International Property

As many property buyers opt to try before they buy, agents in Spain are receiving more enquiries about long-term lets.

Approximately 20 per cent of all enquiries received by agents are now about long-term lets, as buyers opt to sample a particular area of Spain before they commit.

The benefits of long-term renting means they get to experience a particular location first-hand, they’re immediately available to view properties as they come on to the market, and they are already in place, so they don’t have to keep going backwards and forwards between countries during the buying process.

For property owners, long-term letting can be a good deal too. There are none of the legal restrictions that surround tourist or holiday-lets and recent changes in the law favour the landlord should evicting a tenant become neccessary.

Long-term letting is a very good way to make income from your property in Spain, as you have rental income coming in constantly over a long period of time.

If you are renting out your home to holidaymakers by the week, then you may end up with some weeks when the property is empty and you are not making any money, therefore Spanish homeowners who perhaps don’t won’t to use their property for six months of the year, may find a long-term let is very profitable.

Why not contact our Spanish office for a suggestion of rental investments in Rural or coastal Spain

The Sierra de Espuna, natural space of great scenic beauty and enormous turistic interest, situated in the very centre of the region of Murcia, with something more than 25,000 hectares forming part of the Andalusian ranges and stretching between the regions of Mula and the Guadalentín valley. It takes up land from Alhama, Aledo, Totana, Mula and Pliego. Its great natural richness is so important that in 1978 10,000 hectares were declared as a Natural Park and nowadays they are considering the possible extension of its parametres and its reclassification. In addition, since 1973 more than 14,000 hectares have been declared as a Natural Hunting Reserve.

Sierra Espuña was one of the first great forestial repopulations in Spain. At the beginning of the century, under the direction of the engineer ‘Don Ricardo Cordorníu Starico’, a large part of the Sierra surface was repopulated. Nowadays, it´s ICONA (Instituto para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza - Institute for the Conservation of Nature) who are continuing with this work.

Orography and Places of Interest

From an orographic point of view its made up of a heightened massif of deep interior vallies. Its geological materials, the oldest of the Precambrica era were affected by the jack knifing Alpine and are mainly made up of sandstone, dolomite, marl and limestone which have allowed the characteristic formation known as “Karst”, giving place to the “Karstico” countryside; produced by the disolving of the carbonites of the limestone rocks eroded by rainwater and snow, like “El Gigante” where the erosion has created very sophisticated shapes in the rocks. Other places of interest are: ‘El Purgatorio, Las Alquerías, La Arboleja, El Cerro de las Cabras, La Fuente del Sol, Las Cunas’ - from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the mountainous countryside-; ‘La Umbría’ or ‘Pozos de la Nieve’ - which we will talk about in more detail in the Places of Interest. The heights above sea level vary from 200 metres in the areas closest to the Gaudalentín Valley and 1,585 metres at its highest point, the famous ‘Pico Morrón’ of Totana or Espuña. To the South of this peak you can find one of the other most interesting areas called Collao Bermejo at 1,200 metres, it is a traditional area for hiking. The western area is taken up by ‘LLano de la Cabras’. Another point of orographic interest is the region called ‘Morrón Largo’.

Climate

Its climate is Mediterranean with mild temperatures. Cold, but short winters and warm, dry summers.

Although Espuña enjoys a microclimate somewhat more humid than the rest of the region, with average annual temperatures ranging between 13,5 ºc and in the cold periods temperatures lower than 7ºc; these temperatures vary with altitude, including reaching below 0ºc at 1,000 metres altitude some days of the year.

The average rainfall is around 5000mm, with October and April being the rainiest months. Occasionally, in Spring and Autumn this rain takes the form of hailstones and, although in scarse proportion, in Jaunary and February it takes the form of snow, these months enjoying the snowiest days. The summer months are referred to as the dry period.

Hydrography and Vegetation

Actual rivers do not flow through the Sierra although some scattered springs run throughout the Sierra: La Carrasca Malvariche, Los Algarrobos, Casa Rosa, streams and ravines which flow into the rivers Pliego and Guadalentín. The former recieves water from la Hoz and Malvariche and the latter collects those from Molinos, Arcos, Algeciras, Lebor and Espuña. These streams are the cause of great erosion and drag materials in times of torrential rain, but the erosive action is less serious in the Sierra due to the blanket of vegetation which covers it, as shouold be the case for high mediterranean mountains, but man´s actions and the successive repopulations have transformed it and nowadays the mountainous countryside is dominated by three types of pine groves of repopulation; The Carrasco pine grove - Pinus halepensis - an example of the Rodeno pine grove - Pinus pinaster - and the Negral pine grove - Pinus nigra salzmanni.

