainly dealt with, he was very good.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Roy C said:


> We found Essential Properties very helpful when we were looking and English speaking. Nick was the agent we mainly dealt with, he was very good.


Yes, English is no problem with Essential as both Nick and Sharon, plus Vicky the administrator who works in the office, are English. Belen, who deals with taxes, is Spanish but speaks perfect English.


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## Richy2015 (Sep 28, 2015)

Hello Lynn and Roy,

Thank you so much for the very quick and helpful reply, really useful to know and vital infact 

It sounds like you have really loved the town and it looks amazing, have not actually visited yet but have been looking at Nerja though it's quite expensive to buy, Velez-Malaga looks wonderful and a bit more affordable!

I'll certainly take the estate agent recommendations on board, cheers

Wow where do I begin with questions ha...a few basic ones and if you don't get fed up would it be ok to continue further please? Haha

I plan to buy outright there so would not need a mortgage and have a military pension of approx 900 Euros each month, plus savings

So that monthly sum would be to use on usual utilities and council tax, water etc etc....sufficient would you say please?

With regards to EHIC cover and Brexit, most likely to take out Med Insurance there also?

I will rent a property out in UK with will offer some small revenue so if i declare this that would entitle me to NI contributions there which perhaps allows me to receive Med Cover though?

Thanks again and very much appreciated

Richy


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Richy2015 said:


> Hello Lynn and Roy,
> 
> Thank you so much for the very quick and helpful reply, really useful to know and vital infact
> 
> ...


A lot depends on the exchange rate when it comes to deciding whether one's income in sterling will be enough or not, and as I'm sure you know, it isn't very good at the moment. It also depends, of course, on what kind of lifestyle you want to have. We have never had a car whilst we've lived here as the area we lived in wasn't accessible by car anyway, and public transport is so good it isn't necessary. So that saves on lots of expense such as car tax, insurance, ITV (MOT) costs, repairs and parking. Also, in our old house we always used bottled gas for cooking and heating in winter, and that is much cheaper than electricity.

Before our pensions became payable we lived on about the amount of your military pension for 8 years, so it's definitely doable but you won't be liviing the high life on that.

I'm not sure what you mean by if you declare the rent received from your property in the UK it will entitle you to NI contributions here - as far as I know, it won't. You would have to be working with a contract, or self-employed, and paying Social Security contributions for that.

So if you are below UK pension age you will definitely need private medical insurance, in order to be able to register as a resident in Spain. We have been insured with a smaller Spanish company based in Málaga, Prevision Medica, for nearly 10 years now and would highly recommend them. Their premiums are very reasonable (we currently pay €124 per month for the two of us and a bonus is that they don't increase their premiums when a policyholder turns 65 - which could be important if post Brexit the UK Goverment no longer pays for the healthcare of UK pensioners, although we don't yet know what will happen in that respect).

Seguro m?dico barato M?laga y C?rdoba. Seguro m?dico barato Previsi?n M?dica

Nerja and Vélez-Málaga are chalk and cheese, really. As you say, property in Nerja is very much more expensive than here (about 3 times as much). Prices in Nerja shops (other than supermarkets) and in restaurants and bars are also quite a bit higher than here. Of course it is a very popular holiday resort and also has a much higher foreign population than Vélez does. There are quite a lot of foreigners who own holiday homes here, but the resident foreign population is well under 10% and that includes all the outlying villages which come under Vélez-Málaga municipality. In my opinion, you need to be willing to learn at least some Spanish to be able to live in Vélez without difficulty, whereas in Nerja it would be easy to get by without a word.


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## Richy2015 (Sep 28, 2015)

Hello again Lynn,

Again fantastic and cheers, just quick reply and going out soon...yes totally understand your logic in lifestyle etc and am not a huge drinker or anything remotely like that, into fine dining and thinking I am on holiday for the duration

Most likely wont have a car either, its the serenity and getting away from mad-cap uk i'm seeking, yes great advice about the Med Cover and link, thanks...will have a look a bit later

Anything else you can think of please fire away

Will chat again soon

Thanks

Richy x


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

If you will want to have an internet connection at home (and you would need one to be able to watch UK tv), most of Vélez is now cabled up for the Movistar fast fibre to the property 300mbs broadband. It is quite expensive, though, because you have to take a landline from them as well, plus a mobile as part of the deal. It's currently about €65 per month, I think.

