Costa Women Blogs

If you’re looking to rent long term in Spain, it can be difficult to know where to start. From finding a house to all the paperwork in between, it’s useful to know the ins and outs. Looking for a home that is available to rent in Spain can be an easy process – if you know where to look! Dotted across the cities and towns of Spain are a whole load of estate agents, especially in the South. These agents will help you find your dream home and will most likely guide you through the legal processes too! Spain’s beautiful landscape is most definitely complimented by the intricately designed architecture seen on homes across the country, ranging from traditional townhouses to flashy modern villas – they really do cater for everyone! Whether you decide to use an online portal or a personal estate agent, the home that you wish to view will be advertised with the monthly fee and the square-metre living space. You’ll find that most Spanish homes are fully furnished, cutlery and all, however it’s best to double check and ask your agent. Usually, furnished homes will have a storage space available, whether that’s a garage or a key to an external unit. In addition to this, all homes are required to have an energy efficiency certificate which will help you differentiate the expensive houses from the cheaper ones. This is because older houses are typically more expensive to heat and cool down due to outdated supplies. An insider’s tip would be that while you’re addressing all of these issues, that you and your landlord confirm everything in writing – and we mean everything! It’s better to be safe than sorry! To confirm your rental, you will need to apply to an agency. When you do so, you will most likely need to put down one to two month’s rent as a deposit and present the following documentation, so make sure that you have them all ready! Evidence of employment or ability to pay the rent Tax identification number (if you are working) Passport or ID Personal References Generally, tenants in Spain seem to lack in reliability, making the landlords push a little further to ensure that you’re a trustworthy client. You can expect your landlord to ask you for: One or more additional payments of rent A bank guarantee – an alternative deposit that the bank pays on behalf of the tenant in the case of non-payment A written guarantee from the employer – a certificate in which the payment of rent to the landlord is ensured if the tenant stops paying. If you happen to fail the rental payment by the seventh day of the month, the landlord is allowed to take legal action. If the total money owed is less than €2,000, then the landlord can go to court and claim it without needing a lawyer. These short trials take 2-3 weeks and after a legal deed is obtained, the landlord is then able to claim for the overdue payments. Also, it should be made clear in the contract that you will be expected to pay for utilities and minor repairs due to wear and tear. Typically, utilities for a two-bedroom apartment in Spain is circulating at around €50 – €150 per month, varying depending on energy efficiency, utility usage, etc. Luckily, with the hot Spanish summers, most accommodation has access to a pool, so communal maintenance fees may be included in your final fees. Sunny Spain has thousands of beautiful properties, with bliss countryside surroundings or a striking sea-view. Now you’re all ready with the facts, you can head to the estate agents with confidence! ExP can provide rental policies specifically to protect landlords and tenants in Spain. Speak to one of our advisors to find out more about the policies that we can provide, we’d be happy to help!

