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It took me thirty years of trying to finally get into Albania, first applying for a visa in 1972. But Comrade-Chairman-Prime Minister-Foreign Minister-Minister of War-Commander in Chief of the People’s Army Enver Hoxha (Ho-Ja) gave me a miss, stolidly ignoring my written requests for a visa.

So in 1972 I drove around Albania through Macedonia (sorry Greece; I meant the former Yugoslavian province of Macedonia).

A Singular History

Coming up from Greece in 1997 I found Albania plunged into anarchy by a collapsed pyramid scheme that took the life savings of 70% of its population, supervised by teenagers wielding Kalashnikovs, bullets dirt cheap. So I gave it a miss. But perseverance brings reward, because in 2006 I found a unique Albania with a singular history that wags the dog, and most everything else.

Only in Albania can you find more Mercedes Benz than at a dealership, most stolen from all over Europe in the mid-90s to compensate for the mere 500 cars in a country of several million stuck over 40 years under the thumb of screwball Hoxha.

Yet the Albanian people are the friendliest, most helpful, and kindest people on the planet:

– the former Albanian ambassador to the UN dressed in spiffy white fedora, white vest and black silk shirt, who walked us to the hotel we couldn’t find in Tirana;

– the kindly grandmother who supervised me onto the bus in Tirana, once on insisting I remove my sunglasses, and kissed me goodbye when I got off in Berati;

– the bus driver from Vlore to Sarande who found me an immaculate hotel at half the price of the one I’d picked, and called the owner who came to fetch me and my mass of luggage, no charge.

The skyline of Kruja
Maybe the sincere friendliness has something to do with Albania’s weird history as the North Korea of Europe, isolated and alone, first spurning Yugoslavia, then Russia, and finally China as too liberal.

Try imagining Stalin and Mao as too liberal.

Mushroom Bunkers

From 1941 to 1985 Albania was ruled by such a paranoiac idiot — until the country’s unanimous happiness at his death — that his first priority was the casting of 700,000 ugly mushroom bunkers requiring five tons of concrete each, enough for pavement to stretch from the earth to the moon.

The founder of Lonely Planet, Tony Wheeler, said, “I was amused by the bunkers and I think they’re one of the quirky, curious things about Albania which it could easily capitalize on. Albania needs to develop an image which is different from anywhere else.” (Athens English Edition of Kathimerini, Reuters, June 14, 2006)

Don’t worry, Tony, because Albania is viscerally different from anywhere else. The concrete-mushroom-bunker caper was sufficient by itself to grind the country into poverty, diverting all money from roads whose potholes could have been featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not, dump trucks disappearing to China.

A mosque in Shkoder
Unspoiled Beaches

But except for a few minor stretches around Tirana the potholes have all been fixed and many Albanians apparently benefited from the privacy afforded by the bunkers for jettisoning their virginity.

The subsurface poverty is reflected in cars on blocks being parted out along the hundred miles (160 kilometers) of main highway from Shkoder to the capital of Tirana, but there’s more to see than cars on blocks, though well over half are Mercedes.

When tourists finally realize Albania is a unique country, in Europe, with unspoiled beaches remarkably similar to its neighbor Greece, they’ll come, tails wagging like doggies in a window.

The south half of Albania is secluded beaches, high mountains chopped by gurgling streams, and ruins from the ages, such as at Butrint, across from Corfu.

There Titus Pomponius Atticus pled with Cicero to lobby Julius Caesar to forget about locating a Roman colony near his estate, because it’d bollix the land values of the quietest, coolest, most pleasant place in the world.

Historic Ruins

Of course, one grows weary of superlatives uttered by those homebodies who’ve neither lived in nor visited every other place in the world. Still, Butrint harbors the most extensive historic ruins in the Balkans, Greek, Illyrian, Roman, Medieval and Venetian worlds in a single location, sitting on a tiny green peninsula between a lake and the straits of Corfu.

Its sprawling fortress is practically surrounded by water, castle on top housing an excellent museum, high above hollow shells of the ages. The only tourists I saw in Albania were day-trippers from Corfu to Butrint who came, looked, and exclaimed their conquest of Albania. Which means the rest of Albania is pretty quiet.

A photograph by Pietro Marubi
Tourists are missing from Shkoder, the furthest north Albanian city on the southeast end of humongous Lake Scutari, surrounded by snowy mountains. The glowering citadel of Rozafat dominates the southern horizon where the trade routes from the Danube River and the Aegean Sea converged, dating from late B.C.E.

Photo Exhibit

The best part of Shkoder, besides the photogenic Orthodox Church and Mosque, is the Marubi Photo Exhibit, classical shots taken from the late 19th century. Remarkably talented Mr. Marubi captured the personalities of Turkish Pashas, mountain men and rugged Albanians of all persuasions.

Tirana is crammed with succulent restaurants, broad boulevards and few tourists. My favorite refuge was the only wireless hotspot in the country at Stefan Qendra, which is a combination restaurant and hostelry.

However, only single and separate beds are available, because it’s run by American missionaries, frequented by pairs of Mormons in white shirts and ties, and families watching the World Cup while their men quaff non-alcoholic beer.

Geoge Skanderbeg
But the Internet is free for the price of dining from an excellent menu with slightly inflated prices, a liter of French press coffee $1.80 offering enough caffeine to fly you through the roof.

A Canny Warrior

When in Tirana, pop up to Kruja, a mountain village a mere 32 kilometers (20 miles) away that was Albania’s capital from 1443 to 1478, the only period prior to the very late 20th century when Albania was run by Albanians.

Their hero and savior was Skanderbeg, a canny warrior wearing a goat’s head helmet with impressive horns, who repulsed 13 invasions by the Ottoman Turks, earning the title, Captain General of the Holy See, bestowed by Pope Calixtus III.

Kruja is high above the Tirana dust, cooled by mountain airs, set off by a hunky citadel above a modern castle cum museum (The Skandenbej) designed by evil Hoxar’s daughter and son-in law.

Many Albanian city squares feature Skandenbej astride his valiant steed, in bronze. When Skandenbej died in 1478, the Ottoman Turks immediately took Albania, ruling for hundreds of years.

Churches Spared

Berati is Albania’s second museum town, so-called because only it was spared along with Hoxar’s birthplace of Gjirokastra, from the razing of all churches, mosques and most historic places in the former proletarian Albania.

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Berati
When mom saw me safely off in Berati, I heaved a sizeable sigh of relief and repaired to a charming B & B for days of exploration and relaxation.

Perched above sat a mountain-top Byzantine fortress, walls and 26 ancient churches covering 50 city blocks with a view over the broad valley, serpentine river and snow-capped peaks.

A marble head of Constantine, taller than Yao Ming, guarded the citadel walls, entered through twisty portals for exploration of ancient cisterns, Byzantine churches in brilliant brick, and an old red mosque, also in brick, incongruous relics among the hilltop population of 1200 people.

My biggest difficulty in Albania was a knee-jerking belief that shaking the head from side to side meant no, when in Albania it always means yes. Thus I thought the hotel full, when it invariably offered many rooms, the same for coffee, breakfast, and all daily necessities, like beer, which included Tuborg and Amstel on tap most everywhere. So when wagging side to side in Albania, remember it means YES.

When you go:

It’s easy to enter Albania from the world’s newest country of Montenegro (Ulcinj bus two hours to Shkoder, $12), from Macedonia (referred to exclusively by Greeks as Fypom, which stands for the former Yugoslavian province of Macedonia), or Greece. Or take Italian ferries from Bari, Brindisi or Ancona to Durresi or Vlore for $40, or fly to Tirana for between $100 and $200 from almost anywhere in Europe.

Two star hotels cost $30 to $40 for a double; three stars $50, though deals are available for those who bargain.

Car rentals are prohibitive in Albania but local transportation is inexpensive and frequent, though slow because no road is straight or flat.

The fruit and veg is among the best and least expensive on the planet and all organic. A kilo of cherries costs $1.25.

Expect the unexpected in this mountainous Adriatic country whose citizens weren’t allowed to own cars until 1991.

A wriggling snake tossed into our path by a scary-looking guy sipping Turkish coffee with his cronies at a sidewalk caf stopped me in my tracks. Everyone stared to see what would happen next. But when he suddenly picked the snake up, stroked it and grinned, I realized it was a joke - maybe.

Only a couple of hours earlier, we had crossed the border in a battered Mercedes taxi from Montenegro to Shkodra, in northern Albania, and were quickly learning to deal with the unexpected, and be scrutinized up-close by people not used to seeing tourists.

Not surprising, since for 41 years until his death in 1985, Communist dictator Enver Hoxha sealed off Albania with electric barbed-wire fences to keep the inhabitants in and foreigners out. As he put it, “Why should we turn our country into an inn with doors flung open to pigs and sows, to people with pants on or no pants at all?”

The current minister of tourism has no qualms about flinging open the doors. He is hoping to entice curious foreigners to discover Albania’s stunning southern Adriatic coast, snow-peaked mountains, historic towns, hilltop fortresses and ancient monuments that have been hidden for so long in the shadows of neighbouring Montenegro and Greece.

The uneasy transition from Communism to democracy scared off tourists, particularly when in 1997 a failed pyramid scheme plunged the country into economic ruin and near-anarchy.

But in the last few years, roads have been cleared of car-jackers, armed gangs jailed, and the democratically elected government is trying to deal with corruption. Now, the country is a safe option for enterprising travellers.

On the bus from Shkodra to Tirana, the capital, I looked out at women wearing tunics over baggy white trousers, heads swathed in scarves, toiling with wooden hoes and pitchforks in fields scattered with over 750,000 concrete bunkers built throughout the country by Hoxha to repel possible invaders. White minarets punctuated each town.

