Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

CANARY ISLANDS

How a €2.80 raffle ticket could win you a villa in Canary Islands

A British couple have chosen a rather unorthodox method to sell their home. Rather than place it on the open market and accept the best offer, Gina Ironside and her husband Wayne are selling raffle tickets with the one and only prize being their home on the Canary Island of Tenerife.

Published: 19 November 2020 14:15 CET

How a €2.80 raffle ticket could win you a villa in Canary Islands

Photo: Prizevillas.com

The couple, originally from South Shields in the Northeast of England, decided to sell-up and move back to the UK after spending seven years on the island with their son and daughter.

“We came to Tenerife mainly for the climate and we thought it was a great place to bring up small children, which it is and we wouldn’t change it for the world, they have had a great childhood here. They have gone to an amazing school,” she said.

But the family now want to return to the UK to continue the children’s further education and be closer to family.

The couple decided to sell off tickets to their home rather than look for a conventional buyer in a move that is gaining popularity across Spain.

The scheme offers 230,000 tickets for the property, each one for sale for 2.50 (€2.80) which nets the price of €440,000 a little over the estimated asking price if it was sold on the open market.

The property is a three-bed semi detached villa with private garden set within a complex that offers extensive gardens and a communal swimming pool in the Fanabe area of Tenerife.

“I believe my villa is is worth around 430,000 Euros (around £380,00) but I am leaving it fully furnished and practically ready to move into, so I receive the amount of 440,000,” she explained adding that the winner will receive an all expenses paid trip out to Tenerife to sign for the property.

“The extra amount will cover the marketing, advertising and associated purchase costs, plus buyer taxes for the winner.”

“All of the costs will be covered by the raffle plus a 1 percent donation will be made to my chosen charity,” she added.

Tickets went on sale on November 16 and the competition will run until March 16 next year before the winning ticket is drawn.

The raffle is being organised through prizevillas.com CLICK HERE for more details.

READ MORE: What's the latest on property trends and prices in Spain?

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Noisy bars and clubs in Spain: What are my rights?

In this article, we’ll be specifically looking at what you can do about noise from bars and clubs, so you can find out what the law is and what are your rights.

If you want to know what your rights are on noise from construction, find out here and what to do about noisy neighbours here.

Noise from bars is a typical problem in Spain because many of them are located on the ground floors of blocks of flats. Another reason is that when the warm weather arrives in summer, bars move outside and so the sound floats up to your window so much more easily. Add this to the fact that streets are often narrow and music reverberates around plazas, and it’s easy to see why it’s a common problem.

We all know Spaniards love to party and about the late-night culture, here, so while in some countries, nightlife spots close much earlier, in Spain they can often be open all night.

So, what you can do if you find yourself living near a bar or nightclub? Do you have to simply put up with it every weekend and not sleep or is there something you can do?

Firstly, it’s important to note that all nightlife venues in Spain are required to comply with regulations regarding noise levels and closing times. They must also be respectful of neighbours.

City councils and regional authorities are granted the power to regulate noise in the areas where leisure venues are located, so it’s important to find out what your local regulations are. Establishments must also use insulation to adhere to these rules.

In general, according to Law 7/2002 on protection against noise pollution, these are the maximum sound levels allowed for leisure venues:

Nightclubs: 104 decibels
Venues with musical entertainment: 90 decibels
Game rooms: 85 decibels
Bars and restaurants: 80 decibels

There are plenty of apps you can download on your phone, so you can check the noise level from your apartment or home. If they are above these numbers, then you know the establishments are breaking the law.

Steps you can take:

Talk with the owner

If loud music is an issue, the first step is to let the owner of the bar or club know. If you can’t find the owner because they’re not on-site, get their contact details from a member of staff. If they will not hand them out to you, you can always go to your local Town Hall and find out.

Put a message in writing to the owner, so they know the noise levels are disturbing you. Talk to them about how it’s affecting your sleep and the health and well-being of you and your family.

Take action with your neighbours

If the problem persists, speak with your neighbours to find out if they are angry about the noise too. Get a group of people together who all feel the same way and bring the problem up at your next meeting of owners. Try to get the president of the building association involved too.

Contact the bar or club owner again as a group explaining how many people are affected.

READ ALSO – ‘La comunidad’: What property owners in Spain need to know about homeowners’ associations

Find out if the club is entirely legal

Perhaps the bar or club hasn’t followed all the rules correctly, so it’s important to find out if the establishment as a whole is legal.

Check that the nightclub or leisure venue has all the necessary permits for this type of business such as opening and activity licences. This information can be obtained from the City Council.

The premises must have adequate soundproofing, but often because a licence is needed to carry out the works, they don’t bother.

If any of these are not in order, then you can report them to your local town hall.

Check closing times

Another point you can check is if the venue is closing when it should be. You can contact your local ayuntamiento to find out when this should be.

Stand outside the bar or club at closing time and see if they shut their doors at the correct time. If not, call the police so that they can witness the infringement.

Closing time means that there shouldn’t be any clients or workers left in the building at that time. Even if the door is shut, but the staff are still inside, it still counts as breaking the rules.

Contact the police

If the noise problem still continues after these steps, it’s necessary to bring in the police. They can carry out their own checks to see if any laws are being breached and hear the problem it’s causing for you and your neighbours.

If the noises resume when the local police leave, call them again. It’s your right to be able to sleep and relax if the clubs are breaking the law.

If you have the support of other neighbours, you can coordinate making the calls so the police receive complaints from more than one person in the building.

The record of the police report will be very useful in filing a report if you need to take your case to court.

Contact the owner again

If the owner still isn’t complying, even after the police have been to talk to them several times, you need to put your complaint to them in writing again, stating all the steps you have taken and the laws they are breaking.

Again mention how it is detrimental to the health of you and your neighbours. Send it via Burofax so that you have legal proof that the owner has received it.

Report the venue to the City Council

Report the noise pollution to the City Council, and demand that they enforce the Municipal Ordinances and Regulations.

Contact a lawyer

If all else fails, it’s time to contact a lawyer and file an official complaint to the courts. Keep in mind, this may be a long and stressful process and it may be costly for you too.

Url copied to clipboard!