Buyers 'should be aware of differences'

Brits buying property in Spain need to be aware of the different culture, rules and laws which affect the way homes are bought, it has been suggested.

The advice might be useful for those who are planning on buying a home through a money transfer system.

Bruce Wilson, tax partner with chartered accountant Campbell Dallas, said there can be some "underhanded behaviour" in the Mediterranean country which buyers should be cautious of.

In Catral, for example, the local authority gave planning permission for a lot of houses to be built, but the federal government had not as the land was a green zone. Now there is a threat that the buildings will be pulled down.

Mr Wilson continued that it is not simply enough to pay a solicitor to sort out all of the legal work as it is here and Brits may find themselves having to sit in front of a notary.

He commented: "Are you comfortable with the fact that you may not communicate terribly well with the locals and the bureaucracy?"

In other overseas property advice, director of TheMoveChannel.com Dan Johnson said recently the price of the house or apartment should not be "the overriding factor".