If you are coming to live in Spain then there are some basics that you need to understand. 100 basics I have already put up on the Valencia Property You Tube Channel in the 100 tips for people thinking of moving to Spain. If you haven't seen them already then my question is why? Oh yes time.
Anyway one of the things you need to understand is the notion of the Community and this may well be one of the reasons that the protests in Spain over the last few weeks and months have been relatively benign, some would say Ghandi-like in their forbearance and restraint, and the riots in the UK are not.
So what is the community?
The vast majority of people in Spain live in the cities and in apartments. Every building needs a community and that community makes decisions based on the wishes of the majority. If the building requires maintenance, whoever is the current head of the community is charged with finding the best price and service and working out a payment plan in order to carry out the work.
Some communities have problems with people who own properties in buildings but most are respectful of others in the building and that means music isn't played too loud, noise is kept down at night and people look after their building and stairwell as well as the lifts.
Now what does this mean for you as a property buyer in Spain. Firstly, at some stage it will be your turn to be the head of the community or the treasurer. It goes by door number. You can choose to do the work or outsource it to a Gestor.
It also means you get to know your neighbours if you buy an apartment or a place on a complex. This means that when there are protests you are usually in sympathy with your neighbours as you are experiencing the same issue and you wouldn't dream of smashing up your community.
You pay for the community of course. A flat in a building without a lift will usually cost between 6 and 12 Euros per month. If there is a lift it may go up to 30-50 Euros per month as the electric and insurance for the lift costs a bit.
I think it is worth it, seeming as though it tends to contribute to a working society where everybody knows their neighbours and wouldn't dream of actually harming the others in their neighborhood due to this community spirit.
So, today I saw a lovely attic flat and it is interesting how the community dealt with a request for access to the terrace. There was a 150m2 terrace that was community owned. The old porter's lodge flat in the roof was sold and the buyers bought half of the terrace from the community leaving the other half for community use. This gave the community money to make sure all of their costs are covered for the foreseeable future and gave the owner of the flat an asset once the flat was reformed. You can see the result in the pictures.
Civilized isn't it? 192k by the way.
Related Reading
1) Spanish Estate Agency - A Day In The Life
2) Buying Spanish Property. The Top 5 Mistakes People Make
3) But What About The Resale Value
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