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Hello, we are aiming to move to within 2021 and looking for advices and feedback on Chiclana

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:07pm
6 replies538 views5 members subscribed
AladdinK

Posts: 7

Joined: 11 Oct 2020

Hi, My name is Aladdin, and my partner and I are looking to move into Chiclana from Ireland within the next year. 
I would appreciate it if we can get some contacts or inside tips and experiences from some of you who already bravely did this move. 

looking to know how cosmopolitan Chiclana is, feedback after moving there. pros and cons. 

Thank you in advance and hopefully to be meeting ye soon

Kind Regards, 
Aladdin 

Concept Architectural Workshop

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:02am

Posts: 70

41 helpful points

Joined: 12 Feb 2019

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:02am

Aladdin,

Good morning, Im from county Clare (Ennis) and moved to Chiclana 2 years ago after spending 8 years in London to open our Architectural Practice. On moving to Chiclana to my Spanish wife's home place, I had no previous expectation other than I knew I was promised the sun.

2 years on and still learning Spanish, but I love it here. My Irish family and my friends from all over the world who come to visit us, also love it for its peacefulness in the off peak Season (October-May) while also enjoying the great weather. The peak seasons (June-September) are busy but for me enjoyably busy, great energy, not the crazy intense busy that you would expect in Malaga and other resorts for instance.

Personally, I find Chiclana a very safe area, but like every town or city in the world, there are nice areas, and not so nice areas. But you will notice it is difficult to find the not so nice areas.

Chiclana is a small town and when ever you feel the need to venture out, it is very well connected with some beautiful historical town & villages close by. In terms of food, all I can say is; Chiclana makes my cloths shrink. Great selection for great value. All in all its an amazingly tranquil town.

Now the negative.  Properties & Housing.

Over the years Chiclana council allowed, or turned a blind eye to many thousands of illegal construction in and around chiclana. As my wife and I are Architects, a high volume of our works are dealing with residents trying to register their (illegal) properties. The most surprising aspect is that many property agents, landowners, and some legal representatives, assured the potential buyers that the properties were legal and registered with the council but after purchasing and contracts signed and new owners would then find out in fact it was not. The most obvious sign is if the property does not have connection to the foul sewers or has public water mains, they are the main sign the property is consider Illegal by the local council.

But dont despair, in the last 10years, Chiclana council, has been making a massive effort to correct the wrongs of the past, and are in some ways proactive in assisting residence in registering/urbanising their properties.  

The final negative is the construction standards. As this is our profession, we deal with this daily and it is a difficult. Whether you are considering buying, or building new, make sure you get a 'Conditions Report' to evaluate the existing property, and in the case of a new site, make sure to get a lawyer (outside Chiclana) to guide you through the process, along with a feasibility study to confirm that you are in fact legally allowed to build on the property (getting a second option other than the land owner or seller).

Of course, we can recommend persons whom we have worked with in the past and whom can answer any further queries relating to property purchasing aspects and conditions report/feasibility studies.

On a final note, life is at a different pace here, but you will always enjoy the great weather, food, and beaches as you speak with you Irish friends or family complaining about how its still raining. (this is what my family do daily).

If you have any further queries, please dont hesitate to contact us on;

[email protected]

Adrian & Angela

AladdinK

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2020 11:14am

AladdinK

Original Poster

Posts: 7

Joined: 11 Oct 2020

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2020 11:14am

Concept Architectural Workshop wrote on Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:02am:

Aladdin,

Good morning, Im from county Clare (Ennis) and moved to Chiclana 2 years ago after spending 8 years in London to open our Architectural Practice. On moving to Chiclana to my Spanish wife's home place, I had no previous expectation other than I knew I was promised the sun.

2 years on and still learning Spanish, but I love it here. My Irish family and my friends from all over the world who come to visit us, also love it for its peacefulness in the off peak Season (October-May) while also enjoying the great weather. The peak seasons (June-September) are busy but for me enjoyably busy, great energy, not the crazy intense busy that you would expect in Malaga and other resorts for instance.

Personally, I find Chiclana a very safe area, but like every town or city in the world, there are nice areas, and not so nice areas. But you will notice it is difficult to find the not so nice areas.

Chiclana is a small town and when ever you feel the need to venture out, it is very well connected with some beautiful historical town & villages close by. In terms of food, all I can say is; Chiclana makes my cloths shrink. Great selection for great value. All in all its an amazingly tranquil town.

Now the negative.  Properties & Housing.

Over the years Chiclana council allowed, or turned a blind eye to many thousands of illegal construction in and around chiclana. As my wife and I are Architects, a high volume of our works are dealing with residents trying to register their (illegal) properties. The most surprising aspect is that many property agents, landowners, and some legal representatives, assured the potential buyers that the properties were legal and registered with the council but after purchasing and contracts signed and new owners would then find out in fact it was not. The most obvious sign is if the property does not have connection to the foul sewers or has public water mains, they are the main sign the property is consider Illegal by the local council.

