Buying a Spanish registered car for Menorca

[clubjoker]

Because of the high cost of car hire in peak season (cost me £900 for two weeks last summer), I'm considering buying an old car to keep on the island.

To keep things simpler, I'm looking at Spanish-registered vehicles.

Are there any special restrictions on vehicles on the island? Any gotchas that I should watch out for?

One old van I'm looking at is registered with a number plate starting MA (for Marbella) then a number - which I gather from Wikipedia is the old numbering system used in Spain. Would that need to be re-registered with a plate starting IB to be kept in Menorca? Are there any issues with buying a car on the mainland and moving it to Menorca - is it as simple as taking it on a ferry?

I would be grateful for any tips and experience you have on this. Thanks!

John

[ladyrose]

Hi John I think Steve will be the best to advise on this.

Just don't be too hasty.

[Slartibartfast]

is it as simple as .....

It is never as simple as .. in Spain unless you were born and bread there
A friend of mine had trouble buying a car because the first name on their deeds of their jointly owned house was his but the first name on the councils documentation was his wife's.

It is not as simple as in the UK, I think you would be better off getting help with the paperwork.

First you need to work out if it would be cheaper to buy or rent. Take the full cost over two or three years, cost to buy + tax + insurance + maintenance + storage + .... A guide line of 8 to 10 weeks use is useful. Less than that and its cheaper to rent.

If you want help I have a very good Spanish friend in Mahon who I can put you in contact with.

[Shuggie]

I bought an old Corsa (first shape) it cost me €1000 and is perfect for what we need. I'm lucky that I can park it at the house when we are not there so that saves on storage. Second hand cars are expensive on the island, but why would you need anything big or flash, is only going to get shunted around when parked on the streets. My corsa has paid for itself in the 18 months I've had it. Best time to buy is winter as there is nothing for sale in the summer months as the influx of works buy all the cheap stuff for the season. I'll PM you John Swifts number. He runs a car storage business and often has cars for sale. You could also Google http://www.revistautil.com/index.php/Vehiculos just like Gumtree.

[Sue Adderley]

Hi

We've been weighing this one up for years, and until we start spending several months per year there, we're going to carry on renting (even though it costs a fortune in the summer).

If we bought a car, and left it at our apartment, we figured that taxis to and from the airport would cost approx. 300 Euros per year (and we wouldn't have the convenience of going straight to the supermarket on the Poligon when we arrive, and we'd have the uncertainty of whether the taxi would arrive on time when returning to the airport). It would probably cost a similar amount to store in a unit near the airport, say with Poppy Cars, who offer this service.

Then there's the cost and hassle of tax and insurance, and the possibility that the car might not start, or break down, or you could have an accident (or the car may just get battered on a carpark somewhere), which you'd have to deal with. And to top it all off, second-hand cars cost an arm and a leg on Menorca!

So, for ease and convenience we're sticking with renting for the time being, as we know from past experience that if you use the right rental company (for us Poppy Cars), you don't have to worry about any of the above (apart from handing over the dosh for the rental), as it's all taken care of!

Sue

[clubjoker]

Thanks, Steve and Shuggie. That's very helpful.

I didn't expect it to be simple

Ideal would be a runabout with lots of seats. I'm looking at old VW (70s bay window) microbuses, not at all reliable, but 9 seats to take a big family group to the beach, and easy to fix :) Alternative would be a 2000s small car (and hire a second one when needed) - Corsa would be perfect.

I'd probably be willing to pay to get someone to look after it for me, bring it to and from the airport, service and ITV-test it, etc. From what I've read in old threads on the forum, this should cost betwen 600 and 1000 euros a year.

[clubjoker]

Hi

We've been weighing this one up for years, and until we start spending several months per year there, we're going to carry on renting (even though it costs a fortune in the summer).

If we bought a car, and left it at our apartment, we figured that taxis to and from the airport would cost approx. 300 Euros per year (and we wouldn't have the convenience of going straight to the supermarket on the Poligon when we arrive, and we'd have the uncertainty of whether the taxi would arrive on time when returning to the airport). It would probably cost a similar amount to store in a unit near the airport, say with Poppy Cars, who offer this service.

Then there's the cost and hassle of tax and insurance, and the possibility that the car might not start, or break down, or you could have an accident (or the car may just get battered on a carpark somewhere), which you'd have to deal with. And to top it all off, second-hand cars cost an arm and a leg on Menorca!

So, for ease and convenience we're sticking with renting for the time being, as we know from past experience that if you use the right rental company (for us Poppy Cars), you don't have to worry about any of the above (apart from handing over the dosh for the rental), as it's all taken care of!

Sue

Thanks, Sue. Yes, I'm in two minds on this one for the same reasons. Owning a car could be a lot of hassle. I've also got a place in Ciutadella :)

[Slartibartfast]

I believe the going rate for storage is upward of 400.00€ per year. For this you get the car looked after, undercover storage, serviced [at cost] mot'd [at cost] cleaned, delivered to and collected from airport when needed. Also choosing the right company is important as it may well have "perks" included.

But do your sums first and choosing a decent car to start with will probably give you 10+ years use, bringing down the overall cost per year quite a bit.

As has been mentioned Roger at [Poppycars have changed owners] along with Pancho at www.ambercarsmenorca.com and Alex / Laura at www.solcarhire.com come recommended. All three will give you very good service and make sure you are never off the road when your over.

[clubjoker]

More good advice. Thanks, Steve