The laments of traditional Albanian songs segued into the blare of home-grown rap from the bus loudspeakers as we lurched along the dusty crater-filled road on the outskirts of Tirana.

Squeezed between half-finished buildings, and new, brightly painted gated developments, dozens of makeshift garages and car washes, sometimes nothing more than a pile of used tires and a plastic hose, cater to a population that has been allowed to own cars only since 1991.

Amid the din of Tirana’s chaotic traffic (in a city of 750,000 with 250,000 cars, few people have driving licences), it was impossible not to feel the energy, optimism and entrepreneurial spirit that are slowly bringing about change to the country.

In the capital, little remains of 400 years of Ottoman rule, except for the 18th-century mosque of Et’Hem Bey. Italianate government buildings are reminders that Mussolini’s troops occupied the country from 1939 until the Nazis arrived in 1943. There is plenty of Communist-era nostalgia, but some of the Stalinist legacy has been jazzed up. Grim Soviet-era apartment blocks are painted in brilliant psychedelic stripes, one of the projects of Mayor Edi Rama, an artist and leader of the opposition Socialist Party. The former Palace of Culture, now the Opera, was showing the musical Chicago. The Bllok, an elegant neighbourhood formerly the private enclave of Communist Party honchos, is now full of lively bars, cafs and restaurants serving excellent Italian- and Turkish-influenced food to trendy young crowds.

Among smartly dressed businesspeople in the bar of a new five-star hotel, there’s a feverish air of deals being done, money being made. Gleaming glass towers dot the city, Mercedes and Hummers crowd the roads. I heard of a man who started out selling peanuts who now buys apartment buildings with cash.

But few people share the new wealth. In the shadow of the monument to Skanderbeg, the 15th-century hero who tried to stem the Ottoman conquest, Roma squeegee-women kissed the hood of a Mercedes stuck in traffic, then kissed the driver’s hand, hoping for a few lek, the Albanian currency. Money-changers waving fistfuls of cash darted desperately between cars, while small boys tried to sell a few cigarettes.

The city’s infrastructure strains under the new consumerism and a population that has doubled to almost a million in the past five years. Garbage is everywhere; even in the countryside, plastic bags flutter from trees and shrubs. The roads and sidewalks are often in bad shape, and brownouts are frequent.

As we travelled around the country in search of Roman sites and medieval Ottoman towns, we found that tourists are pretty much left to find and explore sites alone - which is appealing and refreshing if you like off-beat travelling. There are no tourist bureaus, and many places of interest are not signposted. Instead, we got directions from local people who rushed to show us the way whenever they saw us lost and confused. When we could only communicate in pidgin Italian, or mime, they gave us flowers or brought another raki, a local drink.

In a slightly beaten-up rented car, we inched south along twisting, mountainous roads under repair, past grandiose new gas stations attached to bars and restaurants, some with fountains outside, some with Las Vegas-inspired interiors. Sheep grazed, or were slaughtered publicly in roadside “mish” kiosks; rusting oil derricks indicated an oil industry we had known nothing about.

We looked for the turnoff to Byllis, one of the most important Illyrian, Roman and Byzantine sites being excavated. After several failed efforts, we decided we would try again on the way back.

After about seven hours, we reached Gjirokastra, 25 kilometres north of the Greek border. It is an extraordinary, ash-grey stone town, precariously hanging onto Gjere mountain. The birthplace of Hoxha, and also of Ismail Kadare, Albania’s most famous writer, it is a rare example of a preserved Ottoman town.

We wasted no time in taking a heart-pumping hike up the steep, narrow, winding cobblestoned streets to the menacing fortress that towers over the town. This is the site of the original city where, until the 13th century, everyone lived within its walls.

Through a thick nail-studded door, past the snoozing guard and a snarling dog chained somewhere deep within the recesses of pitch-black vaults, we groped our way beyond Second World War anti-aircraft guns poking out from stone arches toward an interior courtyard. There, a U.S. spy-plane, shot down during the Cold War, sat decaying next to cannons in what had been a 14th-century marketplace.

Eventually we found a woman guard who opened up the chilling cells scratched with graffiti by political prisoners who were tortured and executed there, she said, until 1968. Astonishingly, deep within the castle walls we discovered a desolate bar where we shivered over a cold beer while listening to local pop music on a boom box.

The next day, two small boys pointed the way to the twin-towered Zekate House, one of the grandest and monumental of the Ottoman fortified houses built by wealthy merchants and landowners perpetually nervous about enemies. The owner’s granddaughter, who lived in a smaller house next door, showed us the slits for guns, lookouts, and secret hiding places, and the ornate screened balconies from where women watched the men drink coffee and smoke hookahs. The European Union paid to repair the roof, she said, but not to maintain the house, so it’s not habitable. Her grandfather dreams of turning it into a museum.

Although Gjirokastra was designated a “Museum City” in 1961, and declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2005, the stone slate roofs of many fine historical houses have collapsed, wooden balconies have rotted. Some have been abandoned by owners who have moved abroad to seek work, and efforts to restore these buildings are moving slowly, although the United Nations is contributing funds.

After four days - not nearly enough time to explore Gjirokastra and nearby archeological sites - we drove back north, sharing the road with processions of Mercedes, along with ingenious homemade vehicles, donkeys, horses and carts carrying loads of hay. We arrived at the ancient town of Berat. In an area of spectacular natural beauty and massive snow-streaked mountains, Berat’s distinctive white, many-windowed houses climb the sides of a steep hill to a medieval citadel. Within these walls people still live along narrow alleyways clustered around several frescoed medieval churches. At the foot of the hill, in the Muslim quarter, the minarets of three mosques dating to the 16th century look across the River Osum to Gorica, the old Christian area.

A three-hour drive from Tirana, Berat was the only place where we saw a few tourists. Strangely, it was the only place where we encountered any hostility - but only from young kids and teenagers.

We never did find Byllis. It wasn’t on the road map. Like much else in Albania, it takes a bit of effort to discover all the cultural riches that are waiting to surprise and reward the determined traveller in what might be the last country in Europe to be “discovered.”

IF YOU GO

Getting there: By air, British Airways from London Gatwick to Tirana from $345 return. By sea, ferry from Ancona, Bari, Brindisi and Trieste in Italy to Durres or Vlora; from Corfu, Greece, to Saranda. Rates vary according to season. By road, buses from Istanbul, Athens, Sofia, Ulcinj (Montenegro). An advisory against travel near the border of Kosovo continues.

When to go: Spring and fall (until November) are the best times.

Where to stay: All hotels below can be booked through www.albaniahotel.com.

Shkodra: Hotel Mondial, across from the currently closed International Caf, former haunt of Shkodra’s intellectuals. It has a lovely terrace bar and restaurant, great for people-watching. $87 double with breakfast.

Tirana: Hotel Tafaj, centrally located restored 1930s Italianate villa with tranquil garden filled with caged songbirds. $101 double with breakfast.

Gjirokastra: Kalemi, restored traditional fortified stone house. Ask for the “Pasha” room with great views of the town below and the fortress. $43 double, with huge breakfast.

Berat: Mangalem, a traditional Berati house in the old Muslim quarter. Popular local restaurant and bar downstairs. $43 double with breakfast.

Getting around

Car rental: In Tirana, Avis offers the cheapest rates, but insurance coverage on gold credit cards is not honoured in Albania. A tiny Chevrolet Matiz, not recommended for the road conditions but the only car available, cost $416 for one week. Offices at the Sheraton or Rogner Hotel. www.avisalbania.com

Buses: You can get to most places very cheaply on local buses and minibuses, although it’s sometimes hard to figure out where to find them. Pay for tickets on the bus.

Trains: trains go to few places and are slow. Everyone there told us not to try it.

Beginning next May, the ship easyCruiseOne, part of the EasyJet empire, will stop for one day in Saranda in southern Albania on a one-week cruise through the southern Adriatic.

Currency: Smaller hotels and restaurants will not accept credit cards; euros are preferred - bring lots of them. Leks, the local currency, available from ATM machines in the larger cities.

To bring: A small flashlight, handy in blackouts and when scrambling around crumbling old fortresses and monuments. Also, a good road map - Freytag & Berndt series is fairly reliable.

None of the countries known collectively as the Balkans has ever made it to first place in any holiday top ten. Although in recent years both Croatia and Bosnia have acquired a sort of cult status on the independent travellers? map, one of the key countries in the region, Albania, has been largely ignored by the tourism industry.

This might have something to do with the well-publicised involvement of some of Albania?s expatriates in more than one illegal activity in Western Europe. However, it is a mistake to judge an entire country on the actions of a few criminals. Let?s face it, if we applied the same logic to Italy, fear of the Mafia would prevent any travel to one of the most-visited countries in the world.

Nevertheless, Albania is probably a destination best-suited to those who consider themselves travellers, rather than tourists. In common with most of the countries that make up the Balkans, Albania is just beginning to wake up to the possibilities afforded by the tourism industry. This has pros and cons for visitors. On the upside, you are going to experience authentic hospitality from a generous people. The disadvantages are familiar to those who travel off the beaten track: buses and trains that don?t follow any timetable, maps which don?t correspond to actuality.

However, the plus points outweigh the minuses. Exploring remote and exciting countries takes time and money, but you can fly to Albania, probably the least-visited country in Europe, in just three and a half hours from the UK. For a small country, approximately the size of Wales, Albania boasts a spectacular variety of scenery. Large mountain ranges beyond the town of Kukes enclose the country to the north and east. During the winter they are carpeted in snow. In the spring, the high mountain meadows exchange the snow for wild flowers and the name given to the northern range, the Albanian Alps, seems very appropriate.

Some parts of the country have been quicker than others to tap into potential tourism markets. With miles of undeveloped but spectacular countryside overlooking the Ionian Sea, the coastal region of Saranda, close to the Greek border, looks and feels like something from a bygone Mediterranean age.

