Land and access

Start here: land and access

The house might be perfect, but if a van can’t reach it after rain, it isn’t. Access is the thing buyers check last and regret first. This page is about the land around the house: the track, the outbuildings and what you can do with the rest.

1. The track

Drive it after rain, not on a sunny afternoon with the agent. Then ask three questions: who owns it, who maintains it, and will a delivery lorry, a septic truck, a water tanker and a fire engine come down it? Rights of way in the Spanish countryside can be informal, and a neighbour’s goodwill isn’t a legal right. My driveway story is the long version, and the day the van didn’t stop is what happens when delivery drivers decide your track isn’t worth it.

2. What you can build around the house

Sheds, pergolas, pools and casitas all come under the same rustic land rules as the house. Some small structures need only a simple notice to the town hall; others need a licence or aren’t allowed at all. Check before you build, and check what’s already there before you buy. What you can build on rustic land covers the rules, and container houses on rustic land answers a question I get a lot. The rules vary by region, so the region guides matter here too: Andalucía, Valencia, Murcia, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Galicia and Extremadura.

Our own pergola took three days, two splinters and one very angry tape measure.

3. Fire

Much of rural Spain is dry scrub and pine, and fire is a real risk. Many regions oblige owners to clear vegetation around buildings, especially near forest. Ask the town hall what applies to the plot, keep the clearance up, and make sure a fire engine could actually reach the house.

4. Flood and erosion

Dry riverbeds (ramblas and barrancos) look harmless most of the year and can carry a torrent after a storm. Check whether the plot or the track crosses one, and where the water goes in heavy rain. Terraces need maintaining, or they collapse.

Before you buy

• Drive the track after rain.
• Find out who owns and maintains it, in writing.
• Check every outbuilding against the licences.
• Ask about fire clearance obligations.
• Look for dry riverbeds and flood paths.

All of these are in my fuller list of checks before buying rural land. The directory lists track and groundworks firms by province.