Spanish banks will offer mortgages of up to 70% to non-residents providing that the applicant qualifies for the loan and the bank valuation is equal to the purchase price or higher.

You will need to budget for between 10-12% of the sales price to cover the cost of the property, roughly divided as 7% tax, 1 % legal fees , 1% mortgage fees and 2% notary and stamp duty fees (variable).

It is not necessary in Spain for a survey to be carried out but we would advise one if you are buying an older property we can put you in touch with a Surveyor if you wish all fees relating to this survey are the responsibility of the buyer.

Commission is paid by the owner to the Estate Agent, they will have a written agreement with the owner.

There are several fees to pay monthly and yearly much like rates and council tax in the UK one of which is called IBI 'lmpuesto sobre Bienes lnmuebles' that is paid yearly , then there is a community fee which is paid monthly and used for things such as garden and pool maintenance (if an apartment) , and maintenance of the area, lighting , security etc, lastly there’s Basura which is refuse collection paid yearly.

As long as you use a good estate agent they will advise you of all costs in advance and will guide you through the process easily don’t forget this is their job and they know what they’re doing it’s in their best interest to keep you happy with the service they provide to you as many rely on recommendations given to friends and family for future business , it doesn’t have to be the biggest company it just has to be one that offers you a good level of service and communication.

We use International Spanish lawyers that can accommodate numerous nationalities, including English, French, German, Dutch, Russian all of whom speak several languages, all documents will be completed with a translation of your choice.

Schools here are excellent and provide either private schooling or state schooling, private schools are taught in English and state schools are taught in Spanish.

State schools are quite strict and often if the school does not feel that the child is of the year’s standard they will be told that they have to sit the whole year again but every effort is made to help the child before this is actioned this is called the Baccalaureate system and is used in many European countries.

Younger children tend to learn Spanish within 5-7 months and are surprisingly fluent extremely quickly.

International Private schools are taught in English mainly following the British curriculum of GCSE’s and A level standards , below you will find links for your convenience:

Private schools

• Aloha http://www.aloha-college.com/about-us/
• Swans http://www.swansschoolinternational.es/en/
• Calpe http://calpeschool.com/
• English International College http://eicmarbella.org/
• Laude http://www.laudesanpedro.com/

Yes pets should have valid travel passports and be fully up to date with vaccinations especially the rabies vaccine that is essential if your pet is going to travel or stay in kennels.

The hospitals and healthcare offered in Spain are some of the best in the world with less waiting time and modern well equipped hospitals with top medical staff from around the world.

If you work and pay social security payments then you are entitled to the Spanish health service but if you do not pay into the system then you are advised to get some kind of healthcare to cover you in case of illness or accidents.

Helicopteros Sanitarios offers peace of mind should you need a doctor or if an emergency they will come for you and take you to hospital but it is not private health care it gives access to a doctor for your check ups and tests such as well woman and well man , blood tests etc the annual fee is around 470€ per couple.

Sanitas (equivalent to BUPA) offers private health care and starts from around 80€ per month for a single person.