The food in Albania is excellent, combining Italian, Greek and Turkish influences, while the café culture is widespread, with many people spending large parts of the day discussing the latest events over an Espresso.

Despite the welcoming attitude of the Albanians, potential visitors would do well to carry out some research, as finding a place to stay outside the main cities can be difficult. Tourism was not encouraged during the Communist regime, so there was no chance to establish a network of guest houses or inns to accommodate travellers.

However, Albanians are extremely hospitable, often making a visitor feel overwhelmed by the lengths they will go to. The language is difficult, but a smattering of Italian or some enthusiastic sign language can get you a long way.

Since most historical civilisations at one time or another marched through Albania, there are a number of interesting archaeological sites. Butrint, a ruined Illyrian city in the south, opposite Corfu, has perhaps received the most attention. Prominent British businessmen such as Lord Sainsbury have provided funds for its preservation.

The history of the country is fascinating. Occupied by the Ottoman Empire for five centuries, a brief period of feudal “freedom” in the early 20th century was followed by the Italian invasion in the 1930s. The end of the Second World War saw an extreme dictatorial Communist regime take power, with Albania effectively being cut off from the outside world. In 1991 Albania became the last of the Eastern European Communist block countries to overthrow its government. Unfortunately, the western “saviours” were slow to step in and this allowed illegal entrepreneurs to fill the vacuum. During the first six years of the transition the country became captivated by various “get rich quick” schemes such as pyramid saving scams, illegal in the rest of Europe. This finally came to a head in 1997 when the schemes began to collapse and the “investors” went on the rampage. Calm was restored in 1998.

The capital Tirana has recently re-elected mayor, Edi Rama. A former artist, he has come up with a cheap way of improving the visual appearance of the crumbling architecture - paint. The city?s buildings are now coated in a kaleidoscope of colours, however, the changes in the country?s infrastructure are more than cosmetic.

A holiday on the Albanian Riviera might sound like a Borat-style joke, but Benji Lanyado finds beautiful empty coves, €30 a night beach huts and locals who welcome him into their homes.
It’s the middle of summer, I’m on a beautiful beach in the Ionian, and I can’t see a single person. In the distance I can just about trace the path of the occasional car swinging down the mountain road like a slow-motion marble run, but that’s it. I can’t help giggling. I don’t know what’s more surprising - that there is 50 miles of “undiscovered” coast in southern Europe, or that it’s in Albania.

Europe’s Mediterranean coast has been done. Spain, France, Italy, Croatia. Even Montenegro, the world’s newest country, was heaving when I visited this summer; the Rolling Stones played there a few days after I left. Much of Turkey’s coast has been packaged, and don’t get me started on Greece. Sure, you can get away from the hordes, but how far?

To reach the Albanian Riviera, one of the most spectacular strips of land in Europe, the small price to pay is a bit of a sore bum. The bus that plies the single road down the coast leaves at 6am from a car park in Tirana littered with imported German coaches, some of which still bear the name of their original destination - one claims to be headed for Wilhelmstrasse. I board mine and fall into a semi-sleep that is regularly interrupted by heavy lurches and bumps. Barely touched since the Italian army built it in the 40s, the coastal road is pockmarked and cracked.

The state of the road is the main reason the Albanian Riviera - from Vlora to Saranda - has escaped large-scale tourist development. Even the Albanians tend not to bother with it, preferring resorts such as Durresi, easily reached from Tirana via a relatively bump-free motorway.

The Riviera begins at the peak of the 1,000 metre-high Llogara Pass, the road careering wildly down the slope. I jump off the bus in the tiny village of Dhermi, made up of about 100 terracotta-roofed houses scattered either side of the road, suspended halfway up the mountain range that continues south over the Greek border and beyond.

There is one hotel here, fronted by a boring-looking, low-rise mini-complex. The owner can tell I’m disappointed. He loads my backpack on to his truck, and drives me through dense olive groves and pine trees to the seafront, where I can see a collection of double-decker huts clad in pine. Much more like it. For €30 a night, each hut has a double bed, a toilet and shower, and wardrobes. It isn’t luxury, but it certainly isn’t slumming it.

I count 14 people on the beach. Few foreign tourists come here, so it only fills up when the locals arrive at weekends. The coast stretches for a mile or so before curving out towards a shrubby headland. I feel blissfully alone.
In the hotel’s open-air restaurant, the waiter just about speaks Italian, which I just about understand, and I end up with a huge sea bass, Greek salad, and chips. I ask him where the fish came from, and he points to a man drinking by the bar. I retire to bed stuffed, where I can hear the waves brushing the shore, and a lone cricket up past its bedtime.

The next day I’m back on the bus for a 20-minute journey to the pebbly cove at Jaal, which again is virtually empty. I count 11 people. There are a few crumbling villas behind the beach, but accommodation options for visitors consist of a collection of beach huts at the base of the mountain. I meet a couple of German backpackers - the only non-Albanians I encounter - who plan to pitch their tent on the beach.

The Germans and I board the bus the next day, and the road brushes the sea for a few miles before arriving in Qeparo, where we sit outside a cafe as old men argue over a game of cards next to us. We have a lunch of fresh bread, creamy white cheese, sweet tomatoes, and oddly sized cucumbers; they are shaped so because everything in Albania is organic - fertilisers and pesticides are too expensive. And because of the unreliable roads, anything you eat on the Riviera is sure to be local.

The cafe’s owner wanders over and we explain that we are looking for a hotel, but Alex says we can stay in his villa half way up the hill. He and his wife sleep in the back of the shop, a habit they acquired when riots swept the country in 1997 after the collapse of the pyramid investment schemes in which most of the country lost money.

By the close of the year the troubles had subsided, marking the end of seven years of political chaos triggered by the collapse of Albania’s communist regime in 1990. Ten peaceful years later, Alex is renovating the upper storey of his villa for his family to move back into, keeping the rooms on the ground floor for visitors.

He insists on driving us a few miles back up the coast to visit the deserted Ali Pasha fortress which juts out into in the Bay of Palermo. Back at the beach in Qeparo we sit under shelters made from branches and thatch looking out over the sea towards the peaks of Corfu, just visible in the distance.

The beach is dotted with Albania’s ubiquitous bunkers, some of the estimated 700,000 concrete epitaphs to Enver Hoxha’s paranoid rule that are scattered across the country. The bunkers, here playfully painted with pink and blue polka dots, were intended to protect the country against attack from the west, but these days they are more commonly used by naughty Albanians looking for a secluded spot to make love not war.

In the early evening we climb up to Qeparo’s old town at the top of the mountain overlooking the sea. We can hear the murmurs of families tucked into the dozen or so white stone houses, and the clanging bells of a goat herd somewhere in the surrounding trees, but don’t see a soul.

Night-time in the Riviera is a DIY affair. There are no snazzy restaurants or clubs, so you have to busk it with the locals. At Jaal we were invited to join a couple of youngsters on the beach for a bonfire. In Qeparo people congregated at Alex’s cafe for cards, and lots of home-made rakia.

In many eastern European countries people are understandably wary of tourists - especially us Brits, who have a have a habit of arriving on big orange party planes, getting drunk, and generally making nuisances of ourselves. But here they love anyone from abroad, simply because it’s such a novelty. When we leave Qeparo the next day, with slightly heavy heads, Alex refuses to take any money from us.

It is the same ethic of hospitality that prompts goodbye hugs from two taxi drivers during my time in Albania, and that has fellow passengers helping me to order espressos and deliciously spicy offal broth during breaks on bus journeys. At Saranda, where the Riviera ends, an old man approaches me. Thamaj has the kind of magnanimous, round face that makes me instantly want him to be my grandad. Over coffee he tells of hiding Jews and fleeing Italians in his house during the second world war, and giving shelter to a family of Kosovans after the horrors of the 90s. The Albanians, I realise, have been good hosts for years.

From the cafe I watch the locals partake in that most Balkan of pastimes - wandering up and down in the early evening in your best outfit. Across the water Corfu’s coastline is ablaze. It’s a chain of lights that runs, with occasional interruptions, until Europe merges with Asia. A hundred miles north of where I’m sitting the chain picks up, and runs from the Adriatic all the way to the Algarve. In between is one of the most beautiful blips you’ll ever come across, as long as a particular road remains particularly bumpy.

NOT long ago, to suggest Albania as a destination of any kind, even a frugal one, would have been the height of chutzpah. Within five years of Albania’s abandoning Communism in 1992, a Ponzi scheme destroyed the nascent market economy and widespread rioting turned Albania into a byword for rampant lawlessness. It was not, except for aid workers and smugglers, on anyone’s map.

The New York Times
In the last several years, however, Albania has made enormous strides in democracy and development — and revealed itself to be not only ripe for tourists, but affordable to boot. The capital, Tirana, with its brightly painted apartment buildings and molto Italiano cafe culture, is a fantastic starting point, especially since it’s hard to spend more than $15 a person at the city’s nicest restaurants. But it’s the southern part of this Balkan country that holds the most intriguing sights and bargains.

Start in Gjirokaster, a beautifully warped city that produced two of Albania’s most important 20th-century figures: Enver Hoxha, the country’s dictator for 40 years after World War II, and Ismail Kadare, the novelist perennially mentioned as a Nobel Prize candidate. Gjirokaster is built on slippery, cobblestoned hills so steep they seem to defy human habitation, yet the town of stately slate-roofed Ottoman houses bustles.

One house, now an Ethnographic Museum, happens to be Hoxha’s birthplace. Another is the Hotel Kalemi (355-84-63-724; hotelkalemi.tripod.com), where for $40 a night you can sleep under a carved-wood ceiling that’s 200 years old.

