Costs & Charges

[prospect999]

Hi Jon +  Sarah      thanks  for the info.

B+S

[P and F]

Jon and Sarah

Gracilia in the Sales Office was talking about the Security Team who are on duty 24/7.

Fiona 

[JON AND SARAH]

Hi Pete and Fiona

Do you think we can have a say on this when the community is formed.

Jon and Sarah

[elizabeth]

As some of you know I own a home in Florida and can tell you that the resort homeowners charges are split into various areas. Villas, townhomes and overall is called the masters.
Masters charges everyone the same and is resposible for Security, general alndscaping the tennis courts, basket ball and picnic ares kiddies lot and the communal pool and clubhouse, street lighting. with Security being the biggest cost. The cost there are 338 units withing the community and we pay $300 per quarter.
As I own a villa I also within our general areas we pay for trash collection, landscaping of lawns.shrubs, trees and sidewalks. Eash subdivision has its own board and Management company and the fees for this currently are $282 per quarter.
Do not be surprised if the fees are split into areas and we each have 2 lots to pay with apartments paying more than villas for there areas as it will include charges for the maint of lifts and pools, building insurance and maint etc which a villa owner will pay individually for there own home.
3000 euros per annum does not sound a lot to me providing that is the total?

[JON AND SARAH]

Hi Elizabeth.

We have had a house in Spain for 7 years.  We have found that the community charges vary from community to community.  Based on what we have seen we think the charges should be around 1000 euros per year.  Labour charges in this area are a lower than other parts of Spain and certainly the USA.
We think the following rough sum for the security.

3 Security guards.  1 on each entrance.  1 on mobile patrol.

Labour rate 8 euros per hour times 3 = 24 euros per hour times 24= 365 euros times 365 days = 210240 euros.  Divided by 1000 properties approx = 210 euros per property.

Added to this would be the general site maintenance, then extra for the pools, lifts etc.

What do you think.

Jon and Sarah

[terrypat10]

hi,this is terry,i also own a villa in florida and i am pretty sure the total cost for all community charges,taxes,security, water,refuse,pool maintenance,and other incidentals will be between 3250 & 4000 euros per year for a 3 bed green apartment,for the first 2 years every one will be charged at rate which will not be enough,the boards always under estimate the costs to start with,as bthe comunity grows costs may drop a bit,but it is very important to build up a good sum of money in the kitty as soon as possible,in my experience as the resort grows so do the number of people who default,this and high security charges,will always keep costs high,one other important issue in getting value for money is to install an owners elected board as soon as possible.

[elizabeth]

Hi Jon and Sarah
8 euros an hour does not seem much are you thinking the community would employ guards direct if so that will likely not be allowed. If this is what a company would charge it seems ridiculously low and one would have to ask what sort of person would work for around 4 or 5 euros an hour.

I have 2 friends who own on La Finca Golf Resort and his community is controlled by a master and then areas are subdivided the one who owns a villa only has the master but the one friend who owns a townhome is in one of the subdivisions and they have there own presidente and committee resposible for their pool area and electric gates and also permissions on things like adding awnings and satelite dishes etc in his area there are around 20 townhomes.

If UG does not get split into subdivisions then the committee could be extremely busy and not cope when people want to do things that may or may not be acceptable to the community as a whole remember when homes are rented out owners are still responsible for the guests behaviour and what happens when a block of flats have towels or washing hanging over balconies, which I assume no one wants

[Gazza7]

Why is everyone guessing at the charges, why not just wait and see. We were quoted at approx €600 per year although we would not be surprised if the costs were a little higher, after reading the boards people are starting to quote upto €4000 per year, I don't understand where these figures come from, at this rate of inflation god knows what figures will be quoted by completion.

Gary + Tricia

[valerie]

Hi All

We agree with Garry and Trish regarding the community costs.  The figures now being mentioned seem way over the top of what we are expecting to pay, somewhere in the region of €1000 to €1200 per annum.

Val and Paul.

[JON AND SARAH]

Hi Elizabeth.

Having owned a security company for the past 20 years and having it reach the highest security standard in the UK, the costs at a Euro to pound ratio are not unreasonable.  As a security company in the UK we had to check our employees personal history over the preceding 10 years.  I hope that the same strict code of practice is employed over here.  If not the community could possibly look into employing British security guards.
Would it be possible to ask your friends at  La Finca what they are paying per year.  We could then possibly base our fees on whats happening up there.

Jon and Sarah

[Jastee]

Hi All @ La Tercia

I would also agree with Gary & Trish why not just sit back & wait to see once you have completed the take up of your property .
 
If the estimates from the the forum members posted over the past few days are to be believed I think most of us will be well out of pocket & will not be able to stay at La Tercia

  Charges such as those being quoted on top of your general running cost plus mortgage & living cost would make living here far too expensive for the average person
I personly think the amounts being used here as a starting point for community charges are way above what I was thinking they would be .

      Jim & Rae

[Dave]

Hi All

This is information obtained from a meeting with UGR, this information has been on the La Tercia communidad board since the 1st Oct. We do know that there is the communal area costs to add to these figures, i would think nothing like figures that have recently been mentioned.

***There are budget proposals for Phase 1 communidad fees. links masters etc. some 50 euros a month, Greens and similar apartments with larger communal areas approximately 80 euros a month , villas no communal contribution but a 20 euro a month contribution by all owners including villas to the overall running of the whole resort (roads, lighting, etc.).***

** The communidad budget mentioned does not yet include the cost of the communal area costs for the rest of the development. The costs currently quoted only include the actual properties/block and not the exterior bits i.e dustbins, lighting, exterior green areas, pools etc.** This figure still has to be guesstimated pro-rata***.

For all La Tercia owners who are members of the forum and also owners who have yet to join the forum, just so that you are aware there is a separate discussion board on the forum. On this board there are topic,s that need to be discussed and viewed privately, to that end a private board called "La Tercia Comunidad" has been set up and resides at the top of the boards list.

“Why can’t I see it?” Access is limited to those people that are known owners on La Tercia. No other guest or member can view the content of this board.

If you are a UGR owner and you do not have the community board, please contact a forum administrator who can then update your account with the correct settings.

Role on completion day, and lets have a party

Dave

[elizabeth]

Jon and Sarah
I will ask them and get back to you although I do not think they have security guards at La Finca, well not when I was there in April. Townhomes are built in a square around a communal pool usually 2 sqares of homes for each pool area and Gated (electric)