Bed and Breakfast in Spain

More information to help

2007-10-13T03:52:00.000-07:00

You’re Numero de Identidad
To buy your property in Spain you will need to arrange for a (Numero de Identidad or NIE) this is the equivalent of a national insurance number or identity number, this is obtained from the Ministerio del Interior Officina de extranjeros for the province you have chosen, It will entail taking your original passport to a notorio who will copy this for you and on the copy will stamp it and attach an official stamp this can be taken to the office for the ministerio del interior to obtain an NIE number.
This can in some cases be arranged by your lawyer who will advise you on this ,once obtained It is wise to carry a copy with you at all times as this is your identity number and may be asked for “for instance if you are stopped in your car”

Opening a Bank Account
This is of course in most cases a necessity for transferring money from the United Kingdom to your new bank (banco) in Spain. It is a simple procedure and in most cases you can open a bank account while you are there at the bank.
If you take your passport to your nominated bank with your NIE number (if available) your address or a nominated address here in Spain, You can open a current account AND a savings account if so wished. The bank will quite often allow you to used the banks address as your address and hold any letters (your debit cards and cheque book) that will be issued to you which takes about 10 days. In most cases no money is required to open a bank account.
You will be asked to sign a (Contrato de libreta ahorro) which is a formality to say you have agreed to open a bank account with this particular bank. They will issue you with an account number and also an IBAN number which allows you to transfer money from the United Kingdom to Spain. It is helpful to also take with you your SWIFT number from your bank back in the United Kingdom which allows you to send money abroad.
Most banks in Spain seem to charge very similar rates of interest on current and savings accounts .though you will incur charges for the privilege of having a bank account in Spain; this doesn’t just apply to foreign people living in Spain but locals alike.
It will pay you to go to one or two banks and have a chat to them, In many banks now there are people who speak English if this is important to you but don’t be influenced by the agents you are using make your own choices.

To go to the Notary or Not
The Notario is a person who represents the legal profession specialising in the transferring or buying of houses overseeing wills, legal work involved in the banks here in Spain i.e. loans, mortgages and many other formalities.

Once the lawyer has prepared the paperwork to transfer the property to your name/s he will arrange an appointment with the notario and yourselves to go to the appointed office (there are notaries in all major towns).You may also need to take an interpreter if asked to do so or a person that you know can speak Spanish fluently. The notario will read through the prepared paperwork making sure everything is in order and stamp each sheet of the “Copy Simple”
Which is a simple copy of your Escritura” or deeds He will also ask to see your passport and ask if you are the person on the passport you will also be asked to sign to this effect.
If you feel you are happy or would rather let your lawyer arrange for this to take place in your absence you can arrange with Him/Her to take this on board and give him “Power of Attorney” usually for a small additional charge.
You will have to go to the notary with your lawyer for this to be agreed with the notario.
Once this procedure has taken place You will then be given a “copy simple” of your deeds, the originals will be sent to the Registro de la Propiedad for your local area and you will be informed by your lawyer when they are ready for collection, this can be a period of between six months to two years depending on the age of the property .You may also incur a charge for the originals if they have not already been paid for.

Living and Working in Spain
Once you are living in Spain it is obligatory for you to register at your local town hall ( ayuntamiento) this is a simple procedure that usually takes about a week before you can collect your (certificado de residencia) and costs in the region of between 1.50/2.50 euros. It is a case of simply taking your passport and your new address here in Spain to the town hall which they will copy .Although it is mandatory for all persons to register themselves as living here many do not, this not only affects themselves as they are entitled to vote in local elections but the European Union also pay a small amount for each person registered in an area thus the ayuntamiento can provide
more services to the local area.

Gas Electricity and Water

It is important to realise that a large part of Spain use bottle gas for both water heating, cooking and heating in some instances unless you are going to live in a main town/city where this is provided by mains, this is being introduced into other outlying parts at the moment. Most new houses that are built do use registered Spanish plumbers to install there gas appliances which is an important factor as you must have a certificate stating that the installation is safe to use, this is because there are two types of regulators one for butane and one for propane, Silver bottles and Red bottles. You must have a certificate to register yourself or property to be able to obtain new and replacement bottles in the future.

