Shortlist the Properties You Like? Whilst browsing through the properties, you will see the reference number for each advertisement, eg. 00126. Make a note of these and you can easily re-visit the pages by using the drop down menu on the homepage.

Contacting the Owner? You will find a contact button on each advertisement, use this to contact the owner, they will receive your enquiry by email and SMS. Please give your name, e-mail address, telephone number and state the number of people plus the dates that you are interested in. If you have any particular requirements or questions to ask, please include this also. Please remember that these are private owners and that they may possibly be away from their e-mail for a few days. Most do respond immediately but if you do not get a response within a couple of days, we would recommend that you telephone us 0844 734 2084 and we will contact the owner on your behalf?

Making a Booking with the Owner? Each property owner will have their own way of making a booking but, as a guideline, you should expect to pay a deposit to secure the booking of between 10% - 30% of the total rental. This is normally paid either by cheque or by bank transfer and the owner should confirm the booking and receipt of your payment by letter or by e-mail. The balance is normally paid around 6 weeks before the start of the holiday. Often a breakage deposit is required with the balance, and this is refundable at the end of the holiday less the cost of any breakages if they are not included in the rental rate. Also some owners do charge a cleaning fee, this is usually between 30-50€, please check this with the owner before making a booking. Please check the cancellation terms with the owner at the time of booking - deposits are often non-refundable and they may have a sliding scale of charges for last minute cancellations after the balance has been paid. We recommend that you ask for any terms and conditions in writing to ensure that your holiday booking goes smoothly.

Arriving at the Property? Make sure that you have the address and directions to the property, it is worth buying a local map to ensure that you do not get lost. However most owners will send you directions if you ask. Some owners will send you a key in advance, some may live on site and be there to welcome you, whilst others may have a local representative or neighbour who will meet you (in this case please make sure that you have the telephone number of the owner or their representative so that you can call to let them know if your arrival time is delayed).

Problems at the property All owners should leave instructions at the property for contacting either themselves or their local representative. If you find that you have a problem or an item of equipment breaks down, please call them straight away. Either they or their representative will have the local knowledge to put things right. It is essential to air any difficulties on the spot as this gives the owner the chance to ensure your holiday is not interrupted. Please do not save up complaints until after you return home.

Complaints All complaints should be made directly with the owner of the property.

Disclaimer Every care has been taken in compiling the contents of this web site. However, all information about the properties has been provided by the advertisers and reproduced by us in good faith. Costa Blanca Live will not be held liable for any errors, omissions, misunderstandings or claims arising from the advertisement or any arrangement or booking made with an advertiser. By using this site you agree to our terms.

When booking a property we would recommend that you ensure all details, including any booking conditions, are confirmed by e-mail or in writing with the owner.

We would also remind you that holiday/travel insurance is essential and is best taken out at the time of booking your accommodation and travel.

Long Term Rentals?

FREE WEBSITE LISTINGS! FOR ALL OWNERS OF LONG TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES

Finding a Property? Search our property listings either by location or by number of bedrooms. Please remember that often you will find extra sleeping accommodation in the form of pull out or sofa bed, so a 1 bedroom apartment may sleep up to 4. It is also worth looking at accommodation with a larger number of bedrooms, these are not always more expensive.

Shortlist the Properties You Like? Whilst browsing through the properties, you will see the reference number for each advertisement, eg. 00126. Make a note of these and you can easily re-visit the pages by using the drop down menu on the homepage.

Contacting the Owner? You will find a contact button on each advertisement, use this to contact the owner, they will receive your enquiry by email and SMS. Please give your name, e-mail address, telephone number and state the number of people plus the dates that you are interested in. If you have any particular requirements or questions to ask, please include this also. Please remember that these are private owners and that they may possibly be away from their e-mail for a few days. Most do respond immediately but if you do not get a response within a couple of days, we would recommend that you telephone us 0844 734 2084 and we will contact the owner on your behalf?

