XTreme

.....would you suggest for the best property bargains?
Ideally we'd like a modernish 3 bed with a little of land if possible.
But we don't want anywhere that doesn't have mains utilities like electric/water/phone etc.....or anything that needs major renovation.
So where do you suggest?....any recommendations or links would be greatly appreciated.

countryboy

There so many areas that meet your requirments, the question now being, Do you want to live on or near the coast? Or Inland? which of the Costa's.
Blanca, Sol, etc. North Costa's or south costa's.

As you can see there will be lots to decide, all areas of Spain have lots to offer, and all meet your requirments.

I would suggest that you check out web sites of property agents that are based in Spain, taking into account the area you would like to see, Then take a two week fact finding tour of the areas that you think you would like to move to and contact agents in those areas to arrang viewing. Give the agents your top price that you are willing to pay for your house, and dont forget that most of the houses that you will be shown will also be on other agents books and quite possible be at a lower or higher price.

Always ask what commission rate is charged and who pays that the buyer or seller, some commissions could be as much as 30,000 euros. there are hundreds of agents here in Spain all are after your money so take care.

If you need any more information then please get in touch.

David

XTreme

Thanks David....we ideally want to live inland away from the major tourist places. But not somewhere that's too remote.
I've scrolled through loads of sites but most of the time I'm going round in circles.
What areas would you suggest to look for the best house for the least money?

coralsoft

Here's another couple of angles to approach from and do filtering:
Do you need access to other countries directly/indirectly or quickly/slowly? This will determine if you need to be near major airports with international connections to the UK for example. (Iberia and BA should have a full downloadable schedule of One World Alliance flights on their websites that can show you how accessible everywhere is by their scheduled flights). I did this recently to deterimine that I've got access < 3 hours to > 25 European cities should I need to work away.

What weather do you want? Hot/warm all year; hot/cold extremes; mild all year; how humid? Do some climate research to exclude areas you don't want to consider.

Do you need work or access to a large commercial centre? Small town sufficient or will you be relying on work in a major business centre?

What culture are you after? The regions all have strong cultures once you're outside the ex-pat community (there's another angle - do you want to be around loads or just a few expats?) and you want to be happy with decisions that might require you to learn non-Castillian tongues to integrate. Music, dance, theatre, fiestas. All vary and all affect just how much you're going to enjoy living in an area. Being continually exposed to 'deep' flamenco singing or asturian bagpipes might turn you into a local grouchy killjoy if you don't like them.

What sorts of foods are you after if you want to eat locally or buy local produce? Whilst most things are available all over through supermarkets, there are probably few Sidrerias (Asturian cider bar/restaurants) in Andalucia and you might become enamoured of decent local plonk in one of the good wine areas, but not get the same deals elsewhere.

Facilities? Do you need schools, further/higher education, theatres, cinemas (with films in English), concert venues, hospitals, etc.

For what it's worth, we spent over a week doing a tour of Castille-Leon in the northern quadrant above Madrid to get a feel for several towns and cities before deciding on the NW corridor out of Madrid and settling on the edge of Madrid. A balance of commercial, transport, facility and other factors for us. We also rented for a long time whilst settling in and before finding a house to buy: 5 months + 2.5 years.

XTreme

Thanks coral....we're now planning to move to Valencia to rent there on a short term basis while looking around.
Any recommendations for rental agencies in that area?

Bryan G. Singer

Before you do that.....if it's not too late.....may I recommend a visit to the south west?

From what you said you don't want to be too close to a tourist/expat trap but not totally isolated.

I'll recommend two areas of interest.

1. Cadiz
2. Huelva

Both are known as the Costa de la Luz but, despite some similiarities, are really quite different beasts.

Both are underexploited as far as commercial development is concerned - Huelva more so - and both areas are attracting growing numbers of discerning expats somewhat disillusioned by the areas of Spain where you can't move for people speaking any language but Spanish (usually English).

In Cadiz, in the areas in the Sierra around Arcos and Medina you have quiet, beautiful areas now with good connections to nearby cities of Cadiz, Jerez and Seville to give you a bit of civilisation. The tourist and expats gather more towards the coastal areas around Chiclana, Conil, Vejer and Zahara but not in the kind of numbers other Costas have suffered.

I know several people who live around Arcos and find no need to become embroiled in the "expat scene". There's airport connections at Jerez, Seville and Gibraltar. If you're really stuck, Malaga airport is only around two hours away.

In Huelva, my preferred option, the Sierra is full of wonderful small villages where you can really connect with the local scene.
Sanlucar on the Guadiana River that separates Spain with its neighbour Portugal is really a beautiful region. Many foreigners have moved into this area but not uncomfortably so. The village itself is very small indeed, so foreigners have bought fincas and homes in quite a wide radius around it so you can get a good mix of being near expats without them living in your pocket. The locals have taken well to the new residents which creates a charming village atmosphere. The council gives newcomers free Spanish classes and children are intergrated easily into the small local school.

There are other villages like this in Huelva. The coastal area although growing in foriegn tourism is still dominted by the domestic market although many expats are moving to the area around Ayamonte, a picturesque town near the International Bridge connecting Spain with Portugal.

Airport wise, you don't have the selection as in Cadiz but Faro is an excellent international airport only 30 mins from the bridge. Alternatively Seville Airport is a little over an hour in the other direction.

What I enjoy is the the ability to get a diverse range of culture and gastronomy here. You can enjoy the passion of Seville, the tranquility of Huelva, the coast of the Algarve. Even Lisbon is only just under three hours away. All of it close by.

True, Huelva restaurants themselves aren't exactly imaginative in the selection they have to offer (every restaurant offers the same 8 or 9 dishes cooked exactly the same!) but the excellent restaurants of Seville are close by as are the excellent Algarve restaurants. Almancil for example near Faro gives the choice of local Portuguese cuisine plus a wide selection of high quality international cuisine from many different countries that would be the envy of any British city outside London.

I've lived in other parts of Spain - Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Almeria and Marbella. I chose here in Huelva as it suited the pace of life I wanted to lead.At first glance it looks quite isolated but the reality is it is quite a good base due to the excellent connections. The only place in Spain I would choose over here is Galicia, but with a climate not too dissimilar to the UK I opted against it.

This is just one opinion and no doubt you will get many other replies from people championing their own part of Spain. If you have the finances (and the time) I suggest you take it all on board and take a mini tour to see for yourselves.

I hope I haven't bored you!!!

Bryan

XTreme

Many thanks Bryan, fantastic detail....I'll check those areas out.
If you've got any relevant links I can follow that would be great.