We love love love travelling and visiting new places and if there is one thing we are missing most at the moment during lockdown it is travelling! Nearly every summer we visit to Europe as there are so many beautiful destinations all over Europe! We especially miss Spain and Italy and we are really wishing we could just hop on a plane and visit ASAP!
So many people from all over the world have decided to move to Europe and actually live there there are currently 800,000 Americans living in Europe! We would love to buy a property in Spain (who wouldn’t) imagine just being able to finish work on a Friday and hopping on a plane to your holiday home! But then we often question this and think would we prefer to just carry on renting as it means we can visit lots of destinations!
Where We would like to Live
Location is everything. When searching for the right location for you, first of all, be absolutely sure about what you want. If you’ve never been to Spain before, it might be a bit difficult to know where to start from when it comes to finding the right location. So, this guide will help you out with a few considerations. Here are some things worth thinking about.
- Do you want to live among Spanish locals, expats, or both?
- Do you want an urban location, or a quiet place area, or close to the sea
- Do you want easy access to parks, airports, etc.?
- Will you be traveling alone, with family, or with friends?
Property Style
Another thing you may be deciding on is what kind of property you want to live in. Do you want a villa or a townhouse? Do you want a cave house, a finca (estate), or an apartment? Still undecided? Here are some more considerations:
- Availability of a heating or air condition system
- Is there a garden, a backyard, or a car park space?
- Availability of satellite television
- Is there a reliable security system?
How To Find A Place To Rent
Fortunately, there are several options available when it comes to finding the right property to rent. You can do a thorough search on the internet for the best places and prices available. For example, have you considered an apartment in Marbella? You can also ask for recommendations from friends who already live or have lived there. Another option is to drive around town when you get to Spain and ask around. You can use the help of an agent (at a fee) or look for “se alquila” notice boards. These boards notify potential tenants of accommodations for rent.
Rental Agreement
Once you have decided on where to live, your focus should shift to the rental agreement. Rental agreements in Spain have been formulated to protect the rights of the tenant. However, how much protection a tenant will get from the law depends on the type of contract he/she agrees to. Short-term contracts can run for a year and long-term rent contracts have been extended from three years to five. The contract will be in your own language (which is English, presumably). So, be sure to read through carefully before signing to anything. If the agreement is not in your language, be sure to have it translated first. The landlord’s rights are also protected by law. So, for example, your landlord can cancel your contrato de arrendamiento (rental contract) if you do not pay your rent, cause deliberate damage to the property, or sublet the property without permission. A tenant can also terminate the contract if the landlord is a nuisance to the tenant or refuses to make the necessary fixes to the property.
Now that you have all this information to hand, don’t hesitate to go ahead and make things happen, if that’s what you really want to do. Once our housing is sorted, then you can relax into your new lifestyle and absorb the food, culture, sunshine and all joys that Spain has to offer.
