Hey guys my family and I have finally decided to buy a holiday home in spain. Now after looking at numerous sites such as prime location etc etc. And talking to numerous agents such as Girasol homes I am so confused. It seems as the housing market in spain has taken a tremendous hit and now would be the best time to buy. However I have no idea where. Our budget is 150,000 euros and we would like a nice villa with its own pool in an area which is close to the sea and near amenities.

I have looked at numerous areas such as camposol,sierra golf resort in murcia, regions of alicante but when i go on other websites some say the areas are great whereas other say they are rubbish. Can you guys please list recommendations.

Has to have 3-4 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
close to the sea
close to amenities
its own private pool

budget is 150,000 euros

Thanks

Put quite simply....

Even in a crisis with a list of requirements like that and such a small budget you're only going to get a place that has seen much better days, unless of course you buy on somewhere like Camposol....good luck with that one!

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

You will get opposing comments about every area, even asking on here, what suits one will nor suit another. You best bet it to pick a couple of areas, and go have a look around and just see what the area has to offer. The problem is that no-one on here knows wha sort of lifestyle you want to lead, do you want great nighlife, do you want quiet, do you want to be with other expats or away from them?

Your money will go further in some areas than others so this could also affect your destination. Other things to consider for example is whether you want to be amongst a lot of Brits, large or small urbanisation, away from people, with the Spanish, scenery, mountains, wildlife, nightlife, shopping areas etc etc.

Rosemary

Hi

Perfectly possible in Chiclana - but it will be an illegal property though - we have degrees of legality here

Davexf

and forget Almeria as well, even coastal properties aren't fully legal.
there are thousands of properties which seem to have the full paperwork and a solicitor will tell you that its ok - but many town halls have issued occupancy certs for properties which are small plots on rustic land.

get a good solicitor, not one from the seller, nor one from their agent, one that will work for you and with your interest.
I came within a squeek of such a situation where there is no chance of it being made legal in the next 20 years - unless the law of the land is changed to allow all and sundry to built what they want where they want.

So, the cheaper the property the greater the risk. the longer it has been on the market the more others have found out about its illegality and walked away. And be very careful about the true quality of build. Even "new" properties can be falling apart - have seen several like that, and the builder won't be around to rectify the problems. Spain has a "concrete culture", cover the cracks in a thin layer of concrete and move on to the next one.

however, there are some good properties around but you may not end up with one this year, especially if you consider what they may be like when the sun goes away and the rain starts coming down.

Good luck

It depends what you mean by "new".

All properties built since 2002 have a 10 year warranty backed, not by the builder, but by expensive insurance. They also have to be inspected by civil engineers (unconnected with the architect involved in the project) at all stages of the construction and signed off by them before the insurance can be issued.

You cannot sell a house without the 10 year insurance - the notary will not allow it and the property cannot be registered.

whilst that opens out the discussion a bit (hopefully for the good) Fred, having looked at some properties in Turre which the builder is trying to offload I have some doubts about the quality of the insurance once they have left site

perhaps I have misused or stretched the definition of "new", but when people have had their utilities turned off because the builder hasn't paid the provider the infrastructure charges how sure can you be about the quality of the build insurance or that it is worth the paper it is printed on.

as I have already stated elsewhere, I walked from a "dream" property that had ALL docs including habitation but was on illegally segmented rural land. How did the Notary and one or two abogado's let that slip through when it was built ??

There are some beautiful properties in Spain, it is a nice place to have a retirement or holiday home. Just be very very careful. There are many people out there (not just gullible Brits) who have bought a house they can't get rid of, but then you know that.

Caveat Emptor.

I refer you to the thread about there being no bribery in Spain..

find it amazing that in some parts of Andalucia there are so many estate agents still advertising, still claim to be selling.
their total lack of professionalism and customer care actually took me breath away - but no longer.
now I just look at all estate agents as gibbering incompetants and always take a block of salt with me.

the house we withdrew from is now back on the market again, so they can all carry on looking for a mug who doesn't have a decent solicitor.

by the way, for the OP and anyone contemplating buying, it is normal to pay a holding deposit when making an offer, of around 3000euros which is held by the estate agent.
if you withdraw they will endeavour to keep it but if you can prove it is illegal they should give it back to you.
we used a UK based Spanish solicitor who appears to be worth his salt, and insisted on the 3k being held by him.

Can't sell the villa within ten years-that's strange they sell here with no problem!
Megmet-do you live on Camposol or have detailed knowledge of it that entitles you to an opinion? The poster could do a lot worse than buy on Camposol ,where there are houses suiting all his requirements for very good prices. Speaking as one who knows,I suggest you do some research not be persuaded by those on forums and websites-go and visit Camposol yourself-you might be pleasantly surprised!

Do not assume (wrongly) that I don't know about Camposol I have been there, and as I have said before in another thread, "you couldn't pay me to live there"!
I have no intention of going through that same stupid argument on here now, but will just point out to you that having been there in person I am as entitled as you or anyone else to hold an opinion on the place .... even if it does differ from yours!

I didn't assume you didn't know about Camposol-I asked you if you lived there an had knowledge about it. How long ago did you visit? What was the thread on which you wrote about Camposol-I'd like to read it!
The best thing the poster can do is come and visit.

Brown envelopes ????