During the day, your legs will get a workout wandering the streets and exploring the massive fortress overlooking the city. At night, recuperate with roast tongue of veal and yogurt soup at the friendly Festivali restaurant. And don’t leave Gjirokaster without a handmade carpet from Ruha’s shop (355-69-254-2122); they start at $40.

Your reward for enduring Gjirokaster’s hills is Sarande, a busy port on the Strait of Otranto. At the Hotel Kaonia (355-85-22-600), right on the boardwalk, a simple but modern double room with great water views runs just 30 euros ($40 at $1.36 to the euro).

The pebbly beach in the center of Sarande may not be too exciting, but there are white sand stretches nearby, including the popular beach at Ksamili, 10 miles to the south. And if you’re hankering for a taste of classical Europe, the Greek island of Corfu is a quick hydrofoil ride away.

Southern Albania’s greatest treasure, however, is Butrint, a 2,500-year-old city that was inhabited by successive generations of Illyrians, Greeks, Epireans, Romans, Byzantines and Venetians, before dwindling to a tiny fishing village in the late 19th century. It’s the kind of place where history is still waiting to be discovered.

Situated on a hilly, forest-shrouded promontory south of Sarande, near the Greek border, Butrint (a Unesco World Heritage Site) was first excavated by Italians in the 1920s, who unearthed an amphitheater and Greek-built walls. Archaeologists later discovered early Christian basilicas, a baptistery and as many as eight bathhouses.

Butrint is large — about 11 square miles — and still shrouded in mystery, so you’ll want a guide. Vasil Barka (355-69-227-6460) has 25 years of experience and knows where to find Cleopatra’s name in a string of Greek letters on a huge stone block outside the amphitheater. In the basilica, where the frescoed floor is covered in sand to protect the tiles from the elements, he knows just where to brush aside the grains to reveal a spectacular red-and-blue bird.

And at the Venetian fort-turned-museum, he can tell you which statues have just been dug up and which recovered from looters.

Afterward, head straight to the nearby Livia Hotel (355-891-2040) for a feast of mussels, shrimp, eel and squid.

Like Albania itself, this lost city harbors untold treasures for the intrepid — and at a price that just about anyone can afford.

Moving to Spain with Children

Embarking on a new life in a foreign country is a major step for anyone. It takes a good deal of nerve, boundless enthusiasm and an unswerving determination to overcome the inevitable obstacles. If you’re making the “big move” with children, you’re going to need all these qualities by the bucket load! Over the last two decades an increasing number of families from northern European countries have set up home in Spain. And for many, the move has turned out to be the best decision they ever made. They left behind an inclement climate, high stress levels, long working hours and streets too unsafe for their kids to play in. In their new promised land they found year-round sunshine, a laid back lifestyle and friendly towns untainted by the weekend violence of binge-drinking teenagers. But not all families find their Utopia in the Mediterranean sunshine. For many the upheaval of leaving their native land and adjusting to a completely different way of life proves too much to cope with and they return home wiser for the experience (and usually considerably poorer!) If you’re considering moving to Spain with children, make sure you’re aware of all the common problems and pitfalls which face foreign families trying to start afresh in a new country. As a rule of thumb, the younger your children are the more likely they are to settle abroad and adjust to all the sudden changes in their lives. Young kids can adapt quickly and easily to almost any change of circumstances as long as they’re at the centre of a loving, secure family. Pre-school children pick up a new language in no time, they make new friends quickly and are likely to adapt easily to the new climate and different routine. The older your children are when you move, the more likely they are to suffer with problems such as homesickness, isolation and feelings of inadequacy at school. No matter how loving and supportive you are as parents, teenagers are likely to find it extremely difficult to settle into a Spanish school especially if they’re not fluent in the language from day one. So you’ll need to consider whether you can afford private education within an international school. And if you can, you’ll obviously need to do some thorough research into where the reputable schools are, what they charge and what they offer. Getting children a place in a state run Spanish school is normally a straight forward affair for EU citizens - you can get your child in school almost immediately, it’s free and you don’t need to wait for a resident’s permit (”residencia”). Some of the more popular schools have a waiting list but the local authorities have a responsibility to find an alternative school if necessary. In areas with large ex-pat communities, many Spanish schools provide special language coaching for newly arrived foreign children for the first few weeks. If you plan to send your children to a Spanish school, it’s important that you master the language yourself so that you can be fully involved in their education, progress and any problems that may arise. And don’t forget that some areas of Spain, such as the Valencian region and Catalonia, have their own local language which is predominant in many state schools. Brace yourself for minor hiccups and probably a few serious setbacks in the first few months. When anything goes wrong in your child’s life during that initial period, he or she is likely to wail: “I want to go home!” Be patient. It may take a year or two before your child starts thinking of Spain as home.

“The Value of Your Shares May Fall and Fall and Fall.…..”

Please note that the information provided in this article is of a general interest nature and intended as a basic outline only. You are well advised to contact a professional for advice specific to your circumstances. Nothing contained in this article should be seen or taken as the writer or the publisher providing legal or financial advice. “When America sneezes the World catches a cold.” The old Wall Street adage has never more apt. When the prices of shares collapsed, wiping multi-billions off the value of the stock markets around the World, central bankers took emergency action to stabilise fragile markets to halt the decline. The simple truth remains that many individual investors faced substantial losses as the value of their savings in pension funds and insurance policies reeled and plummeted at the news that the US sub prime mortgage market was overcooked. What? Yes…. US lenders had underestimated their exposure to mortgage loan defaults on money lent to those who could ill afford to make the repayments. The resulting loss of confidence had a devastating effect on the performance of Mr and Mrs John Smith’s retirement fund. Such is the frightening loss of control over the success or failure of an individual’s investments. My pal Russell, a sucessful London builder, buys apartments and houses all over the World. His investment philosophy is very simple. “Bricks and mortar will never be worth nothing” – the same cannot be demonstrably said for stocks and shares. Why should he entrust his hard-earned dosh to a stockbroker? As a consequence, he doesn’t have a pension fund he has a Property Portfolio. The essence of any Property Portfolio is achieving a blend of investments that suit the “risk adversity” of the investor. It should combine good all-round performers having low to no risk with slightly more “interesting” investments that will deliver mid to long term gains when compared with costs of entry. There should be some match between pure speculation and sense. Past performance is not always the best indicator but for the purposes of many it does the trick. The cyclical nature of the many property economies World-wide have proved “Past Performance” to be one of the best yardsticks around. But wait a minute, let’s not forget that property within your portfolio can be “used” or even, God forbid in these times of financial misery, “enjoyed”! So your Property Portfolio may include your principal residence, some home and foreign property - which may be “buy to let”, “jet to let” or solely for you own enjoyment – or you may choose to share its use with friends and family. How can you do that with Tesco or BP shares?! Many Spaniards, don’t see their holiday property – and a huge percentage of the City dwelling population have a home in their “pueblo” – their ancestral town or village - or by the coast - as being an investment. It’s a place to house and entertain family and friends, store your stuff and who knows if in ten years time its value has increased then that’ll be nice – but it’s not an investment decision! So do the Spanish have it right? I don’t come from a culture where property is a passive investment. My family property in the UK was purchased in the late 1970’s, it’s value over the succeeding decades has pitched and tossed with boom, bust, recession and boom again but overall its performance has been staggering. I don’t think that was just luck. Combine a healthy chunk of UK property equity, enhanced by a recently paid off mortgage and what’s next for “the Silver Sellers”* or ”the Empty Nesters”**? * Parents - with no home based children - rattling around a family home with ever increasing bills and facing retirement within the next five to ten years - and ** Parent who’s offspring have ceased to be a financial drain on family finances but still want to spend quality time with the older generation. Lucy Denyer in her excellent “Retire Overseas” piece for The Times (27.05.07) gave Spain pole position with a “Total score: 9/10”ahead of other desirable retirement locations the USA, Canada, Ireland and Australia. Lucy reports Danny Sriskandarajah, from the British Institute for Public Policy Research, as commenting “The silver flight is the result of Britons being increasingly willing and able to spend their retirement in Adelaide, rather than Accrington”. His prediction was that by 2050, more than 3.3m Britons would live overseas. Regular readers will know that I crow on endlessly about “Quality of Life”, make no mistake its available in Spain by the bucket and spade load but it does come with a compromise – doesn’t everything? We are all very familiar with our Home System – we may not always like it but at least we know how it all works. Whilst a dream home in the Sun is a very attractive idyll achieving peace of mind in a country where you may have minimal grasp of the language is positively daunting. In whom do you place your Trust? Trust may not have an easy landing in a country where the diet – albeit healthy - is defined by a combination of Olive Oil and Oily Fish. So there may be some need to spread the “investment risk” – all eggs not being in the same basket - it is increasingly usual for purchasers in Spain to keep a foot – often a downsized one in the home market - in both camps. This is often made financially possible by the sale of a principal residence. Hotproperty.co.uk recently carried comments from Chris Simmonds, MD of Saga noting that “Growth in the UK housing market has generated a lot of equity for homeowners, and despite the similar boom in Spain, many people are finding that their money still goes a lot further on the Mediterranean coast, and they can have a new and idyllic home in the sun.” Lucy interviewed Tony and Veronica Hastings who purchased a three-bed flat on the Costa del Sol and keep a property in Dorset. They spend the majority of their time now in Spain, and Tony is quoted as saying that “We can walk to the beach in 20 minutes, the bills are half what they were in England and our dustbins get emptied every day!” Its all very well to talk about the examples of individuals who have made the leap but are there trends developing? Surveys over the last few months indicate that retirement overseas, once the preserve of the few is becoming the lifestyle of choice for many. In his piece on 23 August 2007, Philip Johnston, Home Affairs Editor of The Times noted that the number of Britons emigrating in the 12 months to July 2006 reached 385,000, the highest since 1991 when the statistical analysis was first introduced. Since 1997, 1.8 million British nationals have left the UK and about 900,000 have returned. Troubling for some, and despite the numbers leaving, Philip also notes that the UK population is still rising, thought to be largely due to the number of immigrants. A survey completed in February 2007 and conducted by Insure4Retirement.co.uk indicated that over half of all Britons hope to retire abroad. In April 2007, a survey for Bank of Scotland International by GfK found that 42% are interested in buying property abroad or moving abroad. Statistics from the UK Office of National Statistics show that 1m Brits have retired abroad between 1996 and 2006. With nearly 75,000 retirees, Spain took top slot. In a recent report, carried by our friends at Spanish Property Alerts and kyero.com, Chris Simmonds, commented that “Many people are finding that their money goes a lot further on the Mediterranean coast and they can have a new and idyllic home in the sun. This and growth in cheap flights from the UK and the strong ex-pat communities within Spain make the country the ideal choice for people looking to retire abroad.” Barclays Buying Abroad director Richard Exton also highlights Spain, by saying “Brits are familiar with the idea that we only have two seasons: the winter and July. It seems that this year, with the terrible weather we have experienced in July and throughout the summer many people are not prepared to sit through a year-long winter and are looking for a getaway to sunnier climates.” It going to take more than a few encouraging words from me to highlight the vast array of property – and property bargains too boot – that are available in Spain. My experience over the last four years of running a business on the Costa del Sol has been much more than solely about the difficulties encountered by those – and sadly there are all too many examples - who got involved in purchasing off plan. It has opened my eyes to the potential of this market to tick so many boxes for the overseas property buyer. Whatever their reason for buying. Delete from your memory the notion of getting rich quick or the expectation of a simple property investment that delivers double digit return by the end of next week. Growth will happen but it will be slow. At this stage, the Mother and Father of Growth, Trust and Confidence, are tentatively talking about dating before boldly walking down the street arm in arm. The good news is that signs are starting to emerge which suggest that a new political will - aimed at curing the previously chronic ailments - is starting to work. The Big Clean Up is underway and with it the shoots of re-growth are being irrigated. As Mark Stucklin in his piece for the Sunday Times (26.08.07) notes that “Marbella is trying to rebuild its reputation and restore buyer confidence, particularly among foreign investors. It has a new urban plan from the regional government of Andalucia, based in Seville, and an amnesty is being declared on many of the illegal developments.” Mark also reports that Angeles Munoz, the new Mayor of Marbella, is obtaining compensation for the town in the form of money and land payments by imposing fines upon errant property developers - who inflicted the worst damage. Further, she is reported as being against the threatened demolitions and believes that they are not “an appropriate solution for Marbella”. Further that she’ll do “everything in my power to protect the interests of innocent buyers….. We will appeal against demolition orders.” I firmly believe - as do our property buying clients – that whilst location is the main priority it is followed sharp on its heels by “the Deal”. Iain Maitland at Spanish Property Alerts reports that according to a new “Overseas Desirability Report” a place by the beach in Spain is the most favoured overseas property of choice for Brits – so the Three “Ls” still rule! © The Rights Group SL 2007 (Marbella)

