Website design and hosting by iHOUSE ®
| Bill,
Just a quick note to thank you and your colleagues for all the help you have given us during the purchase of our new home in Antequera. When we first saw the photos on your web site of the view from the house terrace, we new it was the place for us and we put in an offer immediately. Wisely, you advised us that to buy sight unseen was not a good idea and we quickly organised a flying visit to view the property aided by your team of Charlie and Andy. In fact the property more than lived up to the photos so we decided to take the plunge and buy it. Charlie introduced us to our Spanish Lawyer Luis Moreno who has been most helpful in organising the purchase and legal documents and he has also set up direct debits for the water and local taxes, a contract for the gas bottles and has obtained NIE numbers for us. All this was done under a power of attorney which we had done in the UK and posted to Spain. When we went to see him last week to pick up the papers for the house, he advised us that we had paid him too much and that he would be refunding some money back into our account ! We have no hesitation in recommending Bill Tickle and Andalucia Country Houses. Bill always responded quickly to our emails and offered helpful advice when needed. We can be contacted by email at ashfieb@yahoo.com and would love to hear from anyone thinking of moving to the Antequera area. Regards, Barry & Trudy Ashfield Barry & Trudy Ashfield |
| Thinking of buying a home abroad
In the bleak dark evenings of winter 2001-2002, my wife Jennie and I decided that we needed a place in the sun to escape to, to warm our bodies and our souls. Once the decision had been made to look for somewhere in the sun we looked for possible locations, eventually settling on Andalucia because of the relaxed way of life, easy access to the sea and mountains, the proximity of cities like Seville and Granada and the ease, cheapness and frequency of flights into Malaga. Andalucia has everything that we wanted from an area all we then needed to do was to find a house. Like many people, we started by searching the Internet for ‘houses for sale in Spain’ and concentrated on those agents dealing in Andalucia. In February we made our first trip to Malaga Province to view houses that we had viewed on the various web sites and had appointments with four agents, this trip was to be strictly exploratory. The first two agents we saw were nice enough but did not show us the style of house that suited our requirements. On our third day we met Geoffrey Banham of Country Estates who showed us four houses two of which were unsuitable, one that was very nice and the fourth one we now own. Geoffrey was very honest in his assessment of all the homes and their potential, as well as giving us practical advice on life in Southern Spain. We made on offer on the house almost instantly (so much for strictly exploratory), Geoffrey dealt with negotiations with the vendor and agreement was reached before we returned to the UK. We cancelled our meeting with the fourth agent. This was really the beginning of the journey for us and our relationship with Country Estates. A small deposit is necessary to cement the negotiations and take the property off the market. At this time I had no Spanish bank account, so Country Estates (Bill Tickle personally I think) paid this money on my behalf and accepted a sterling cheque for the sum, this saved me untold grief with bank transfers. The buying of a property in Spain can be a long and complicated one according to everyone you talk to about it. Not if you use Andalucia-Country-Houses, they have made the process easier than if we were buying in the UK. We needed to open a bank account, so Bill Tickle came with us to the bank to ensure that all went smoothly. We needed a lawyer and the Notary to sort the legal side, so Flavia (from Chile, so speaks Spanish and English fluently) came with us and sorted all that out and to a lawyer who has an English-speaking manager. One of the difficulties with buying abroad is the fact that you may not be there all the time to sign papers, pay funds over and make decisions. This was sorted for us by giving power of attorney over the house purchase and my bank account to Raul, the lawyer introduced by Andalucia-Country-Houses. I was more than a little concerned about doing this in a foreign country, with a lawyer who had only been recommended by agents that I have no previous experience with. I needn’t have worried because Raul kept me informed by e-mail of any monies he was taking from my account and the progress he was making with the purchase. Thanks to Andalucia-Country-Houses, the whole process of buying the house was completed by the end of March, only six or seven weeks from our first visit to view homes. There is a requirement once a homeowner to be registered at the local Town Hall for Water, Sewage and Rubbish and small annual or six monthly charges are made for these. Flavia was kind enough to escort us to the Town Hall to ensure that this was completed properly. She also took us to the Police Station where it is necessary to obtain an NI number, these things would have been very difficult to achieve without her. The involvement of Andalucia-Country-Houses has not stopped there because we needed some building work done on the house and they found me a builder and Geoffrey and Flavia explained to the builder (you have probably realised that our Spanish is almost non-existent) the extent of our requirements. The work is still on going but we are very happy with the progress and quality of the work produced thus far. I have already recommended a number of people thinking of buying in Andalucia to Andalucia-Country-Houses and when asked to give a personal testimonial, I have absolutely no reservations in doing so. The buying of our home abroad has been a pleasure, thanks to their help, knowledge and contacts and I have no hesitation in recommending their company to anybody else that might be looking for great service, a wonderful range of properties and the capability to make things happen for you. Dennis Upfold |
| Hi Bill,
Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say a big thank you for all the help you and your staff gave us during our recent house purchase. I'd also like to say thanks for all the help Flavia subsequently gave us in sorting electric, rates and so on. Magnificent service. I have already recommended you to several people and I know four have already started negotiations through you, Keep it up! All the best Andrew Andrew & Kerry King |
| Dear Bill,
Just a quick note to express our sincere thanks for all your help in securing us the home of our dreams! The first time we contacted you after finding your wonderful web-site it was apparent from your prompt, courteous and informed responses that you not only knew what you were talking about, but also had the time to offer help and advice to us – this despite the fact that our budget was less than €100,000. On our inspection visit Geoff and Flavia spent two days showing us a wide range of properties, all within our budget and all excellent in their own way. However as soon as we saw Casa Saga Louts we knew that it was the place for us, and that’s when you really helped. A further two days spent opening bank accounts, visiting solicitors and the notaries office – tasks that without the assistance of Geoff and Flavia would have been onerous. Then the great occasion of the collection of the keys! Unable to make the visit myself because of work commitments, Sue travelled alone once more to receive enormous help from your dynamic duo. This time it was assistance at the Town Hall, registering the property for the ‘Rates’, at the Police Station for NIE numbers, sorting out gas, electricity and phone accounts. All in all a friendly, helpful and professional service. You have made the dream of buying our retirement home in the sunshine of the beautiful Andalucia a reality. Many thanks and we look forward to seeing you at the House Warming Party in September! Best Regards, Ray & Sue Alton Ray & Sue Alton |