# Buy or rental



## Phill sait (Jun 19, 2015)

Hi
My husband, 5 tiny dogs,6 cats, two parrots and myself are planning to move to Spain in Sep 15. Any advice on what would be the best way to transport my pets and wether to buy or rent a property. We are looking to live in Spain long term
Thank you


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I guess it would help if we knew a bit more. Where abouts in Spain, what do you want from the area you choose, are you retiring??

IMO, its always best to rent first, if only to give you a chance to understand the rules, regs and fine tune where you want to be.

Anyway, welcome to the forum, have a good look around it and ask as many questions as you like

Jo xxx


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## Phill sait (Jun 19, 2015)

Hi Jo
We are looking to retire to the Almeria area. We have warned not to buy but not knowing the Spanish customs we need more advise
Phill


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

Phill sait said:


> Hi Jo
> We are looking to retire to the Almeria area. We have warned not to buy but not knowing the Spanish customs we need more advise
> Phill


If I was coming to live in Spain today I would definitely say rent first as if you get it wrong you could end up with a millstone around your neck.Sorry to say don't know what the property market is like in Almeria but I am sure there are people who can enlighten you more who live up there.With all your pets I would think that you would be looking at a Finca or a property like that.Not an easy decision the way Spain is today but still a most enjoyable country to live in.If it was possible for someone to look after your pets I would say come over and have a good look round.I certainly have no regrets about buying a property in Spain as imagine how much we would have thrown down the toilet pan in rent so for us it was a no brainer.Wish you the best of luck with your move and like I said it' still a great country to live in.Respect SB.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

You will find that we regular members of the forum fall into two distinct camps - the buys versus the rents. However, if you are going to buy, you have to be really sure about what you are letting yourself in for and that means thorough research and I mean thorough. Having a menagerie makes life a lot more difficult. Few places in a town would be content renting to you with so many animals. You may find a suitable property on the outskirts or in the campo but then you run into other potential problems with possible questions regarding its legality, provision of services (electricity, water, telephone) etc.

The most important thing is to know yourself. What you want and don't want. Could you live in a place happily for many years or are there little doubts that turn into huge niggles later. How is your health? If you are in the sticks, How long will it take an ambulance to get to you? Will you always be able to drive yourself or are you likely to need public transport which is much more scant and infrequent or even non-existent in some areas? How close is a place to an airport to get back to where you may want to go in UK? Can you get to shops easily? How far is it to the medical centre/hospital? What sort of climate do you want/need? remember that just because you may be in southern Spain, it doesn't mean that you won't get snow or heavy frosts or torrential rain for days on end or gale force winds, or...


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

The buy versus rent debate is a fascinating one. Undoubtedly the wiser more experienced members are correct in mainly advising towards renting first so us (Spain) expat - virgins can get the feel of an area, see the up and downsides and crucially leave an exit strategy should it not work out.

I agree with them 110%

Why then do I see AND AM TEMPTED BY -some very well priced for sale properties....

Heart over head I suppose


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Rabbitcat said:


> The buy versus rent debate is a fascinating one. Undoubtedly the wiser more experienced members are correct in mainly advising towards renting first so us (Spain) expat - virgins can get the feel of an area, see the up and downsides and crucially leave an exit strategy should it not work out.
> 
> I agree with them 110%
> 
> ...


I should mention that we bought with no dipping toes in the water by way of renting. We sold our flat in Uk to make this a permanent move - no going back because there is nothing for us to go back to. We researched thoroughly and knew what criteria our new home would have to meet and this house does as does this village. We never even considered renting.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Price wise you probably will never see prices this low for a long time so if you can afford to and want to then now is a brilliant time to buy. With all your pets too I can see why buying would appeal more. I say buy if you really want to, now is a good time for it.

That said depending on what type of house you want the search may take some time, it took us over 12 months to find the right property and the paperwork itself took 4 months just so we could buy a legal house. Of course you may love the first property you see and it could be over and done with quickly.

With that in mind a year is a long time to spend in a holiday rental while you are searching, I'm glad we took a regular rental for the first couple of years.


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## Gazeebo (Jan 23, 2015)

We had the same decision to make and have decided to rent. Everyone is different for very diverse reasons. Buy if you are positively 2,000% sure of your move, will be able to cope with regrets, know the area, love the life with the good and bad, know and understand the downfalls and can afford to support yourselves - then buy. Otherwise - why not just rent at first.