Shock Horror - The Daily Telegraph – reporting the various commentators on the state of the market - suggests that the Costa del Sol property market is, at worst, stable – in a piece 01.09.07 – its reports:

“Marbella has cleaned up its act with the new Mayor, Angeles Muñoz, keen to restore its image.” And “Spain is becoming fashionable again with Spanish properties coming with great infrastructure and a lifestyle you can adapt to easily with the ability to live here all year round.” “The market slowdown is due to a perception problem rather than economic issues - Prices are not falling, it is the price growth changing from 18 per cent to 6 per cent. The coast will never lose its physical attributes and tourism, the first source of residential purchases, is increasing. The indicators are all very positive.”

Spread the Word!

Please note that the information provided in this article is of a general interest nature and intended as a basic outline only. You are well advised to contact a professional for advice specific to your circumstances. Nothing contained in this article should be seen or taken as the writer or publisher providing legal or financial advice.

Over the last few years we have heard an increasing number, perhaps apocryphal tales of UK citizens “not recognising “ the country they grew up in. Feeling alienated in their own country and looking for a way out.

Long before “the Great Flood”, “More Britons flee for a life in the Sun” screamed the headline in the Daily Express. The UK daily was reporting that many highly qualified professionals, numbering at least 100,000 per year, are leaving the UK for Spain.

They are leaving to join the already 1,000,000 plus Brit homeowners who have already relocated to Spain. This sum is estimated to rise dramatically, with predictions that by 2008 over 3.2m Britons will be foreign homeowners. Last year, a Barclays Bank’s survey, suggested that a further 660,000 British people planned to buy in Spain.

Why? What is prompting this exodus? The reasons seem to be many; not least that Spain is a great place to live. The primary causes appear a little grittier, a general disenchantment with the UK’s “crumbling health service”, “soaring council tax and “poor education”.

When you decide that you are nearing the end a busy working life, your family have fled the nest or you simply want a better quality of life for your family, your mind will inevitably wander to questions of whether there is a better quality of life to be found elsewhere.

We’ve all attended those “lifestyle” shows at the NEC or Olympia where the prospect of 330 days a year of sun, a milder climate for arthritic bones, a golf course for every day of the week, international quality schooling and a magnificently diversity of influences are dangled carrot like beneath our noses.

Many of us have said, “Can I have some of that!” yes please…..

Well, nearly four years ago, together with my wife and three kids, we decided that a home in Wandsworth, South West London and a partnership in a Mayfair law practice had passed their sell by dates and we needed a new dream.

My wife, who had been coming to the South of Spain regularly since early childhood is a very accomplished Spanish speaker – exposure – so to speak - to a succession of Spanish au pairs in London had broken me in – so the location of our transition was fairly obvious. We’d move to the Costa del Sol.

Whilst my comments below are drawn from our direct experience and aimed at a Northern European audience we have had significant response to our materials from North America. With certain obvious legal and visa requirements my comments apply equally to our friends on the other side of the Atlantic.

After three fruitless and costly attempts to purchase a house in the Neuva Andalucia area of Marbella, we decided to rent – culture shock number one.

Lesson One - If you are going to relocate and live in Spain all year round– choose a newer property that has either under floor heating, hot and cold air conditioning and/or tiled or wood floors rather than marble in the main reception rooms. Alternatively, buy an extremely ancient Cortijo or Finca with metre thick walls and stone floors.

We rented a five-bedroom villa with a splendid garden and all-important crystal blue swimming pool. It was exceptional for the first months after our arrival in the mid- summer but as the glorious autumn came and went our first winter reminded us that the majority of older properties in the developed South of Spain were constructed primarily for Summer use. That stunning white marble floor had a refrigerating quality in the high summer – it has exactly the same quality in mid winter. And let me tell you when you are used to 35-degree Summers 8-degree Winters feel really cold. Those romantic log fires in October became braziers of necessity in January.

Lesson Two – Live on an urbanisation where you have communal pools, tennis and padel courts.

For the eleven months we lived in the house in Neuva Andalucia we used that beautiful crystal blue swimming pool for no more than four months. In November to December – when we made no use - an error by me in setting the pool’s heating device resulted in a €600 electricity bill!! When regular electricity bills were a little over €100 a month it came a quite a shock.

Lesson Three – direct debits – “pago domiciliado” - what an invention…..

Our first experiences of ”gastos domésticos” – or those usual home bills which required settling monthly was our second jolt of culture shock. Where else would we have happy queued in the bank to be told that we were only able to pay an electricity bill over the counter before 10.00 am and only on Tuesdays and Thursdays after the 10th of each month!!

Lesson Four – If you want to get your kids into a good school – and there are a few – you need to book early.

The quality of schools in “our part” of Spain are, perhaps, some of the best anywhere in the World. The problem is lack of spaces.

We decided early on that EIC in Elviria was best for our three. Their success record spoke for itself, the atmosphere is warm but very professional and the management excellent. After a brief need to occupy my eldest elsewhere whilst a place became available, in September 2004, all three dressed in the familiar blue and white they started at EIC – a mere 20 minutes or so from San Pedro de Alcantara.

Lesson Five – If you are uncertain about the precise location of your dream home – wait and rent - whilst you establish where life takes you. Rental is becoming increasingly competitive and the traditionally lower yields on rented property means that a long-term rental may deliver you a more valuable house more cheaply than purchasing the same property outright. The only caveats being whether you buy for cash or settling on one of the newer style mortgage products that are helping to close this gap.

Moving to the beach in San Pedro de Alcantara was literally a breath of fresh air. Our new home, is a bungalow with four bedrooms and suits us perfectly. Or at least it did until my wife – who has a life long passion for riding decided to accept the kind offer of a school Mum to ride in La Cala – 30 minutes up the Coast – past the kids school - towards Malaga. There soon followed my kid’s passion for a Pony - which became their Christmas gift and then, much to my surprise, my own passion for a life in the saddle – I have started to take lessons.

Lesson Six – Let someone with current experience of the market place help you to minimise the risk of you making mistakes!

I spent 23 years in the UK as a lawyer in industry and then, prior to four years ago, for the last 12 in private practice I had a fairly keen understanding of being a client and an advisor. My colleagues in the Spanish market didn’t habitually appreciate the notion of “the client being King”. It struck me that there was a gap in the market for an English style operator. As a result I created – what I am told -is the first relocation focused business to operate in this part of Spain.

It’s called The Rights Group SL (TRG) and it assists clients who have a limited amount of experience of Spain to short circuit the process of deciding with whom to work. Through its one stop shop - the TRG Network – it helps clients to determine who’s best to represent their interests in Spain – not just their legal interests but also their accounting and tax, their mortgage, insurance, currency, wealth planning and house building issues.

