The important steps involved are described in this article; if the advice given is taken and you do the necessary work (some effort is necessary for what is, after all, a major investment), there will be no problems and you will maximise your marketing potential. However - and this cannot be emphasised too strongly - if you are lazy and think that good renters are going to rush to book your beautiful villa while you sit waiting for the phone to ring, you will be left with an expensive, empty investment.

'La Petunia' beach in Marbella, had a visitor earlier this week as a whale beached itself  from the depths of the Mediterranean. Weighing in at three tons and measuring some 15 metres in length, it was the largest whale ever to be seen off the Southern Peninsular of Spain, and is more commonly found in the Alborán Sea, the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean, lying between Spain to the north and Morocco to the south.

Thousands of people witnessed the record breaking whale on the beach. However the mood soon turned to upset, as it became clear that the animal was dying, and rescuing it would difficult. Marine experts in small boats desperately tried to return the whale to the sea, but due to bad health and sheer size, the odds were heavily stacked against them. After hours of hard work on Wednesday the whale sadly died.

Ignacio Trillo of the The Regional Environment Councillor said that an autopsy would be carried out to determine the exact cause of death. The last incident if this kind was witnessed last September, when a 14 metre long Finback whale, weighing an estimated 20 tons arrived dead on the beach in the Province of Cádiz.

Culture

The view of Spaniards as relaxed people with a mañana attitude is, to varying degrees, beginning to change. The heat of southern areas, such as Andalusia, means the siesta is still very much a part of traditional Spanish life, but the cities are the hubs of 24/7 activity that you'll find all over Europe, Spaniards, of course, never loose their contagious knack for enjoying life.

Moving to Spain
RELOCATION CHECKLIST

If you have made the decision and are moving to the sunny climate of Spain here are some important things that need doing, mostly common sense but you may find a few things here you did not think to do. The checklist contains things to do before coming to Spain and things that need to be done once you have arrived in Spain.

Start taking Spanish lessons!  Get all the family involved

Get a new E111 form from the Post Office to be eligible for free emergency health treatment (E111 forms are due to be replaced by the European Health Insurance Card or EHIC).& If unemployed get an E106 form, while pensioners and those on invalidity benefit will need form E121 (see “In Spain” section for more details about Spanish healthcare). You will need an E111 even if you’re there for a short visit