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Spanish property of the week: An entire village nestled in the Picos de Europa

An entire village with mountain views to die for offer the potential for a thriving rural holiday business

Published: 19 September 2018 13:09 CEST
Spanish property of the week: An entire village nestled in the Picos de Europa
The village of El Mortorio offers a unique opportunity to develop a rural tourism business. Photos: Iberia North.

The property:

The entire village of El Mortorio has been lovingly restored over two decades by the current owners who have been running it as a rural escape with individual Casa Rurales that can accommodate up to 48 guests as base to explore the rich countryside of the Picos de Europa.

The property is comprised of 12 individual building spread over 32 acres (13 hectares) of fields and woodland set in a landscape that provides some of the most impressive mountain views in Spain

At the moment the village contains eight individual holiday homes of between 2 to 4 bedrooms each with a kitchen, lounge and dining areas, each modernised but keeping traditional features.

There is also an ‘horreo’ – a traditional timber structure raised off the ground on stone columns – that are found in every Asturian hamlet.

The sale also includes two buildings in need of renovation and 20 buildable plots spread over 7.5 acres with which to expand the holiday business.

WATCH the video of the property:

 

Where is it?

The village is located 10km away from Infiesto, the nearest market down with cafes, bars and restaurants, and supermarkets. And just 20km from a coastline that boasts some of the best beaches and coves in Spain.

A short drive will bring you into the heart of the Picos de Europa mountain range, with its impressive peaks and crags and valleys perfect for outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing, kayaking and caving.

READ ALSO: Nine good reasons to make Oviedo your next city break

The historic towns of Oviedo, Avilés and Gijón are less than an hour away and Avilés (Asturias) airport is less than an hour away (85 kilometres), while Santander airport can be reached in just over an hour (150 kilometres).

What's the price tag?

The property is being offered for €2.375 million. At first glance it appears to be hefty price tag for place in a little known part of rural northern Spain. But just look at what you are getting for your money: a private corner of paradise and an opportunity to build up a thriving rural tourism business.   

READ ALSO: 10 point guide to buying property in Northern Spain

Who would it suit?

“The owners are getting on a bit, and wish to pass it on to someone who will develop it even further, and unlock lots of untapped potential in terms of clientele,” explains Marc Furnival of Iberia North, which is offering the property.

“There’s room to attract more foreign clients, to build a restaurant and shop, maybe a small farm to have animals to show children. It’s a lovely spot, very private and tranquil, but well located and handy for mountains, coast and city.

“I think it would ideally suit someone who wants to make a change in their life, and live in a more integrated way, in a part of the world that in many ways is a privilege.

More photos: 

 


One of the properties with views across fertile fields to the mountains beyond.

The individual houses are carefully renovated keeping traditional architectural features. 

Old beams and wooden shutters lend character to this living space.


At the moment, the houses can accomodate 48 guests in total.


Some of the houses have open fireplaces.

For more information about this property and for others in this area visit Iberia North

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PROPERTY

Q&A: What to do if you buy a property built illegally in Spain

Buying an illegally built property in Spain is fairly common but can have several consequences down the line. Here's what you need to know, how to make it legal, whether you can sell it, and the benefits of doing so.

Published: 25 April 2024 09:35 CEST
Q&A: What to do if you buy a property built illegally in Spain

Unfortunately, over the years, many properties have been built illegally in Spain, not adhering to local rules and regulations. Foreigners who don’t know the legislation can easily fall into the trap of buying one of these properties, only to find out later down the line.

Maybe it’s when they come to sell or perhaps it’s when they want to do works or improvements on the property.

There are several reasons a home could have been built illegally in Spain. Firstly, it could have been built on the wrong type of land. This is it could have been built on suelo rústico, rural land where residential properties are prohibited, also called no urbanizable. 

READ ALSO:

It could have also been built too near the coast. This is down to the Ley de Costas or Coastal Law, which was brought into force in December 1989 in order to protect the costas from overdevelopment and high rises spoiling the landscape. 

The law defines different areas of the beach and dictates which is public land, owned by the state and which parts can be owned privately and built on.

If you buy or own a house in one of these non-buildable zones, there are many problems you could face down the line, often sooner rather than later. This is because there are several rules you have to abide by concerning works, reforms and extensions. In some cases, they may not be allowed at all and everything must be approved first by the local government by providing a detailed project.

Because of coastal erosion, this issue is getting worse as some shoreside homes that were once built outside of these areas are finding that they’re now illegal.

READ ALSO: 

The house may have also had extensions made to it that were built without a license, meaning that the extra parts are illegal.

Q: How do I know if my home is legal or not?

A: Unfortunately it can be difficult to know if your property is legal or not. You could have bought and signed for it with a notary and it could be inscribed on the Property Registry, but this still doesn’t mean it was built to the correct specification and on the right land.

The only way to truly tell is to find out if your home ever had a Licencia de Primera Ocupación or First Occupation license, also referred to as a Cédula de Habitabilidad or Certificate of Habitability. This means that according to the authorities, it is suitable to live in and has the correct licenses.

READ ALSO: How to get Spain’s certificate of liveability for properties

Q: What happens if my property doesn’t have a habitability certificate?

A: If your property has never had a Certificate of Habitability, you must regularise the legal situation. First you’ll need to start a legalisation file (expediente de legalización) and contact the town hall. Depending on the seriousness of the case (ie. where exactly it was built, if there’s any structural danger, whether the entire property is illegal or just an extension) the cost of making an illegal property legal can be considerable. As such, each case must be studied individually with the help of an expert to determine whether it is even feasible or worth the investment.

The next step is to bring in an architect and check whether the property complies with all the building regulations. If it does, you simply need present the expediente de legalización to your local town hall, who will confirm whether or not the property adheres to building regulations and can be made legal.

If it doesn’t, you’ll need to consider whether it will comply with the regulations after some renovations. If that’s the case, you’ll need to draw up a renovations project document (proyecto de reforma) outlining the proposed changes and how they will adhere to building regulations. It must be presented to the town hall along with your expediente de legalización.

According to law firm Acal, the legalisation process can be broken down into steps as follows:

  • Contact the town hall.
  • Begin with the expediente de legalización when the town hall confirm whether or not the property can be made legal.
  • Pay the corresponding fees and taxes (in this case it will be IBI) depending on your municipality and region.
  • If you need to make renovations, obtain the proyecto de reforma and hire an architect.
  • Obtain a building permit from the town hall.
  • Once completed, register the property in the Land Registry.

READ ALSO: What is Spain’s IBI tax and how do I pay it?

Q: Do I really need to make my property legal?

A: Yes, because it will benefit you in the long run. It doesn’t matter what the previous owner told you when you were originally buying the property, owning a property that isn’t fully legal (or legal at all) can create problems and even lead to fines worth up to 20 percent of the property’s value in extreme cases.

By going through the legalisation process and making the relevant renovations, if necessary, you gain a legal property for all purposes and with all the benefits that entails.

You will not have problems setting up, paying, or cancelling electricity, water or gas utility services. You won’t have to undertake reforms and renovation work unofficially, avoiding the eyes of the authorities. Instead you’ll be able to register your property in the Land Registry, which will make things much easier when you decide to sell it or pass it on.

In terms of selling it, perhaps that is the biggest benefit of legalising your illegal property: by registering it properly, you will be able to benefit from its full value when selling it. When a property is illegal, the appraised value will probably be no more than 40-45 percent of its real value at best.

The renovations needed to get your property in shape to meet the building regulations could be costly, but will they cost you half of the total value of your property? 

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