But dont despair, in the last 10years, Chiclana council, has been making a massive effort to correct the wrongs of the past, and are in some ways proactive in assisting residence in registering/urbanising their properties.  

The final negative is the construction standards. As this is our profession, we deal with this daily and it is a difficult. Whether you are considering buying, or building new, make sure you get a 'Conditions Report' to evaluate the existing property, and in the case of a new site, make sure to get a lawyer (outside Chiclana) to guide you through the process, along with a feasibility study to confirm that you are in fact legally allowed to build on the property (getting a second option other than the land owner or seller).

Of course, we can recommend persons whom we have worked with in the past and whom can answer any further queries relating to property purchasing aspects and conditions report/feasibility studies.

On a final note, life is at a different pace here, but you will always enjoy the great weather, food, and beaches as you speak with you Irish friends or family complaining about how its still raining. (this is what my family do daily).

If you have any further queries, please dont hesitate to contact us on;

[email protected]

Adrian & Angela

Hi Adrian and Angela, 

Thank you for the detailed reply. appreciate that. I will get back to you on your email. 

Kind Regards,
Aladdin

loscanos

Posted: Mon Nov 2, 2020 7:26am

Posts: 62

27 helpful points

Joined: 20 May 2018

Posted: Mon Nov 2, 2020 7:26am

Rent first, then get a good bi lingual solicitor. Temple Cambria in Conil. Learn Spanish! Buying a property can be fraught with problems, only discovered after purchasing,

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AladdinK

Posted: Tue Nov 3, 2020 1:17pm

AladdinK

Original Poster

Posts: 7

Joined: 11 Oct 2020

Posted: Tue Nov 3, 2020 1:17pm

loscanos wrote on Mon Nov 2, 2020 7:26am:

Rent first, then get a good bi lingual solicitor. Temple Cambria in Conil. Learn Spanish! Buying a property can be fraught with problems, only discovered after purchasing,

Thanks Loscanos. 
Renting is a possibility for sure. we are learning Spanish already as we both seeking to integrate in Chiclana. 
Heard about the hassle reagrding properties but I am positive we'll research it right. 

Appreciate your answer.

Al

JackieTR

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:20pm

Posts: 7

2 helpful points

Joined: 11 Aug 2020

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:20pm

Hi and best of luck with your plans.

I moved here from Dublin 4 years ago, not having had any prior knowledge of Chiclana.  I had lived in Spain before (7 years total, Madrid, Girona and Barcelona).

The beaches are beautiful for sure, and the climate pretty good ... but it's a whole other level of damp, so be well prepared to cope with that in the winter (and, of course, the humidity in summer).

I do find it extremely homogenous in terms of there being a lack of mult-cultural / multi-ethnic inhabitants, which I find a bit disappointing if unsurprising.  I miss the variety that comes from living in a place with lots of different cultures and races plus the richness that brings to a community. 

It depends what your priorities are really, I guess, but I'm aware that your query asked whether Chiclana could be considered Cosmopolitan.  There is a community of British people, and of course a smattering of Irish, Germans and Dutch.

Bureaucratically speaking, it's Kafka-esque |-D so be sure to have good legal advice on anything and everything you undertake - choose well as the laws vary from town to town so you need a lawyer and Gestor who is very versed in the law here.

That's my tuppence ha'penny's worth!  

AladdinK

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:11pm

AladdinK

Original Poster

Posts: 7

Joined: 11 Oct 2020

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:11pm

JackieTR wrote on Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:20pm:

Hi and best of luck with your plans.

I moved here from Dublin 4 years ago, not having had any prior knowledge of Chiclana.  I had lived in Spain before (7 years total, Madrid, Girona and Barcelona).

The beaches are beautiful for sure, and the climate pretty good ... but it's a whole other level of damp, so be well prepared to cope with that in the winter (and, of course, the humidity in summer).

I do find it extremely homogenous in terms of there being a lack of mult-cultural / multi-ethnic inhabitants, which I find a bit disappointing if unsurprising.  I miss the variety that comes from living in a place with lots of different cultures and races plus the richness that brings to a community. 

It depends what your priorities are really, I guess, but I'm aware that your query asked whether Chiclana could be considered Cosmopolitan.  There is a community of British people, and of course a smattering of Irish, Germans and Dutch.

Bureaucratically speaking, it's Kafka-esque |-D so be sure to have good legal advice on anything and everything you undertake - choose well as the laws vary from town to town so you need a lawyer and Gestor who is very versed in the law here.

That's my tuppence ha'penny's worth!  

Thank you Jackie,


That is very intresting. I'll be contacting you shortly.

Kind Regards,

Aladdin


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