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Tuesday, 25 February 2014 00:00

Gran Canaria Property: Spanish Property Glossary Of Useful Words

One man's palace: Gran Canaria property glossary One man's palace: Gran Canaria property glossary

Estate agents all over the world have their own vocabulary for describing the good, the bad and the ugly bits of the properties they sell: Here's our guide to the most common real estate terms used in Gran Canaria. They are equally valid across the Canary Islands and in Spain.

 

Abogado: Lawyer. There is no distinction in Spain between barristers and solicitors.

Adosado: Terraced

A dos aguas: V-shaped roof, normally tiled

Ammueblado: Furnished

Apartamento: Modern flat with open plan living area

Atico: Penthouse or thereabouts

A estrenar: Brand new or thereabouts. Probably finished

Amueblada: Furnished

A reformar: A wreck

Azotea transitable: Flat roof

Alto estándar de calidades: Acceptable to good fixtures and fittings

Armarios empotrados: Built in wardrobes

Arras: The contract you sign that commits you to buying a property. At this point you'd pay a 10% deposit. Use a currency broker like the ever-dependable Currencies Direct if you are transferring money to SSpain from a non-Euro country. It'll save you a lot of money.

Aval: Bank guarantee; Spanish banks sometimes ask younger buyers for a guarantor who will back up their mortgage loan. 

Buenas comunicaciones: On a main road

Buen estado: Needs superficial work such as plastering, etc

Bungalow: One storey, detached holiday cottage on a complex in a tourist resort.

Cargas: Debts of unpaid taxes attached to a property rather than its owner. The notary will inform you of any cargas when you buy a property. A property free of charges is 'libre de cargas'. 

Casa Rural: Rural house or farmhouse. Often run down and without electricity or water and with an angry goat

Casa de campo: Two goats in the garden

Chalet: Can be anything from a Swiss-style home to a hideous concrete monstrosity with no roof. Assume the latter until you see the photos

Certificado energético: Silly EU energy certificate that you must have to sell a property

Certificado energético en trámite: Owners hasn't paid for the silly EU energy certificate (yet)

Communidad: Monthly community costs for maintenance, insurance, etc

Communidad de propietarios: The community of owners of a residential building, complex or condominium

Coqueto: Minuscule

Cocina americana: Breakfast bar 

Cocina office: Open plan kitchen

Con posibilidad de garaje: No parking space. Owner's cousin knows a fellow who might have one

Duplex: Two-storey terraced house, normally on a development

Entresuelo: Mezzanine

Exterior: Has windows that face the street

En construción: About to be started

Escritura: The property deeds

Escritura pública de compraventa: The title deeds that prove that you have bought a property

Estudio: Studio

EURIBOR: The Euro Interbank Offered Rate used as the base interest rate for Spanish mortgages (before the bank adds its own percentage)

Exclusivas zonas comunes: Posh communal areas so very high community costs

Extension: Illegal extension

Finca: Farm or rural land 

Gran potencial de alquiler: Might be rentable

IBI or Impuesto Sobre Bienes Inmuebles: Annual property tax leveled by the local authorities. Calculated as a percentage of the Cadastral value of the land your property sits on

Impuesto sobre el patrimonio: Capital gains tax

Interior: Interior flat with windows facing a patio.

Lista para entrar a vivir: Liveable in 

Liciéncia de explotación turística or Vivienda Vacacional: Has a tourist rental license 

Liciencia de obra: Building license

Local: Commercial property

Loft: Property on a high floor with more than one window

Luminoso: Bright. Used to describe all properties with more than one window

Muy céntrica: Right in the middle of town/the resort. Expect noise

Muchas alternativas: Bizarre layout

Muchas posibilidades: Has potential but the agent can't quite work out how

Notario: Where you go to sign on the dotted line when you buy or sell a property. The notary's job is to make sure everyone understands what is in the contract (and that it is legal).

Opportunidad/Ocasión: Cheap for a good reason

Parcialmente amueblada: Owner is leaving you his unwanted furniture

Patio interior: Interior patio with half-dried clothes fallen from above all over it. Noise funnel. Good way to meet the neighbours.

Plaza de garaje: Parking spot in the building

Primera linea: Frontline (can refer to the building rather than your apartment)

Promoción: New build or off-plan development. Almost certainly unfinished

Posibilidades: A wreck

Piso: Bog standard flat

Piscina: Swimming pool

Piscina comunal: Shared swimming pool

Piscina climatizada: Heated pool

Preinstalación: Wires sticking out of the wall where you could install AC or heating

Reducido: Price has been reduced (but was probably overpriced to start with)

Rustica: Remote and abandoned

Semisotano: Basement property with a window

Señorial: Stately and going to cost you a fortune to maintain.