Registering for Social Security & Medical cover
Once you have decided you are starting your new life here in Spain it is important to inform both the Local tax office of your intensions that will finalise your tax forms and possibly give you a tax rebate as you will be leaving the United Kingdom. You should also inform the Department of health and Social Security that you are moving to Spain, they will issue you with one of two forms if under retirement age a form E116 which will entitle you to up to two years free medical cover from the time you stop paying benefits in the United Kingdom or a form giving you complete cover if you are retirement age.
Once you receive these forms it will state when the cover started and when it finishes, it is important to register for a doctor in your area as soon as possible. You need to go to the local Social Security Office taking with you the original and a copy of your passport, birth certificate,marrage certificate, your new address and your pension details if retirement age. You will then be issued with a new form which should be taken to your local medical centre .You will also need to take your certificates produced at the social security office, here they will give you details of which days and where you can visit your doctor your (NUHSU Number) the equivalent of your NHS Number in United Kingdom. It is often advisable to take an interpreter with you to both offices and someone who speaks Spanish fluently.
It is important to remember that once leaving the United Kingdom you are not entitled to claim child benefit or many other benefits from United Kingdom.
Starting work
You have the choice of working for a Spanish company or for yourself (autonomous) In both cases you will be liable to pay both income tax which is less than the United Kingdom and Social Security (Securidad Social) you will then be covered for all medical treatment here in Spain and can cover your family It will also provide a pension, this can be arranged through your lawyer or through the local “Historia” in your town. If you are working for a Spanish employer they will usually arrange this for you. You will be sent a Securidad Social card with your social security number and NIE identity number on it; this can be used when visiting a doctor’s surgery to make an appointment, at hospital and in some instances as identification when needed i.e. when purchasing larger items with a cheque if you don’t carry your passport.

Dental Treatment
Dental treatment for children of school age is free; adults have to pay a nominal fee for treatment, though if you are entitled to claim for treatment this is free. Please be aware that if you are not registered with the social security system here children will also have to pay for dental treatment.

Can I bring my English car to Spain?
You can bring your English registered car to Spain but from the experience of many of our Guests it can be an expensive experience and in most cases not really worth the bother. You will of coarse need to have an MOT certificate and current tax disc you also need to inform the DVLC in United Kingdom of your intensions to bring your car to Spain, they will issue you with an export certificate in exchange for your current log book.
You are required by Spanish law to re register your car within six months of living in Spain; this will entail having your lights replaced with European lights which shine to the opposite side of the road to English lights, your car will need to be taken to an ITV station the equivalent of an MOT station in United Kingdom that can re register your car, they will take the full details of the car including the chassis and Engine numbers and value your car, you will then be charged import tax on the value of your vehical.You will then be able to replace your existing number plates with Spanish number plates and issued a new log book here in Spain. This can usually be arranged with a local garage.
Bear in mind if you are still thinking of bringing an English car to Spain, you will be driving on the other side of the road which can make overtaking etc far more difficult. Here Spanish cars under two years old take an ITV test every two years and a sticker is placed in the passenger top side corner of your windscreen cars bought from new only need an ITV after three years, If you own a vehicle over ten years old the ITV must be taken every year. If you own a transit van or the smaller vans thy are classed as work vehicles and must take an ITV every six months. Please note that transit vans brought here from the United Kingdom can not be re registered here in Spain so they must have mot certificates and tax from United Kingdom which causes all sorts of complications. Cars brought to Spain must also have a current MOT Insurance and tax, It is possible to obtain insurance for English cars though far more difficult as many companies will not issue insurance, you can only obtain a voluntary IVV certificate also which as far as is known is not recognised by the police.
Buying a new or used car in Spain is a simple procedure, as in the United Kingdom you can haggle a little on the price, once agreed the garage will ask for your passport details and your certificate of residency issued from the town hall; this is to issue a log book in your name. You will be issued with a certificate from the garage while the log book is sent away to be changed which can take between a month and seven months. The certificate issued in the garage has a limited time on it and a new one must be issued by the garage if they haven’t managed to obtain your log book before it expires. Buying a new car here can be cheaper than in England but please be aware used cars hold there prices really well and can be more expensive than in England.

Information for Moving and Settling in Spain

2007-10-13T03:37:00.000-07:00

In the last four years of running our Guest House meeting new Guests and now friends we have experienced some of the pitfalls and benefits but probably not all of living and working in Spain.
We hope these information sheets will provide you with a great deal of information and make the move a lot easier for you.

