Is buying a holiday home in Spain/Europe still a thing?

[PeanutButter]

A holiday flat in a resort town - I can't find any issue. A holiday home taking up a place that could have been used by a local worker or family...thumbsdownemoji

[Unmoderated]

17 hours ago, skinnylattej said:

I disagree, I live in central Cornwall and used to travel a lot with my job, mostly within Europe.  Newquay to Heathrow on Fly-Be was 70 minutes, and if you booked in advance cheaper than the train. OK Fly-be have gone bust, but some-one will take up the route.  Sometimes the journey home from LHR was best done using the sleeper train.

Alternative was drive to Bristol, then KLM to Schipol, and connections to anywhere.  Convenient timings for the return from Schipol, last KLM arrives Bristol around 22:20

Living in Cornwall is not so well connected as Bristol, Brum, or London, but it's not impossible, just a bit expensive.  But if you afford a place in Padstow, clearly increased travel costs aren't a problem!

I used to work for a business services consultancy and they would send us up to London (we were cheaper as not in London) but refused to give time back arguing that the train from the town to to the London station only took 40 minutes. Ignoring all the faffing around involved with all forms of public transport including public air travel. By the time you've driven to the airport, parked, walked to the terminal, boarded the plane, taken off and landed and got your connecting flight at Heathrow it's possibly closer to two hours? Versus 25 minutes taxi ride from my current place. 

If it was occasional I take your point - it's not the end of the world and totally cut off - but for anything more than once a quarter it would be way too much faff for me. 

I am envious of you living out in Cornwall though. I find the best time to visit is December when there's not many tourists but most stuff tends to be open for Christmas. 

[RentingForever]

3 hours ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

Is that all.  I thought 300,000 bulgarians were coming this way and 300,000 brits were going to Spain and France.

I really shouldn't listen to the news.

IIRC Inheritance tax is high so you could land your children with a massive liability if you bought surely ?

Maybe this is the way to go ?

https://travel.saga.co.uk/holidays/holiday-types/long-stay-holidays.aspx

 

I know an old bloke who'd go all inclusive in Spain in January for 4 weeks for pennies !!!

Jeez - £2000 for a month in the Algarve all-inclusive in Winter. Count me in!!!

[wighty]

1 hour ago, RentingForever said:

Jeez - £2000 for a month in the Algarve all-inclusive in Winter. Count me in!!!

You'd better brush up on the WW2 songs

Makes the virus hotel lockdown fee seem excellent value

Edited February 16, 2021 by wighty

[TheCountOfNowhere]

1 hour ago, RentingForever said:

Jeez - £2000 for a month in the Algarve all-inclusive in Winter. Count me in!!!

Was nore like £200 !!!!

[TheCountOfNowhere]

2 hours ago, Si1 said:

If only someone could invent a type of short term accommodation just for holiday visits. You could give it a name like 'holiday apartment' or 'hotel'. Not sure if it will ever catch on.

     

Could start a website and call it

 

www.abnb.com

Edited February 16, 2021 by TheCountOfNowhere

[debtlessmanc]

On 15/02/2021 at 15:00, TheCountOfNowhere said:

Can't remember the last time I heard someone say they were going to buy a house in Spain/France.

Actually, I can remember, it was just after the Brexit vote and the remainer person was ****ing furious the majority had dared scupper his plans.

Has Brexit and the Pandemic put paid to the dream of a new much better life that those idiots in Britain off the back of a massive housing bubble in the sun/Bargain loving Brits, unless it comes to housing,  in the sun ?

We actually just sold our appt on the costa (well my parents, i shared it with my 2 Bros after parents died) Did not get a good price,  but then my parents bought it for peanuts in 1995.

There was loads of interest from spanish people, not from british people.

Edited February 16, 2021 by debtlessmanc

[TheCountOfNowhere]

13 minutes ago, debtlessmanc said:

We actually just sold our appt on the costa (well my parents, i shared it with my 2 Bros after parents died) Did not get a good price,  but then my parents bought it for peanuts in 1995.

There was loads of interest from spanish people, not from british people.

Interesting.  Did you get stung for inheritance tax too ?  Isn't it a bit complicated over there ?

[debtlessmanc]

7 minutes ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

Interesting.  Did you get stung for inheritance tax too ?  Isn't it a bit complicated over there ?

Apparently not, my father put it in my eldest brothers name ages ago. We just paid capital gains. The spanish lawyer dealt with and said there were no inheritance issues. My father died over 6 years ago now.

edit to add. My ex tried to argue it was my asset in the divorce. Not a hope. Mind you i  suppose i am lucky that my brother honoured it. His wife is loaded, but that is no guide to someones greed is it?