We are renting at first, but are still very positive about the move and who knows - may end up buying and spending our old age in Spain - wrinkles and all!


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## Tracey W (Oct 24, 2014)

Prices are already starting to creep up, so I'd advise you to come over without your pets and rent for a month while you look around and once you have decided on an area, buy a property. I think it'll be some time before prices reach the pre-crisis point, but there are some real bargains to be had at the moment. I've noticed a lot of agents advertising for more properties to sell cos the property market is moving again.
TBH, you are going to really struggle to find somewhere to rent with all those animals. Most landlords don't allow ANY pets.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Tracey W said:


> Prices are already starting to creep up, so I'd advise you to come over without your pets and rent for a month while you look around and once you have decided on an area, buy a property. I think it'll be some time before prices reach the pre-crisis point, but there are some real bargains to be had at the moment. I've noticed a lot of agents advertising for more properties to sell cos the property market is moving again.
> TBH, you are going to really struggle to find somewhere to rent with all those animals. Most landlords don't allow ANY pets.


In my experience, this is simply NOT true.

Whilst there are some landlords that won't accept pets, there are also many that do.

It's more a combination of the type of property, the location and the landlord's wishes.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Tracey W said:


> Prices are already starting to creep up, so I'd advise you to come over without your pets and rent for a month while you look around and once you have decided on an area, buy a property. I think it'll be some time before prices reach the pre-crisis point, but there are some real bargains to be had at the moment. I've noticed a lot of agents advertising for more properties to sell cos the property market is moving again.
> TBH, you are going to really struggle to find somewhere to rent with all those animals. Most landlords don't allow ANY pets.


Altho he does seem to have quite a few pets, In my experience I've never had any trouble when renting in Spain when we had three dogs (out of many properties we viewed and lived in, I only ever saw one or maybe two that said no pets). Its not anywhere near the problem as renting with pets is in the UK. I put it down to no carpets and the ability to live more of an outdoor life, so animals dont tend to cause or do so much damage??

As for coming over for a month - well staying in a hotel for that length of time and petcare would be costly, so renting for say six months would enable both looking and going through the process of buying.

Jo xxx


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## Catzoooo (Mar 31, 2015)

We have just sold up in the UK and have a 6 month let on a small house in Murcia. We have bought a cheap old van and are driving down mid July. That's us 2, 2 dogs and a cat. No problems finding a rental with the pets. 
Plan is to see how we like it and then consider either a longer rental or buy. 
Exciting times


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Many come on here looking for information and this is great. The recession is not over in Spain by the proverbial mile. But, some property which is well located is increasing on last year's prices between 2% and 3%. Mass produced properties have not seen any price increase.

But, what has been going on on this forum for the last seven/eight years is good and makes any Dream-seeker think. Yes, there are the people who will leap without looking and some are lucky and everything works out right. Always remember though the only things preventing you from making the mistake of your life is thought and luck.

Things are looking up in Spain and there are bargains to be got in buying and renting. Don't make the obvious mistakes i.e. arriving in Spain in mid June and looking to rent or buy. Holiday prices are much greater than say mid September onwards. 

You have got to ask your self questions and the main ones are:-
1. Things are not working out in Spain, can I beat a retreat back to the UK easily?
2. Can I afford to live in Spain.
3. (Don't discard this one) Is my partner/wife happy in Spain?
4. Is that real estate agent telling the truth or just reframing the answers to my questions?

OK! you have decided to stay? What do you want in Spain? Write down everything you require, location, accommodation, friendship, work (dreaded 4 letter word), peace, joy, exercise, karaoke, bingo, dog-walking, fishing, car, bicycle, sunshine, vegetable/fruit growing, internet, sport etc etc.

Then write down what you are prepared to concede something on. You know, of course, that all requirements will differ from person to person. 

Remember, I said write down.

You have your lists (do not forget lists of your wife/partner/husband). Now look at tax implications in Spain, NHS -V- Spanish Health System, cost of living etc.

Where is all this going? The most important answer is to the one is room for a dignified retreat, if necessary. Make sure you have this.

If you want to buy, then buy but decisions made in haste could have you feeling like Adolf HItler in 1945. So tread wisely.