AFO certificate Do I need an AFO an explanation: what is the AFO certificate? is a very common question that keeps coming up when I show clients properties or list properties for sale. If the property is a rustic property and has no first occupation license or habitation license then your lawyer will probably request an AFO “Asimilado Fuera de Ordenación” The passing of Decree 2/2012 by the Junta de Andalucía http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/boja/2012/19/3?lr=lang_es which was intended to regularize and recognize the situation of the properties located on land designated as rustic land (suelo no urbanizable). The AFO by means of an administrative certificate states the legal situation of the property. We need to clarify that this certificate is only applicable to properties situated on rustic land. Though there is a similar process for urban properties with no first occupation license. Further to the passing of the above Decree, all the different town halls have drawn up their own regulations for the issuing of this AFO certificate and the tax to pay to obtain the AFO However, the drawing up of the regulations has taken longer than they thought. At the moment, most town halls are in a position to deal with the requests received for an AFO certifícate. Some are still not on top of the situation such as Monda. Cartama was very behind as well. The tax to pay to obtain this AFO certificate varies depending on the town halls in question, and the difference can be important depending on the municipality where the property is located. To request this AFO certificate from the town hall, you have to present a certificate issued by a qualified technician, after he has visited the property in question, measured it, and obtained confirmation about certain technical issues related to the property. How to apply for an AFO Owners of the property need to apply for the certificate at their local Town Hall either in person or through a lawyer. For houses already on the market, the application process needs to be started as soon as possible. Alternatively, the process can be started once a buyer has been found however this may delay completion of the sale quite significantly and the speed with which certificates are issued depends on the area in which the vendor lives. The first step involves employing an architect to visit the property to: Produce comprehensive plans for the property. Confirm that the property is habitable with a functioning bathroom and kitchen. Confirm that the property has legal electricity and water connections. Confirm that the property has proper waste disposal for sewage – a septic tank not a ‘black hole’ or ‘pozo negro’. This information is then submitted to the Town Hall along with documents including a copy of the: Escritura, Catastro plans, latest IBI bill (paid) NIE certificates. To summarize, the content of this AFO certificate implies the following: – Confirmation that there are no administrative files on the part of the town hall against the construction (or any sanctions or demolition requests for that matter) – Confirmation that any possible town planning irregularities that may have been incurred have already prescribed. – Confirmation that the construction complies with the minimum requirements established as far as habitability and health conditions are concerned. – Confirmation on the kind of works that can be carried out at the property: Only renovation works. In no case extension or structural works. -Confirmation that the land is not protected. Actually, this AFO Certificate does not change the legal situation of the property or add any extra rights to the existing ones. That is to say, the construction which complies with the above and is duly registered, does not become “more legal” by obtaining this document. However, this document will be from now on the written confirmation by the town hall in relation to the situation of properties on rustic land. Furthermore, utility companies (water and electricity) are requesting this AFO document when receiving applications for connections and similar procedures. Likewise, should a license to carry out renovation works on an existing property be applied for, the town halls are also requesting to see the AFO certificate before they can issue the requested license. Basic Rules in Andalucia on rustic land 1. It is not possible To build homes unless the intention is to engage in agricultural or livestock-farming activities in a professional capacity on the plot. 2. Existing buildings may not be expanded and/or remodeled, both inside and outside. People have to purchase what is already built and no changes are legally allowed. 3. It is permitted to build with the intention to operate rural accommodation or a bed & breakfast, but it is necessary to carry out a preliminary operational project – called in Proyecto de Actuación -, that the Government of Andalusia must approve. This procedure can take over 6 months and it is difficult to obtain a positive response from the Regional Government. 4. It is necessary to take into account that most homes currently sold in the Andalusian countryside are illegal or irregular, i.e. if the authorities had done their work, they should not have allowed construction and, therefore, they should not exist. The case is that, for most buildings, it is not possible to start any penalty procedures against buildings built without a license or with an illegal license on non-development land due to the time elapsed. This means that legal responsibility is time-barred since over six years have elapsed since the end of construction. When we refer to non-development land with any special protection, the period of six years does not apply. If you have any questions about the above information please get in touch with me and I can arrange a free no obligation consultation for you with a local qualified experienced lawyer. Contact me on this link for more information.

