Property Lanzarote is situated less than 80 miles off the coast of Africa. The direct translation of Lanzarote is Lancelot. The original name of Lanzarote was Tite-Roy-Grata, which translates to rose-colored hill. Lancelloto Malocello who arrived on the island in 1312 is first credited for discovering the island to the European countries. It is the most easterly of the Canary Islands. The island itself is 37 miles long and only 12 miles wide. This makes it the fourth largest island in the Canary Island string.
The climate of Lanzarote is mild and dry. The average temperatures are in the low 70’s to the mid 80’s. The annual rainfall for the island is minimal at just under 6 inches per year. The chances of having your holiday in Lanzarote rained out are minimal. Lanzarote is volcanic in origin, which is similar to the other islands in the Canary family.
The island’s most recent eruptions occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries. This gives certain parts of the island an outer space appearance. Because the climate is dry, which is ideal for erosion protection, the volcanic appearance looks not much different than when the eruptions originally occurred.
The longest volcanic tunnel in the world resides on the island. It is called the Atlantida Tunnel. It is over 7 km long and includes the Jameos del Agua and the La Cueva de los Verdes. In spite of the volcanic activity, Lanzarote has two white beaches, one is Papagayo and the other is Playa Blanca.
Lanzarote has very strict zoning laws. You will not see one billboard on the entire island. This is because they are not allowed. You will only see one high rise building, the Grand Hotel in Arrecife. High rises are not allowed either.
Buying Lanzarote Real Estate
The real estate market in Lanzarote has really picked up in the last few years. People from the United Kingdom and other places have been purchasing more homes abroad for vacationing, or holiday. If you plan on making a purchase, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind.
The rules for real estate are very different in Lanzarote than most places in the world. Just like for any property purchase, you need to do as much research as possible. The laws are very different from the ones in the UK and the United States. One of the biggest differences is a problem of unpaid bills for the seller. If there are any unpaid bills on a property and that property was to change hands, the new owner would be responsible for paying those unpaid bills. That’s right; the old owner may receive more than just the proceeds of the sale. You are volunteering to keep paying their bills potentially.
If you are nervous about the buying a property in Lanzarote, it is recommended that you hire an attorney or solicitor to handle this matter for you while you are there. The same property can have multiple estate agents. The fun part about this is that each agent may have a different price for the same property. So you may need to speak with more than just one agent. You may be able to get a better deal on the same property just by using a different agent.
The rules for real estate are basically the same in many parts of the world; the same goes for property in Lanzarote. You can trust people, just verify the information. You can never have enough information or ask too many questions. Have a safe and happy house hunting journey.
(New site)