Edited February 16, 2021 by debtlessmanc

[TheCountOfNowhere]

50 minutes ago, debtlessmanc said:

Apparently not, my father put it in my eldest brothers name ages ago. We just paid capital gains. The spanish lawyer dealt with and said there were no inheritance issues. My father died over 6 years ago now.

edit to add. My ex tried to argue it was my asset in the divorce. Not a hope. Mind you i  suppose i am lucky that my brother honoured it. His wife is loaded, but that is no guide to someones greed is it?

Glad to hear it.  

Less is more...Less tax is more money in your pocket.

The greed of some people is quite shocking. 

As I'm sure you're aware, any inheritance, any money can't replace your loved ones.

I know some people who are waiting on their inheritance tho, totally disgusting people.

Edited February 16, 2021 by TheCountOfNowhere

[debtlessmanc]

12 minutes ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

I know some people who are waiting on their inheritance tho, totally disgusting people.

Yes, like my brothers tbh. My eldest brothers wife is a farmers daughter and inherited the farm recently. Since then he has burnt through huge amounts of money on Jaguars, top of the range BMWs, you name it. Crazy, he appears intent on p****g it up against a wall as fast as he can. He rang me last year to ask if i would be executor on their will, oh great, they have two sons one works in the local pub, the other has quite profound aspergers. I rather hope i die first, i do not fancy giving his son £100k, he would probably lend it to some guy he met down the pub.

My other brother has not spoken to eldest brother in 20 years overs something or other. Pretty typical Yorkshire family really.

[papag]

When we sold our in Spain property we just about broke even, this mainly due to the pounds fall against the euro over the 12 years. When we sold they were introducing somthing called a think it was called a Plus Villa tax from reelection it was so the local municipality could get a cut of the proceeds and they justified it by saying the work they have done to the land and surrounds was making your property more valuable even tho it had gone down in price :). Many of my friends returning to the Uk (we had a group of say 20 or so brits only 4 left there now)   say they are getting hammered with all sorts of hidden costs now .Not to mention the dreaded retention money which you have to fight tooth and nail to get back.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

19 minutes ago, debtlessmanc said:

Yes, like my brothers tbh. My eldest brothers wife is a farmers daughter and inherited the farm recently. Since then he has burnt through huge amounts of money on Jaguars, top of the range BMWs, you name it. Crazy, he appears intent on p****g it up against a wall as fast as he can. He rang me last year to ask if i would be executor on their will, oh great, they have two sons one works in the local pub, the other has quite profound aspergers. I rather hope i die first, i do not fancy giving his son £100k, he would probably lend it to some guy he met down the pub.

My other brother has not spoken to eldest brother in 20 years overs something or other. Pretty typical Yorkshire family really.

Bloody families !!!

 

Which pub BTW, for future reference 😉 

[iamnumerate]

19 minutes ago, debtlessmanc said:

Yes, like my brothers tbh. My eldest brothers wife is a farmers daughter and inherited the farm recently. Since then he has burnt through huge amounts of money on Jaguars, top of the range BMWs, you name it. Crazy, he appears intent on p****g it up against a wall as fast as he can. He rang me last year to ask if i would be executor on their will, oh great, they have two sons one works in the local pub, the other has quite profound aspergers. I rather hope i die first, i do not fancy giving his son £100k, he would probably lend it to some guy he met down the pub.

My other brother has not spoken to eldest brother in 20 years overs something or other. Pretty typical Yorkshire family really.

Couldn't your brother put a condition that the money should be put in a trust and they only get the income?

[TheCountOfNowhere]

17 minutes ago, papag said:

When we sold our in Spain property we just about broke even, this mainly due to the pounds fall against the euro over the 12 years. When we sold they were introducing somthing called a think it was called a Plus Villa tax from reelection it was so the local municipality could get a cut of the proceeds and they justified it by saying the work they have done to the land and surrounds was making your property more valuable even tho it had gone down in price :). Many of my friends returning to the Uk (we had a group of say 20 or so brits only 4 left there now)   say they are getting hammered with all sorts of hidden costs now .Not to mention the dreaded retention money which you have to fight tooth and nail to get back.

If you had your time again, would you have bothered ?

 

At least you didn't buy in Bulgaria  

[debtlessmanc]

9 minutes ago, iamnumerate said:

Couldn't your brother put a condition that the money should be put in a trust and they only get the income?