During the week beginning  13th May, you might have noticed the BBC covered the topic of menopause in great detail on the BBC Breakfast slot. The 5 day feature was a risk-taking project to be fair, but the research team had been well aware that over the recent months each time the subject was talked about, the viewing figures went up. More than 3 out of 4 women experience menopause symptoms, 1 in 4 experience serious symptoms. For many women symptoms last between 4 and 8 years, and can be longer Around 75-80% of women of menopausal age are in work and 1 in 3 of the workforce is over 50 1 in 4 going through the menopause considered leaving work because of their experiences With statistics like that you can begin to get a feel for why we need open conversations. Menopause isn’t just an issue for women. Men should be aware too so they can support colleagues, friends and family. I am currently working on the digital marketing for two key projects in the UK – Henpicked & Menopause in the Workplace, who had been invited on the program mid week. Consequently I needed to be in the front row of the action. For me personally this didn’t just represent creating a conversation about a subject I’m passionate about, it also incorporated my skill-set, finely tuned over a decade long learning curve, giving me the nickname of a #SocialMediaNinja. But, could I live up to the title when it mattered most? Hell yes … I was like a kid in a toy shop and I rocked the backside off #BBCMenopause I was up at 6am every day just to make sure I didn’t miss a vital sound bite that would give me the edge. Multiple devices logged in across three platforms and three accounts. I was in the business of menopause and I meant it. A little background as to how I ended up re-living my student days last week and lived in my pyjamas and only left the building for more wine. I am peri-menopausal and have been for around 6 years, although my kids would put it more around the 10 year mark – they could be right, it’s a hard one to define where I finish and my perimenopause starts. During this hormonal mayhem I have discovered a lot about my own journey and observed a few of the women around me also experiencing many similar challenges but not realising it’s down to menopausal transition. Menopause itself is just one day – yep – one single day. Medically defined it is 12 months without a period. The day before that you are pre menopause, the day after you are post menopause. But what oodles of us don’t realise is that the route to menopause can be many many years of very peculiar symptoms, that you don’t collate with hormonal decline. Hot flushes are probably the last thing that pop up in most cases, and actually they are one of the 35 plus symptoms I haven’t had. Perimenopause can start around 38. Perimenopause, by the way, is the relatively new word adopted in 1996 to categorise the change in hormone levels during the years before menopause itself. The average age of Menopause is 51, but there is a need to make women aware that the time leading up to it is just as, if not more, impactful on your life than menopause itself and beyond. Last year I decided that I wanted to find a way of helping women to be ready and aware of the different ways you can make this transition healthier, safer and happier for you and the people around you. I started a small project of my own called the Menopause Directory, which is, and as it continues to grow will be, a yellow pages of all things menopausal. It’s still in it’s infancy, and comes under the umbrella of ‘progress is better than perfection’ right now. However, as I started to build on the social media profiles, both Facebook & Twitter I found myself making waves quite quickly. I’m blowing my own trumpet a wee bit, but I was clearly hitting a niche that liked my style of social, although I was struggling with what direction to take the website.  I ramped up the Twitter side of things just before Christmas, not because I was in a bad mood with Facebook particularly, but Twitter is where it’s at with key menopause conversations, so that was the road I went down. My 2019 word of the year is Collaborate. It seems Twitter knew this and so did Menopause, as very soon I was approached by Henpicked to work alongside them and their other project called Menopause in The Workplace. Fast forward 4 months to the week that was #BBCMenopause. Hashtags and @mentions were flying left right and centre. Choosing the right conversations to re-tweet was essential. There was no room for error. By Wednesday morning the production team were overheard saying my name and the message was passed back to me “thank you so much for helping to raise the profile of #BBCMenopause, we didn’t expect to trend on Twitter every day”. It’s a small victory, and I don’t have a medal, but it felt like an Oscar to me. More importantly several women and two GP’s (one who was featured on the program) have taken the trouble to say thank you for the information that I have been able to provide them on social media, supported by a great team of meno experts at Henpicked (authors of Menopause: The Change for the Better). I feel privileged to be riding the wave of menopause at this important time in our worldwide communication history. A time when awareness of many health issues is at the forefront of the conversation, and changes for the good are happening in front of my eyes. You could say it’s where #CyberGran meets #Menopause and this is just the beginning of a whole new adventure.

