Customer Reviews

Buying a Home in Spain: A Survival Handbook

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Buying a Home in Spain by David Hampshire not only gives a variety of factual information about Spain, it reads like a novel. The book is up to date and discusses all aspects of day to day life in Spain. No matter if you are interested in the legal system, business, social life or want to know about the different areas, this book has it all. I appreciate the book most because it is written in a way that it will inform you no matter where you currently live. If you want to read just one book about living in Spain; this one excellent.

This book is very outdated. The housing market had drastically changed in Spain since this book was written. Even the amounts in the book are in pesetas and not in Euros.
I can not agree with the description of the Spaniards in the book, either. I have traveled to Spain many times and I think people and the whole country is much different than it is described in the book. There is too much negativity in this book. This book is written mainly for Brits. Once you finish the book you may want to say Long Live the Queen!

Great book. Everything you need toknow regarding moving to spain. This book is a must for anyone moving or buying a home.

This is the 6th edition of this great book. When we bought our first home in Spain in 2002 this was our bible, then of course we wrote our own book on buying a home in Murcia! Buying Property in Murcia: Insider Tips on Buying, Selling and Renting Property in South East Spain As with many of these types of books they have a large remit - "describe the whole of Spain and how to buy, sell, rent, move, live etc" - David Hampshire's book is one of the best at handling such a large job, though of course some of the nuances and subtleties of the individual regions can't be covered. This is a very comprehensive book though and obligatory reading!

Finally - just a note on some of the other reviews that say the book is out of date - they're from 2001 and 2003 and this edition is 2007 - so much has been remedied!

WArning! In the 5th edition, p117 (may be on different page for other editions) there is an ad for a Spanish Lawyer group by the name of
Fernando Scornik Gerstein. Beware, lest you think this is a group especially there to help British/Americans, etc. They are not anymore up-to-date than other lawyers much cheaper. They are extremely expensive and will charge you for every little contact you have with them incl. emails and phone calls and even faxes! Give me a break! And any phone calls they make, you pay for the time they talk even if they are put on hold.
I was given no estimate and was shocked by a 2000E bill for an NIE that I needed in 5 weeks and they could not provide in that time. Yes, I had other work done for which I received a 2p report of information that I could have researched myself. Nuff said, too big a group to give very personal service. Look elsewhere or else!

It was a very helpful book, but I found it a bit too Anglophilic.
As an American the book is lacking.