Hello and Welcome! OUR SERVICES Our Involvement From our initial fact-finding discussion which enables us to identify and locate precisely the type of property you require, handling the entire process through to the final completion: we organise every aspect of the purchase on your behalf. Finding 'the right home' for you Homes in Spain vary greatly in style; locations just a few miles apart may have a totally different character and "feel", and prices vary accordingly. We select properties for you to view which are appropriate to your needs; this means that we don't waste your time or make your house-hunting a tedious experience. Fees and Charges The purchaser pays us nothing in the way of commissions; we simply agree our fee with the vendor and this is paid to us, by the vendor, on completion of the sale. We do not and will not follow the common practise of agreeing the price required by the vendor and then marking-up the sale price as much as the market can bear, with the agent keeping the difference. Typically an agent will add a minimum of 5% to the vendors selling price but in many cases considerably more; 20%+ is all too common. This practise is partly responsible for the rapid excalation of property prices in Spain as greed pushes prices unrealistically high and makes the property more difficult to sell; both vendor and purchaser lose considerable sums. For Your Protection When a property first comes 'on to our books' our first step is to verify the presence and validity of the associated documentation. This includes ascertaining that all bills and charges applying to the property have been paid by the present owner and that no liabilities are attached to the property as, in Spain, bad debts and outstanding charges, fines etc. are attached to the property and not to the owner at the time that they are incurred. Similarly, we confirm that any and all relevant planning and construction licences and approvals have been obtained for any works undertaken on the property. This is essential for your protection as any omissions in this regard can, at a later date have serious and potentially highly expensive repercussions for the purchaser. Legal Services The legal and Notary practices who handle the legal aspects of our sales are multilingual and the relevant documentation is provided both in Spanish and English. Mortgages We work with leading Spanish banks in providing a mortgage for you. Simple to obtain and rates as low as 3%. Proof of income such as a P60 and three months payslips in the case of an 'employed' person, or proof of pension income for retirees. Self-employed need to produce accounts. Normally a lender will provide 70 - 80% of valuation, depending on the interest rate charged. After-Sale services Apart from handling the purchase itself we also attend to the transfer of services i.e. telephone, water and electricity supplies. We will liase with the relevant Town Hall on your behalf in order to facilitate your payments of local taxes etc. We are truly a "full service" estate agency that values the goodwill of our clients and we work hard to maintain that relationship now and in the future. Contractors and Tradesmen As part of our aftersale service we maintain an up-to-date list of contractors and tradesmen whom we already know from experience to be efficient, skilled workers who charge reasonable rates for a job well done. Their various nationalities include British, Dutch, Spanish, German and French. Our own gain in this is solely to assist (and gain the goodwill!) of those who have yet to acquire their own local knowledge and contacts. In any event, you should only use tradesmen who have been personally recommended to you on the basis of their known abilities and charges. Accommodation A number of our clients require short-term accommodation whilst looking for their new home and we can normally find a suitable apartment or villa for low-cost rental in the appropriate area.