Hi Ian,
I wasn’t as lucky as others who have posted here regarding an estate agent. I was shown a property, put an offer in and was asked for a deposit by the agent (the wife of the agency owner). I now know that the deposit usually goes directly to the lawyer that you choose. Apart from that she got it wrong with the contract not once but three times. Each time I was either buying not the rural property I put the offer on but a village house, or from one of the owners when there were actually three owners, so I didn’t know if the others even knew about the sale! Then she said that one of them had the power of Attorney so could act for the others but it transpired it wasn’t true.
I also queried something that the daughter had said during the viewing and her mother said, “Oh, she always gets it wrong!”. Wow.
She avoided answering my questions on the property’s legalities but showed me a plan of the property and the wording on what I had seen was a car port as parcamiento (parking) but said that it meant apartment in English therefore as it was registered as such, I could build an extra annex!!!!
Everything that could go wrong did. Obviously I pulled out of the transaction.
I eventually bought in the countryside near Villena in Alicante and I don’t regret my decision. As for opening a b&b, you would need to be near a coastal area or somewhere of historical interest perhaps. In my area we have quite a few castles, which are always popular, in addition to wine producers who do tours, tasting sessions.
Choose somewhere where visitors are likely to find attractions, then you will have clients most of the year.
Good luck with your adventure. Do let us know how you get on.
Janice