There is an excellent local alternative available from two cable companies in Vélez. The one we use, Electrovideo TV, offers a 30mbs unlimited download broadband connection for €18 per month inc. IVA (VAT) and you don't need to take any of their other services such as cable TV or phone. The other company, Velevisa, charges just slightly more for a similar service. All these things are useful if you need to watch the pennies - and there are no similar services to be had in Nerja!


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## Richy2015 (Sep 28, 2015)

Hi Lynn,

Great advice again and that was another question about TV etc (at least no dreaded TV licence rip off!)

Sorry to answer another comment was if I was paying tax into the Spanish system, by declaring an income from a UK rented property, thought that would entitle me to be part of their health service, but guess thats only if you are working and paying a larger amount of Income Tax?

Are the Spanish in Velez accommodating towards the British please? Friendly or accepting etc?

Thanks again

Richy


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Richy2015 said:


> Hi Lynn,
> 
> Great advice again and that was another question about TV etc (at least no dreaded TV licence rip off!)
> 
> ...


It isn`t paying income tax in Spain which entitles you to state healthcare - it is paying Social Security (equivalent of NI contributions in UK).

We have always found the local people in Velez to be extremely friendly and helpful - of course you need to be able to communicate with them. Sorry to keep banging on about learning Spanish, but you really don't find a lot of English speakers amongst the local people and several of them have mentioned to me over the years that they have a British neighbour but they can't talk to them as the neighbour doesn't speak any Spanish . sometimes after many years living here. They do find that rather frustrating. 

We also found that using Spanish firms and tradesmen to do jobs on the house went down very well with our Spanish neighbours - and they are very good about offering recommendations. You will always find that any services aimed at foreigners in their native language will be much more expensive than using a local firm catering for the Spanish market.


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## Richy2015 (Sep 28, 2015)

I see yes, sorry wasn't sure and how would an Ex Pat pay Social Security contributions please? Or is this only possible if working?

I certainly plan to learn the language and am arranging this now so do hope to have a reasonable grans (basic) at least and very much hope to develop overly time there...and I agree with the Spanish yes certainly make the effort and fit in, integrate to the best levels you can

Thats why am leaving the UK, the arrogance of native Britons is very frustrating!

What do you think will happen over Brexit please Lynn? I mean regardless of the UK Govt response or demands...any feelings as towards how the Spanish authorities will treat Ex Pats?

Thanks

Richy


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

You either have to be working, or registered as self-employed (and actually trading, not just declaring yourself self-eployed) in order to pay Social Security contributions. After an initial period when reduced Social Security contributions apply for people who register as self-employed (called autonomo here) it is actually much cheaper to pay for private medical insurance than it is to pay autonomo SS contributions. The full rate is around €270 per month and that has to be paid irrespective of whether any profit is made or not - it isn't paid as a percentage of earnings. Of course, those contributions also allow the self-employed person to build up entitlement to a Spanish pension.

After you have been registered as a resident in Spain for at least one year (which involves taking out private health insurance for that period) you would be able to buy into the Spanish state healthcare system by way of the scheme called the Convenio Especial. That costs €60 per person per month for those aged under 65 and €157 per month for those aged 65 or over. So private medical insurance can be the same or sometimes even cheaper depending on your age and whether or not you have any pre-existing conditions. The advantage of the Convenio Especial is that it covers all pre-existing conditions and there aren't any restrictions on types of treatment or limits on the amount of treatment provided (apart from things like waiting lists of course). Neither private insurance nor the Convenio Especial cover the costs of any medications prescribed so you would have to pay 100% of the cost of those.

