The Ultimate Homes Blog

This fantastic property was previously on the market at 315,000 Euros, it is now unfortunately in the hands of the banks and is being offered for sale at 198,900 Euros(plus taxes and notary fees). This four / five bedroom townhouse was lovingly reformed by the previous owners into a large spacious home whilst retaining many original features, with a great patio for entertaining and a private roof terrace.  Situated over three floors and on a corner location in the heart of the old town of La Nucia, and a stone's throw from the impressive church. Reformed with the highest quality materials, respecting the style of the original building, yet combining modern design and comfort. The ground floor features a large lounge, dining area, a bedroom, WC, store room and kitchen with access to an interior patio. On the first floor, we find three spacious bedrooms, two with walk in closets, and a family bathroom. Up to the third floor and we have a large open playroom which leads to the r...

So for many  Spanish property  owners looking to sell or rent their home they are probably blissfully unaware of the new rules regarding energy certificates. So how does one obtain the energy certificate which is obligatory for selling or renting a property, how much will it cost and are there any fines? Who will issue the energy certificate and what does it measure? The royal decree issued in 2013 by the Ministry of Industry states that energy efficiency certificates have to be issued by a technician who is authorised to undertake building projects or thermal installations for buildings, and will be drawn up using an officially recognised computer programme for certification. in 2011 the Ministry of Industry issued a public invitation to tender for the development of the tool which would be used in this process. The successful bidder was the consortium made up of the National Renewable Energy Centre (CENER) and the state company Miyabi, wh...

As the weather warms up and we look towards summer, we are being asked by many clients about the laws regarding the letting of their properties for holiday rentals. Tourism in Spain has been reaching record levels over the last couple of years and this year is expected to be even higher. Renting out your holiday home can be a great source of income if it is not being used in the summer. Whilst many people still let their properties out with no licence, we recommend that if you are intending to let out your property, you should apply for a tourist licence. It is relatively inexpensive and as I found out when I did this for my own apartment, surprisingly easy to obtain. There is a form to fill in which you can find HERE and you will need an up to date habitation licence and energy efficiency certificate for the property. If you have bought in the last few years, you should have this but if not, it is something we can help with. The property has to meet certain basic requirement...

The above graph reminds us of where we are (and also of where we have been) in relation to the average price per square meter of residential property in Spain and for comparison purposes, the Alicante region (which in itself is very much a varied area). The source is TINSA, the valuation company.

Well, thank goodness January has come and gone. With Brexit still in the news, and Donald Trump making headlines every day, January could not have seemed any longer, and we've even had some of the worst weather seen in generations here in Spain. But today is February 1st, the sun is out and the skies are blue so what better than a quick reminder of why you really should be considering buying a property in Spain. 1. Moving to Spain is easy Freedom of movement within the European Economic Area has been a God-send for anyone who fancies moving to Spain. There are no questions asked, no paperwork required – just by virtue of being an EU citizen, you already effectively are a Spanish citizen. Within one day you can be assigned your National Identity (NIE) Number which allows you to work. Really, it couldn´t be simpler. 2. The weather You will have seen photos on Facebook of snow on the beaches of Javea or the village of Guadalest looking like an alpine resort, but this happens ...

We certainly do live in interesting times. Last Thursday evening I went to bed at just after midnight and had read that Nigel Farage of UKIP had conceded defeat to the British "remain in the EU" voters. You know the rest, I woke up early on Friday morning to find that both Britain and Europe are to become divided and more fragmented than many of us can remember. I will leave the politics to one side as there are many out there who are in a better position than me to comment further on that. The fact is though that following the referendum vote, nothing is going to change overnight (apart from the GBP/EUR exchange rate). The process of leaving the EU is likely to take at the very least two years. However, the weakened pound means that Spanish property has now become 10% more expensive for British buyers. At the time of writing 1 British Pound will purchase 1.208,50 Euros, compared to one week ago when it was equivalent to 1.32 Euros. The exchange rate will be volatile now ...