We have noticed over the last few months a significant growth in its business – which we suspect – is as a direct result of UK TV and media pieces which have focused on those unlucky individuals who had been misinformed, ill advised or have become the victims of conflicted interests.

TRG’s second but equally important role is to project manage clients dealings in Spain and to “drive” the clients chosen professional advisors, as necessary. A TRG representative effectively becomes the client’s eyes and ears in Spain. They ask the right questions, get the required answers and, in tandem with the chosen advisors, keep the client fully informed at all stages – using electronic communication where possible.

What kind of “relocator” are you? We have identified that most people who choose Spain as their first home fall into one of three categories:

1. The retired or semi-retired couple looking for a greater quality of life and a being able to offer their family a great vacation opportunity. Let me tell you your grandchildren – and the rest of the people with whom you had only a nodding acquaintance with back in you home town - will want to come and visit you when you live in the Sun.

2. The “Nomad” Expat whose work takes him/her to far-flung corners of the Globe. They have usually lived an expat life in the Middle or Far East for a number of years and home base is less important but the UK is not an option. They do want a foothold in Europe, and for some reason France and Italy do not really appeal. They tend to spend perhaps three plus months a year “at home” in Spain and often buy homes for cash earned in tax free zones overseas. Sometimes these relocators may also be a blend of 1. and 2.

3. The Family lifestyle relocation, where the breadwinner works either in the Spain, UK or overseas and the location of the family home can be a question of choice – the quality option. Typical amongst this group are airline pilots and petro-chemical engineers.

Whilst the Spanish Costas were once the privilege of the self made millionaires and dubious characters, they are fast becoming very welcoming to those seeking to improve their lives whilst not severing their routes to income in their home market. This means that a business person can locate themselves as well in Marbella as they can Maidstone.

As the economy develops on the Costa del Sol so does the jobs market. A barometer of this is the number of recruitment companies establishing roots here and the variety of publications and websites dedicated to ensuring that those who want to work can.

The local market is still property, golf and tourism based. We have noticed businesses starting to emerge that serve the Expat markets in the printing, restaurant, magazine publishing and motor vehicles sectors. Above all there is a sense of “frontier” about activities here, it encourages an entrepreneurial spirit and unlike the UK the barriers to entry are not as prohibitive.

With the cost of many properties on the desired Costa del Sol reaching the heights equivalent to many a metropolitan home in the UK, this glorious coast has become a “first home “ market where those who relocate regularly do so on a year round basis. The market is entering a reality phase where prices are stabilising and real value for money is starting to be obtained.

With an increasingly sophisticated mortgage market where, although self certification is always possible, many can buy their dream villa, Finca or Cortijo with a chunk of equity from the sale of a UK property plus a mortgage from a Spanish lender at an annual rate in the region of 3.75%. Loans of up to 80% Loan to Value are common and these come with defined periods of interest only payments.

Unlike more recently discovered areas in the former Eastern Bloc, Malaga, Almeria, Jerez and Granada airports all remain within the magical three hours from the UK – perfect for combining a couple of meetings in London, Manchester or Glasgow and catching the midweek game at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford or Ibrox Park before catching the morning flight back home.

The infrastructure is exceptional, the roads, the broadband – with many newer hotels and restaurants installing WiFi capability and the simple variety of life from skiing in Sierra Nevada to lounging by the Urbanisation’s ‘ crystal blue gurgling water, to walking the dogs along the many kilometres of beautiful beaches – with a handy poo bag – of course.

This is a new coast - it doesn’t have the “age” of the Côte D’Azur and some of the developments have questionable architecture but where else can my kids be on the beach in the morning, skiing in the afternoon and riding into the country at dusk. Unlike the Côte D’Azur we do genuinely have over 300 days per year of Sun and the temperature never dips below 5%!

Whatever your life stage, I am confident that you and your family will experience a new lease of life – often out of doors - and you’ll wonder for ever more why you didn’t do it ten years ago.

Lesson Seven: Check your financial capacity to buy your new home before you start your search.

Currently, servicing borrowings to purchase a property by way of a Spanish mortgage is an attractive prospect for those of you from Northern Europe, particularly the UK, where interest rates have risen in recent months. The Spanish financial services market is in the formative stages of its development – and whilst it is substantially more advanced than the markets of the former Eastern Bloc - certain financial products which are widely available in the UK are simply not available.

For some time the UK financial services sector has offered 100% (loan to value) mortgages, non-status or self-certifications products. These are counter culture to the Spanish borrowing mentality where only relatively recently has it become usual for a purchaser to borrow to make their purchase of a property.

It may be interesting to note that unlike the UK, in Spain a mortgage secured against a property attaches to the property rather than the borrower. This means that a mortgage may be transferable – subject to status – between a buyer and seller. If you do not want to assume the mortgage, it is important that your legal advisors ensure that mortgage debt is redeemed by the seller before you complete your purchase.

If you are a buyer who is seeking to fund your purchase in part by way of a Spanish mortgage, I would strongly recommend that you should work with a recognised mortgage broker to identify your precise capacity for borrowing in Spain prior to narrowing your property search. TRG works with several such brokers and would be pleased to help you to assess your financial requirements before your inspection visit. Please also remember that you’ll need to add in the region of an additional10% of the purchase price of the property selected to cover professional fees, transfer taxes, Land Registry fees etc.

Lesson Eight: Learn good Spanish if your dream home is a Finca or Cortijo in the Campo (the Countryside). Don’t be led astray by the promises of an overzealous salesman who assures you that you can build your very own Alhambra Palace on the site of a tumble-down cattle shed – in reality its unlikely.

Many works of non-fiction in the “Driving Over Lemons” market have depicted a view of Spanish rural life that is charming, quaint and stuffed full of olive oil soaked personalities who are keen to help the newcomer settle into their neighbourhood. I wouldn’t dare to suggest that this is rose tinted – it’s not – there is an honesty and grit to Spanish rural dwellers that is heart warming. However, they are used to the harshness of the conditions the extremes of the seasons and the lack of creature comforts. Above all they speak Spanish – they will usually have little more than a “yes” or “no” grasp of English – and why should they!

If your dream is to redevelop a remote and ruined finca in a more rural part of Southern Spain – and there are many - little more than a few thousand metres off the main roads – you are certain to need in equal measures the following:

i. More than “restaurant” Spanish.
ii. An experienced Surveyor – who may be a British trained RICS member or the Spanish equivalent, a Tasador, to provide you with a full structural survey of the property along with recommendation to rectify any obvious failings.
iii. A bilingual Project Management team who should be retained early on in the refurbishment process to ensure that you are able to achieve the finished property that you desire. They will handle the entire process including the creation of the architectural drawings and seeking their approval by the Architectural College. They will obtain the relevant building licences and permissions from the planning department of the local Ayutamento. They will exercise relevant control over the builders and their progress with the aim of delivering, most importantly, on time and on price.

Finally, if the idea appeals but the reality is just too daunting buy a sea or mountain view apartment, villa or townhouse and drive up to the Campo at weekends and stay at one of many great country house hotels!!

Lesson Nine: If you can, relocate gradually, getting used to your new surroundings before filling you new Spanish home with your families treasure trove of useless, albeit, beautiful heirlooms. Move in gradually.

Inevitably moving to a new country brings with it the need to preserve as much of your familiar world and possessions as possible. What do you need to bring with you when you relocate? The answer is invariably, the minimum.

Moving house is still, allegedly, the second most stressful activity - next to divorce - that a family can expose itself to. Now imagine co-ordinating prompt and efficient UK or Spanish removal teams to cart your furniture several thousand kilometres to your new home and there to seek to fit the contents of a suburban living room with velvet and mahogany into a whitewashed hacienda. It’s just not going to work. That sofa will become a roasting seat on balmy summer evenings and that mahogany cabinet will look just out of place next too the cool cream lines of your new limed oak or granite kitchen.

This sounds simplistic and is not intended to offend those of our readers who have imported their finest lounge suites it is more about appropriate design to fit your new surroundings.

Through our work in Spain we come across properties that have been crammed with too many knickknacks from the old Country. I am not just seeking to dissuade you from incurring the inevitable cost of exporting used furniture to Spain but more seeking to make clear that at some point you may wish to upscale – or downscale – your new home.

One of the member businesses of TRG Network is “Start2Finish” a “House Doctor” service, which is active in the Marbella region. In addition to providing packages of furniture for newly completed off plan properties, they visit resale properties with a view to neutralising bad or outdated taste and “dressing” them for potential buyer interest. Time after time “Start2Finish” is required to advise it owner clients to bin tired or outdated furniture which has been brought over with the purchaser, often many years before. “Unloved” or over designed interiors are – along with price – one of the most noted “turn off’s” for a potential purchaser.

Don’t bring all those winter woollies – just in case – the moths will eat them. You’ll not need them. Usually, in newer properties wardrobes tend to be built in – so you don’t need to bring hefty wardrobes with you – and as space is usually at a premium you’ll want to rationalise your clothes to lighter cottons and linen with the occasional fleece for winter days.

Have a car boot sale before you relocate and sell as many of your electrical appliances as you can. Purchasing endless UK to Spanish plug adapters will only increase the risk of fire due to short circuits.

Lesson Ten: Let an experienced agency try to minimise those frustrations attendant in moving to Spain by dealing on your behalf with the utilities.

Whilst there are many estate agencies on the Costa del Sol that will happily sell you a property only a relative few will offer the necessary after sales service that is so vital for your comfortable settlement into your new home.

Following your move – a tiring experience for many - you risk immense frustration by encountering the bureaucracy of Spanish businesses. Telefonica – Spain’s main telephone line supplier, Sevillana – the electricity company and Acosol – the Andalucian water company are just three of the main deliverers of stress overload for the new settler.

