You are looking at the possibility of buying a property in Spain, whether to actually become your permanent base or as a holiday location? Where do you start? Below I provide you with points that you may consider when looking for your ideal property.

1. My first suggestion would be to go on to the internet and look at and even contact some of the various agents that are now offering properties for sale in Spain. You will find that many of these companies are owned and run by people who are now residents in Spain and will be able to provide you with information on the many problems and pitfalls that may arise when buying a property in Spain, and will also know the area that you may be looking to buy the property in.

2. Your next decision is where to you want the property to be located, do you want to live in a Town (urbanization) or do you want the Country (Campo) you may even decide you want to be near the mountains, lakes or coast. However, one thing you must consider is that you want things to be close at hand, such as shops and medical facilities, then you may be better off looking at buying a property in Town or on the Coast. It may be an idea to visit the area you are looking at to decide if this will be the right location for you.

3. Next you will need to decide what sort of property it is you want to purchase, is it an apartment, townhouse of a finca (country house with land). You may even want to take on the challenge of buying a property that needs renovation.

4. You have now decided on the location and sort of property you want to buy. Now is the time to start contacting the various agents (both on the internet and in the location directly where you are looking to purchase). These companies will not only be able to provide you with details on properties that they feel would be of interest to you , but they should also be able to provide you with details of solicitors and banks (should you need to raise a mortgage to purchase the property). They will also provide you with information on the schools, medical facilities, and other amenities within the area of your choice.

5. If you are looking to obtain a mortgage from a bank (either in the UK or Spain) then find out what sort of percentage of monies they will lend to you for the purchase of such a property. You will find that most of the banks in Spain will only provide you with a 75% mortgage against the purchase of the property.

6. You have now decided on the property that you want to buy, and you should now ask the agent is the owner of the property that you want to buy have the legal rights to sell it. If they do, then they should be able to provide you with the papers confirming this (an escretera). However, if these can not be provided then do not proceed with the purchase, but any respectable real estate agent would already have been provided with sight of these documents.

7. Next confirm with the agent selling the property that all the correct permissions for the property to be built have been provided by the Local Town Hall. Because of the rise in the number of properties that have been built in Spain over the recent years with out obtaining the correct permissions the Government has been forced to take measures to prevent this occurring in the future. However, it also means that those people/developers who have built such properties can find themselves not only incurring fines by the Government, but may also find there properties being demolished.

However, it should be pointed out that as long as you associate yourself with a reputable agent then you should have no problems in finding the property of your dreams.

Well I hope that the information that I have provided for you above will help you in making the decision to purchase a property in Spain a pleasant one.