While the sun, cheap property prices, lower cost of groceries and better lifestyle are reasons to be cheerful and move to Spain, there are plenty of things to grumble about - which should keep at least eternal grouches happy.
For years the Costa del Sol has been blighted by pirate taxis which take business away from legitimate taxi operators with fully licenced taxis. Now town halls up and down the Costa del Sol have had enough and towns are banding together to stamp out these rogue traders.
Representatives of the Mancomunidades, or association of town halls, met in Torremolinos to discuss together with local police from various Costa del Sol towns and with security councillors what could be done. Naturally, the discussions also included representatives from the taxi industry and various regional government officials.
Apart from taking away tax revenue by their illegal running of taxis, such pirate operators also give towns a bad name, as overcharged tourists complain to the tourist board and the town hall. Unqualified drivers zooming around in vehicles that are not roadworthy and therefore dangerous are not an enhancement to the overall picture the Spanish tourism board would like to present at a time, when the move is away from cheap package-holidays without the frills and binge drinking tourist and a new era of more affluent tourist is to be ushered in for many holiday destinations in Spain.
In a climate of high unemployment and economic uncertainty, Spain’s government is currently introducing many measures that aim to improve not only their current number one source of income - tourism - but also the previous number one, the property sector.
Several million people used to be employed in the property sector: from construction workers to estate agents, from administrators to bank clerks, they’ve all fallen prey to the harsh new reality of a collapsed property market after nearly a decade of boom. In Mallorca and other parts of the Balearics some 15 evictions a day have been reported.
Across Spain many regions have recorded at least 10 evictions per day. As unemployment takes its toll on householders unable to pay their bills and meet their monthly mortgage repayments, many industry experts like magistrates and consumer pressure groups are urging the government to step in and put an end to arbitrary measures that allow banks to repossess all too easily.
A recent Cabinet meeting has already approved further measures but again the decree has been criticised as too little too late and not nearly going far enough. For example, while householders with three children are allowed to remain in their homes, single mothers with one or two children are not. The Professional Magistrates Association has highlighted that some children seem to have more rights than others and is urging the government to introduce more flexible means by which critical cases are being assessed and handled.
Although much needs to be done to reassure foreign buyers that controversies over land grab and corruption, lack of legal clarity in the buying process and greater availability of credit are being tackled satisfactorily, there are still many reasons why buying in Spain is a sound investment and a good lifestyle choice.
At the Costa del Sol bargain housing stock has been mostly snapped up and anyone looking for “cheap as chips” homes in Marbella, Estepona or Fuengirola for example will probably be disappointed.
That doesn’t mean there are not some excellent deals to be had - but they are generally above the EUR 150,000 price tag.
Luxury penthouses and condominiums in prestigious, gated golf communities are largely being offered at EUR 250,000 less than the original listing price in many developments. “Bargains” are therefore a term to be seen in relation to the development and their location and many investors know that with quality housing stock in prime locations running low and a Spanish construction industry in crisis, there are going to be far fewer new builds on the Costa del Sol market over the next few years, while demand will remain strong.
Capital gains are therefore a certainty for those who can afford to wait a few years before they sell.