The highest areas of the ‘Sierra Espuña’, ‘Macizo de Gigante’ and ‘Carache’, their peaks continuosly punished by the wind, exhibit a prickly scrub whose plants are stuck down to the floor, looking like small prickly pillows of little height (they barely reach a few inches) which mix plants known as the “culo de Monja” - Ennama anthyllis ; you can also see black sabina - Juniperus phoenicea - and small dwarf pine scrubs - Quercus rotundifolia. The undergrowth formed by the scrub species like Juniper - Juniperus oxycedrus - , negral espino - Rhamnus lycioides - Kermes Oak - Quercus coccifera - a genista variety - Genista longypes.

The small sources of water which are found in some spots of the Sierra form actual small streams with elm trees - Ulmus minosr - black poplars - Populusnigra - or honeysuckle - Lonicera implexa. Small springs also flow to the Espuña riverbed where its easy to recognise some plants such as the maidenhair well - Adiantus capillus veneris - and ferns which live around the springs and fountain sources and which are still used as a way to decorate houses; poplar trees - Populus alba -, willow trees - Salix pedicellata - and the poplar reeds appear on the riverbed of the permanent brooks.

The vegetation is always more exuberant in these areas that have stream beds than in the slopes of the mountains.

Fauna

As the vegetation is varied, so is the fauna. In Sierra Espuña there are squirrels, as the pine cones scattered at the foot of the pine trees demonstrate; although they are not usually spotted on first glance, in Spring and Autumn its easy to spot them due to the greater activity, given that at this time of year they collect their food: acorns and pine nuts in order to survive during the winter and in the spring to feed their young. The squirrel which inhabits the Sierra is the grey squirrel - Sciurusvulgaris hoffmanni-. Alongside this species we can find: hares - lepus capensis - rabbits - Oryctolagus curuculus - wild boar - Sus Scrofa - jays - Garrulus glandarius - and snakes - Malpolon monspesularius - . Also, preditors such as foxes - Vulpes vulpes - wild cats - Felix Silvestris - genet - Genetta genetta - which are very adept at hunting.

As you go up the masses of the Espuña you can make out birds of prey such as the Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos - the sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus, kestrel - Falco tinonculus - goshawk - accipiter gentillis - and others like choughs - Pyrrhocarax pyrrhocorax - rock martins - Ptyonoprogne rapestris - . At dusk you can see nocturnal birds of prey like owls - Athene noctua.
In addition, there are also sedentary birds like the magpie - Pica pica - and jackdaw - Corvus monedula. In winter migratory birds appear which nest in the Sierra, like the Thrush - Turdus philomelos – and blackbirds- Turdus menila.

In the brooks and fountain springs you can find green frogs - Rana perezi - Salamanders - Salamandra salamandra - and, giving beauty and colour to the countryside, butterflies - Aricia morronensis - and reptiles like the angry viper - Vipera latasti - and lots of other small animals which vary according to the habitat that the Sierra provides, whether its forest, rocky places, mountainous slopes, brooks or springs.

In 1970 ICONA incorporated the “muflon del Atlas o arrui” - Ammotragus lervia - (similar to mountain goat with twisted horns) to the area, an animal easily acclimatised to the Sierra and which breeds easily. Nowadays more than 500 inhabit the Sierra.

Access to Sierra Espuña, in which Totana shares jurisdiction with Alhama, means you have to go inside a natural park, with its high mountainous land, where you find nature intimately intertwined with man.

Some property for sale in the Sierra Espuna

Renting villas and apartments has become an extremely popular way to holiday in the Algarve, given the advantages this has over hotel accommodation. There are properties that sleep from 2 right up to 12, sometimes more, covering east to west, featuring either private gardens with pools, or complexes with communal gardens and pools. Alternately many people choose to rent a villa in the Algarve to stay in whilst they are looking for their ideal property to buy. This can make their search a lot easier as it can reduce flights to and from the U.K every time they find a property to view, or need to see their lawyer or bank manager here in Portugal. Villa rentals can be long or short term and can generally be found in whatever area of the Algarve is required.

