Let’s face it; we have all heard disastrous tales of people buying in Spain. Why then are so many Brits still buying there?

Approximately one million British nationals now live for at least part of the year in Spain. Many have moved permanently and others have holiday homes there, so the short answer has to be that there are just so many advantages to having a property in Spain. Plus of course it’s always when things go wrong that the news hits the press – there just aren’t great headlines to be made out of the thousands of property deals that have gone through very smoothly and without a single problem.

Nevertheless there is a need for caution.

Always retain your own independent lawyer and ALWAYS make sure that they have no connection what so ever to the vendor, your estate agent or your developer – I cannot stress this strongly enough. Also make sure that your lawyer has done all the necessary checks on your property to make your purchase a safe and uncomplicated one.

Always go with your gut instinct – it is seldom wrong. If it doesn’t feel right to you, then don’t feel obliged to continue. Go with an estate agent that is reputable and a member of a regulatory body and talk to local people in the area that you are considering buying in. If there have been problems with an area, an agent or a developer – move on!

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in Spain, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Spain Property Buying Guide’