I think i should have that conversation with him yes. They are in good health, in their 60's so i have been putting it off.

[winkie]

Anyone else noticed, baffles me, selling homes in hot climes programmes, nobody is ever in the pool, hot and sunny, nobody anywhere to be seen......do the film crew chuck them all out before filming?......also they never tell you what the services charges that always go up are per month for the maintenance of pool gardens etc ( must add up to a pretty sum over lockdown, when illegal to travel, not allowed in the country).......then work out what it costs each time jump in the pool, a pool that is often no more than four feet deep that wouldn't get much of a swim in......might as well have an outdoor shower to cool down, or use the village pool or a handy local hotel for a few euros or the sea if nearby.......

[papag]

42 minutes ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

If you had your time again, would you have bothered ?

 

At least you didn't buy in Bulgaria  

Honest answer - Yes from me and No from the wife,  had some really good life times there not to mention escaping the weather in the UK, was lucky also to get in with a good crowd of people but the pull of our grandchildren was too much. When we first started going the cost of living was nothing compered to the UK we were really living the good life dining out going outmost days etc. My feeling now is unless people are stuck there or have blended into the Spanish life of jobs / schools etc most would want to come back to the UK now if they could. even the Holiday homes without the Bars / people/ restaurants etc have lost their appeal .Spain is really in for a very tough time in the near future even after covid.

[onlooker]

53 minutes ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

If you had your time again, would you have bothered ?

 

At least you didn't buy in Bulgaria  

A friend of mine has had a rural place in Bulgaria which they used to holiday in about 3 times a year. Obviously they have not been there for a year now. They bought it for c.£10,000 about 10 years ago I think. These sorts of places seem like investments i.e. Bulgaria was becoming more prosperous within the EU, a new motorway was being built (but still not reached) near to their place. But he is always worried about whether the local gypsies (sorry travellers) will break in and steal everything moveable. The latest problem is that the Bulgarian Govt is condemning all the wells and water supplies, unless they are tested and licensed. And he can't be there to sort it out. It is probably unsaleable at present.

It is all too much hassle and expense for me.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

38 minutes ago, onlooker said:

A friend of mine has had a rural place in Bulgaria which they used to holiday in about 3 times a year. Obviously they have not been there for a year now. They bought it for c.£10,000 about 10 years ago I think. These sorts of places seem like investments i.e. Bulgaria was becoming more prosperous within the EU, a new motorway was being built (but still not reached) near to their place. But he is always worried about whether the local gypsies (sorry travellers) will break in and steal everything moveable. The latest problem is that the Bulgarian Govt is condemning all the wells and water supplies, unless they are tested and licensed. And he can't be there to sort it out. It is probably unsaleable at present.

It is all too much hassle and expense for me.

£10K, he overpaid by just £5K then  

Maybe there are a lot of bulgarians going back home with £50K bounce backs willing to take it off his hands for £25K ?

[onlooker]

1 minute ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

£10K, he overpaid by just £5K then  

Maybe there are a lot of bulgarians going back home with £50K bounce backs willing to take it off his hands for £25K ?

I gather the place is quite big, with a large plot. He talks about the big problem of rural depopulation in Bulgaria, with the young and intelligent leaving for the big cities, or the UK and Germany. So villages like his are losing a lot of people and becoming very elderly. The two big threats are the gypsies who live on the village outskirts, and have been there for 1000 years, and the politicians (aka mafia) who run the place for their own benefit.

[dugsbody]

22 minutes ago, onlooker said:

I gather the place is quite big, with a large plot. He talks about the big problem of rural depopulation in Bulgaria, with the young and intelligent leaving for the big cities, or the UK and Germany. So villages like his are losing a lot of people and becoming very elderly.

This could be talking about the UK or practically anywhere in the world.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

15 minutes ago, dugsbody said:

This could be talking about the UK or practically anywhere in the world.

Agreed, I thought that.

 

Substitute the tories for the mafia and the queen for the 1000 year old family that get's on everyone's t*ts and bobs your uncle, blighty.

 

Not sure how coming to the UK to wash cars is a sign of intelligence tho.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

BTW...I wasn;t joking about the £5000 for a house in bulg.

 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/51204468#/

 

There were 4 pages of listing before that.

 

£10K gets you a palace

 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/62186963#/

[PeanutButter]

1 hour ago, papag said:

Spain is really in for a very tough time in the near future even after covid.

Yup. This will get worse https://www.upworthy.com/16-terrifying-pics-of-spains-growing-desert-you-should-show-a-climate-change-doubter