We'd all love a sunny overseas retreat, but, before you get carried away with visions of sangria around the pool, a few pertinent questions should be asked. In the first of our Ask Away features, Mark Bowers, operations director at MS Spain answers our questions.

Where are the new hotspots in Spain?

The traditionally popular areas of Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol continue to attract both private buyers and investors. There are signs, however, that some areas of the Costa del Sol are beginning to enter a period of slowdown in terms of price inflation after sustained growth over recent years.

The newest "boom" area is probably the Costa Calida; the coastal area directly south of the Costa Blanca. In recent years, the area has seen significant investment in new infrastructure, particularly the road network, and a new international airport is planned for 2006/07.

The area has always been popular with the Spanish, particularly the coastal area around Mar Menor. There are now large areas of new development being undertaken and growing potential for the investor market.

The northern Costas, Dorada and Brava, have always been popular with the UK and German holiday markets, but have never managed to keep pace with their larger neighbours when it comes to the international property market.

The remaining coastal areas of Costa de Almeria (south of Costa Calida), and Costa de la Luz (between Gibraltar and the Portuguese border), are both tipped as hotspots, and indeed are already attracting developers and investors. Both will, however, require some investment in local amenities and infrastructure before they become serious rivals to the more established regions.

We know that Spanish IVA tax and legal costs add around 10% to a purchase price, but what many buyers forget is that a Spanish bank account and ID number is compulsory. How do you get an ID number?

Neither of these is a difficult task. Spanish bank accounts can be opened by visiting any high street branch in Spain, or you can even do it through your local bank in the UK; most of them have arrangements with Spanish Banks, and some have their own Spanish divisions. One word of warning, Spanish banking charges tend to be higher than in the UK, and the basis on which charges are made varies from bank to bank. I have heard of one bank charging 7 Euros for every cash machine withdrawal. So make sure you know the scale of charges and to what they apply.

Your NIE (National Identification Number) is obtained from the main police station in any major town. All you need is your passport, and you can fill in the necessary forms at the police station. It might be advisable to take along a couple of photocopies of your passport, as this will speed up the process.

If you're buying off plan, making staged payments, and you sell on before completion, who pays the final payment figure and are you penalised for selling the property on?

This is very much a case of reading and understanding your purchase contract, preferably before you sign it!

Firstly, developers are putting increasing restrictions on the sale of properties prior to completion. The potential danger for developers comes from selling a high proportion of properties within any one project to investors. It is possible that, having completed the scheme, the developer will be faced with large numbers of empty units, all with sale boards outside.

In selling a property prior to completion, you are effectively selling the contract and the obligations within that contract, so the responsibility for future payments will fall to the purchaser. However, it is important that you seek legal advice because under Spanish law, the purchaser, vendor and developer all have obligations in such a situation.

How do you check if a Spanish developer is solvent and get a banker's guarantee to safeguard your staged payments?

My advice would be never to undertake a purchase where a bank guarantee is not forthcoming. Also, beware of developers who want to charge an "administration fee" for evidence of such a guarantee; I am aware of fees of 6,000 Euros being charged for such documentation.

Details of the bank guarantee should be included in the purchase contract.

Although a bank guarantee cannot be taken as an absolute indication of the developer's solvency, the fact that a bank has issued such a guarantee provides the protection you require should the worst happen. Of course, you can also obtain a copy of the developer's accounts.

If you have a question to put to Mark, call MS Spain: 0113 258 8777

Manning Stainton is Leeds' biggest independent property agency and was voted "Best Estate Agent in the UK 2002" by the Home Sale Network.