15 Jun 2026 8:39 AM:

I recently completed a property purchase research project on a Marbella apartment and ended up producing a surprisingly detailed due-diligence report covering:

• local market pricing
• comparable properties
• rental potential
• refurbishment opportunities
• area analysis
• risks and red flags
• suggested offer price

It got me wondering whether something like this would actually have been useful to people before they bought property on the Costa del Sol.

I'm not selling anything at the moment and I'm not looking for clients. I'm genuinely trying to understand whether foreign buyers feel they receive enough independent information before committing to a purchase.

If you've bought property in Spain, especially on the Costa del Sol:

1. What information do you wish you'd had before buying?

2. What mistakes did you make?

3. Would an independent report have been useful?

4. If yes, what would it need to include?

I'd be very grateful for any experiences or lessons learned.

Thanks in advance!

Forum thread: Research help needed from people who have bought property in Spain

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17 May 2015 9:06 PM:

Hi,

 

It is :)

Will PM you with a contact number.

Regds

Forum thread: MAG254 IPTV box with WiFi

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21 Mar 2015 11:39 AM:

@kelju: Yes, OverPlay is also a good SmartDNS service, as is Unotelly and a few others. The reason I chose the Unlocator service (bit DOT do/unloc) is that they offer a free 30-day trial, and good pricing thereafter, with good support where they will tweak their service if any offering stops working. It is the same as Overplay, in that you can configure (and change as often as you wish), your preferred location for each service. So, for Netflix, you can choose to be in the UK or the US, same deal for Google Play, same for Zattoo (choose Switzerland), and so on. They all work at once, i.e. I'm currently in the UK if I access the iPlayer, but in Switzerland if I access Zatto, but I'm also currently in the US when I access NBC Sports Extra.

@growler: I hear you when you mention the complication in setting these boxes up. Easy enough for internet-savvy people, but I have older friends and family who phone me up every time they want to watch a match, or subscribe to a new TV show or watch a movie!

Personally, I use an OUYA, it's a small Android box, which was designed to be a gaming console, but which I find pretty easy to run. It does need to be rooted (done via a 1-click app) but, affter that, the quality is just excellent, and it's pretty easy to use, along with running anything and everything I've ever thrown at it!

Regarding your "cartel", sounds awful, tbh, but I reckon they probably signed some sort of agreement with your Community for the provision of a communal service, which owners can then join, or not. Those routers you mention are probably attached to a broadband line owned by that TV shop, which doesn't mean, theoretically, that you couldn't have your own line and broadband service. You "should" be able to go it alone, just visit sites such as Movistar, or Jazztel, or Vodafone, look for ADSL, and insert your address to check coverage. The downside of the mainstream Spanish ISP's is that you need to contract year-round, so, if you don't live here, that can be expensive. There are also 3G/4G Mifi (mobile broadband) services which you can get, if you don't want to have a phone line in your property (or are unable to arrange to get one).

Forum thread: Helo Android TV good by Satellite TV

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21 Mar 2015 11:24 AM:

This is my understanding, garnered from my own Community, which is also in Mijas-Costa:

a) Regarding the requirements, apparently, the Mijas Town Hall has laid down higher requirements than those laid down by the State and by the Junta de Andalucía. In particular, they seem to be demanding the inclusion of a platform elevator which can lower wheelchairs into pools (WTF?!?!?!).

My own Community has a pool which is small enough to not require a lifeguard, but Mijas is still insisting on the elevator. At the moment, as far as I know, we are appealing to the Junta regarding Mijas' excessive requirements, who knows what result, if any, we'll get from that!

OTOH, our Community, and many others, seem to be waiting for the 22nd March Junta elections, followed by the May municipal elections, in the hope that, if the ruling parties change, then perhaps the requirements will change.

b) Regarding using the pool...again, I'm no lawyer, so I don't know anything about this "jail time" threat. Our Community has placed a tape around the pool area, but continues to maintain it (cleaning, chlorine treatment, water sampling) as if it's in use. They tell us (the owners), that it can be used but, if there is any accident in the pool, the Community's insurers will NOT take any responsibility in the matter, since the pool is "officially closed". Therefore, you enter the pool or not under your OWN responsibility, in the full knowledge that the pool is supposedly closed, and you will not be covered in the event of a mishap.

We tell our tenants this, and firmly place the responsibility on their shoulders. If they don't wish to take the responsibility on, then they may not enter the pool. I intend to get some sort of Disclaimer/Waiver document drawn up, and to make our tenants sign to the effect that they received this warning and they absolve us (as owners) and our Community of all responsibility.

Anyone up for helping with the drafting of this type of form, which we could then all share?

 

Forum thread: Threat of jail for using swimming pool

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21 Mar 2015 10:08 AM:

Brand new MAG254 set top box (the latest, much better than the 250) and wifi dongle for sale in the Costa del Sol area.

Can help with TV subscription service if required, or can provide free portal.

165€ ovno

Forum thread: MAG254 IPTV box with WiFi

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