Archive for January, 2010

Spanish Capital Gains Tax Reclaim

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Non-resident property owners who sold their Spanish property between 1997 and 2006 could claim back 20% of the capital gains tax paid, ruled the European Court of Justice in October 2009.

It has been ruled that the tax, which stood at 35% but has now reduced to 18%, charged by the Spanish government violated European laws by giving non-residents a higher tax while Spanish residents were only charged 15%.

The case was brought to the European Court of Justice by Costa, Alvarez and Manglano lawyers – www.spanishtaxreclaim.co.uk – on behalf of a British couple. The ruling of the European Court of Justice has opened the floodgates for others to claim compensation.

The Times, have speculated that the average amount of compensation per person is around €15,000. They estimate that the total amount of compensation payable to the thousands of British owners who sold during this period could be £238 million.

Source: The Times, Primelocation, Bignews.biz

Recently Completed New Development in Guadalmina Baja, Spain

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

We have recently added a newly completed development to our key ready new developments in Spain portfolio. Based in Guadalmina Baja, Southern Spain, this excellent development really offers some spectacular properties within walking distance to the beaches of the Mediterranean. It is also next to the Campo de Golf Guadalmina and within close proximity to San Pedro, Puerto Banus and Marbella. All the local amenities one could ask for on the Costa del Sol.

The design of this development has many Arabic influences, which at night lit up creates a magical atmosphere in the electric blue night sky of the Med. Charming walkways with fountains and green Mediterranean plants lead through to the manicured gardens with a sensational Moroccan design swimming pool surrounded by lawn and palm trees.

This beachside development in Guadalmina comprises 49 units of 2 and 3 bedroom apartments as well as some rather spectacular 3 and 4 bedroom penthouses, each of which comes with its own plunge swimming pool and breathtaking views over the surrounding countryside out to the sea.

The apartments are of a very high quality and comparable to some of the most sought after developments currently on the coast. The penthouses offer some really special features such as a private lift directly into your home and attic style living room roof with wood beams.

Standard with each apartment are the always important underground parking and storage rooms. Lifts provide access from the garage to all floors. Kitchens and bathrooms are fully equipped with a pleasant contemporary style. It is also a secure development with security at the main entrance and CCTV throughout.

The prices are highly competitive for a brand new development with all mod cons. The best penthouse units with both sea and mountain views are under €1 million. These prices compare very well with other developments of similar quality that are perhaps a year or 2 old.

If you’re looking for a property in the heart of the Golf valley, beachside and close to all the major locations on this part of the coast, this is definitely one to consider.

You can see more details about this beachside development in Guadalmina Baja here.

Ryanair Chooses Malaga for New Hub

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Ryanair is investing €170 million to set up a new hub at Malaga International Airport, on the popular southern coast of Spain. The announcement was made in December by Chief Executive, Michael O’Leary, whilst embracing the festive spirit dressed up as Father Christmas.

The new hub will see 4 Ryanair planes based at the principal International Airport on the Costa del Sol, with 19 new routes being created. These new routes will take the total number of destinations serviced from Malaga, by Ryanair alone, to 39. New international destinations will include Paris Beauvais, Berlin Schonefeld, Allgau/Memmingen, Aarhus, Bratislava, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Krakow, Wroclaw, Pisa, Venice, Oslo Torp, Stockholm Skavsta, Gothenburg and Tampere. Domestic destinations Santiago de Compostela, Santander, Valladolid and Zaragoza are also amongst the new routes Ryanair will operate from Malaga.

Ryanair’s expansion into Malaga is part of 146 new routes the company announced for 2010. Their routes alone make up nearly 25% of all new routes announced to start in 2010 worldwide.

The new hub and substantial investment that comes with it will have only positive repercussions for the local economy. Firstly, Ryanair’s increased presence at Malaga airport will directly create 200 jobs, with the Chief Executive confident it will sustain 2000 jobs locally at the airport.

