Property Guides

How do you get a building survey in Italy?

As soon as you walk through the door you may know in your heart that this is your dream home. But, just pause a minute and take off those rose-tinted glasses. Consider its condition and the cost of bringing it up to standard. Could you do it? What will it cost? How do you get a building survey in Italy? You find a Geometra.

10 great reasons to move to Italy in 2019

We heard a great quote the other day. “If you’re not happy where you are, move! You’re not a tree.” It sounds like something a wise Italian grandmother would say. Italy has so much to offer anyone who wants to make that great escape. So take your future in your own hands and consider these 10 great reasons to move to Italy in 2019.

The message from France: buy, buy, buy?

Buyer’s market or Brexit bust-up? What is happening in the French property market and is it still a good time to buy? The good news is that the French property market remains a very stable one pricewise and conditions continue to be ripe for British buyers. There have been signs in some areas of small increases in property value, mainly Paris, the Cote d’Azur and the Languedoc Roussillon, but it is important to note that the market is really nothing like the UK one and things happen much more slowly in France, property price changes included!

Spanish taxman’s spy in the sky

The Spanish tax authority’s use of drones and satellites has netted an extra 1.25 billion euros. Now it is extending the programme throughout the whole country and the Balearics. Don’t be caught out, make that declaration! The Spanish tax authority, called the Hacienda, is resorting to hi-tech methods to discover buildings which have not been declared for tax purposes. Since the end of 2014 they have found 1.69 million undeclared or illegal properties and they’re looking for more.

Firefighters save hundreds of British-owned homes

From Galicia to the Costa Blanca, Spanish firefighters have been battling wildfires that have devastated large areas perilously close to popular expats hotspots. The first few days in September have been the hottest in Spain since 1988, with temperatures in the south soaring to over 40º and leaving the countryside tinder dry. The conditions, helped by arsonists in some cases, have led to forest fires across the Spanish mainland.

Your Mini Guide to Spanish Culture and Customs

Shouting at a waiter, paying the bill for everyone, conjuring up a surname, having two breakfasts and avoiding certain Tuesdays are all part of Spanish culture. Learn how to get involved.   Visiting Spain on holiday is one thing, living in Spain is quite another. There are many things you will need to get used to once you move, especially Spanish culture. We take a light-hearted look at some of the differences between the British and Spanish ways of doing things.