Thoughts before purchasing another home in Spain

I have taken the next step toward purchasing another home in Spain. I asked the realtor to prepare the documents needed to request a bank loan and appraisal:
Title to the property, real estate tax receipt, and certificate of passing inspection for building liveability.

No Englishmen asks for that last one, I was informed. Maybe the builder has it. Every Spaniard would ask for it because without it, you cannot sell your property or prove you have the right to occupy it! They have recently bulldozed entire neighborhoods for the lack of such proof here in Spain.

There is much to think of, and some represents very critical information. The fact is, it is imperative that you get hard proof of everything before purchasing a home in Spain. You may reply that these are the same concerns everywhere. Perhaps, but in Spain rarely do you have the recourse of the courts and law on your side. The Spanish consumer is one of the least protected in Europe.

Some elements to thinks about have been:

1. Does it have a certificate of residential zoning?,
2. Does the builder have a construction permit?,
3. Is the developement incorporated into the nearby township?,
4. Does the owner have a certificate of home aptitude for occupation?,
5. Who is responsable for light utilities? (some people are still on the builder’s light, others are on city light),
6. Where does the water supply come from?,
7. Is there municipal garbage pick-up?
8. Are sewers properly hooked up(at one point the sewers just dumped into a low spot until the county found out and fined the builder to put in a sewage collector)?,
9. Who is responsable for street maintenance?,
10. Are telephone cables installed?,
11. How much are community fees for upkeep of common grounds, pool, park, tennis court etc.?
12. Do local municipal and state police make regular rounds through the development?
13. Does the Post Office include the zone in routing and mail delivery?

By way of example, some owners have installed a back-up generator in case of power outages. Are they indeed numerous enough to be worth such an investment? Such power failures, due to storms or surges in power use, can last for many hours. That can be a concern when you live at 2000 ft altitude. Hence, the need for alternative light and heating needs to be included in any monthly budget estimation.

Much of the power outs originate in several factors:

• The builder installed electric water heater in the houses
• In Spain, butane/propane gas bottles provide for heating, cooking and hot water while electricity is basically for lighting alone.
• The homeowners, expatriates, are used to all electric homes.

Here's the point. The standard electric power allowance is about half of a standard equivalent in a European or the American home. So whenever everything in the house is turned on, as it would be“at home” (95% of the home owners are British) on any given evening, the electric system overloads and shuts down. Should I budget for candles and kerosene lamp oil or a electric power generator?

On a related issue, homes with a daylight basement and garage, such as the one I am looking at, flood during heavy storm rains. Electric pumps are installed in basements to that purpose. But imagine the damage caused in the event of a power outage during a big storm. In fact, my plans include making the basement into added living space complete with bedroom, bath and family room. It’s definitely something to think about.

In light of the fact that no landlines exist in the area, the last few weeks have been occupied researching alternative Internet services. The housing development itself supposedly has the phone lines pre-installed inside the house, but they are not hooked up to the local telephone lines hub. Since the town’s hub is saturated, they are now laying 15 miles of new lines from another town, to the new development. When I enquire as to when the installation will be finished, I get a different answer every time I ask, going from, "before Christmas" up to just a snicker look and this reply: “when they (the phone company) feel like it”.

That essentially means I need a solid alternative internet connection to support my e-business. I need a permanent connection such as broadband that can support web-based CMS applications, FTP and VOIP. I also need to be in constant contact to keep up on incoming e-tail store orders and enquiries.

Bi-directional Internet by satellite comes to mind. It has turned into one of the few viable options in an area without landlines. Costly to set up, and it carries a hefty monthly fee. It seems to be more vulnerable to weather factors compared to cable broadband. In addition to that option, I have been researching radio and mobile wireless Internet. That's another factor to take into account when estimating living expenses.