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Brexit risk: Five tips for changing pounds to euros when you move to Spain

Do you plan to move Spain this year? If so, you might be aware that Brexit is having a negative impact on the value of the pound. Here are some tips to limit the damage from Peter Lavelle, a foreign exchange broker at Pure FX.

Brexit risk: Five tips for changing pounds to euros when you move to Spain
Photo: jax10289/Depositphotos

Since early May, the pound to euro interbank exchange rate has fallen from a peak of 1.1757, to 1.1151 at the time of writing. That's a decline of over 6 cents, or 5.15 percent.

The biggest factor contributing to sterling's decline is that financial markets don't know what relationship the UK will have with the European Union (EU) after Brexit. This is more than three years after the UK voted to leave the EU. Also, the pound is being weighed down by the fact that both candidates to become Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, have said that they'd accept a 'No Deal' Brexit.

So, what can you do to minimise Brexit risk, when you transfer your money to your Spanish bank account to move to Spain? Well, you’ll find five easy tips below.

1. Stay up-to-date with the exchange rate

This helps you to avoid Brexit risk, because when you know what's happening to sterling's value against the euro, you can better plan your money transfer to Spain. By comparison, if you don't watch the exchange rate before you buy your euros, then you're in the dark.

To keep track of sterling's value against the euro, you can check the live interbank exchange rates on the Foreign Currency Direct website. Alternatively, you can search ‘live exchange rates’ on Google to find the latest interbank rates. This will help you to plan your euro purchase, even with Brexit.

2. Check what's affecting the pound versus the euro

The second tip to avoid Brexit risk for when you transfer money to Spain is to keep an eye on what's affecting the pound to euro exchange rate. After all if you know that, for example, Boris Johnson has committed to take the UK out of the EU without a deal, and that this might weaken the pound, this can help you to decide when to transfer your money to the UK.

Also, it's worth noting that Brexit isn't the only factor affecting the exchange rate. There are dozens of factors, including the UK's and Eurozone's economic performance, and the Bank of England's and European Central Bank's interest rate outlook. By staying in-the-know, you'll develop a better idea of what's influencing the exchange rate, to help you decide when to buy your euros.

3. Set up a rate alert, for when your target exchange rate hits


Photo: peshkova/Depositphotos

This way, when your target exchange rate hits, you'll receive an email or a phone call telling you. This way, you can take advantage of any unexpected movements in the exchange rate, to buy your euros at the level you want. This is a helpful tool to ensure you get the euro total you're after, even with Brexit.

4. Consider setting up a forward contract

With a forward contract, you fix your exchange rate at today's level, so that even if the pound fluctuates in future versus the euro, you get the exchange rate that you've locked in. This protects you from adverse movements in the value of sterling and guarantees the euro total that you've receive.

To set up a forward contract, you put down approximately 10 percent of the amount that you intend to transfer. Then you can transfer your money at any time you like in the following 12 months.

5. Seek guidance from your money transfer service

They'll be able to tell you what's affecting the exchange rate, what's happened to the value of the pound versus the euro recently, and offer you their guidance based on their years of experience helping people to transfer money. So you can ensure your money transfer goes well, in spite of Brexit uncertainty.

By Peter Lavelle at foreign exchange broker Pure FX, a trading name of Foreign Currency Direct Plc

Please note that the exchange rates within this article are interbank rates and are for indicative purposes only, and are not trading levels which Pure FX offer. For live trading levels contact one of the Pure FX currency brokers on +44 (0) 1494 671800.

This article does not constitute advice to any person on any matter and it is not intended as a recommendation to trade. Pure FX makes every reasonable effort to ensure that this information is accurate and complete but assumes no responsibility for and gives no warranty with regard to any loss arising from actions taken as a result of acting on this information.

READ MORE: Brits remain top foreign buyers in Spain, despite (or because of) Brexit

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PROPERTY

EXPLAINED: The new housing law in Spain’s Balearic Islands

The Balearic government has approved a new law which includes numerous creative measures aimed at combating the Spanish archipelago's unaffordable house prices and rents, as well as the overall lack of housing.

EXPLAINED: The new housing law in Spain's Balearic Islands

The Balearic Parliament approved the law on urgent measures on Tuesday April 16th, based on the decree approved by the Government of Marga Prohens last October.

The new legislation aims to increase the supply of housing available in the Balearic Islands, made up of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, at affordable prices and without building on new land. 

It primarily targets the middle and working classes and young people, who are the most affected by the lack of housing.

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The Decree enables a set of measures to generate the creation of new homes at reasonable prices, as well as measures to help combat the fight against illegal tourist rentals, in order to recover homes for the residential market. These include:

Turning commercial properties into residential ones

The new decree enables existing premises such as commercial or administrative buildings, both ground and upper floors, to be converted into Limited-Price-Housing (HPL).

Division of existing homes

Existing homes will be divided to create new HPLs, through an increase in maximum densities, both for old buildings and in undeveloped plots with permitted multi-family and single-family residential uses.

Building up

It also allows existing buildings to be extended and built higher so that more land isn’t being taken up. This is primarily on plots with permitted multi-family residential use.

READ ALSO: Spain urges regions to limit Airbnb-style lets in ‘stressed rental areas’

Building on land earmarked for other use

The law also states that new housing can be built on land that was intended for private facilities that have not yet been developed or protected housing on plots for public facilities.

Changing tourist rentals into residential properties

Obsolete tourist establishments will be converted into residential properties in order to create more limited-price housing.

Creation of social housing

The law also expands upon the special regime already in force that allows for the creation of social housing in unfinished buildings with an expired tourist licence, in a dilapidated state or uninhabitable. The plan is to recover these structures so that they can be renovated turned into used low-cost housing.

Building of co-living spaces

The Decree Law also introduces a new category of accommodation with complementary common spaces such as co-living and co-housing. This has been created in response to new models of coexistence, for example for students or for the elderly. It aims to grant habitability certificates to homes that meet these conditions, regardless of the urban planning situation.

Another measure that has been negotiated between the parliamentary groups, is to reserve more housing for young people and to facilitate access to housing for workers in the tourism sector.

It will also regulate the habitability conditions of staff accommodation and accommodation with common spaces.

READ ALSO: Spain’s Balearics struggle to fill job vacancies due to exorbitant rents

Who will be able to access Limited-Price-Housing?

Those who are eligible to rent or buy these types of properties must meet a series of requirements.

They will need to be of legal age and must have permanent residence in the Balearic Islands. They also cannot already fully own a home.

In order to apply, the beneficiary will have to submit an online registration and responsible declaration to the General Directorate of Housing and Architecture.

It must be signed by the buyer or tenant, within a period of thirty days from the formalisation of the private contract, in which it must be declared that the HPL home will be used as a habitual and permanent residence and that the buyer/tenant meets the established requirements.

What types of properties will be available and how will it work?

These properties will be for sale, for rent or for rent with an option to buy, and it is established that these homes will maintain their HPL status permanently. Transfers of ownership and use are permitted at any time, as long as the required access conditions are met.

Two types of prices will established. For example, in the case of 60 m² and 80 m² homes, the various price ranges of HPL, depending on the municipality and the energy efficiency of the homes, would range between €102,000 and a maximum of approximately €241,000. In the cases of new construction, between €121,000 and about €285,000.

In the case of rental for homes of 60 m² and 80 m², the limited prices would be between €385 per month in the lowest sections up to a maximum of about €905. If it is a new construction, the rental prices of these two examples would range between €455 and €1,070.

READ ALSO: The cities in Spain where people fight most over a place to rent 

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