# Buying a Repossession in Tarragonna



## Mick D (May 26, 2016)

Hi all,

We are looking at a bank repossession for around 90,000 euros and plan to visit on the 8th of june 2016

I have been reading a lot about buying a property abroad and what to ask the lawyers, estate agents. it just seems a minefield in Spain.

Should I be asking questions before I come out or is it OK to go there and then involve a lawyer?
When do we involve the lawyer if the above idea is wrong?


About the Property:
10 minute walk to village Botarell, Tarragona, Spain
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 
Stunning views of the sea and the towns (from the pictures).
900sq meters of land (including the 180sq Meter property build).
Water - can be connected we are told (agricultural only).
Electric as far as they can tell cannot be connected, however there is a power line very close by so may be possible...

This is not really a problem I am an electrician for 20 years and MCS certified so installing an off grid system with generator backup could be a nice challenge 

Septic Tank or Sewage connection, I am awaiting details 

It needs some work done for sure!


What can and cant be done?

We want to build a pool we know it is rural, but wanted to know if we classed the pool as a water deposit is that allowed?

Thank you all for any advice you can give us.

Regards
Mick


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Mick D said:


> Hi all,
> 
> We are looking at a bank repossession for around 90,000 euros and plan to visit on the 8th of june 2016
> 
> ...


Points to note;

Make sure it has a habitation licence
Make sure IBI has been paid and is up-to-date
Make sure it's legal

What you have to assume;

You will NEVER get mains connection (can cost 10's of thousands and take years)
That you won't get a water connection (other than for the garden)

Given you've only got agricultural water, how will you flush the loos? How will you wash and cook without water - is it practical to cart bottled water around?

I don't know your area but some areas now insist on a modern septic tank system (3 tanks) so you should factor this cost in.


It sounds to me like it's an 'overgrown' tool shed - this is extremely common in Spain. It may not be, but you need to carry out the due diligence, mentioned above.


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## Mick D (May 26, 2016)

Thank you, this is exactly the information we require.

The estate agent told me the property can have a agricultural water connection. 

Can you not filter agricultural water for showering, washing with UV and sediment filtration?

We would never consider drinking it even with UV and RO (reverse osmosis), so we would stock up on drinking water.

Can it take years to connect agricultural water?

Cheers


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Mick D said:


> Thank you, this is exactly the information we require.
> 
> The estate agent told me the property can have a agricultural water connection.
> 
> ...


I don't know but I seem to recall that agricultural water can ONLY be used on the land - as in it's illegal to do anything else with it. I may be wrong on this (maybe it can be used if cleaned sufficiently) but have you been told when this water is available? Some supplies don't run during the summer for example.

So be careful - it's not simply down to how clean it is.

It's like having an agricultural clause on your property - it must only be used for that purpose and not as a full-time residence or used to run a business from


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## Mick D (May 26, 2016)

Again thank you for your help.

Excellent, these are questions I will be asking... The water is very important. Because in 10 years we want to stay in Spain.

Whatever we buy will be a holiday home for 10 years then a perminant residence as my children will be over 20 then.

If a septic tank is installed previously, would the governing bodies make us install a newer system?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Mick D said:


> Again thank you for your help.
> 
> Excellent, these are questions I will be asking... The water is very important. Because in 10 years we want to stay in Spain.
> 
> ...


Possibly.

Many septic tanks (fossa septica) are actually fossa negra - which is just a hole in the ground (more or less). The Spanish interchange these terms just to confuse 


If you have any reservations about lack of water, lack of power legality etc. then move on. There are plenty more properties out there.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

> There are plenty more properties out there.


Too right!

A quick look on idealista - Casas y pisos hasta 100.000 euros en Tarragona provincia — idealista - showed 1,368 houses for sale in Tarragona under €100k.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Points to note;
> 
> Make sure it has a habitation licence
> Make sure IBI has been paid and is up-to-date
> ...


All very very valid points. I was looking at a repo a while back and I fell in love with the place. The house had previously had mains connections but as it had been empty a long time it was cut off and meters removed. Likewise, the kitchen and bathroom had been removed and it turns out that this was for a very clever reason...

The septic tank was installed before new regulations. Now, if they house had a kitchen and bathroom I could have asked the bank for a habitation license before i buy BUT without a kitchen or bathroom thats impossible as a requirement is sanitation and somewhere to cook and wash... now... isnt it convenient that this canot be applied for as there is no kitchen......... truth is that it would fail on the septic tank so me thinks internal things were removed for a reason. 

So, even though there would be no problem as far as the house being supplied with water and luz it would have been a flipping costly lesson for me if i had gone ahead and bought it!


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## Mick D (May 26, 2016)

Thank you all for the information.

I think I will give up on this house, seems to much is unknown in terms of costs and what can and cannot be done. Then there is the usual aspects that need to be checked by the solicitors.

Could end up costsing a fortune to be told something else is wrong.

Will keep looking


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

+it was probably extremely overpriced without any electric /water ,etc.


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## Mick D (May 26, 2016)

Yes, I was intending to haggle 

Just one question about lawyers, when should someone start to instruct a lawyer to do all the background checks?

Actually two questions, what checks can I be doing? If any?

Cheers


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