Sin amueblar: Unfurnished

Sobre plano: Off plan (Spanish law is very strict about how these are sold and how your money is protected)

Solar: Plot of land

Salón-cocina: Open plan kitchen and living room

Solana: Flat patch of roof

Tranquilo: If rural; remote. If urban: The quietest property in a noisy area

Triplex: Three-storey terraced house, normally on a development

Tendedero: Washing line

Ultima unidad: Last and worst property left on a development

Vestíbulo: Dressing room or large walk-in wardrobe

Vistas al mar: you can see the sea 

Vistas hácia el mar: You can almost see the sea

Vistas laterales al mar: You can see the sea by leaning out of the window and craning your neck. 

Vivienda Vacacional: Property with a tourist rental license

WC: Inexplicably small bathroom

Zonas comunes bien cuidadas: High community fees

Zona exclusiva: Posh barrio

Zona residencial: Not for tourists

 

For more information on the Gran Canaria property market, please visit our property section (relax, we're not estate agents).

 

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  • How To Choose A Legal Gran Canaria Airport Transfer
    How To Choose A Legal Gran Canaria Airport Transfer

    Gran Canaria's hotels have to be licensed and offer a quality level of service as well as having insurance and complying with fire regulations. The same goes for the boats that take people out to watch dolphins, the companies offering jeep safaris, and even the holiday let apartments. 

    However, not everybody in Gran Canaria follows the rules. For example, there is a significant industry running illegal and uninsured transfers between Gran Canaria airport and the island's resorts. These cars, driven by locals and foreign-residents, are just private vehicles and the drivers are unregulated and uninsured. They don't pay tax and there is no way to hold them responsible if something goes wrong. 

     At Gran Canaria Info we believe that all people and all companies offering services to tourists should legal and above board.

    So, how do you know that your airport transfer service is legal and registered with the Gran Canaria authorities?

     Using legal Gran Canaria airport transfers

    It is quite easy to know if your airport transfer service is operating in a legal way because all registered transfers have the following...

     A blue license plate: Taxis and other public service vehicles in Gran Canaria all have blue plates.

    A VTC sticker in the window: This stands for Vehículo de Transporte con Conductor, the official designation for licensed transfer drivers ans chauffeurs.

    An SP sticker on the car: This indicates that the car offer a Servicio Publico or public service and is therefore allowed to pick up and transfer members of the public. 

    Parked in the transport zone: Official airport transfer vehicles don't park in the public car park of the airport. Instead they have their own parking zone right by the arrivals gates at the airport (next to the taxis and package tour buses). Your transfer driver therefore should not have to pay a parking fee before leaving the aiport. 

    How to spot an unlicensed transfer service

    Unlicensed drivers get away with offerring their service because they claim that they are just members of the public picking up a friend. They are allowed to stand at arrivals with a sign (just like any member of the public can).

    However, they also have to park their car in the public car park and will walk you there with your luggage, stopping to pay the parking fee at the meter. A licensed transfer driver does not need to do this because they have their own parking zone right by arrivals.

    Some unlicensed drivers don't even wait at the arrival gate because the official drivers recognise them and get annoyed. Instead they have to stand further away (often by the Spar supermarket or the car rental desks). 

    When an unlicensed driver drops you at the airport they will not want to be paid in a public area because this proves that they are charging rather than "transporting a friend" for free. 

    An unlicensed car will not have a blue license plate, or a SP or VTC sticker, and will often look like a private car (because it is a private car). 

    What's the problem with unlicensed airport transfers?

    Some people use unlicensed cars because they are the cheapest option and don't realise that they are unlicensed. 

    There are several problems with unlicensed services. The most obvious is that they are uninsured so if something goes wrong or there is an accident, you are not protected. The price that unlicensed drivers offer is only low because they cut corners (hopefully not literally). You have no way of even knowing if your unlicensed driver has a Spanish driving license, insurance and a good driving record. Licensed drivers are vetted regularly and must be fully insured and licensed to work.

    Another problem is that unlicensed transfers undermine the legitimate transfer drivers and businesses in Gran Canaria. Local drivers make a living from transfers and offer a legal, regulated service with minimum standards. Every time an unlicensed service undercuts them, it is effectively stealing from local people and the island economy.

    We believe that everybody in Gran Canaria deserves better!

    Gran Canaria Airport Transfer Services

    To find out more about the Gran Canaria airport transfer, see our Gran Canaria airport transfer article which explains the three different models; man/woman from pub with car, online transfer websites, and local transfer services.

    Or you can book a legitimate Gran Canaria airport transfer at a great price right here. Our service uses local drivers and supprts the island economy because all the money you spend stays in Gran Canaria.

    Alex Says: Using our service also helps the Gran Canaria Info team to keep providing quality local information here and in our Facebook Group

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