Arranging a Viewing/s? Unless you have seen the perfect property that you would like to view, we suggest that you choose three. We will organise a viewing at a time convenient to you and take you to the properties. If you do not know the area, we can advise on the location of schools, supermarkets, beaches etc? Please use the contact page to email us regarding this.

Rental Charges and Deposit? Once you have found the right property we organise a legal rental contract. Most rental contracts are 6 month rolling, but we can also arrange 11 month rolling. The deposit required is one month in advance plus a 150€ registration/contract fee and one month security bond which is returned at the end of the rental period subject to the property being vacated in the same condition as it was occupied eg: Monthly rent 750€, upfront payment required 1650€. Should you find the perfect property but are not quite ready to make the move then 30% of the monthly rental fee plus the 150€ registration fee will secure you your property until a time when you are ready to move. Monthly rentals can be paid by direct debit, cash or card at our offices. All of our long term rentals include a monthly allowance for bills which is 50€.

English TV? All of our long term rental properties have English cable TV which includes Sky Sports, kids TV and Movies. You do not pay for this, the owner pays the subscription.

Broadband Internet? Most people cannot live without the internet these days, we can organise the internet to be installed by an English company on the Costa Blanca. We do not add any fee's onto theirs, we will just ask them to contact you.

Also look at Why do so many move to Spain?

Car Hire? We recommend that you hire a car for the duration of your Holiday.

Holidays? Costa Blanca Live is not a Travel Agency. If you would like to book a Package Holiday Departing from the UK which includes flights, Transfers and a Hotel, we recommend

www.flightandhotel.co.uk

Remember living in Spain is not a permanent holiday - even if you don't work. There are many things you will have to learn to cope with the two most important things being Spanish bureaucracy and inefficiency, possibly one of the reasons why it hasn't quite caught up yet!

To stand in a queue for half an hour is not unusual. Neither is it unusual for the checkout girl to suddenly strike up a conversation with the girl on the next till and talk for another half an hour as if you do not exist. Neither is it out of the ordinary for you to be stuck behind a car whilst the driver chats to his amigo on the pavement for five minutes! As if you were not there.

Of all the places in the world where British expatriates can be found, Spain, above all other countries, offers the greatest opportunity for successful, permanent settling by the average Briton.

What are the Spanish really like? Most Spanish people live quite happily together with the majority of foreigners, but many people that move to Spain choose to live in Urbanizations and areas that are very touristy, these people however, have little interaction with the local population.

As you will quickly discover if you move here, the bureaucracy and paperwork necessary to comply with the law has to be amongst the most time consuming and awkward in the world, most people who encounter this will have their patience and strength tested to the absolute limit.

So is Spain for you? Most who decide that it is are pleased with their decision and agree that the quality of life offered by Spain is not only due to its wonderful climate but also to the very heart and soul of its loud people who could probably be described as being among the most generous and hospitable in the whole world.

It is an honour and a privilege to be invited into a Spanish home although it is rare that this will happen, if it does you should be delighted. Having said this very often Spaniards do marry foreigners much to the disapproval and disappointment of their relatives.

There are plenty of schools for all ages in this area and they welcome children from foreign countries quite readily. Much the same as in the UK it is a case of whether or not you are in the catchment area for entry into the school and if you require a place at a school where there are too few places then you fill in a form and apply to the town hall who will place your child in the school they believe they should attend.

The majority of Spanish state schools allowing for the influx of foreigners make provisions for extra Spanish lessons above and beyond the Spanish curriculum. Both the schools our children attend have extra Spanish lessons every day and the children will not be moved up to the next curso (year) until the teachers think they are ready.

Ask most Spanish parents what they think of Spanish schools and the answer may be "not much"! The Spanish education system consists of state-funded schools supported by a comprehensive network of private schools, many of which are foreign and include a considerable number of British institutions.