Viewing & Buying property.
Anyone who is planning to buy there new home in Spain needs the help of a good estate agent or
(Inmobiliaria) there are many reputable agents in this area and some not so good, they all charge different rates of commission depending on the company used, It is wise to ask before getting into detailed discussion what charges you will incur this can vary from 5% to 15% of the total cost of the property, some agents include these charges in the cost of the property so you know this shouldn’t be added later. Tax or IVA is also charged when buying property though again some agents include these fees.
But as in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe you should always invest in a good lawyer (Aborgado)
Or Asesoria. An aborgado is a qualified solicitor who is usually employed in the buying and selling of property as well as other legal and family law. An asesoria can also undertake the work entailed in buying and selling property, making wills mortgages and loans but does not involve themselves with other legal issues. Always use an independent lawyer not one who is recommended by your chosen agent, if you feel happier even a lawyer from another town in the area you plan to view and buy in.

Employing Estate Agents, Lawyers.
As in the United Kingdom good estate agents will be registered here in Spain, You can usually tell if they are registered as they will have a number of registration on the shop front next to the name of there company also the company name and number on there invoices.
They should be able to give you a sheet detailing the estimated costs incurred in buying your new or resale home
This is a (Factura a Clientes)
Your chosen lawyer should also be able to give you an estimated sheet of costs you will incur (Factura a cliente)
This will include
In a new build Checking with the town hall ((Ayuntamiento) for your area that the property is built on urbanised land, not industrial or agricultural land. permission has been given to build .The land is of coarse owned by the person selling the land and permission has been given to build the property which is also passed by the Delegacion Provincial and the Junta or ( Council for the province) He/She will also check the property has a (Certificate del Catastro Descripiva y Grapica) which is a form listing the details of the property the location and area of land you are buying giving the square meterage of the build and the land also a planned map of the area .This is as important as the (Escritura) deeds of the property. Here in Spain the deeds are divided into two parts one for the land and one for the property.
He will also make sure that the vendor has a certificate of first habitation which allows you to buy and live in the house legally. He/She should also check to make sure that a mortgage payments or loans will be cleared if they are based on the property and that they will be cleared .In some instances buyers have bought property and found they still owe a mortgage or loan on the property.
The above mentioned information also applies to a resale house but as long as the house is already registered
As a dwelling then a certificate of first habitation will not be required.
You’re Numero de Identidad
To buy your property in Spain you will need to arrange for a (Numero de Identidad or NIE) this is the equivalent of a national insurance number or identity number, this is obtained from the Ministerio del Interior Officina de extranjeros for the province you have chosen, It will entail taking your original passport to a notorio who will copy this for you and on the copy will stamp it and attach an official stamp this can be taken to the office for the ministerio del interior to obtain an NIE number.
This can in some cases be arranged by your lawyer who will advise you on this ,once obtained It is wise to carry a copy with you at all times as this is your identity number and may be asked for “for instance if you are stopped in your car”

Opening a Bank Account
This is of course in most cases a necessity for transferring money from the United Kingdom to your new bank (banco) in Spain. It is a simple procedure and in most cases you can open a bank account while you are there at the bank.
If you take your passport to your nominated bank with your NIE number (if available) your address or a nominated address here in Spain, You can open a current account AND a savings account if so wished. The bank will quite often allow you to used the banks address as your address and hold any letters (your debit cards and cheque book) that will be issued to you which takes about 10 days. In most cases no money is required to open a bank account.
You will be asked to sign a (Contrato de libreta ahorro) which is a formality to say you have agreed to open a bank account with this particular bank. They will issue you with an account number and also an IBAN number which allows you to transfer money from the United Kingdom to Spain. It is helpful to also take with you your SWIFT number from your bank back in the United Kingdom which allows you to send money abroad.
Most banks in Spain seem to charge very similar rates of interest on current and savings accounts .though you will incur charges for the privilege of having a bank account in Spain; this doesn’t just apply to foreign people living in Spain but locals alike.
It will pay you to go to one or two banks and have a chat to them, In many banks now there are people who speak English if this is important to you but don’t be influenced by the agents you are using make your own choices.

To go to the Notary or Not
The Notario is a person who represents the legal profession specialising in the transferring or buying of houses overseeing wills, legal work involved in the banks here in Spain i.e. loans, mortgages and many other formalities.

