We consistently get asked questions by clients and many of those questions we get over and over again. So once more it’s time to answer some of your questions and also some of the questions we see regularly on social media especially in Facebook groups where they get answered by “Experts*” and yes we have a footnote for that.
Three of the questions are repeats because people ask them over and over again without checking the previous answers given in the Facebook group where they ask it and the usual suspects (Experts*) answer with their usual answers which are simply wrong.
How can I get an appointment for the padrón/NIE etc?
Just assume you can’t and get someone to do it. We always say it’s best for the NIE to use a lawyer even if it costs you money because the ones we know will get you into the appointments rapidly and efficiently. Actually it’s better to just give them a Power of Attorney and let them get on with it. The lawyers we recommend will get your NIE within a week or two and sometimes even quicker.
Regarding the Padrón, once you have the deds of the property or your rental contract then you can do it yourself but it may depend on your city, town or village because in some you can make the appointment online and get it quickly but in others you require a digital certificate to do it. For our clients we put it into the Power of Attorney of the lawyer so that the secretary can apply for it for you once the purchase is done. Simples!
Nobody answers me on Idealista when looking for a rental. How can I find a rental?
You need to call by phone or send a Whatsapp or get someone to call or send a Whatsapp (Spain runs on Whatsapp) or you need to find a company (ahem) that has a full rental service and will do the legwork for you.
However, even we are struggling at the moment. There is so little supply and so much demand that when you call for things they are gone. More importantly there are so many scammers out there and they are growing because people are desperate. (Make sure to read that linked article because it is so important)
Where Can I Find the Best Insurance for the Non Lucrative Visa
As you will probably know if you read our blog posts regularly you will need private health insurance if you are looking to get the non lucrative visa (Also for the Golden Visa and Entrepreneur’s Visa). There are plenty of companies who will provide you with health insurance, some are better and some are worse, some cover more conditions and some fewer. However you are different (So is everyone). Therefore it’s best to get someone who knows the market to find the best deal for both you and your family. We work with Diana at Gidea Seguros and she searches the market for the best deal for your particular circumstances. Even better once you are here and you have a question she and her team are at the end of the line to help out in English.
However we are also asked if you can get health insurance for a year for the NLV and then cancel it after six months for example? You can but you’ll still be charged for a year as Spanish insurance companies don’t usually return unused insurance premiums. Also you’ll probably get a better deal paying upfront for a year. Check out our partner’s deals here or ask me for Diana’s number and I’ll pass it onto you.
Is Valencia Safe?
We have done this one to death and yes, Valencia is extremely safe. There are just a couple of things you need to look out for here. Firstly, there are two places you are likely to get robbed, the beach and the riverbed. Not mugged but robbed if you leave your bag hanging around unattended or you leave stuff by your beach towel while you go for a swim. A quick tip here though, make sure to talk with the people around you on the beach if you are on your own or a couple going into the water and ask them to keep an eye on your stuff. Don’t worry, they will.
Below you can see the comparative rates for murders with Spain being really low. Valencia is in the better half of Spain’s figures too so even lower.
What are the Schools Like?
Schools are generally good, but you need to read our article here https://valencia-property.com/new/2021/02/09/international-and-bilingual-schools-in-valencia/ all about international schools. Regarding local schools it’s a post code thing so a rule of thumb is the better the area you live the better the school unfortunately. It sucks but that’s how things work in general.
Can I apply for the NLV while in Spain?
No. It needs to be done in your home country. If you get the Golden Visa on the other hand you apply for it in Spain (Click on the link to read all our articles about that).
Can you Manage my Property for Short Term Rentals?
No, but we know companies that can. We don’t usually recommend short term rentals as returns are low if not self managed. It’s better to go with medium and long term rentals
What About Squatters?
It seems that everyone on Facebook knows that if you leave your house in Spain for anything over ten minutes, when you get back the house will be full of squatters, playing flamenco on a guitar, producing children every ten minutes and ruining your carefully put together Lladro collection (We answered this one in the ten most common questions article here) And the police, they won’t do anything about it and the law protects squatters all the time especially if they have children. If that’s the case you may as well go and live under a bridge because you will never see your house again.
Have I ever told you how much I hate Facebook experts?
Now, I have lived in Spain for over thirty years on and off and I’m sorry to say to the Facebook experts that in that time I have actually left my house various times as have my neighbours and, guess what? No squatters came around, shot my non-existent dog and took over the compound.
Just like any country Spain has an issue with squatting, but people don’t tend to distinguish between squatters (Okupas) who break into a property and stay there and tenants who stop paying the rent.
