Swimming Pools

Swimming Pools

Pool systems

The standard size is 8m x 4m which is suitable for most domestic usage. The volume will be about 48m3 which equates to 48,000 litres of water.

Pipe work from the pool leads to a pump house which houses a multi port (rotary) valve, isolation valves, a filter and a pump. The system works by switching on the pump which forces water through the filter, to connecting pipes to ports (jets) at one end of the pool. At the opposite end of the pool is a port with a small flap. The port is called the skimmer and inside a pipe leads back to the pump. The flow of water takes all surface debris into the skimmer so there is a coarse filter basket inside which is accessible through a cover at the pool edge. There is a second return path to the pump through a pipe fitted to the bottom of the pool.
The multi port valve allows you to re-circulate water, to backwash, to rinse and to drain water to the waste system as well as close the system off.

Contaminants are trapped in the filter and clean water emerges at the jets.

Chlorine and pH

Free chlorine is a measure of the active chlorine level in the water. Chlorine is introduced periodically to the pool manually, usually in the form of tablets in the skimmer.
The pH level is an indication of the acidity/alkalinity of the water. Acidic water will eat away metal. High alkalinity results in deposits of scale which can seriously affect the main filter.
It is essential that at the very least, free chlorine and pH levels are maintained within the relevant parameters.

Costs

Suitable weather conditions are mostly prevalent in the months between June and September. So we will assume that the pool is available for one third of the year. The rest of the time it is out of use.

Assuming that you don’t drain it for the winter you will need to run it all year. In the summer, a 50,000 litre pool may need 4 or more hours filtration a day. A very rough approximation leads to a figure of around 1,000 hours a year. That equates to some 1000 kW hours. At 12 – 15 cents per unit this equates to around €120 – 150 a year.

If you use a third party to maintain your pool, it will cost around 60 – 90 Euros a month depending on the quality of the maintainer and the number of visits made which is another €720 – 1000 a year.

On top of this are water costs. Each time the pool filter is cleaned, dirty water has to be flushed away to waste.

You have to buy tools to do minor maintenance tasks like remove leaves etc.

Finally

If you live in an apartment you will have a communal facility. But the above costs are still relevant, and you will still pay a management tariff. Always remember that the sea is free all year round!!

© Ray Chiverton
Costas Property Services
info@costasproperty.co.uk

Transit Insurance

Transit Insurance

Premiums

The premium is based on the total value of the goods and the proportion of itemised higher value items, for example, jewellery. The higher the ratio of high value items to total value, the higher the premium. The insured value is based on the replacement and/or repair at the destination although it is not clear in the documentation what this actually means. Another issue is that the insurance documentation clearly states that the value placed upon possessions would not be the value that would be paid in the event of loss. The insurance company would pay a percentage of the valuation based on some formula for ensuring that they minimise their payout. However, the premium does not change. It is based on your valuation. If you overvalue, the insurance company takes the premium and then revalues if you claim. You do not get any refund. So you may not realise it but you are responsible for the whole process. The insurance company gets all the profit. The removal company, apart from supplying the insurance link, is not involved in this third party transaction.

Damage

Imagine that some items of furniture are damaged in transit. Even if the removal company has admitted that the damage has been caused by their operatives, the matter is solely between you and the insurance company. The claim has to be submitted directly to them. You then have to fill out the claims form which insists on local quotations for the repair and/or replacement of all damaged items…a difficult thing to achieve in a foreign country where your furniture was not made. The process can become stressful because of the practical difficulties of providing the information demanded by the insurance company. At the outset it may be a healthier option to accept the possibility that some damage is going occur and the process of claiming on the insurance is too stressful. Then you may even consider whether taking out insurance is worthwhile as the chances of losing absolutely everything must be quite small.


© Ray Chiverton
Costas Property Services
info@costasproperty.co.uk

Spanish Property

The Housing Choice

Buying a property in Spain

There are thousands of properties for sale at reasonable prices.
Spanish property is advertised in terms of areas. That is, the property has a living/floor area and is located on a plot of a certain area. This is usually shown in square meters. This can be slightly disconcerting as it is not easy to visualise, say, a living area of 150m2. The sizes of these areas can also affect the amount of tax you pay.

The simplest way of choosing a property is to draw up a list of desired features and whether you want a villa just for family holidays or a permanent home. The most obvious features might be a good view and a swimming pool. Some will prefer a sea view, which will be more expensive, and others a landscape.

A swimming pool sounds really luxurious. However, bear in mind that in times of restraint, it costs money to maintain a pool and the usage of an unheated outdoor pool is confined to the warmer months! In addition, water usage is metered and when the sun is high, evaporation burns off water which has to be replaced. There are also the annual maintenance costs to consider.

If you choose an apartment you will probably enjoy the use of a communal pool, but you will pay a premium whether you use it or not. However, you don’t have to worry about maintenance.

You might also want to consider the option of having additional accommodation in the form of "under builds" which can be utilised for holiday rental purposes to help you pay for your villa.

For anyone in a new country there will be some comfort in living close to the expat community. If you have friends who have been here for a while, this will be useful. The more adventurous could move away from the apparent safety of the expat community into the hinterland. It is likely that you will need to speak Spanish with some fluency if you choose to do this.

There have been a number of reports relating to the illegal erection of buildings in Spain. This can have disastrous implications with, at worst, the demolition of the property and the total loss of your investment.

The most obvious way to discover which area you might want to relocate to is to spend some time there. Searching the net gives you hundreds of pictures of attractive properties but doesn’t give you much of an idea of the area.

The property search starts on the internet. Depending on how you word your search, you will find enough choice to keep you going for a considerable time.

The purchase of off plan properties is a personal choice but can be fraught with danger and the risks can be great. Having said that, there are many people who have successfully bought off plan and if you feel confident and can get a good deal it might work for you.

© Ray Chiverton
Costas Property Services
info@costasproperty.co.uk