Frequently Asked Questions

Our properties start from £55.000.00 and the average purchase price is around £100.000.00

To begin with you will need a deposit of €3.000. 00 (approx. £2.000.00) to secure the property. 4-6 weeks from the date of purchase you will need between 30-50% of the total purchase price in available funds. The balance will be paid on completion and it is possible to take some or all of this on a Spanish mortgage.

Please also note that in addition to the purchase price you will need an extra 10% to cover your legal fees and pay the IVA (VAT). If you are taking a Spanish mortgage you will need to increase this to 13% for your calculations and this way there will be NO nasty surprises.

This will depend on the property you choose. It is possible to purchase new properties ready straight away and other times you will need to wait for anything up to 24 months.

We have a whole range of properties to suit you. There are established properties on the resale market, but if you would like to purchase such a property, you will need all of your funding in place straight away. These transactions are usually completed within 30 days.

We also have brand new key ready properties, again these generally complete quickly, but a payment structure can be designed to suit your needs. With Established, resale properties and with new key ready properties it is of course possible to take a Spanish mortgage for part of the purchase. Again you will need to add 10% for legal costs and IVA and an additional 3 % if you are purchasing with a Spanish mortgage.

We deal directly with the builder and our price is the same as theirs. Buying through Lexus Estates means you can take advantage of our full After Care service for free!

Yes! You can have these paid into any bank account in the UK or abroad. For further help and information see: www.dss.gov.uk

It is not a necessity as the foreign market is well catered for in Spain with the vast majority of staff speaking a multitude of languages.

Of course it is advisable if you want to make a life in Spain and you will find local people will really appreciate you making the effort.

Do not hesitate to contact Lexus Estates for information on the best language school in your area.

They are welcome too!

They will need their own EU passport and this can be obtained from your vet, your pet will need a microchip and a rabies vaccination.

To find out more go to: www.petexports.co.uk

Moving abroad is one of the best experiences a child can have. If they are young then they will pick up the language very quickly at a local Spanish school. If you would like them to continue with the UK curriculum then there are many options and private education is much cheaper in Spain than in the UK.

For more information see: www.nabss.org

Yes, this is true.

Things like electricity and water are lower and things like alcohol, cigarettes and petrol/diesel are significantly lower.
Car and property tax are also substantially lower and are only due once per year.
The quality of life is better in Spain and people generally find they are able to dine out more as well as afford a better standard/style of accommodation.

Yes, however if you do decide to become a resident in Spain then you will also need to apply for a Spanish license, but this is easily done.

Driving in Spain is easy to get used to and with a reduced amount of traffic and better weather conditions you can adjust at your leisure.

There are a variety of ways to find the job for you; many internet sites will list situations vacant as well as Spanish newspapers and such publications like the Overseas Job Express.

Anyone from the UK that becomes resident in Spain and has obtained an NIE number and has a valid passport can work in Spain without a permit.

There are a whole host of opportunities from modelling to brick-laying available for suitable applicants.

See www.4icj.com/es as a starting point, but employment is usually easier to gain once you are residing in Spain.

An NIE number (sometimes also called a NIF number, but they are one and the same) is a fiscal number used to identify you on official papers.

You will need one as you cannot legally buy a property, car or boat etc. without having applied and received your NIE documentation. You need to apply for your NIE/NIF personally and this can be done when you are in Spain.

Do not worry, the quality of health care is considered to be equal, if not better than the UK.

If you are holidaying in Spain then ensure you apply for your European Health Insurance card (EHIC) as this has taken the place of the E111. You can apply at your local post office (it is free) and it takes around 21 days, but will entitle you to treatment on the same terms as residents of the country you are travelling in.

If you are taking residency and working in Spain, contributing to the Spanish Social Security you and your family are entitled to medical and dental treatment on the same terms as Spanish Nationals.

If you are retiring to Spain, taking residency and are receiving a state pension, then you will be covered by the Instituto Nacional de la Salud.

Not forgetting that Private Medical insurance is much more affordable in Spain and there are a number of companies/clinics that offer good packages.
See www.spain.info for further information.

Generally yes, but do check with your doctor/local chemist to ensure you will be able to get the medicine you require in Spain.

This is highly unlikely to happen as the property developers in Spain are fighting to keep up with demand for Spanish property, but banker's guarantees are available.

This will be roughly 10% of your purchase price, less costs.

For further information please do not hesitate to contact Lexus Estates.

Positively. We bring our own money into the country to purchase property and the money helps the economy. The Spanish people are the ones that benefit from this.

Yes! There are a whole host of Companies offering all of the English channels together with Sky channels too. This is much cheaper than in the UK and there is no TV license to pay!

(English newspapers are also printed in Spain and can be found on sale in a lot of shops together with a full range of UK foods)

Firstly do not believe everything you see and read in the Media, they often present a biased view point.

One of the topics that has caused the greatest controversy lately is the Law 6/1994 Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanistica de la Comunidad Valenciana otherwise known as the LRAU. It has been stated that Real Estate owners may lose part of their property or that they have to pay large amounts of money to the developer.

The first thing is that, as the name of the law indicates, the areas affected are those within the Valencia region, e.g. Alicante, Valencia and Castellon. This law is not applicable to the regions of Murcia and Almeria, so the first thing to do is check if the property you are looking to purchase is located in these provinces.

If you are looking to buy in the Valencian region then do not worry, only a very, very, small minority of property buyers may be affected by this law.

The LRAU classifies 3 types of land; Urbanizado (developed) Urbanizable (land for development) and Rural (rural).

Around 90% of foreign buyers purchase a property already constructed or under construction, this land is owned by the developer. In these cases this land has been classified either 'developed land' and the development is completed or 'land for development' and the land will already have an approved development programme. The plans for the infrastructure will have been established to include roadways, electricity, plumbing etc. You can be assured that purchasing any of these residences cannot be affected by the LRAU.

The law only affects land classified as 'rural' and basically intends that the owners of 'rural' land that benefit from the change of its classification are obligated to contribute to the development process. The costs incurred by this participation are more than compensated by the benefits of a substantial increase in value to the property.

The isolated cases that have arisen have generally been as a result of corrupt application of these regulations.