Hi Betty,

Ask to see a copy of the escritura (deeds) If there is no mention of any building on the land at all, walk in the opposite direction.

If there is a registered building and it says almacen, but it's a normal house with bathroom/kitchen etc, this is also illegal. A Spanish family had their 3 bedroom house demolished last month on the Delta, because permission was only ever granted to build an almacen, and you are not allowed to live in them.

If it says 'vivienda' on the escritura and the registered size of the building, then that is a legal house to live in, but also check that it's not any bigger than stated, or you could be in hot water again.

It's a mine field out there, and I can assure you that there are not very many legal viviendas in this area, so be very careful, and like you say on your posting, get legal representation before doing anything.

Regards
Jools