Mark and Rosalyn arrived with us on Wednesday lunchtime from England, and are members of an increasing group of people – house hunters in Spain! Now that Spanish property prices here have fallen to levels not seen for several years, the possibility of buying a home – whether for a permanent move or for holiday [...]
May 052013
Spanish Property Hunting
We recently received a reservation for a 6 night regional inspection tour, from Andy, who intended to fly here from England, where he had been visiting his daughter. Andy, however, now lives in Canada (although comes from the UK originally) and is interested in the possibility of purchasing a property here on the Costa Blanca. He is one of a growing band of people who are recognising that Spanish property now represents far better value for money than a few years ago, when prices had risen to unrealistic levels.
Andy had done a fair amount of groundwork before arriving here and had contacted various agents to arrange viewings and be shown around the area to make sure that this part of the country would suit him. He arrived with us in the late afternoon on Saturday and took advantage of our evening meal service that night, rather than having to find a restaurant in unfamiliar surroundings. The next day was spent looking at various different types of property, as he did not have fixed ideas of exactly the type of home he was seeking – but knew he would know it when he found it! One thing that was confirmed in Andy’s mind, however, was that he very much liked this area and felt it would suit him well, especially with the number of coastal towns along the Costa Blanca with marinas, since he has a great interest in owning a boat over here also.
On Monday he had appointments with property dealers on the southern fringes of Valencia city and took the opportunity to acquaint himself with the very northern section of the Costa Blanca and the area immediately inland from the city, but found that it was not so much to his liking. Although there were many appealing properties there which offered great value for money, the area itself did not feel so “right” as further south.
On Tuesday he ventured slightly further afield and went south from us towards Denia and Javea to check out the beaches and marinas there and to view several properties he had shortlisted with agents in the area. This time he felt very much more as if this was the right part of the Costa Blanca for him, and the mixture of coastal towns with harbours and marinas, and properties of suitable size and condition seemed very promising. He looked over several homes in the morning and spent the rest of the day exploring several towns along the coast, having dinner down there too.
The rest of his time with us was spent confirming in his mind his initial impressions of the Costa Blanca and the good value properties that are now to be found in the area. He felt that from Gandia southwards towards Denia and Javea showed the most promise for not only the type of Spanish property that would suit him, but also for the sort of towns and villages that appealed the most.
Andy has family in Canada who would also be relocating to Spain, so obviously this was only the first exploratory trip that he was making. He is expecting to return to us later in the year with his wife and two children to see what they think of the Costa Blanca and the properties he has shortlisted for them. We are looking forward to meeting the rest of his family and hope they will like our part of Spain as much as he does.