Once the lawyer has prepared the paperwork to transfer the property to your name/s he will arrange an appointment with the notario and yourselves to go to the appointed office (there are notaries in all major towns).You may also need to take an interpreter if asked to do so or a person that you know can speak Spanish fluently. The notario will read through the prepared paperwork making sure everything is in order and stamp each sheet of the “Copy Simple”
Which is a simple copy of your Escritura” or deeds He will also ask to see your passport and ask if you are the person on the passport you will also be asked to sign to this effect.
If you feel you are happy or would rather let your lawyer arrange for this to take place in your absence you can arrange with Him/Her to take this on board and give him “Power of Attorney” usually for a small additional charge.
You will have to go to the notary with your lawyer for this to be agreed with the notario.
Once this procedure has taken place You will then be given a “copy simple” of your deeds, the originals will be sent to the Registro de la Propiedad for your local area and you will be informed by your lawyer when they are ready for collection, this can be a period of between six months to two years depending on the age of the property .You may also incur a charge for the originals if they have not already been paid for.

2007-09-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

Casa Montana Vista Guest house is a 200-year-old renovated “Cortijo” or village farmhouse in the village of Llano de los Olleres.Surrounded by orange lemon fig grape groves, the main source of income for the local people living here, although there are other family industries within the village it is not uncommon to see the farmer going to his fields on a donkey or the goat lady taking her goats to pasture. Now converted to a Guesthouse in keeping with all of the traditional features.
We bought the house four years ago from “Carlos” Son of the previous owners “Resurrection and Domingo” good friends and elders in the village,

Domingo’s Mother had left the house to Domingo and in turn the house was given to Carlos. The house needed some tender loving care, which we hope we have achieved.
Domingo now retired worked on his parents land after joining the Spanish merchant Navy for two years, he breed horses also keeping various animals such as goats and chickens these were housed in the upstairs of our house in the traditional Andalusia way. Three large rooms “cava’s” upstairs one of which housed the animals, another had feeding troughs the other was an open room used for curing hams”jamon” drying peppers, chillies and storing a variety of fruit. These rooms have now been converted into four bedrooms for our children also an office. We have also transformed another bedroom
En suite upstairs from where the end wall was collapsing and the roof falling in.
When Domingo was a baby and small child this is where he and his brothers and sisters slept with the animals, as it was a lot warmer during the winter months! The adults slept downstairs. On moving into the house the babies crib was STILL in the cava used for the children’s sleep room.
On entering the guest house the hall has high-beamed ceilings as has the rest of the house with plaster forms”yesso” between. Apparently when the house was built this cost a great deal of money to construct, many houses had Cane “cannier” ceilings plastered over. The original high glazed doors over 2.5 metres high have been kept in the hallway guest bedrooms and dining room which were once used by the adults living in the house as bedrooms and living areas. Guest bedroom one was Carlos’s Grandmothers bedroom, guest bedroom two was used as a lounge and now our guest dining room and communal lounge were living areas.
The kitchen was a traditional blue and white tiled cupboard with stone sink, now transformed into a modern kitchen with traditional wood burning oven. We have also transformed the other three rooms downstairs into a quite lounge area, utility room where we share use of washing and drying facilities with our guests wishing to use these. Also a Guest bath/shower room. Origionaly these were used as a wine storeroom and very basic toilet room. The outside of the house has been transformed from an earth courtyard with vines growing wild into a tiled kitchen courtyard with a grapevine and herb garden and BBQ area which is very popular with our guests.
From this area we have steps up to the garden pool and patio area, with various Mediterranean plants and Cacti. We have orange, lemon, mandarine cherry and apple trees, a cacti garden and various flower beds with fucia’s, roses, aloe vera, suculants and many other plants and bulbs making this an attractive area to sun bathe and enjoy the pool.
We are within five minutes drive to the local town of Albox with all the amenities of everyday life and twenty minutes to the coastal resorts of Garucha and Mojacar still with its local fleet of fishing boats and miles of unspoilt beaches. For the more adventurous the mountains of Saliente are within fifteen minutes drive with its monastery which it open for all to see dedicated to the “Virgin of Saliente” She is celebrated in the fiesta of our village every year with the village being transformed with carnations arches and fireworks.