Hi all

We are planning on moving to Lanzarote and are unsure as to which property to go for.

There is myself, wife and 2 young boys to house. We have family in Puerto Del Carmen and want to be near by. We are currently looking at two options

1) A very nice two bed apartment with sea views , balconies and communal heated pool in Puerto Del Carmen with no mortgage needed

2) A 4 bed villa in Tia's which is about 4 miles inland from Puerto Del Carmen but 100k mortgage would be needed

The concerns with the apartment are, small confined space and only two bedrooms . Noisy environment

The concerns with the villa would be, children and wife feeling isolated while im at work . Not within walking distance to the entertainment and services etc

Any advice would be appreciated

How about something in between a two or three bed freehold house a few miles inland no mortgage.

Buy a house, I have owned both here in the Canary Islands. Apartments are for holidaymakers, they are noisy, dirty communal areas, community never want to fund repairs or maintenance.

Rent at first whilst you find a house that you can afford, it is a buyers market at the moment here in the Canary Islands, providing you keep way from the tourist areas.

Apartments are noisy, the scraping of chairs will drive you mad. Go for a villa or townhouse.

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Some people prefer an apartment. What do you currently live in?

I live in a house but I don't mind flat life. The apartments that we are looking at are high end ones which look like they are maintained very well including the communal areas. I think my concerns mostly lie with the suitability for my children's upbringing.

Life is about choices:
There are pros and cons to living in Spain
There are pros and cons to a flat

You may find your kids enjoy living closer to other kids and amenities?
You could look for a larger three bed flat?
As always, why not try rental before you buy?

For me it's all about location whether in a flat, townhouse or villa.
What is essential to me is that I have access to amenities without the need to drive. On the other hand others prefer isolation.

In your position I think I would rent first to establish what location suited me best and then buy.
I would also consider what is best for the boys as they get older, eg schooling, nearby activities/sports/amenities etc. What seems ideal now may not suit in a few years time and buying/selling in Spain is not cheap.

I agree rent at first, we rented and eventually settled on a completely different island 200 miles away from our first choice.

Location is all. Choose the right location and then buy what you can afford.

Personally, I would never choose anywhere remote and without lots to do within walking distance. Your kids whilst growing up will want sports centres and other amenities.

Yes, apartments can be noisy but with two young kids in the place you're the ones who will be creating it :-) Seriously, if the place is residential with middle/older aged permanent residents, be ready for some battles with neighbours, well the Brits anyway, the Spanish tend to be more easy going.