Thirty per cent of Spanish schoolchildren are currently being educated in private schools, most of which are co-educational day schools. Education in Spain is free - from nursery school through to university and is available for the children of foreign residents. Notwithstanding this, parents may have to pay for school books, a sum which could work out at about 140 euros per child when they first start, however subsequent children can then use these books.

Of particular significance to anyone with children who may be contemplating a move to Spain is the simple fact that the younger a child is when he enters the Spanish school system, the easier he will be able to cope. It is also the case that the older he is, the more problems he will have adjusting. Not only because of language problems but because the school curriculum is more demanding and different and when given the language barrier on top could be quite unsettling for them.

Enrolment? For a child to enrol in a Spanish school requires an interview and medical but as with so many things in Spain, sometimes neither seems to happen. At the discretion of the school, there may also have to be an examination but in the case of a foreign child, the latter may prove difficult and this too rarely occurs.

Spanish schools have annual quotas for their pupils and places are allocated quite simply on the basis of "first come, first served". The school enrolment period usually takes place early in the year and lasts for two months. Enrolment varies between regions but we will be happy and able to ascertain the exact dates by contacting any of the schools in the region where you intend to live.

If you have children of school age and are set on moving to Spain, this is, more or less, the information you require.

Be advised that procedures may change from area to area and time to time entirely at the discretion of the school. In the main, the enrolment process used by Spanish schools is dependent upon the age of the child, who in Spain must attend a school within a certain distance from his home, much the same as in the UK. If you hear good things about a particular school and you would like your child to attend, it will usually be necessary for you to either buy or rent a property in that same area.

Mar Azul International School Costa Blanca The Mar Azul International School is a Private school on the Costa Blanca offering the British National curriculum supplemented with a comprehensive Spanish programme that is taught over 30% of the timetable. Currently accepting children from the age of one to sixteen. The new site is located in San Miguel De Salinas, easily accessible from any direction.

The school has a variety of Nationalities, including English, Spanish, Norwegian, Icelandic, French, German and more. Non- English children account for about 10% of students. Mar Azul is the only school on the Costa Blanca that accepts special needs Children.

It may be wiser for some, if you plan to drive over to Spain in your own vehicle that you buy a left hand drive vehicle in the UK and then transfer it to Spanish plates when you get here by re-registering it. This may not always be the case but one worth considering. You are quite within your rights to bring your existing right hand drive vehicle but bare in mind long term driving in a right hand drive vehicle on the opposite side of the road does not give the best visibility in many situations. The important thing is you can do so but need to take into consideration that you will, unless you import your vehicle need to drive it back to the UK for its yearly MOT check as already mentioned.

Policía Local? Sometimes known as the Policía Municipal, this force is controlled by city and town councils and deal mainly with minor matters such as parking, traffic and bylaws. They wear blue-and-white uniforms. In Catalunya the equivalent force is called the Guardia Urbana. Spain has no real equivalent of the ‘bobby on the beat’ street-patrol police.

Guardia Civil? The main responsibilities of the green-uniformed members of the Guardia Civil are roads, the countryside, villages, prisons, international borders and some environmental protection. The Guardia Civil was set up in the 19th century to quell banditry but soon came to be regarded as a politically repressive force that clamped down on any challenge to established privilege. Although its image has softened since responsibility for it has been switched from the defence ministry to the interior ministry, it is still a military body in some ways: most officers have attended military academy and members qualify for military decorations.

Regional Police? Four of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities have their own police forces in addition to the above three: Catalunya (where it’s called the Mossos d’Esquadra), the Basque Country (the Ertzaintza), Valencia and Galicia.

Contacting the Police? Anywhere in Spain you can call 091 for the Policía Nacional or 092 for the Policía Local. Guardia Civil numbers vary from place to place, although often you can reach them on 062.

The local emergency number for the Costa Blanca is 112

Includes Free Property Listing on 7 websites!

