Many people dream of owning a property in Spain. This might be for a holiday home or perhaps a permanent one when they retire. Having a house in the sun and enjoying the Spanish food, culture and lifestyle is an attractive proposition.

How do you do it safely and what does it entail? Our guide to buying property in Spain explains about NIEs and the power of attorney. We outline what you need to know about the private contract and what’s involved in signing the title deed.

For this and more information read our article:

One of the most burning issues for many people who’ve moved to Spain from another country is what healthcare they are entitled to and how they can access it.

In this article David Ruiz explains about the difference between a temporary and permanent health card and how important it is that you ensure you have arranged the health care you need, not just for now, but for what might happen in the future:

Healthcare in Spain: How to protect your health

With concern mounting over the number of knife crimes in some cities around the world, it’s no wonder that there was more than a little anxiety caused by the sight of someone brandishing a knife on the metro train in Madrid.

However, it turned out that the young man was only sharpening the large carving knife that he uses as a profesional ham cutter. Whether he should have been doing this on the tube is another matter and, as this article explains, he may still face charges:

Do you have a mortgage in Spain?

If you do, you might be wondering if it’s worth paying it off at a quicker rate than you need to. In this article from Money Saver Spain they explain about mortgage overpayments and ways in which you can calculate the best option for you:

It can feel as though the mobile phone companies are very quick to catch your business but less enthusiastic about looking after you once they have. Now it’s The Local who give us a breakdown of what their readers think of the different providers and what their strengths and weaknesses might be:

Spain seems to suffer quite a lot from invasive species. Whether they’re plants or animals that have found their way to Spanish shores, they seem to do well here and force out some of the native species.

In this article by the Guardian we hear about the blue crab which has made an entrance into Spanish waters, to the detriment of the native varieties. With extermination not an option perhaps it’s up to us to make sure that we help out the local fishermen and put crab on the table:

‘It devours everything’: the crab that hitched a ride to Spain