Let’s be clear. No one holds the key to the golden door when it comes to dealing with the utility companies. They are unwieldy mammoths who have been allowed to become complacent and unresponsive to customer power. Being aware that they have many non-Spanish speaking customers Telefonica has introduced an English language service, which seems only intermittently, manned. When finally answered you find yourself in a vortex of confusion, repeated instructions and delays that only serve to fray the nerves.

The answer is to speak to them in their mother tongue – in the South of Spain: Castellano.

Lesson Eleven: If you want to continue to work via the Net you’ll either need an office in a commercial centre or to live in a more developed neighbourhood – like most urbanisations - with good and close connections to main roads.

If you are a still working relocator you will probably be looking to conduct your business as a tele-worker by the use of ADSL or broadband. Currently, whilst certain newer forms of satellite delivery do exist, WiFi is in its infancy, so the majority of business conducted over the Internet in Spain is still routed through fixed line telephone systems.

My impression is that the quality of the technical infrastructure is good with much of Spain benefiting from fibre optic cabling but it should be noted that there seem to be geographic limits as to where one may receive the “super highway”. I have to couch this carefully as no one I have spoken to seems to been able to fully explain the system, but it appears that ADSL and broadband are unlikely to be available to a residence which is more than four kilometres from a main road.

Working extensively over the Net suits me much better than commuting. I spent six months commuting on a weekly basis from home in Spain to London as I dealt with my last professional commitments there. Whilst I know and have respect for many fellow residents who continue to commute, I have to say that being based here now full time is much more satisfactory.

Lesson Twelve: Use the services of a reputable Lawyer or Abogado
in order to properly understand the transaction you are entering into but also ensure that they are responsive to you. Always be tempted to question things you don’t fully grasp on first hearing and take notes during meetings.

As the Land Registry system in Spain is very well developed many Spaniards do not bother to use the services of a Lawyer or Abogado to handle the conveyancing or property purchasing process. Such an approach for me is simply unthinkable. Let’s face it wherever you buy a home you will be sinking into bricks and mortar a substantial chunk of your family’s net worth and it is simply not prudent to do so without the input of an expert.

The most basic checks that simply must be made include the following: Is the person selling the property actually the owner according to Land Registry records? Are they up to date? Is money owed to a mortgage lender out of the proceeds of sale? Are local taxes or other domestic utility bills outstanding? Is the plot subject to a compulsory purchase order? Is there a license for the property that has been built on the plot and does it conform with the building regulations both in terms of density – its m2 expressed as a fraction of the whole plot – and its construction? These and other questions of fundamental due diligence must be asked by your legal advisor. Your lawyer is handling a process but whilst he or she must certainly be competent and properly bilingual they must also be responsive to your reasonable requests for clarification.

Please don’t be tempted to save the cost of responsive and good quality independent professional advice. Horror stories persist – particularly in the newer development areas of the Costa Blanca.

Clients of TRG, who came to us too late in the process, had been guided by a willing seller’s agent into signing a “Private Purchase Contact” and paying a deposit to with a party whom was neither the developer nor promoter of a new block of apartments. No bank guarantee was given to secure their deposit and no land was ever acquired. And as for the client’s hard earned deposit, well it was never seen again…..

Choosing a lawyer is a fraught process. For every person who recommends a particular firm another will have a contrary view – whether or not it’s based on actual experience. I suspect that may be the nature of any reasonably small community.

In any event I recommend that you avoid a lawyer who is recommended by an Estate Agent. However good they are they can not escape an obvious conflict of interests which may not be in your favour.

As the presenter of one of those TV shows that reconstructs gun crime hold ups always says – “we don’t want to scare you into believing that you may become a victim ” – our aim is to say how it is from our increasing experience of the very good life in Spain.

Superstition dictates that I must call this Lesson 12 a – although the number that follows 12 in Spain is lucky - The rain rarely falls in Spain.

When my wife, Andrea, and I decided that it would be a major improvement in our family’s lifestyle to relocate to a new country, as I had lived and work for a Law Firm in Paris in the early 80’s, France seemed an obvious candidate.

For many years a January business trip involved attending the MIDEM festival in Cannes in the South of France. It had rained stair rods for most of the years I had attended but I brushed that aside as “Well that’s January for you!” I had seen the Cote d’Azur in all its Summertime glory on many occasions, reflected in the turn of the last century works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and more recently I had been further seduced by the slightly Disneylandesque view of Main Street, France, the region called “Provence”.

I was keen to see if France would work for us. However, when friends, who had preceded us in relocating outside the UK, reported that in fact the uncertain and indifferent weather continued for much of the Spring, Autumn and Winter months with slight reprieve in May leading to a reasonable summer, it was not sufficiently reliable.

Let me be clear, I am not so shallow as to make such a crucial decision on the basis of the weather alone but the idea of the South of Spain as delivering around 300 days plus of Sun per year became a very important draw.

We are clear that midsummer water supplies are at a premium. This brings minor inconveniences but until the local desalination plants are working at full strength we will need to be cautious. The advice is simple. If the weather in your home country is a major reason for your proposed relocation, and it is, for many from Northern Europe and North America, then do your research and see whether you can better Spain’s Costas and their perfect Mediterranean climate.

Lesson 14 – To add to the pleasure of Spain why not taste it!

For many the nadir of European cookery is the finest French Haute cuisine or the friendly and more rustic Italian Trattoria menu. Whilst I really do appreciate the excellence of both, Spain’s signature dishes and exceptional wines, particularly the red (vino tinto) from the Autonomous Regions - that comprise mainland Spain - are no longer a poor third. The Mediterranean Diet with its emphasis on fresh colourful vegetables, smashing fish and meat dishes, inventive “Tapas” plates and the extensive use of fine Olive oil is not the preserve of Spain’s coastal neighbours.

Although, I am certain that there will be many who’ll bemoan my releasing this information to a wider public, but the risk of passing on the pleasure will out way the burden of disclosure. There are many excellent “Ventas” in most rural and metropolitan areas that serve the very best local specialities. These are café bar type establishments that open from early morning for coffee and toasted bread, which you may like to grate with a fresh garlic clove and spread with a light tomato puree, a sprinkling of sea salt and olive oil, serving many steaming plates until well after dark.

At lunch time, a favourite time for most Spaniards to eat, a “Menu del Dia” (Menu of the Day), often priced as low as €7 ($8 or £5) for two or three courses and a drink is possibly the cheapest and most nourishing way to taste Spain. The starter of a classic Gazpacho soup, definitive Mediterranean cookery and basically “health in a bowl” is a must!

The extensive use of pulses, lentils (lentejas), chickpeas (garbanzos), beans (alubias) and rice (arroz) will have the advocates of the high fibre diet praising you to the hills whilst the sausages, dry cured hams (jamon) and meat dishes such as the classic Estofada (veal stew) will keep any carnivore happy.

Lesson 15 – Following two years on from our Lesson Eight - Learn and speak as much Spanish as you can.

Unlike the usual French maxim of “it doesn’t matter what you say as long as you pronounce it correctly” most Spaniards realise that if you are from an English or Germanic language heritage the chances of “school boy” Spanish are slim. Consequently, in making the effort to acclimatise to your new home, complimenting your expat life with a decent level of spoken Spanish can only prove advantageous. In working here I have had to develop a slightly more detailed understanding of the language and it’s been easy to massively embarrass myself in formal meetings conducted in the native language. However, the encouragement that I have received has generally meant that although there’s a level of “it’s the foreigner who’s trying” good hearted gibes it’s a small price to pay and an immense source of satisfaction when you get it approximately right.

I should point out that when I refer to “Spanish”, I am speaking of Castellano which is that form of Spanish spoken by most of the regions of Spain with the exclusion of the Catalunya region. Centred on Barcelona, the locals speak a distinct language called “Catalan”.

Thanks to the European Community, my UK legal qualifications are recognised by my local Bar – the Illustre Colegio de Abogados de Malaga – and they curiously seem keen to have me as a member.

I am convinced that although it is theoretically feasible to practice law in Spain as a non-Spaniard, the Legal System – which differs from the UK and US “Common Law” system – and is based on the Napoleonic Codified Civil Law - mitigates against playing on an even pitch with my local colleagues. As a non-Mother Tongue Spanish speaker it is clear that I may even be a hindrance to a foreign client. There is a somewhat “Civil service” mentality to the administration of “life” in Spain. It has proven much more efficient and substantially more advantageous to our clients for me to work through our legal colleagues within the context of my professional services solutions provider business.

Lesson 16 - Nil desperandum

The Costa del Sol is known by many as the “California” of Europe. These two regions have much in common.

The older properties, of which there are relatively few outside the picturesque Pueblos Blanco (White Villages), share the same heritage and a distinctive look that is reminiscent of the Mission in Santa Barbara, California, USA.

Aged 20 I was taken by family friends to Los Angeles’ Century City PlayBoy Club, which was as normal for my hosts as visiting a drive thru Burger King. In addition to the blond leggy Californian girls this visit held a further special charm. The early 80’s represented a time of new experiences and one of particular potency was being in Century City surrounded by satin clad bunnies and having my first experience of Cherry Tomatoes. These little globes of freshness are, together with most of our weekly shopping basket, cultivated locally in Spain having reached the UK perhaps nearly fifteen years after I first tried them in the US. They are one of many the staple foods of Europe now produced under polythene shrouds right down to the water’s edge particularly along the Eastern Costa del Sol.

Very few meals in my house pass without some fresh local produce and the adaptable Cherry Tomato invariably appears in one course or another!

As a dictionary definition the expression “Californian” conjures up an image of sun and a bohemian lifestyle. “Laid back” or “Taking it easy”. Well Spain has the same scheme, particularly in the South and it is summed up in the expression “Mañana” (“Tomorrow”). A shrug of the shoulders and a sense of resignation that “its out of my hands” can drive the average expat mad in bewilderment and frustration.

