The most common reasons that people have for wanting to move to the Mallorca area are the clean air, great outdoor sports, picturesque beaches and beautiful scenery. So, how do you go about renovating your dream home without impacting on the environment?
For coastal properties, be aware that there is Spanish law which was introduced in 1988 to protect the coastline from over-exuberant property developers. But it also affected existing properties on the coastline that had been built before 1988. Many of these homes are now deemed to be on public land, and as such the owners are unable to sell their properties. They have effectively ended up as tenants of the state. So the advice is to check with the local government office (usually the town hall will be able to help) where the state boundary lies and ensure your property truly lies on private ground.
If you are looking for a property in Mallorca to renovate, then you must ensure permissions have been granted by the local Town Hall (Ajuntament). If no permission has yet been granted, you will need to submit detailed plans (drawn up by a professional architect or surveyor) regarding the development. Only tradesmen registered in Spain are legally allowed to undertake building works (this ensures they have the correct level of insurance) if you are funding the purchase via a bank.
