Kristywil123

Hi
we have just come back from Spain and found a villa (rustic) that we have offered and accepted. I have seen the solicitor and signed a poa -I would really appreciate some advice regarding the location of Montefrio- anyone live near there? What is it like - we only spent a limited time there. The purchase is a holiday home (have two young boys) for mainly holidays in the spring / summer but maybe winter depending on weather - what is the climate like specifically in winter - does this area have a lot of sun ? We know it is cooler looking g at comparison to the coast. Also any thoughts on AFO for property legalisation ?
just wanting some advice overall positives / negatives - particularly elated to weather / overall region thanks 😊

missile

Now you have bought and presumably paid a non-refundable deposit it is a bit late to ask advice :-(

I would not grant PoA.
Spring and Autumn will be very pleasant with lots of outdoor things to do.
Like most high inland areas Montefrio will be hot in summer and cold (muy frío) in winter.
You will need a car.
Nearest airport is Granada, circa 45 minutes.
You will not find many English speakers / ex pats / tourists. Depending on your preference, you may find this good / bad?

Your estate agent might be able to put you in touch with others who live in the area?

Kristywil123

Hi thank you for the reply - I have not yet bought or handed over any deposit - we arrived back yesterday with view to considering further and potentially moving forward with this next week. We liked the area but just wanted some further guidance talking to weather in the winter and also if anyone on this forum already loves there.. thank you

Ronnyone

I would have tried to have got a bit more of this type of information before making an offer but as it is: it is quite a small village by the looks of it. Inland Granada will probably mean it's quite hot in summer ( possibly 40 some times) and similarly cold in winter. It is probably very nice and quiet and has some tourists visiting. I imagine for a holiday home it's fine although as it is not by coast you would probably want somewhere to swim especially if you have kids as I very much doubt that there is much to do in the place after a day or two. The temperatures might be the main problem so I suggest making sure you have AC for summer stays and some kind of heating for the winter as it will be cold especially if it's an old spanish property.

Moses2013

Never been there, I'd agree with others though and looking at area and weather satellite, it will be very dry and hot in summer and can get cold in winter. Of course it's always personal choice but it's easy to get carried away when you get more property for your money. At the end of the day it's cheap for a reason and in Spain it's more about where you can find cooler summers these days and I wouldn't be worried about sun in Spain. We have a holiday home in the North East and even there it's nearly as sunny as Sydney and I'm thankful for the sea breeze in summer and a winter is like a pleasant spring in the South East of England. There is probably a reason why many 2nd home owners with kids want to be closer to the coast. Apart from heat, It might be a bit boring for kids when they get older and if the intention is to retire later on, think about your requirements later in life.

olivefarmer

I live about 30 mins drive away.

Montefrio is very picturesque. The approach at night from the Illora Road is spectacular with the churches and castle illuminated. An even more impressive view is from the little known old Huetor to Montefrio Road. The main church has one of the largest domes in the world - 4th probably.

There used to be a large Brit expat population but like a lot of places it has reduced in recent years.

weather. We have observed summers getting warmer and longer. Expect a few heatwaves of 40C plus. We manage with ceiling fans though we do have air con. Novel for holidays. We don’t generally get much winter rain and it is often sunny. You will need some form of heating at night in the winter.

Has the property got mains water, electricity and internet? Not all rural properties have a mobile signal.

Ronnyone

Yes. If it is cheap you can get carried away with things because compared with uk prices you psychologically think that even if you dont like it it is a bargain .Unfortunately that is a bit of a delusion. If it's cheap it is because no one really considers it worth the price to live there. Not to say that you cant see value in it emotionally but it would be cheap because there really is nothing around it to give it value. That usually means work for Spanish and amenities and services for foreign retirees and shops, bars, restaurants for tourists. Those are the parameters you should consider before going further because once you have bought a place like that it could be hard to sell on ( even at a probable loss) and you could find yourself stuck with a place that has upkeeps is not rentable and you have plonked ten of thousands into. Remember property ( especially in small rural areas are not good investments in Spain- hence the reason why you see what often looks like perfectly okay places totally unihabited.No one can be bothered to pay just to keep them and they are practically worthless). So I suggest you do a bit more research and then ask yourself if you would ( in the worst case) be prepared to maybe not get your money back in the future. Personally if it was only as a holiday home that maybe would be used by family and friends over the years and was not for long periods and cost around 30.000 euros I imagine it would provide a nice little world to go to when you get fed up with uk.