A failure to learn, early on in your relationship with Spain, that the more you push the incrementally more difficult your dealings will become, is a recipe for disaster. You cannot shout at a Spaniard and expect to amend their stance – they won’t. No matter how big you ego is, it will be totally deflated by a Notary’s cashier or shop assistant – I know this from experience. However frustrating, responding proactively to a complaint is just not within the litany of many Spaniard’s reactions. As Spain’s First Minister, Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero is alleged to have remarked recently that he is the head of a country comprising over 40 million “First Ministers”. This tells us something of the national character.

Advising, our Northern European clients to become “Californian” may sound like nonsense. However, I have learned in the last three years of dealing with colleagues and administrators in this environment, that you can only work with the System, and it is a folly to try to buck it. Maintaining a stress level in the red zone is not only highly unproductive - its life threatening. Although exasperation is acceptable, a coronary awaits those who allow the pressure to overwhelm them. “Chill a little.”

In our working lives we have been able to “soften the blow”, as its one of our prime roles to “drive” the relationship between the advisor and the expat client. We cannot provide a totally stress free Spain –it really is part of the nation’s charm – but we do work with some excellent advisors who really do make the difference for our clients.

We have known of people for whom the dream of Spain didn’t translate to the reality. They are rare but a couple who I know recently returned to the UK cited the System as being a major contributor to their unhappiness. Albeit a complete generalisation Spaniard’s seem to know how the System can be made to work in their favour. Their logic is infallible; they “Work to Live” rather than “Live to Work”.

Lesson 17 - Give Flamenco a chance.

At the risk of offending the heritage of our friends and neighbours – particularly those from the Celtic regions of Northern Europe - no distinct musical style is more definitive of its homeland than Flamenco. Whether it’s the guttural signing – which a really acquired taste - the whirling dancing, a prancing horse or a bright guitar chord, Flamenco is a brand and for any marketing executive it is short hand for Spain.

Trust me there will come a point when you are in a supermarket queue when you will start to drum you fingers in time with the in store music and you may just be tempted to clap a Flamenco beat.

My suggestion, and a topical cure to this inevitable decent into becoming pro Spanish, are the CDs “Chambao” and “Ochos de Brujo”. The skill of “Chambao” is to marry more traditional Flamenco phrasing and style with a modern techno beats to produce the coolest chill out music – see the advice given in Lesson 16 above - currently available on my in car CD player.

Lesson 18 - The Life/Work/Play/Family balance.

In moving to Spain, although I suspect that I did work fairly hard in London the workload I have had since opening our business in Spain has been fairly intense. As a consequence I have had to explore an ability to blend the elements of life such that one doesn’t submerge the others. I am starting to learn, and am aware that I have yet to perfect this skill, but acknowledging that something exists is the start of finding a solution. Unlike much of the time in London, at least my kids now know me by sight!

When there is more certainty about the weather the ability to plan for outdoors is greatly improved. Much of our family time is spent outdoors, whether it’s the beach, the mountains or the stables it is possible to blend some of these elements around our working day.

The working day starts early and much e mailing and many meetings can be done by 4.00 PM when school exits. After a couple of hours out and about its home for homework, baths and dinner during which time my home based broadband comes into its own and I can handle much of the day’s paperwork.

At least that’s the theory…. Getting it right will take time but it’s already a more satisfying way to live.

Lesson 19 - How to avoid losing out in making an “off plan” purchase.

You’ll have seen the wonderful images at the Property Show in Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow or Dublin and you’ll have been very drawn to the idea of getting in early on the ground floor of this fabulous new development on the Spanish Costas. And why not – these developments often present really good value for money and, as you are getting involved early, pre-construction, you are potentially making real savings.

You agree to take an inspection flight, which, in any event, even if you don’t buy an apartment is a bargain weekend in Spain. You arrive at the chosen destination and it all seems to stack up – you are ready to buy…….

Whatever you do, obtain independent legal advice on the “Off Plan” property before parting with any cash or a credit card deposit.

We would recommend that you do not use either the developer’s own lawyer or a lawyer who has been referred to you by the developer’s or estate agent’s sales team. There is an obvious conflict of interests and whilst he or she may be highly qualified there will always be a nagging doubt in your mind as to whether you are receiving the “best” advice. Although this is becoming common practice in the UK market, the level of regulations, ethics and recourse available to protect you in the UK are not available in Spain.

Having received advice from your lawyer that the “off plan “ development is not at risk from any legal flaws which would prevent it being built, you may now be ready to hand over the 20% or 30% deposit required to secure your chosen apartment, town house or villa.

Before parting with your hard-earned cash there is one further check that your lawyer needs to make.

Most reputable developers will have provided you with a sales pack containing the Private Purchase Contract – which may be in English as well as Spanish – relevant details about the property number you wish to reserve, the complex to be built and a copy of a Bank Guarantee document.

The Bank Guarantee should be from a reputable Bank and needs to clearly state that your cash will be held in their accounts and will only be released under certain conditions. In addition, it must provide that if, for whatever reason, the developer fails to build the complex that you will receive your cash back – together with – hopefully interest calculated on the amount lodged.

We have seen situations where purchasers have been told that a Bank Guarantee exists but they have not asked to see it – and when the property was not built the deposit was lost.

So make sure you obtain a copy of the Bank Guarantee and you receive professional advice on precisely what it says.

Wording in some Private Purchase Contracts may be tricky. Developers often fund their developments by borrowing from Banks – no surprise there. The Banks think that if they are in play when you come to secure an apartment in a new complex, you will be prepared to take over the existing borrowing on that apartment. In other words you take over the developer’s mortgage. This is as opposed to seeking a mortgage for the completion funds on the open market.

Whilst this may be convenient and although it will always be subject to your financial status there may well be drawbacks.

The “assumed” mortgage may well be more expensive than that you could get on the open market. In addition, in an attempt to dissuade you from seeking your own funding the Bank may have imposed a premium or more accurately termed a penalty on the developer – usually 1% to cancel the funding - which in turn the developer passes on to you under the terms of the Private Purchase Contract. Beware, you may be required to agree that the penalty is added to your costs of purchase if you elect not to take the “assumed mortgage”. In other words you are penalised by the developer if you chose to seek you funding elsewhere than take up the offer from the developer’s Bank.

In eighteen months to two years after placing your deposit – if all goes well, and Spanish builders do build quickly - you will be given notice by the developer to complete the purchase. Notice may be as short as two weeks. However you must be ready and willing to do this as failure to do so will probably leave you forfeiting your deposit.

Your purchase price will be fixed at the Private Purchase Contract stage, so together with between 10% to 12% of additional costs, which primarily is a purchase tax but also includes Lawyers and Notaries fees you should be clear on what you’ll need to pay at completion.

It is highly recommended, prior to even commencing your search in Spain that you obtain an indication, from a local mortgage broker, given your personal circumstances, what you would be able to borrow.

We have seen mortgages approved in Spain within 10 days but that is the exception. It will take between six weeks to two months, particularly if you are seeking one of the more attractive lower rate mortgages, and the more time you give yourself the better.

So plan ahead and give yourself some time.

You’ll need to collate a pack for the independent mortgage broker comprising, as a minimum the following:

A copy of your – and any other joint borrowers - passport or residence card. Copies of NIE – a registered number needed for a foreigner to make a purchase in Spain,
The Nota simple – the extract of title from the Land Registry for the property
The last years bank statements showing income or your last two P60’s or last tax returns
An employment contract
For the self employed you’ll need copies of you last three years of accounts and bank statements showing the income.

When called upon to complete your purchase you need to be satisfied that the description of the property you think you are purchasing equates to the property being delivered to you by the developer. In order to achieve this you should ensure, at a minimum, when signing the Private Purchase Contract, that the description of the property, its precise location within the complex, its external and internal finish etc. should be laid out in some detail. Failure to do so may limit you later opportunities to argue that the property is defective in some way.

Once completion has been requested you should view the property and make a complete “snagging list” of any issues or problems that are obvious with the property. Should your developer fail to address these our recommendation is to give formal notification – preferably through an independent lawyer - to the developer asking them to resolve all listed problems. If they continue to refuse the solution is for the purchaser to rectify the “snags” using another contractor and to pay for the work at their own cost. The amount paid should then be claimed from the developer with the ultimate sanction being to issue judicial recovery proceedings if they fail to pay. This may work best particularly where a number of new owners complain and their complaint can be properly co-ordinated through a single lawyer or committee.

There may be other opportunities to “delay” completion but these will usually depend on your precise circumstances

Lesson 20 - Watch out for “B” or “Black money”

Buying in Spain is not just about putting a deposit down and waiting two years for the completed property. Many satisfied clients have bought what are called “resales” which are pre-owned apartments and houses. The main reasons for this tend to be issues relating to getting better value for money, particularly villa properties. B by purchasing older you usually get a much more mature property and garden with the teething troubles of a new property already out of the way. Additionally, the location may be a little more established where no further building work is permitted.

Often when buying a “resale” in Spain paying ‘black” or “B” money is mentioned. This enables the seller to evade tax – by artificially reducing the declared price of the property and thus the capital gains tax due. However, the Spanish Government is toughening up its approach to this kind of Tax fraud. Let’s make no mistake however accepted this practice is at a “social” level it is still in breach of the law and at a personal level the vendor is passing on their part of their tax bill to the purchaser!

The concern however is that if you refuse to accept this as standard practice will you be able to buy the home you have set your heart on? The sensible advice, and the most prudent conduct, is to refuse to deal in such a manner.

Despite putting your “dream” purchase at risk the potential pitfalls from a personal criminal liability and resale point of view are worth avoiding. By doing so gradually the swell of opinion away from such sharp practices will reduce the expectation that all buyers are prepared to flout the law.

And always remember …….

“If it looks to good to be true….. it probably is!”
Mark wilkins-TRG

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