Over the past 18 months we've had very lengthy and at times heated discussions on the forum about the likely impact of Brexit on those of us who are resident in EU countries, but we are still none the wiser as to what is likely to happen. As I understand it Spain will have to act in unioon with the other EU member states and can't enter into an individual deal with the UK about how Britisih citizens will be dealt with here and how Spanish citizens will be dealt with in the UK, so it all depends on the outcome of the negotiations with the EU. Worst case scenario, I suppose, is that any UK citizen wishing to move here after Brexit will be treated in the same way as non Eu citizens are now - they have to obtain a visa, show a much higher level of income (around €25,000 per year) plus have private medical insurance.


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## Richy2015 (Sep 28, 2015)

Hello Lynn,

Thanks again , very informative and interesting, yes I see the issues with employment etc and paying Social Security and declaring income if Self Employed...plan to be not needing to work etc and have just read a post about the new Income declaration from overseas assets etc....so am thinking that if you are getting taxed on savings and income from investments outside of Spain and paying into the system, you still can't claim Health Cover?

Yes Brexit is tricky but I imagine the Spanish would loose so much revenue regional if so many British were to return home...thus many people wanting to sell which would deflate the property market prices...ie if many are selling than buying means lower prices, not something anyone would wish for!

Cheers

Richy


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Richy2015 said:


> Hello Lynn,
> 
> Thanks again , very informative and interesting, yes I see the issues with employment etc and paying Social Security and declaring income if Self Employed...plan to be not needing to work etc and have just read a post about the new Income declaration from overseas assets etc....so am thinking that if you are getting taxed on savings and income from investments outside of Spain and paying into the system, you still can't claim Health Cover?
> 
> ...


No, even if you submit a Modelo 720 (declaration of overseas assets) and an income tax return regarding all your worldwide income (as you are required to do, it isn't optional) that still doesn't entitle you to Spanish state healthcare. Only social security contributions count.

Quite a few of the long term members of the forum (including me) think that the argument that if the British left the property market would collapse, etc. is overblown - the British might be a significant proportion of the population in a few coastal areas in the South, but as far as the country as a whole is concerned, they are not. Anyway Spain will still be an EU member state after the UK has left, so they will adopt whatever the agreed EU position is.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> No, even if you submit a Modelo 720 (declaration of overseas assets) and an income tax return regarding all your worldwide income (as you are required to do, it isn't optional) that still doesn't entitle you to Spanish state healthcare. Only social security contributions count.
> 
> Quite a few of the long term members of the forum (including me) think that the argument that if the British left the property market would collapse, etc. is overblown - the British might be a significant proportion of the population in a few coastal areas in the South, but as far as the country as a whole is concerned, they are not. Anyway Spain will still be an EU member state after the UK has left, so they will adopt whatever the agreed EU position is.


I can't remember exactly, but I think Brits own less than 2% of property in Spain as a whole. I'll look out the post later.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> I can't remember exactly, but I think Brits own less than 2% of property in Spain as a whole. I'll look out the post later.


Thanks. I remember the discussion where we pointed that out.

As far as Vélez-Málaga is concerned, if every property owning Brit who is resident here were to leave, it would barely make a dent. Most of the ones who own property here are holiday home owners, and the entire foreign population of the municipality (which includes Morroccans, Romanians, Swedish, Norwegians, etc. as well as Brits) is under 10% of the total.

6,952 registered foreign residents out of a total of over 78,800. Morroccans are the largest group of foreign residents and they make up 18.04% of the total foreign resident population.

http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/institutodeestadisticaycartografia/sima/ficha.htm?mun=29094


Not wishing to be rude, but the OP is talking about moving here with an income of €900 per month (and my OH and I lived on about that much for the first 8 years we lived here). We weren't exactly keeping the local economy afloat by flinging vast amounts of wealth around, were we?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

My town has about 20% Brits, so I guess it would make a difference here. But if they sold, someone would buy, so ...... 

Many who own properties don't live here, and a lot who live here don't own properties. When we came here there were twice as many Brits as now.... The town is still prospering, perhaps more so.


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