The former are easily removed if you follow the right process as they are arrested by the police for breaking and entering. The latter can be more probematic (and next week we are writing a post about how to make sure your tenants are good ones). If a tenant breaks the contract by not paying then the process can be long and laborious to get them out which is why it’s so difficult to find a rental as a foreigner and why you, as a potential landlord, should take precautions when renting out. Owners want to be able to insure against non payment and foreigners in general cannot be insured because the insurance companies cannot check out their ability to pay.
I have been doing this job for almost twenty five years now and I have had two problems with squatters, both resolved quickly, and a couple of issues of tenants not being able or willing to pay, one resolved very amicably during Covid and the other ongoing and being sorted by the insurance company who are paying the rental to the owner.
Let’s just say it’s a non-issue in almost 99% of places and more importantly, never believe what a random nutjob says on Facebook when they say that a friend of their cousin’s auntie’s dog had an issue with squatters. If you don’t believe me then listen to the judge in the following video telling fake news promoting TV presenters to get in the sea and stop trying to scare people with absolute BS. (It’s in Spanish but worth it) Basically every lie they try he tells them the truth about what the situation actually is. Sensationalist TV should always be treated with the contempt he shows for the presenters here.
Can I Make a Lowball Offer as a Cash Buyer?
Of course you can. It won’t be accepted… and the owner will tell you to shove it… but you can if you really want to lose the possibility of getting any discount at all. The question we always ask especially to people who boast that they have just sold their house in the UK/USA/Australia or wherever for over asking price is “Would you have accepted a low offer?
The market is similar the World over currently. If something is good then there are buyers circling it like sharks around a sunken pirate boat after a particularly bloody cutlass battle. That property will be gone before the owner ever talks to you again. Don’t worry though we will let you know if an offer is likely to be accepted. That’s what we do. We are buyer’s agents.
Can I Stay For Longer Than 90 Days?
Of course you can. If you have the correct visa or by luck you just happen to be a member of one of the 27 EU countries. I’m sure it used to be 28 but something happened, I can’t quite place what it was. Anyway, if you happen to be from that now missing country, no you can’t unless you have the right visa and be careful, your passport is stamped on coming into the country and if you overstay those 90 days in any 180 day period then you may be deported. And if that happens then good luck with coming back the next time…
There are plenty more questions that you have and that we see and hear every day but that’s enough answers for now. Let’s move onto other things, one of which is really sad.
Early last week a client and friend informed me that he had cancer. He needed to sell his property quickly. See my twitter thread about what happened here (It opens in a new window so come back after reading it)
The lessons need learning then. It reminds us that a will in Spain is important, a Power of Attorney would have been extremely useful and you need to plan for the worst just in case. We will now need about a year before we can do anything with the property for the heirs.
The Latest Valencia Property Podcast
In the latest podcast released last Friday we talked about Markets, Mortgages and more and that more was more of our clients’ top tips. Listen in the player below or visit our podcast page for all of our Podcasts. There are now 24 there!!!!
Golden Visa Property of the Week
So this looks nice and it is very nice, in a nice quiet street with a nice facade, with all the nice bars and restaurants closeby and even the neighbours are nice, including some friends of ours who have a nice office downstairs, they’re really nice, you might meet them.
This apartment has been lovingly restored and renovated and excellently furnished, it also looks wonderfully relaxing due to the abundance of chairs, sofas, chaise longues, convertible couches, beds and stools, basically if you can sit on it, there is one.
2 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Living Room, Kitchen, terrace to rear and Mezzanine level to look down and survey all the niceties of your Ruzafa Apartment.
Superlatives are very overrated but it’s nice! See all of the pictures here.
Apartment of the Week
Make sure to give one in the eye to Putin by living on Calle Democracia. It makes sense.
This apartment is on Calle Democracia. Yaaay for democracy. That’s one in the eye for Putin. First his troops are having their asses handed to them by the Ukranians, and now he’s going to see this listing. From bad to worse.
Anyway, this street is less than 100 metres from the riverbed, although closer to Cabecera Park end than the city centre, but still just a few minutes walk from the metro if you don’t fancy the less than a mile walk to the centre.
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an exterior balcony all possible due to a very quirky layout. In fact have a look at the floorplan in the listing first, the photos will make more sense then.
Air conditioning, built-in wardrobes, lift, it has everything you’d expect. So don’t be a goddamn commie, give us a call so we can help you live on Democracy Street!
The Promised Footnote
*Experts=Not really. Just people with an opinion based on not much really
If You Liked This…
Then as usual click through to the articles below which will give you even more information about what you need to know when you are thinking of buying Valencia Property. Just click on the images to know even more before you buy.
WhatsApp us 