Answer:
Why are we Number 1 Costa Blanca South? We already have over 350 yearly managed properties in the Costa Blanca South.

We will manage your property on a monthly basis throughout the summer season, 30€ per month plus a one off key holding fee of 25€ for full property management, which includes Key holding, Meet & Greet, Cleaning & Property inspection . For more information call 966 198 197 or 0844 734 2084

The Buying Process?

Answer:
Before You Start? Before you start looking at properties there are a few things you should do. The most important part is that you understand how the buying process works. Below is a simple guide, but if you want more details or specific advice, contact Costa Blanca Live and we'll talk you through every step.

Work out what you can afford? Decide your budget before you start looking. And don't forget about the fees and taxes. It's best to add around 10% of the purchase price for all these extra costs.

Decide what you are looking for? Consider all the factors that could influence your choice of area and property, it will help us to better understand your requirements and find the place that's right for you.

Get your reservation Fee ready? In Spain, it's usual to pay a small reservation fee to take your chosen property off the market while your offer is either being negotiated or accepted. It's normally 3000 Euros or about 1 or 2% of the purchase price . This ensures that the property is reserved until you exchange contracts with the vendor or developer.

Financial Guide? Interest rates in Spain are slowly rising, but they're still significantly lower than in the UK and other parts of the world, which means your money could go a lot further than you think. And when it comes to arranging a mortgage, you could be in for a pleasant surprise when you find out how much you can afford.

What are your options?

Equity Release

Non Spanish Residents

Spanish Residents

Case Study & Additional Information

Enquity Release? If you are a UK homeowner, with equity in your main residence, it may be possible to raise up to 120% of the funds required for your property purchase in Spain by utilising a combination of equity release and a maximum Spanish mortgage. Re-mortgaging is a good way to take advantage of both the wide range of mortgage packages offering low interest rates, as well as ancillary financial products.

Assuming your UK property has increased in value since you bought it, you may well be able to raise additional cash and still reduce your monthly payments.

If sufficient equity can be generated from your UK property, you could raise a 20% deposit with your existing lender (or alternatively Green Independent could arrange a UK re-mortgage for you), with a Spanish mortgage covering the remaining 80%.

And should you wish to buy a plot of land, the purchase could be financed with a variety of finance products, including equity release, with 100% of the building costs financed in stage payments.

Non Spanish Residents?

Depending on your age (most loans have to be repaid before reaching 75), you can expect a mortgage term of up to 30 years.

Mortgages granted are normally up to a maximum of 70% of the valuation price, however, 80% is possible with guarantees. And if you are buying off plan, this is based on the property value on completion, not while it's still being built.

On rustic properties, mortgages of up to 60% are available.

Mortgages are based on being able to spend a percentage of your net income between 35% and 40% on your mortgage payments.

Spanish Residents?

(This means you hold a Residencia card and are paying both national insurance Seguridad Social and tax in Spain.)

Loans of up to 85% of property value (and with guarantees, 100%).

Mortgages are based on a net income multiple of up to 50%.

On rustic properties, mortgages of up to 60% are available.

Case Study Income/Mortgage/Monthly repayments?

A mortgage of 200,000€ can cost as little as 608€ (approx. £420) a month interest only (interest rate quoted: 3.65%). The equivalent mortgage in capital and interest over 30 years would cost 914€ (approx. £630). To qualify for this, you would be required to show net earnings in the region of £1,500 per month.

Equity release of up to 50% in the event of outright ownership of a Spanish property.

Additional Information?

Euro, Sterling and US Dollar mortgages are all available on a repayment, interest-only, basis.

Spanish lenders assess loan eligibility on the applicant's ability to service the loan, and not on any potential future rental income.

Subject to status, mortgages are available for the following types of purchase: off-plan, existing freehold, rustic, new build, or property in need of renovation.

On top of the purchase price, you should also budget for additional costs (legal fees, IVA or property tax, notary, registration, etc.), of approximately 10% of the purchase price.