Snagging OverEaster - Deep in the Heart of Catholic Ibeira

A typical Easter sunday afternoon on the beach.........

Last Sunday highlighted the interesting Paradox between events held in the Algarve. On the one hand you could witness the sheer power of the World Class Super Bikes held at the ever so spanking new Portimao Motordrome…or a few minutes over the river you could indulge in cultural excellence in the form of the Moldavian National Opera House with their outstanding performance of “ Carmen “

Set in Seville this world famous opera has been performed all over the world – and this weekend in Seville sees the semanta festival which is one of the most important in the Spanish calendar.

In view of the many fiestas taking place in this most important snag free weekend please note the Snagging Overseas head office here in Portugal will be closed over the Easter break from Thursday 1 April until Wednesday 7 April. If you have any queries in the meantime you can direct email traffic to info@snaggingoverseas.com which will be monitored and in emergencies contact 00 351 289 586 581.

We hope at some point during the Easter break that we will receive divine snagging intervention that will clear up the ongoing Electra and utility connections saga!

On behalf of all the worldwide snagging team have a great Easter (and not too much chocolate!)

"Communication...

... let me down", as the song goes, I believe. Sometimes there are moments that highlight just how important communication can be and how upsetting lack of communication can also be!

In Portugal, like in many southern European countries, the attitude towards communication can be very different to the Anglo-Saxon attitude. Imagine you speak to someone one day and you expect for them to email the next. When the next full day is gone and there is nothing you tend to think they've had a busy day. "Surely they'll write something tomorrow" is your thought.

Imagine then that 3 or even 4 days go by and still nothing. Now you know something isn't right! You might, if you're a compassionate soul, imagine - or worry! - that something terrible has happened or that they must have been so busy that it was just not possible to get back to you.

When you do finally reestablish communication you are totally staggered to find that they had every opportunity to contact you but just didn't.

Now you can feel a little - or a lot - foolish. Your plan to drop everything and go over now seems ultra silly. They have no interest after all!

So what do you do? Well firstly, remember it probably is cultural. They do things differently, after all. Well, it might be because you are persona non grata and they just couldn't be bothered to write to you, or it might be because there's just too much else on and your inconveniencing them.

The most common example that we see in Snagging Overseas is with real estate agencies. Some agencies seem to have employees that have clearly lost the ability, or the will, to communicate. And even in the best placed and highly praised agencies you can find them. They might promise things, but you can't be sure they'll keep those promises, regrettably.

Many times people overseas say "Surely they will send us something, even just to say they know nothing!" and it doesn't happen. "Surely they'll make the effort" and when they don't we try and interpret the situation by applying our idea of what we would have done.

This invariably fails. They are different to us. The whole thing is different: different mindset, different attitude and different culture. They might appear the same but they can be radically different!

So are we doomed? Of course not. Is it easy? It can be.

The best advice, when going abroad, be it on holiday or to live, is to adapt adapt adapt. Observe their culture and customs and try to at least understand them. You don't have to practice their customs, but at least you can better understand why they sometimes do what they do. They will seem different once viewed in this light.

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change" as someone once said.

Now we are not advocating an Elizabeth Gilbert like pilgrimage in foreign climes, just a more healthy approach to dealing with the natives. Be patient, try and understand that your reason for moving was to avoid the hectic pace of life in the UK. Our reply, with the greatest of respects, "What did you expect?". It is a stress free life on the Islands because NO ONE is in a hurry. Isn't this why you want to go there? Embrace it for what it is and you will enjoy it even more.

So if communication lets you down, don't fret. Because they won't.  
In the meantime, during the period of transition to carefree person who couldn't care less about communicating, allow us at Snagging Overseas to bridge the gap. We can provide patience to deal with the different companies so you don't have to.

So what is it...?

that has so many wanting to buy overseas? If you're stuck at home, in the cold, wondering what to watch on TV, missing so much what is out there, just beyond your reach, you should know that it might not be that difficult and, above all, that you're not alone, even though it might seem like it.

According to a Mintel survey a couple of years ago, 54% of UK adults stated that they would like to buy a property abroad in the next five years. This is a staggering number. Of these people 36% say that they would prefer Spain and the rest are spread across preferences in France, Italy, Portugal, the US - now dropping again as the dollar weakens - and then far away places like Thailand and Cape Verde.

The reasons cited had little to do with the destinations themselves. People wanted to get away. Overcrowding, traffic, crime issues and the cost of living were the main reasons given in the survey.

The Tsunami and 9/11 had contracted the spreading waves of UK buyers, driving them back into the closer destinations. Now, several years on this tendency has remained quite solid and the "established" markets like Spain and The Algarve have benefited from this.

The recent credit crunch clearly can not contract the market geographically, but it is affecting prices. This pressure has driven prices down and so, as we commented in an earlier Blog, we have seen a return to the older, more established markets. Markets where the steady price increases of the past few years had acted as a barrier to many buyers.

This barrier has now dropped and so, at perhaps the worst time for the overseas market, some incredible bargains are starting to emerge. Not only is Spain the NEW Spain, but the Costa del Sol is the new Costa... again.

So if you are one of the people who want to get away some time in the future, make the move sooner rather than later. You will never get value for your money like you can get now.

Examples we have picked up from the Internet of great opportunities:

Property in Costa del Sol - 50% off!

http://www.amazingresorts.co.uk/property.asp?PropertyID=137

Silver Coast, Portugal, Reduced prices

http://www.amazingresorts.co.uk/property.asp?PropertyID=42

Both of these developments are finished and we have snagged some properties there and they are perfect for permanent living.