If you arrive in Spain from early October and rent in different places for 4/5 weeks at a time you will not be wasting money and you will get the true feel in what you are embarking. Rentals are cheaper this time of year than you might think and save yourself a few bob, rent privately. This might leave you feeling a bit cold, but it is the thinking person's way of ensuring that what you seek is what you want.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Leper said:


> If you arrive in Spain from early October and rent in different places for 4/5 weeks at a time you will not be wasting money and you will get the true feel in what you are embarking. Rentals are cheaper this time of year than you might think and save yourself a few bob, rent privately. This might leave you feeling a bit cold, but it is the thinking person's way of ensuring that what you seek is what you want.


I should just like to point out that those of us who did all of the preliminary planning you have outlined (which I absolutely agree with) and then decided, based on the results of our research, to buy, are not unthinking people. 

If I had had to live in several different properties during a Spanish winter, quite possibly as they were rental properties without adequate means of heating, and without my own comfortable things around me, only able to bring a very limited supply of clothes and possessions with me, and feeling very insecure knowing I had to move on somewhere else every few weeks, I am quite sure it would have made me pretty unhappy and coloured the way I felt about living in Spain. But that is just me, and knowing yourself (or yourselves I should say, because you are right to emphasise that the needs and feelings of both partners in a relationship are very important) is a very big part of getting things right when it comes to deciding (a) whether a move to Spain is a good idea or not and (b) choosing the right place to live.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> I should just like to point out that those of us who did all of the preliminary planning you have outlined (which I absolutely agree with) and then decided, based on the results of our research, to buy, are not unthinking people.
> 
> If I had had to live in several different properties during a Spanish winter, quite possibly as they were rental properties without adequate means of heating, and without my own comfortable things around me, only able to bring a very limited supply of clothes and possessions with me, and feeling very insecure knowing I had to move on somewhere else every few weeks, I am quite sure it would have made me pretty unhappy and coloured the way I felt about living in Spain. But that is just me, and knowing yourself (or yourselves I should say, because you are right to emphasise that the needs and feelings of both partners in a relationship are very important) is a very big part of getting things right when it comes to deciding (a) whether a move to Spain is a good idea or not and (b) choosing the right place to live.


I could not agree more. Those who decide to move to Spain, or France or italy or... without first identifying what they are looking for and what they are not looking for, all the pros and cons, but just jump in with both feet are asking for unhappiness, misery and possible financial ruin.


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Baldilocks you sure dont miss and hit the wall but you are 100% correct. Serious research is a necessity


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## Lez8319 (Jun 21, 2015)

I have just read this and it helped me decide to rent but i am having trouble finding a good rental site


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Rabbitcat said:


> Baldilocks you sure dont miss and hit the wall but you are 100% correct. Serious research is a necessity


But one has to define "serious research." There are some that would consider just asking on a forum such as this one, to be "serious research" when all we can give is our opinions and how things appear to us. If one wants climate records, one has to go and look at a site such as aemet for the areas in which you are interested. If one wants to know about cost of living, there are sites that will give you the cost of various products in different areas. We can only give the cost of living as it affects us, personally and it will obviously vary according to shopping habits - those who habitually shop in Corte Inglés will pay much more than those who shop in Lidl or Mercadona but then one has to factor in the actual goods purchased - fillet steak costs more than lomo de cerdo, etc.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lez8319 said:


> I have just read this and it helped me decide to rent but i am having trouble finding a good rental site


:welcome:

take a look at the rental section of http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-living-spain/2725-faqs-lots-useful-info.html


there are several links to national rental sites


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## Gazeebo (Jan 23, 2015)

Lez8319 said:


> I have just read this and it helped me decide to rent but i am having trouble finding a good rental site


Try 'Owners Direct'. We got some properties from the website to view but when my OH went out to the area he found local agents as well. He had limited time so this for us was the best option and we eventually decided to take one to rent via an agent.

If you google 'long term rentals' or 'winter rentals', you will come up with quite a few to choose from. A word of warning - bookmark them - otherwise you will not remember what, when and how!


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## Tammydog (Mar 7, 2015)

I agree I cannot find a goodie teal site. Although we have postponed until September.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Tammydog said:


> I agree I cannot find a goodie teal site. Although we have postponed until September.


As @xabiachica says, have you tried the main sites as listed in the FAQ?

idealista
fotocasa
enalquiler
kyero

to name but a few - these really are the main ones in Spain and cover all types of properties in all areas.


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