The Spanish market offers a broad range of apartments and villas for sale in Alicante and other promising locations. Many foreigners buy local property to relocate full-time. To help future expats, representatives of Spain-Real.Estate have compiled a list of useful tips for the fastest and most effective adaptation in Spain.
Utilities
Connecting utilities is one of the first items on the to-do lists of newly arrived expats. It will be much more comfortable in a house or apartment as soon as the following amenities become available:
1.Water. After acquiring Spanish real estate, the new homeowner should conclude a contract for water supply in his name. In order to do this, he needs to apply to the municipality, where he should be ready to provide some identification documents, such as a passport, and documents confirming the absence of debts. The new owner should make sure well in advance that all bills are paid by the previous owner.
- Waste disposal. Most municipalities in Spain charge an annual waste collection fee. In some cases, this service is included in water bills.
- Electricity. The property owner should sign a contract with the local electricity company. Most of them allow you to register online or by phone. However, some companies may require your presence at their offices. Spain’s main electricity companies include Groupo Endesa, Iberdrola, Union Fenosa, and Hidrocantábrico.
4.Gas. If the property is connected to a mainline gas pipeline, the owner should contact the local gas company to connect the gas, read the gas meter, and sign the contract. In many parts of Spain, Repsol Butano, a Spanish multinational energy and petrochemical company, delivers gas bottles to houses. After checking the gas equipment, you can sign a contract with this company.
Household goods
After the connection of utilities is done, the expat will probably want to take care of turning the purchased property into a real home. For this purpose, he should go shopping for household goods like:
- Furniture;
- Bathroom equipment;
- Hygiene and personal items;
- Toys (if a family has children);
- Sports goods (training equipment, dumbbells, or other sports equipment);
- Kitchen utensils (dishes, cutlery, etc.);
- Kitchen appliances (refrigerator, coffee machine, microwave oven, etc.);
- Household appliances (vacuum cleaner, fan, lamp, etc.);
- Household cleaning products.
The country has numerous shops with a wide assortment of household commodities. However, a homeowner’s access to these items depends heavily on a place of living. For example, if he lives in the mountains or on a small island, his options will be limited.
In Spain, as in most European countries, you can find small shops in city centers and large retail outlets outside of central districts. Local residents can easily get to these small shops, even if they do not have personal transport. As a rule, shopping malls are connected to the city by bus and tram routes.
Mobile apps
Adaptation in a new country has always been a difficult process. But thanks to modern technology, this process can be greatly simplified. Of course, mobile applications will help with this. The following list contains the most useful mobile tools that will help foreigners integrate smoothly into Spain:
- Citymapper. It is not an easy task to figure out how to get from one place to another in a completely new country. And finding the right metro station to get to the airport or the shortest and most convenient walking route to the beach can be even more difficult if the expat doesn’t speak Spanish. Fortunately, there is a Citymapper that will help you get from point A to point B without any problems using all available transport means. Users of the application can also track their activity in their personal account, including money saved and kilometers traveled.
- Triposo. When foreigners begin to learn more about Spain, they immediately realise why it is one of the world’s most visited countries. There are plenty of things to do, even for the pickiest person, from historic cities like Toledo and Granada to charming islands like Ibiza and La Palma. But this large selection can confuse some people. Install Triposo to find the best restaurants, bars, shops and entertainment. The app even offers expertly drawn up routes for users who prefer to walk.
- Babbel. Learning the official language of your residence country is one of the main factors that help expats adjust to a new homeland. Once they have mastered it, they will be more confident in doing everyday activities, such as going to the supermarket or filing tax returns. Babbel is a great tool for practising the Spanish language. The app offers easy-to-use courses developed by experts.
Assistance with purchasing property in Spain
Regardless of the chosen location to purchase a house in Spain, highly qualified Spain-Real.Estate specialists will assist you with selecting the best housing option and provide support during a real estate transaction. Visit the official website of the aggregator and check out the best offers in the Spanish real estate market right now.
