Granada - moving there
 

Any ideas on what Granada is like to live in?
Am considering moving there for 6months to see how it goes and want to be somewhere near the mountains and also near the coast to do some occasional diving.
The rental prices seem right at over 3 times less than the UK. It would take me a while to learn Spanish, which is the main thing I'm worried about.

Any other places that could be good to consider? I'm mid thirties so would prefer a bit of cultural areas and some lively city life rather than a quiet area.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Do you mean Granada city or Granada province? Both are lovely. I live in the Alpujarras in Granada province, on the southern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Our village (Yegen) is about 45 minutes from the nearest coast (Adra). All the Alpujarran villages are very traditional. There are also three nice villages (los Guajares) in the mountains between Granada and Motril, these are handy for Salobrena, a very nice seaside town.

However if you want city lif then Granada city is probably best for you.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Might be as well looking around the city itself. Renting around the city centre will be more expensive, so try looking around the outskirts - Armilla, Ogijares, La Zubia, Monachil.

All are a short drive or bus trip from the centre of Granada and lively enough in their own rights.

With the autovia open now, you can get from Granada city, down to the coast in about 30 minutes or so. Likewise, you can be up into the mountains pretty quickly too.

Rental prices should be pretty reasonable, as like a lot of areas, there's plenty of new developments that aren't fully occupied. It's also possible to get full or part furnished properties for rental, fairly reasonably priced.

You don't say if you're single, or bringing a family, so it depends your particular requirements as to what would suit best I suppose.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Thanks

It would be for my GF and I but we are looking for something roundabout a 6 month let even though we might stay longer...2/3 bed apartment or something like that. Any thoughts on prices or some agents to look with? Spanish is very rough at the moment though learning slowly :)

Also, any idea if they do season lift passes or any deals for the Pradollano?

Re: Granada - moving there
 

http://www.libercasa.co.uk/granada/rentals

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Thanks.
ARe there any areas to definitely avoid in and around Granada or is it pretty safe?

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Caminito del Rey

Re: Granada - moving there
 

I'll make sure not to rent there then :p

Re: Granada - moving there
 

jdr you are a spoilsport no sense of adventure :rofl:

Re: Granada - moving there
 

I`ve been there, but not on that bit. ;);)

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Ditto


http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...010007-2-1.jpg

Re: Granada - moving there
 

They made parts of this film there, if you go in the Hotel near the station they will show you the suite where Sinatra stayed.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

A slightly wooden actor isn't he? :)

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Is it easy enough to get 6 month rentals in the area or do the landlords prefer longer?
I think the main issue is going to be signing contracts in SPanish :unsure:
Found this on one site: Granada is a good place to live, if you can find somewhere. The estate agents won´t rent you anything for less than a year so you have to try your luck with the various fly posted advertisements which is pretty tricky if you don´t time it right or speak much Spanish.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

There are loads of rentals about and prices have dropped a lot and will go lower.
You have the upper hand and they will bite it off to get a contract, just tell them you have seen better for less and knock them down to what you want to pay for it.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

I don't know about Granada specifically, but in my city it is very difficult to get 6 month contracts. 11 months (renewable) is the standard. There are a handful (literally a handful....like about 5!!!) who offer short term holiday lets on a weekly basis.

HOWEVER, you could always sign an 11 month contract but only stay for 6 months and then do a bunk. You might lose your deposit, but then again you might not if you play it right. It is not in the landlord's financial interest to pursue you for breach of contract.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

qwertyjjj - The two following sites might be worth having a look through.

http://www.granadainmo.com/buscador....=1&pro=granada

Using the drop-down menu tabs at the top of the page, you can select to sort by "Superficie" (surface area in square metres) and by "Precio" (price).

This site is totally in Spanish, so for ease of use if there's anything you don't understand, try using the Google Chrome browser, which can help translate pages. Never 100% accurate translations, but not too bad.

The second one is http://ing.granadasur.net/

This has the option to switch between English and Spanish text, although the drop-down boxes may not translate from Spanish.

In this case, you'll want to select "Option" > "Alquiler" (rental), then in the box below "Tipe" (their translation typo, should be "Type") > then any of "Pisos" (flats, usually small), "Apartamentos" (Apartments, usually bigger), "Casas" (houses).

Both should give you a good idea of what's available and price guidelines. If you're not sure about particular areas, one good way to look is to use Google Earth and the street view option. Granada is very well mapped in Google Earth and pretty up to date. Helps to better know localities and actually visualise areas better. You can pretty much take a virtual tour of the surrounding areas in street view. Very good tool for prospective buyers and renters, though there's clearly no substitute for visiting in person.

My final tip, would be to print off copies of anything you like the look of. This way, when you come to actually visit estate agents (inmobiliarias), you've got something on paper, that you can compare to anything else they show you. You've also got prices on paper that you can refer to or use as a negotiating tool.

I think you'll be fine with the plenty of options available and it certainly makes sense to look around before you buy and stay, if that's the intention.

Finally, in the current climate, I've no doubt that you might be able to sort out a six month contract to suit your needs. Use that as a bargaining tool to get what you want, but also get an abogado (solicitor) to check through any details if you're not sure.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Is there some kind of residence permit scheme in Granada or are there places to park for free?

Re: Granada - moving there
 

There are streets where you can park for free. We left ours in one for nearly two weeks while my husband was in hospital. I don't know about any other parking areas, so can't comment.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Lecrin Valley any good or too isolated?

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Lecrin valley is very beautiful and is very accessible to Granada, Malaga and the Costa, but if you want city life you won't get it like you do in Granada as it cosists mainly of villages and small towns.

Re: Granada - moving there
 

May I politely suggest that as you obviously dont appear to know the area that you actually come over and actually look, you may prefer Lecrin valley, it is beautiful, but really I think you should spend a few days looking.

That is exactly what anybody thinking of moving over should do:)

Then you could speak to agents, view property, check the parking, cant say when I have been to Granada I found any free parking, but that has just been a visit or three.:)

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Of course, it's just that I wanted to shortlist a few areas first :)
Speaking of which, I've heard a lot of dodgy stuff about English estate agents charging UK customers more because they think they can - perhas not with rentals as much but things like agreeing minimum sale prices with Spanish residents and then charging the UK customer 1.5x more and then the agent pockets the difference.
With rentals, are there any fees to pay on behalf of the tenant or is that illegal?

Re: Granada - moving there
 

Yes, if you rent a property through an agency it is usual to pay half the agency commission, which is usually 1 months rent.

However, in these times where there are lots of properties on the market you may be able to negotiate the landlord into paying all this commission. You may also have to pay for the contract, which will be no more than 100 euros.