I bought through a company called Visa Verde. They are based on the Garden City Complex in PDLA. They made buying an apartment look very easy. They showed me around 15 apartments then when I made a choice they contacted the seller and after the offer was accepted they looked after all the issues like banking, searches NIE etc etc. Visa Verde are also qualified to do their own conveyancing so need for a solicitor.

With regards to letting we find that it is best done by yourself if you send me a pm I can give you a bit more information but it is pretty straight forward really.

Have a look at the Visa Verde web site it gives you their contact numbers, and ask for a lady called Sue Hook.

http://www.visaverde.com

Good Luck

If you have the time, and patience, a lot can be learnt by working your way through some threads in the Ex Pats sections ... El Mirador & Dinistia threads refer to two recent developments in Los Cristianos ... and furniture in Palm Mar covers many complexes there.

You will find that all your questions are answered and it will give you a good feel for the ups & downs of apartment owning & renting. And you should remember that if you can wait a while, there is much better value to be found by buying off plan (estate agents fees vary between 3% & more often 5%)

if you can wait a while, there is much better value to be found by buying off plan (estate agents fees vary between 3% & more often 5%)

Yes - but there's not a lot available off-plan at the moment in the south (that is at a reasonable price) that is suitable for renting out in the future.

Also the estate agents fees are not particularly relevant. It is the seller that pays these fees and not the buyer.

If you do buy an off plan property, you will pay exactly the same price whether you buy the property through an agent or direct from the developer, so you may as well buy through an agent and get the advantage of the 'extras' that they can provide.

If you do buy an off plan property, you will pay exactly the same price whether you buy the property through an agent or direct from the developer, so you may as well buy through an agent and get the advantage of the 'extras' that they can provide.

I can vouch for that as a true and correct statement, my only qualification is the standard of agents and developers varies greatly so pick both carefully.

I can vouch for that as a true and correct statement, my only qualification is the standard of agents and developers varies greatly so pick both carefully.

I couldn't agree more - the problem that people considering a purchase for the first time have is that they have no way of 'picking carefully'. They have to rely on either 'instinct' or something that someone has told them ... and we all know that every time you go to a bar or wherever - everyone is an expert.

PS (I'd go for 'instinct' every time)

hey ... ho ... made a mess of my 'quotes' there, didn't I?

Can't sort it.

Do I care?

PS (I'd go for 'instinct' every time)

We went with Margarets (wife) instincts they are usually pretty good, but you can give your self a bit of an edge if you pay attention to small details.

we meet at least 3 agents.

The first showed up late and had never listened to what we asked to see and wasted our time showing us things either way over our budget or in the wrong areas.

The second couldnt be bothered to meet us and sent his son who would have rather have been somewhere else and again didnt know what our criteria were.

The one we selected offered to pick us up at the apartment we were renting on GDS and she drove all the way over from PDLA to do so arrived on time and took us back to their offices in Puerto Colon. Sat us down and talked to us for over an hour to establish just what we were looking for .. why we wanted it ... what we wanted it for.... where we wanted it....and how much we could afford and exactly how we wished to pay for it.

The smart business like but basic offices told me they were well established ( over 11 years on the island) and her need to establish our wish list and criteria told me she was serious about trying to find us what we needed.

In the end you have to put your trust in someone and jump in the water. No one ever learns to swim on the side of the pool.

the estate agents fees are not particularly relevant. It is the seller that pays these fees and not the buyer

I disagree Mike ... when talking about buying second hand. I have talked to many agents over the last two years, and the majority will say - what price do you want & then add their fees on top of this ... so, in my view, the buyer does indirectly end up paying.

I am told there are over 300 estate agents on the island ... the fees are so high (5%) because the vast majority have to split them with other agents as they have such a small supply of property on their own books.

... so, in my view, the buyer does indirectly end up paying.

The purchaser of 'anything' indirectly pays all sorts of things. For example if you buy a can of lemonade, you are indirectly paying part of the producers phone bill- or whatever. Never-the-less when a property is sold through an agent, it is the seller who 'directly' pays the fees.

I am told there are over 300 estate agents on the island ... the fees are so high (5%) because the vast majority have to split them with other agents

I think that there's probably that many in Los Cristianos!

I wouldn't neccesarily agree with that statement. People tend to compare the fees charged by agents here to those charged by agents in the UK. Agents fees are higher here mainly because we do a different job from UK agents.

I could write a book about all this and this particular thread is probably not the place to discuss it.