Secondly, the hub will mean that 39 destinations across Europe will have highly affordable access to Malaga and the Costa del Sol, encouraging more tourism to the area. Although, low cost airlines have a presence at Malaga Airport, new and additional routes come as a welcome boost to attracting tourism from new destinations to the Southern coast of Spain. In addition, as the Costa del Sol becomes a more affordable destination to more people throughout Europe, this will have a positive impact on the local property market.

Michael O’Leary confirmed that in 2 years time, the Malaga hub will be Ryanair’s 3rd largest in Spain – following Alicante and Madrid – transporting 2 million passengers per year.

Source: Sur in English, Anna Aero

How to sell your Property in Spain

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

There are many things to consider when selling a property in Spain. It’s a tough market today and owners need as much help as possible to make their property stand out above the rest. So we have outlined in a new section on the Livingstone Estates website and here, not only what we at Livingstone Estates can do for owners, but also what is required legally when selling property in Spain.

What many owners do not realise is in order to sell a property in Spain it must comply with the Decree 218/05. This Decree was formalised in 2005 following consumer watchdog recommendations. It legally requires certain documentation to be in order and held by the selling agent at the time of placing the property on the market for sale. The documents required are as follows:

•    A copy of the Escritura (Title Deeds), which includes all details pertaining to the owner, the property and legality of the property. This document is very important and can only be obtained by the owner.
•    The Nota Simple less than 3 months in date. We can obtain this document on behalf of owners free of charge, providing we have a copy of the Escritura.
•    A copy of a current IBI receipt (Council Tax) which is paid yearly.
•    A copy of the current Basura receipt (Rubbish Removal) also paid yearly. With authorisation signed by the owner, we can obtain a copy of the IBI and Basura receipt.
•    Details of community fees (where applicable). How much are the fees and if any payments are outstanding.

Apart from these legal requirements, there are additional considerations that may give your property the edge in the market place. As part of the service we offer at Livingstone Estates, we automatically include many of these things to help you.

Professional Photography. The images used to sell your property are extremely important and should not be underestimated. The first impressions and whether a potential buyer decides to view your property or not will be heavily based on the images they first see of a property. For this reason, we include a professional photography service when we take on a property into our portfolio. Our listing professionals are experienced photographers.

Realistic Price. Certainly in today’s market the price of a property is key. It must be set at a level that is realistic in the current market. Our listing professionals will be able to provide you with expert advice to set the price at a level that will be right for the market to sell.

Presentability. How a property is presented is another key consideration not only when viewing the property but also for the photo session. Seeing the property in its best possible light will have an important and significant impact on how a potential buyer visualises the property as their own.

Accessibility. It is important that the property is easily available to view with any potential buyers. Many owners decide to let their property whilst also putting it on the market for sale. However, tenants do have rights and may not allow viewings to be carried out. Additionally, if owners are not in the country, access to view the property must be previously arranged.

Presence on the Market. To give your property the best chance of being found on the market, it must be visible to agents and potential buyers alike. To this end, we provide an extensive network that makes sure your property can be found. We promote property both online and offline and through a network of over 125 agents on the Costa del Sol.

If you would like to contact us to sell your property you can either complete our listing request form here, send us an email to info@livingstone-estates.com or call us on +34 902 424 484 or +34 952 806 417.

Farewell 2009, Welcome 2010!

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

As the festive season comes to an end and a new year begins, on behalf of everyone at Livingstone Estates, we would like to wish all of you and your loved ones a very prosperous 2010.

2009 has seen turbulent times across the globe, but as we start a new year there is an air of optimism for the coming year. In the last month of 2009 alone we saw some impressive opportunities come onto the Costa del Sol property market, with some of the biggest reductions seen to date. 2010 will certainly be a year in which to buy that bargain property.

The beginning of a new year is always a time for planning the year ahead. Make sure you don’t miss out on some of the great savings to be made buying property on the Costa del Sol.  To see our full portfolio of reduced property in spain click here.

For those investors planning to extend their property portfolio, we have some great business, investment and rental opportunities here.

Whatever your plans may be for 2010, we wish you all the best and are here to help those looking to buy their dream property at a dream price.

For more information about property on the Costa del Sol, contact us by phone on +34 952 806 417 or +34 902 424 484 or email us at info@livingstone-estates.com