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Beware when Buying in Spain
I thought I would share my 'experience' of buying an 'off-plan' apartment in Spain
in the hopes that it may save others from making the same mistakes.
Last summer, from a local agent whose Head Office was in our home town of Blackpool,
my husband and I 'bought' an apartment 'off-plan' in a town called Catral on the Costa
Blanca. As requested, we paid the requisite reservation fee, deposit and a big chunk
of lawyers' fees up front. (in total, approx. 14,500 euros).
The eye-catching window display and the artist's impression on the brochure we were
given was of a really pretty urbanisation set amidst beautiful spacious landscaped
gardens leading down to a communal pool. Beautiful - and everything we were looking
for. Facilities included parking, security, spacious gardens, surrounded by orange
and lemon groves. I spent all last winter buying new things for our beautiful new
retirement home (even my Christmas presents were for our new home) and dreaming of
breakfast with my husband on our roof terrace, walking through the gardens with our
two Labradors and relaxing in the gorgeous Spanish sunshine by our communal pool.
Bliss!! My husband and I have spent many hours talking about our new life in the sun.
In May this year we decided to combine a week's holiday with a self-funded inspection
trip. Arrangements were made for us to meet a representative from the Estate Agency
'on site' who would show us round and interpret for us and the builder. On the day
in question, we arrived in Catral. The weather was absolutely glorious and we walked
through the town square, past the beautiful old Spanish church, met the rep. and walked
to the site.
OH MY GOD - Horror of horrors - this couldn't possibly be where our beautiful new
home was going to be. Even though it was still under construction, there was absolutely
no way that what we were looking at could ever ever look like the artist's impression
on the brochure we were given the previous summer. The only thing that separated the
apartments from the road was a narrow pavement. All twelve apartments, six on one
side and six on the other, (three ground floor and three first floor on each side)
were squeezed onto a postage stamp size plot of land which narrowed towards the back
of the plot (which is where our apartment was) with approximately 8 ft. between us
and our neighbour on the opposite side. In the middle of the apartments, there was
just enough room to squeeze a small pool.
The whole site was in shadow, despite it being the middle of the day. The sun would
never shine on the pool so it would never be warm enough to swim in. To add a major
insult to an already moral injury, right behind what would be our bedroom wall was
the town's storm drains, a monstrosity of a structure with three iron sleuce gates
and an open metal grid through which you could see the rushing water!!! I asked about
parking - I was told we could park on the road. I asked about the security - I was
told it was a safe area - I asked about the spacious gardens and was told by the builder
that we could put some plants in pots!!! The only orange and lemon groves were across
the road and were definitely not surrounding the development.
We are doing our very best to get our money back and despite the personal assurance
of the Managing Director of the estate agents that we will not lose any money at all,
we are now being told that unless they can find another buyer before completion in
November, we will have to go ahead with the sale or lose my husband's retirement lump
sum!!! When we bought off-plan last summer, we did not think there was any need to
go out to Catral as we told ourselves that there would have been nothing to see. With
hindsight, we would at least have seen the size of the plot and the storm drains!
Please publish this e-mail in the hopes that it would be a warning to other would
be 'off-plan' buyers. It would seem that an Estate Agent selling Spanish Property
can put any old rubbish in their brochure and there is nothing you can do about it.
Two other buyers have given backward on this development which, to me, speaks volumes.
The lawyers that we have paid over 1,000 euros to have done absolutely nothing to
help us in this matter.
If you are buying off-plan, even if you think it is a waste of time flying out to
Spain to have a look at 'nothing', don't part with any money whatsoever until you
have at least seen with your own eyes where your dream apartment is going to be. Also,
get your own lawyer who works for you, not the agents!
We have been told that we should have taken all necessary steps to make sure that
we were happy with what we were buying before we handed over any money or signed any
contracts. How can you do that if you are buying off-plan and there is nothing to
see but a plot of land?
My husband and I are devastated that our Spanish dream has gone so horribly wrong.
I am sure we are not alone.
Beware, Beware, Beware at every step!!!
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Carolyn and Roger White Blackpool
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