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PROPERTY

Spain gives away empty villages for free

Like thousands of abandoned villages in Spain, A Barca — with its 12 crumbling stone homes covered in moss and ivy — is seeking a new owner to bring it back to life.

Spain gives away empty villages for free
Avelino Luis de Francisco Martinez, the mayor of Cortegada, walking by the ruins of a house in the abandoned village of A Barca, Galicia. Photo: Miguel Riopa/AFP

Local officials in Spain's verdant northwestern region of Galicia hope to give away the hamlet, which is nestled in a hillside overlooking the Mino river near the Portuguese border.

The successful applicant must present a development project for the village, which dates back to the 15th century, that will preserve all of its buildings.

Several proposals have already been made but Avelino Luis de Francisco Martinez, the mayor of Cortegada, the municipality that oversees A Barca, said he would prefer a tourism project.

“Something that would provide work to villagers and local businesses,” he said.

The residents of A Barca left in the 1960s when a dam was built, which flooded their farmland.

But most of Spain's abandoned hamlets have been deserted by residents who moved to larger cities or better land for farming.

Spain's National Statistics Institute estimates that there are around 2,900 empty villages across the country, according to Rafael Canales, the manager of a website specializing in the sale of deserted hamlets called aldeasabandonadas.com.

Over half are in Galicia, a largely rural region that is home to the famous pilgrimage site of Santiago de Compostela, and the neighbouring region of Asturias.

Spain's lengthy economic downturn, which has sent the jobless rate soaring to just over 26 percent, has pushed more owners to put their properties up for sale.

“We count as our clients many writers, painters or rural tourism professionals,” said Canales.

Mark Adkinson, the British manager of a rival online portal called galicianrustic.com, said his company had identified 400 abandoned villages in the eastern part of Galicia alone.

When Adkinson, who is based 150 kilometres (90 miles) north of Cortegada, finds an empty village he starts searching for its owners.

The task is sometimes difficult, even impossible.

Often the owners of abandoned properties moved away long ago and have not been heard from since. In other cases property deeds have been lost and can't easily be found.

“It also happens sometimes that owners themselves come to us and propose putting their property up for sale,” said Adkinson, a former livestock breeder from Lancashire who has lived in Galicia for nearly three decades.

The abandoned villages are especially appealing to foreigners like Neil Christie, a 60-year-old retired Briton who used to work in television.

He bought three stone houses and a granary raised on rock pillars — typical in the northwest of Spain — that make up the hamlet of Arrunada in Asturias for €45,000 ($62,000).

Christie has spent the past four years restoring the main house, located amid green pastures some 30 kilometres south of the Atlantic coast.

He hopes to move in at the end of the year.

“I wanted to flee the stress of London. This was just a bunch of ruins. But I would never be able to buy something similar in England,” he said.

“It is a very pretty region. People are very nice. There is a real quality of life,” he added.

Britons are among the foreigners who have shown the most interest in buying Spain's abandoned hamlets.

But Norwegians, Americans, Germans, Russians and even Mexicans have also made purchases, said real estate agent Jose Armando Rodil Lopez.

“In general, once you cross the barrier of €80,000, the potential buyers are foreigners,” he explained during a tour of the hamlet of Pena Vella, also in the Asturias.

The hamlet, which is on sale for €62,000, is made up of five stone houses with slate roofs surrounded by pine and eucalyptus trees.

“A family used to live here. Some of them made knives, others were carpenters and farmers,” said Rodil Lopez.

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PROPERTY

How to ensure your French property is insured for storm damage

Storm Ciaran’s property-wrecking passage through France - with another storm forecast for the weekend - may have many people wondering how comprehensive their insurance cover is. 

How to ensure your French property is insured for storm damage

In the wake of Storm Ciaran, thousands of property owners in France are preparing insurance claims – with initial estimates of the bill for damage between €370 million and €480 million.

Home insurance is compulsory in France, whether you own the property you live in or you rent – and it must include some level of storm damage cover. 

Check also to see if your insurance provides cover in case of a declaration of a catastrophe naturelle.

The garantie tempête (storm guarantee) covers damage caused by violent winds. What constitutes a ‘violent wind’ varies from contract to contract, but there appears to be a widespread consensus of agreement on wind speeds over 100km/h.

In most insurance contracts, this covers damage caused by the storm and within the following 48 hours – so you’re covered if, for example, a tree weakened by the storm comes down within that period and damages your property.

Be aware that, while the storm guarantee automatically covers the main property, it generally only covers any secondary buildings and light constructions – such as a veranda, shed, solar panels, swimming pool or fence – if they are specifically mentioned in the contract. 

The same is true of any cars damaged by debris. A basic insurance contract might not include storm damage, so it is always worth checking.

Damage must be reported to your insurer as quickly as possible. The deadline for making declarations is usually five days after any damage is noticed. This is especially important for second home owners, who may not be at the property when the damage occurs. 

In some cases – such as in the aftermath of Storm Ciaran – insurers may extend the reporting period. But under normal circumstances, it’s five days after the damage has been discovered.

What happens next

To make a claim, the first thing to do is contact your insurer by phone or email. Your insurer will take you through the next steps, but usually you have to send in a declaration – which should include an estimate of any losses and for any repairs, with evidence where possible, such as photographs and any receipts for purchases. 

Your insurer may also request proof of wind intensity, which can be provided for example by a nearby weather station.

The insurance company may appoint an expert to come and assess the damage, so make sure to keep damaged property safe until they arrive, as well as all invoices for any urgent repair work. 

What if you’re a tenant?

If you rent your property, you must report any damage inside the accommodation to your insurer and also notify your landlord so that they can file their own claim. 

In the case of a co-propriete, you must declare damage inside the accommodation to your insurer, while the trustee sends his own declaration to the collective insurance (which sometimes covers the private areas) .

How long does it take for claims to be settled?

Payment of the compensation provided for by the “storm guarantee” depends your home insurance contract. After the insurer has estimated the amount of damage, compensation is generally paid between 10 and 30 days following receipt of the insured’s agreement.

What if we got flooded?

In the case of flooding, you may have to wait for a natural disaster order to be issued. 

Catastrophe naturelle

The ‘state of natural disaster’ is a special procedure that was set up in 1982 so victims of exceptional natural events, such as storms, heavy rain, mudslides and flooding, as well as drought, can be adequately compensated for damage to property.

The government evaluates each area and deems whether it qualifies for the status of catastrophe naturelle (natural disaster). 

Essentially once a zone is declared a natural disaster, victims can claim from a pot of funds created by all insurers. If the zone is not declared a disaster, insurance companies are under no obligation to pay out. 

Under a “state of natural disaster” residents are covered for all those goods and property that are directly damaged by the phenomenon, in this case storms.

It applies to residential or commercial buildings, furniture, vehicles and work equipment that are already covered by insurance policies.

Homes must be already covered by a multi-risk insurance policy for the status of natural disaster to count.

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