At Brisa Vilas you will find a wide range of apartments and villas to choose from, stretching from central Algarve to the East, in areas such as Albufeira, Vilamoura, Estoi, Olhão, Moncarapacho, Fuzeta, and Tavira; all within reach of Faro airport. The properties also are in a mix of locations, such as near to the beach or golf, out in the country away from it all, or within reach of local amenities. Wherever you go in the Algarve you can’t be too far away from all of the above. The Brisa Vilas properties start with one bedroom apartments and increase in size to villas that sleep ten people. For further information of their services and details of the properties, go to their website via our directory http://www.gatehouseinternational.co.uk/dir/portugal/

Another reputable firm renting out properties for long or short term lets is Algarve Budget Service. They have a range of properties available to rent, and provide the usual services such as maids, pool and garden maintenance, and a linen service. For more information, go to their website via our directory at : Budget Services

If you are considering buying property abroad and would like to rent a property as a trial run, to be sure you are looking in the right areas, visit the websites of the above companies and consider a stay in one of their available properties.

Faro is the capital city of the Algarve and has a population of over 55,000.
This historical city lost much of its architecture in the two disastrous
earthquakes of 1532 and 1755. Fortunately its Arab and Roman remains
survived, as did the old walled city with its 13th century cathedral and
roman walls that date back to the 9th century.

The city of Faro offers an eclectic mix of ways for the visitor to spend his
or her time. Culturally, aside from the old walled city, there are many
museums and churches to visit, including the church of Nossa Senhora do
Carmois which houses the macabre spectacle of the chapel lined with the
bones of over 1,200 monks.

Faro is the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 17,000
hectares that is home to myriad birds and the Portuguese Waterdog sanctuary.
A visit to this reserve provides the opportunity to witness pink flamingos
taking to the air, griffins that rest in the reserve during their migratory
journeys and the amazing Portuguese waterdog with its webbed feet and
incredible sea diving abilities.

Faro also has its share of beaches. ‘Faro Island’ – a long sandy spit reached by crossing a causeway - is approximately 7 kms from the city. Three other island beaches in the vicinity – Armona, Culatra, and Farol - can be accessed by water taxi or ferry.

This lively bustling city is home to a university, an international airport, a seaport, a marina, a railway station, and complete interregional bus services. Nightlife in Faro is varied. Being a university town, there are countless bars to enjoy a drink in, and the city boasts a large new stadium just outside town that hosts major football matches and music concerts of all genre.

Most tourists only experience Faro by taking in the spectacular sight of the Ria Formosa from the window of the aeroplane; however, it is well worth allocating some of your holiday time to explore this wonderful capital city and all it has to offer.

When buying a property in Portugal, it is worth contacting a Portuguese bank with regards to mortgages available as they can often offer superior rates or conditions than that offered by your current bank.

We would recommend that you contact an independent mortgage adviser in order that they can establish your particular requirements and find the best deal for you. We currently recommend such a company here who are based in Almancil although they are happy to meet you in any area of the Algarve. They do not charge a fee for their services and by contacting them you will not have to navigate your way around the banking system if you have limited Portuguese. They work independently and are able to offer a great range of mortgage and investment products through a number of well known financial institutions here in Portugal. As well as mortgage advice, they are able to offer a range of services such as investment advice, home, car and life insurance and foreign exchange transfers.

General documentation required to apply for a mortgage in Portugal is listed below.

• Portuguese tax number (the company can arrange this for a small fee)
• Copy of ID card or passport
• Last 6 months of bank statements (current and savings)
• Birth certificate
• Last years tax return (P60)

Further documentation will be required with regards to your current employment status. Mortgages for non residents are offered up to 80% loan to value. The borrowing level is based on the house valuation and not the purchase price.

Please contact www.algarveprop.com if you would like more information and we would be pleased to ask a representative to contact you to discuss your requirements further. You can email us on gatehouse@sapo.pt or call on our UK number 0208 123 1880. This will divert free of charge to our office in the Algarve.!