Are you over 65 and still working?

If you are serious about receiving the best financial advice in Spain, chances are any adviser you choose will recommend that, in the absence of a committed property investment strategy, you do not invest too heavily in Spanish real estate.

However, for the enthusiastic expat who has recently fallen in love with the country and the idea of owning a small piece, or perhaps a larger chunk, of its picturesque and romantic charms, it can be hard to resist.

But the truth is that there is often a reason why a property might be going at a bargain basement rate. For example, investment in whole abandoned villages in isolated locations such as Aragón and Galicia has recently become something of a phenomenon, when the reality is that the outlay, which can be under €100,000, will buy you little more than a dilapidated shell without water, gas, electricity, telephone or internet services. So, making your bargain purchase habitable in these circumstances is likely to cost at least ten times as much the initial purchase price.

What is the most important aspect of your work, in relation to clients, or the part of your day-to-day role which gives you the most satisfaction?

I don’t have direct contact with clients unless they visit head office, and that’s become far less frequent over the last 18 months – I suppose the head office team are my clients and it’s my job to support them. As office receptionist my role has changed a lot since more of the day to day business interactions are taking place online and not face to face. But I keep busy by helping everyone in the office in whatever way I can, even if that’s just keeping them supplied with coffee! I get real satisfaction from being part of a team and knowing that I can help to ease someone else’s workload and make their day a little bit better.