Moses2013

I think I have searched the whole of Spain and still often look on idealista what type of properties are available. I suppose bargain is a big word and buying a holiday home can often be more difficult than buying a permanent home. Apart from not really knowing the area, you have to consider the security situation when you are not there and how rural is the villa? We all know about break-ins and Okupas and then of course there is the danger with fire or flash floods which seem to have hit the town in the past. One day the kids will be teenagers and try keeping them entertained when they complain there is nothing to do.

Kristywil123

Thank you for the feedback and advice - we are just nervous that
1) is it too far away from the coast
2) our intention is not to re sell but you never know and maybe loosing money would be a worry

I have had mixed advice - some we have spoke to have bought inland and love it, equally others have bought inland and now want to move closer to the coast …

we have always holidayed to quiet areas - but having the option to be more accessible to amenities maybe a consideration

not sure what to do now !

Ronnyone

Well as you actually haven't paid the deposit you are only owing the lawyers fees for putting in an offer and probably some paper work. If in doubt , hold off. If the property has been on the market a while it is unlikely to sell quickly and August is usually a dead month for sales due to heat and holidays. So it will still be around for you if you decide to go for it later. If not there will always be others. Secondly dont be talked into anything by the lawyer or agents - ie there is a lot of interest blah blah ( that is always the standard line they give to pressure you). Do more research. Definitely go back for another visit and look at other properties. Buying in slightly remote areas inland always is harder than established coastal places and most foreigners prefer the coast with beaches etc especially if that is your idea of holiday time. Inland is normally for older folk who want something quieter and less busy ( sitting all day reading or strolls in hills). Different strokes for different folks. I would think that a young family from rainy uk would like to be near the sea, with beaches and international food. And remember that driving to coasts in the summer can often take longer even if you only live 20km as everyone heads there during the summer and then parking can be a nightmare. So I would definitely not be in any rush and give it a bit more time.
Finally and perhaps better is that someone will appear here who lives there and be able to give you all the real insight you need. Give the post a few days

Moses2013

Only you can answer if it is too far away from the coast and there will also be many people who aren't bothered with beaches. I don't mind being a bit inland (couldn't afford a house near beach) and we are around 10 mins drive from the coast which is still quiet if we want to escape the madness. Even 30 mins inland can feel like you are in the middle of nowhere and there are cheap properties available, so unless you have a strong connection with the place (family etc.) ask yourself if being 90 mins drive away is worth it if you can have the same 10-30 mins from the coast? Personally I don't see the point of going to a hot sunny country with kids when it's so hot they are stuck inside, seek shade and have no beaches. Of course you also have public swimming pools, it's just not the same and what about other amenities for kids? Again only my opinion:-)

Barriej

If the solicitor is attached to or knows the agent, ignore almost everything he says.

The general rule here is to find a completely independent solicitor even if its 30k away.
And don't listen to either the agent or the solicitor as they will paint a rosy picture (after all the agent is only after his commission anyway).
Unless you trust the solicitor don't give POA unless its in writing just for the house and swapping the utilities over.. Make sure this is stipulated in writing...

We gave ours POA because I couldnt get here to sign (although I was working in Barcelona at the time).
But we had already used them for the NIE and a couple of other things as well (and the FIL uses them as do other friends).

I would never even put an offer in after one viewing, you need to go back at different times of the day.
Stay around for a couple of hours and do this without the agents knowledge.
We spent a couple of years looking around and we have family in this area... And in the end we have a place in a tiny village that we had not even looked at previously.
You alone can decide if its in the right area, what attracts you to it. But don't expect to sell at any speed if its not what you want in the end.

And ask how long its been on the market and look on the websites as these usually have when the ad was placed, if its been on for some time you have to ask why.
You can even check other listings in the area for the same thing (unfortunately Spain doesn't have a version of how much property sold for previously, or I haven't found one)

The place we now live was originally going to be a holiday home, its 2km to the nearest town with a bar, shop and some life.
Supermarkets are 4k away and the coast is about 12k away.
Its perfect for us, but would be boring for kids as there is nothing for miles...