Meet Angèle Cristina, Life and Biz Coach, Online Visibility Rockstar and Public Speaker at Wondrous Online Women with a little bit of pink thrown in! Angèle Cristina has recently arrived in Spain.  Find out more about her story, choosing love over fear and creating a money mindset by watching the video, or reading our interview. Angele has an offer for money course as an introductory offer of €199 for the Costa Women only until June 6 2019    More information: https://wondrousonlinewomen.thinkific.com/courses/money-course/       Hello Angèle – welcome to Costa Women!  Do introduce yourself I’m Angèle and I’m from Malta – I’m 37 years young and live in Malaga Spain since a month. I help women become the best version of themselves and go for their dreams by finding their gift and building an online business around it.   Where did you personal story start and your own transformation?  I’m a theatre girl and was brought up on stage. My grandma was a very popular actress in Malta so I got used to the spotlight and taking the centre-stage at a very young age. She passed when I was 14 and since then I had chosen to live in fear. My transformation started the year I decided to face fear in the eyes and let go of what was holding me back from being the best version of myself – and that was in 2017.   What were your business roadblocks and how did you overcome them? My biggest ones were to ask for help, money and fears. I realised that if I love helping others, there might be others like me who would love to help, so I got over myself and my ‘pride’ and started asking in the areas I needed assistance in. Money was the next as I was never taught anything to do with finances, budgeting and investing in oneself. This I got over by taking the leap of faith and jumping, not knowing where I would land. I didn’t get it right the first time round but I learnt a lot from it. I was brought up in fear and did not try much – so this kept me in my comfort zone. But by staying there I was realising I wasn’t achieving much, so I started getting more and more uncomfortable every single now and now I have to say I love the adrenaline rush of the unknown.   Who is your business role model and why? Kimra Luna – the multi billionaire is who I look up to as an online entrepreneur . I first crossed her when I was searching online to see if there are any online entrepreneurs sporting coloured hair, as at the time I had blue hair as was just let go cos of it. Kimra had blue hair and I loved her vibe and style and that was it. She shows me and the world that if you show up as you and be your true authentic self, one can move mountains.   I’m seeing a theme at the moment where Women are very successful working for someone else and when they launched their own businesses the big MONEY word becomes an issue.What would be your top tip? Recognise your worth and invest in yourself – there is only one like you out there and the world needs you to show up as you as no one can do what you do the way you do it. It’s interesting you say this as I have created an online money course addressing this, the fears and limiting beliefs around money and all the works. I love this topic as in less than a year I have turned myself from a lack mentality to an abundant one and now things just flow and I have realised I am the master of this show and can create whatever I put my mind to.   How can we ‘#chooseloveoverfear’ to move forward? On a daily basis I would suggest to stop for a few seconds, tap into your intuition and ask yourself: is this decision coming from a place of love or from a place of fear? Our intuition knows it best and is never wrong. The more you practice this, the easier it becomes. Just like a compass, our intuition is our daily guide, and she comes for free!   Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darknessThat most frightens us.  We ask ourselvesWho am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.  Your playing small Does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking So that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, As children do. We were born to make manifest The glory of God that is within us.  It’s not just in some of us; It’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others. Marianne Williamson from her book A return to love    What book did you read in 2018 which made a difference to your life and why? Get Rich Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield Thomas – it was the first sign for me to start dealing with my money blocks and pushed me in a direction to learn and realign with my money energy.   What is your superpower? Knowing what the other persons’ gift is after connecting with them and tapping into my intuition. Also making them believe they can achieve anything.   Something you will do in 2019 to overthink less and flow more? This is so funny as I literally have a t-shirt that says this on it! 🙂 Well, I guess moving countries was the biggest one but on an everyday basis, remove social media apps from my phone and let my down time be offline.   What would be your advice to the younger you? She loves you, go for it, you rock!   How can we best connect with you? https://www.facebook.com/wondrousonlinewomen/ https://www.wondrousonlinewomen.com Join my free FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/196599314074488/   Thank you Angèle Cristina!

