SERVICES

LEGAL ASSISTANCE

MORTGAGES

ARCHITECTS & BUILDERS

INSURANCE

We have finally found the dream property! This is the time when our support is imperative to successfully fullfil all the requisites of a purchase.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE

In terms of legalities, we work closely with English independant speaking solicitors, ensuring that the legalities and conveyancing is looked after by professional people throughout the whole buying process. Before exchanging of private contract your lawyer will have completed searches and investigations on the property being sold and will secure it is sold free of charges and encumbrances and up-to-date in its tax obligations. Your lawyer will also pay on your behalf taxes and all relevant fees due to the Notary and will handle the formalities of registration of your Title Deed. Similarly, he can contract relevant supplies od utility services such as water and electricity and organise their payment through your local bank by standing orders.

To this effect we can recommend to you the Law Firm known as FONTAN & ZUBIZARRETA, well known Lawyers based in Marbella since 1987, who have always paid an accurate attention to all our clients. They offer global services, specialising in the needs of foreign investors whether they are companies or individuals. They will attend to all the legalities that are required in property transactions, taxation for non residents owning properties in Spain, and many other legal matters.

MORTGAGES

Whether you have purchased a new property or a resale property, upon completion you will be required to transfer the balance of the funds. Part of our after-sales service is to assist you with the mortgage application process. We fully assess your finances, fixed assets, liabilities, income be it self-employed or employed. Please, find below some information relating to the requirements of Spanish Banks to grant mortgages.

NON RESIDENT EMPLOYEES

Payrolls of the three last months, P60 Form, Bank settlements of accounts of the three last months, letter of reference from the company and photocopy of the passport.

NON RESIDENT SELF EMPLOYED

Income Tax Return, Solvency letter from your Tax Advisor or your Accountant, bank settlements of accounts of the three last months and copy of the passport.

RESIDENT EMPLOYEES

Work Permit dully stamped by the Social Security Department, Work Records , Income Tax Return, last three months payrolls, Solvency letter from the bank.

SELF EMPLOYED RESIDENTS

Certificate of self employed status and should it be the case the Title Deed of the Company, Solvency letter from your accountant, Losses and Benefits report of the two last years, Income Tax Return, V.A.T. report of the last three quarterly payments and Bank settlements of accounts of the last three months.

ARCHITECTS & CONSTRUCTORS

Many times it is quite difficult to trace the Dream Property as we do not want to sacrify any of the requirements that will make that property be so desirable to us. Sometimes you will find the perfect house but the views will not be spectacular, the orientation and the location will be wrong and vice versa. The solution will then be to buy a nice plot of land meeting with all our requirements. And once again we have the right people for you! The Architect FRANCISCO MONTERO DUEÑAS, based both in Marbella and in Fuengirola, will guide you through the process of drafting a Taylor Made project for you and to obtain the best estimate from the builder.

INTERIOR DESIGN

Whether you want to live in your property yourself or rent it out to maximise your returns, furnishing correctly to reflect the quality of your property is very important. Should you decide to undertake the arrangements for furnishing yourself, we can advise you of the most convenient shops to visit. If you do not have the time to do it yourself we can recommend reputable furniture companies that will offer you furniture packs to provide you with quality and service tailored to suit your objectives, budget and style.

INSURANCE

Buying home insurance in Spain can be confusing especially as there is a wide spectrum of English and Spanish based insurance companies operating in Spain. Each company will have slightly different levels of cover.

It is best to first ascertain what you require from an insurance and then search for the product. Home insurance can be divided into two sections: building cover and contents cover. It is important to understand what falls under each of these headings as it will aid the insured to make a better decision on what type of insurance they should take out. If you need insurance you can ask for any of the three types:

- Buildings Only

- Contents Only

- Buildings and Contents

WHAT IS BUILDINGS COVER?

Buildings insurance covers any damage to actual structure of the building and any fixtures in that building. Usually, anything considered to be part of the building are things that cannot be physically moved when moving house. Items such as windows, baths, fixed lighting, piping, flooring, buil-in wardrobes, doors and solar panels are all covered under the buildings section of a policy. More obviously tennis courts, pools and gardens also fall into this category.

WHAT IS THIRD PARTY LIABILITY?

When purchasing buildings cover, most policies will also have a sum insured for third party liability cover. this concept is often confused. Thid party liability covers any damage that the insured inflicts on others be it bodily injury of material damage. Some policies will include possible damage inflicted by any member of the family living within the household or even a pet to a third party. Many policies will also include legal defence to protect agains allegations made by others. Third party insurance never pays for your own damage – it pays for damages inflicted by the insured to a third party or defends you by seeking compensation when damages are inflicted on you.

If your house floods and the water seeps through to a neighbours house, you will be covered if you have buildings and third party liability ocver. I a builder drills through a pipe, you will have to try and claim compensation from the builders company but your own insurance should cover the defence costs should you need to take the case to court.

WHAT IS CONTENTS COVER?

A content is anything that you own and could take with you if you move to a new house. This includes furniture, electro-domestic appliances, electrical appliances such as televisions sets computers, etc, clothes, food, ornaments and valuables.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

Once you have purchased your dream home in Spain, it is best to ensure that it is kept secure. the first thing to do is to change the locks as many people could have keys to your home: Real Estate Agents, Construction workers, developers, etc … It is also advisable to have an alarm that links up to a central station.