10 Nov 2026 12:18 PM:
Talking about water leaks, especially if you have an older house, this is something that you may be confronted with sooner or later. The main culprits in my experience are builders not taking proper care, or maybe not aware of older pipes and inadvertently bruising them. The second biggest issue after that is metal piping corroding away, especially when different types of metal are soldered together. Often you don't see evidence of the leakage until weeks if not months after the builders have gone away.
Another caveat is when trying to fix things yourself. Sometimes screw-threaded pipe couplers may start leaking over time, especially over expansion cycles and material fatigue. The normal reflex is to get out a wrench and tighten the fit. This stops the leak temporarily. But if the screw thread is stubborn and you keep on tightening it, you may be applying more force than the material can take and actually making things worse over time. If those things leak, take them apart, clean the parts and apply plumbing tape when putting them back together. If any part looks damaged or suspicious, replace them. Remember, piping costs pennies and water damage can easily run into the thousands. If you need to use brute force to get anything to fit, and especially to tighten screw threads, you're doing something wrong.
This message was last edited by amogles on 11/10/2026.
Forum thread: How do Costa Blanca owners manage properties while abroad?
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09 Nov 2026 12:18 PM:
Hi Begood, I've seen a property being inherited by family members who knew Spain only from holiday visits. They were not at all familar with Spain, didn't speak Spanish particularly well, and didn't know who to approach or what to do. That took them a lot of headaches to sort out, and they spent rather more on lawyers fees than would have been necessary. After that they used the property as a holiday place for a few years but allowed it to dilapidate as they didn't understand the maintenance needs and didn't have the money to look after it properly. Then bigger repairs piled up, and as they couldn't afford these, they decided to sell the property. In the following, disputes emerged with neighbours over the boundaries of the plot. It was also alleged that the deceased had done some building work without a permit. So a rather messy situation in which hearsay had to be separated from fact, which wasn't always easy as some of the paperwork had gone misisng. I believe they ended up selling it at what was in my view well below its market value.
Which is why I advise anybody to document everything. What may be obvious to one person won't be obvious to the next. Keep things like receipts, permits and correspondence with the ajuntamiento in one place and make sure your heirs know about it. Also things like contracts and inspection certificates for gas, water, electric etc. Don't make inofficial deals but make sure any arrangements that might have legal consequences or lead to dispute are properly documented.
And although this may sound obvious, do document everything others may need to know. Just because you think it's obvious where the main stopcock for the water main is, how to turn off the electrics, that the neighbour has a spare key to your garage, or that you need to clean out the drain on the terrace at least once a year, don't assume it will be obvious to others.
This message was last edited by amogles on 11/9/2026.
Forum thread: Would your family know where to start? How have you organised things?
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30 Oct 2026 1:55 PM:
Having a professionally written will is definitely recommended, including the nomination of a competent person as executor. Preferably somebody who is familiar with Spain and knows how to go about approaching officialdom here. Definitely discuss your will with a lawyer as there are things you can and can't do, and you wouldn't want a court to invalidate your will over a technicality.
Also bear in mind that if your heirs are not immediate family, they may be taxed on their inheritance, so make sure they understand the consequences. If they are relatives but its not obvious, make sure they have the paperwork to prove it.
If an escritura goes missing, it's not the end of the world as you can get a copy from (I think) the land registry. But it might save some effort if you ensure everybody who might need one gets a copy. It might also help to print out the pages covering your property from the catastro (you can access these online) so your relatives know exactly what it is they are inheriting, and maybe also attach the most recent valuation you have. I would recommend ensuring the main beneficiaries have a list of all your assets, that is names of banks, numbers of bank accounts, stock portfolios etc, so nothings gets forgotten. A hand written or self typed sheet is good enough. If you have a lawyer you trust, I would recommend putting that person on the sheet as well so they have somebody they can approach with confidence.
This message was last edited by amogles on 10/30/2026.
Forum thread: Would your family know where to start? How have you organised things?
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29 Jun 2026 4:57 PM:
My purchase is now coming on 13 or 14 years ago, so some things will have changed.
But at the time I had two separate valuations done, and they came up with substantially different prices (about 15% apart). Surprisingly the bank valued it higher than the independent consultant, and both valued it higher than what I actually paid.
I think at the end of the day valuation is an art and not a science, and the property is worth what you personally think its worth, and what you personally are looking for. What may be a dream house to one buyer may be a hopeless ruin worth no more than the land value to another buyer. What may be a tasteful refurbishment in the eyes of one buyer may be the soul sucked out of the property to another buyer.
Forum thread: Research help needed from people who have bought property in Spain
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08 Jun 2026 7:33 PM:
there is a very small outhouse/shed (of a few square meters) which looks like it hasn't been registered properly. Personally I'd be happy to just knock it down if anyone raised an issue with it, but obviously I'm worried that if we bought it we could also be liable for some kind of hefty fine somewhere down the line for illegal construction.
I'm no lawyer, so please take this with a pinch of salt. But in my experience there are illegal outhouses and extensions all over Spain, and for the most part nobody cares. Also, after a certain number of years they don't strictly become legal, but they enter a tolerated status, meaning you get away with it. So as long as you don't do anything stupid, nothing bad will happen.
This message was last edited by amogles on 6/8/2026.
Forum thread: Advice on Buying a property
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