If you thought you were done with all the releasing, letting go and moving on… you may be surprised to find yourself back in deep mucky waters of your past… that can easily swallow you up and churn you out if you don’t relax, open your heart and arms wide and allow yourself to feel it all, be it all… trusting YOUR Divine self knows exactly how to take you into your next adventure beyond everything known! An adventure living your grandest dream as Your Magnificent Self.   To help you remember to keep your head high whilst swimming in these wild deep waters and feel close to your Divinity… I’m copying in my love song for YOU to read that I wrote to myself a few years back. It is part of my true story that I published in Your Magnificent Self… A Journey to Freedom, to inspire you to resonate fully with All of Yourself. Enjoy.   A Love Song… from my Divine self to my Human self   Can you feel me? IAM herestirring from deep within your corecan you hear me… its timeto untie your chains from all your pains…I feel your raw grief and sadnessfeelings of betrayal, being forgottenand left behind all alone…You gave it all, nothing left untouchedfrom your compassionate heartbut it’s time to let go and focus onloving yourself, trusting yourselfaccepting it all… distilling it all   IAM here now… you are not alonenever ever forgotten or unlovedthey are just dreams falling awayexperiences, expanding your wisdom…Now its time to love your Human selfunconditionally just as I love youforgiving yourself for all your moveswanted and unwanted by others…For caring and sharing with othersthat have yet to learn how to feel,be grateful for the small thingsand the touch of your pure love    Lets walk together nowhand in hand, side by sideyour feet caressing the Earththe wind stroking your face…Your breath bringing in lifethe sea falling and folding around youthe sun beaming down her passionopening you wide open to feel anew…The moist salt on your lips, bitter sweeta kiss so grand from the depth of youwhere we begin an embodied unionto be whole… to be physically real   IAM here now… feel me, know me wipe away your tearsI see you only with eyes of compassionand admiration, accepting all of youall the lives and loves you’ve loved and lostof not being heard or seen for who you are…Searching hard for recognition, loveand companionship to fill the empty hoursand the deep void within…for someone to smooth away the jagged edgesof all your past wounds and hurtsIAM here now… IAM here now   Receive me dear sensual and passionate oneIAM the part of you that brought you herewho gave you this gift of experiencing lifefeeling the depths of Human love and fear…The pain, the suffering, the injustice,the guilt, the shame and regretthe sharing, the caring, the unionthe love, the joy and passion…This Human life continuesthere is no end to the trauma and dramauntil one decides to receive meintegrate with me and be whole    IAM here now… waitingfor open arms, open heart and mindan invitation to come and dance with youto feel your rhythm and physical beingto embrace and unite as one…Receive me now with each breath you breathefeel my caress, what response do you givetouching each other, absorbing each othersurrendering, allowing… Giving birth to a new creationof all of me and all of youthe DivineHumanBeing    Together we are one Body Consciousnessa crystalline embodiment of awarenessan enlightened Master of Sovereign domaindaring to love our Self so deeply…Dissolving all yesterdays and ancestral tiesowning Self completelywith eyes of compassion and a heart of joyexpanding into and beyond the physical…Exploring new horizons never imagined bringing in new potential for new creationswalking between time and no timeon Earth and in all space Barbara Franken… MasterCreator   A Love Song from my Divine Self to my Human Self…   Barbara Franken… Creative Visionary & Master CreatorInspiring New Energy Consciousness & Multi-Dimensional Living   P.S. If you live locally to Benalmadena, next week Thursday 30th May we have our Children’s Art Exhibition & Royal Stage Performance that I’d love you to come and join us celebrate and raise more funds for my charity Asociacion Conciencia Magnifica and future FREE Creative Projects for our local children.   A paperback and Digital Book is available from all Major online stores… Amazon and Apple.  I share my own magical journey, exploring Who I AM with the help of nine Elemental Beings and expand from a world of fear, struggle and limitation into a New Energy Consciousness of love, grace and freedom. It is in this loving space that I discover my Divine and ALL LOVING self and allow myself to integrate together as one Body Consciousness… a DivineHumanBeing… and Magnificent Master Creator who expresses and creates heart and soul passion on the physical plane and beyond..    Join my MasterCreator Class and emerge yourself in the celebration of life through dance, song, art, relaxed inner journeys and beyond everything known… preparing yourself for your NEW role on New Earth.   There is no time like the present moment to Sign Up and give YOURSELF this magnificent gift… More Info: MasterCreator Class   All the money raised from my books and classes go to my non-profit association The Magnificent Consciousness that holds free local projects in Benalmadena, Spain.

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