m2m2012

I've been looking at housing options using Idealista in researching a possible permanent move to Spain in 2020 or 2021.

My criteria are:
-MUST have my own private garage that fits at least 2 cars
-price under 100K euros
-in good or very good condition
-located no more than a 100km drive from the coast
-I do not want a detached house in a rural setting
-I was thinking of the Andalusia region
-I will not be working so being in an expat enclave or big city is not important

I have managed to find a few places that meet these criteria with some of them between Granada and Seville. They are older three level white painted houses (ground level being the garage with a tall folding metal door) in villages with narrow streets. What are these type of houses called in Spanish? The living areas in these places are much much bigger than I need but smaller places don't have 2 car garages so I guess in stuck with a huge house.

What do I need to know about buying and living in such a house in a small village 50-100km inland? Thanks.

Moses2013

Apart from all the other things to consider which spainrico just mentioned, wouldn't you be better off adding the garage yourself? At the moment you are focused on places based on your garage criteria, but it really limits you to a small percentage of properties. Of course you have to follow the planning regulations but even something like this will at least give you more places to consider
https://www.leroymerlin.es/fp/167551...rajes-cocheras

spainrico

The buying process is the same wherever - Remember you need to add 12/13% onto the sales prices to cover all taxes, land registry etc. I would always advise a professional, qualified independent solicitor to act for you if you do not understand the process or speak Spanish. It is essential the property is legal and registered with no outstanding planning issues etc.

Living in a small village can be a challenge depends on your background, lifestyle, ambitions and culture. Whilst Spanish villages tend to have more facilities than UK villages things are changing as youngsters opt to move to bigger cities and the populations/amenities decrease.

Remember winters here can be cold in remote areas especially if above 500mts and equally can be seriously hot July/August.

Brexit could affect some rights we currently have that may not be available to Brits arriving in the future.

Worth a look here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain

Good luck.

cermignano

Have a look at Pruna, Olvera and Algodonales villages, wide mix of houses, lots of amenities and helpful expats. Try Olvera Properties and Al Inmo estate agents. English speaking and very knowledgeable.

Fred James

m2m2012

Thanks for all your replies.

I should explain that a large 2 car garage is needed for storing and fiddling around on my classic car, so I need more than just a place to stick a car; I'm going to be spending a lot of time there. Not speaking Spanish or knowing Spain or having anyone to help me, it would be a bad idea to buy a small detached house then attempt to build a garage; plus the type and size of garage I need will not be 5 or 10 thousand euros I think. Also, as soon as I start living in Spain I need the garage.

I spent a lot of time searching on the English version of Idealista. When searching I ticked the "garage" box; problem is it also includes carports and allocated parking spots! After going through hundreds of listing, I came across 5 village houses that meet all my criteria. 4 of these 5 were three story town houses with the ground level consisting only of a garage and the entrance hallway/stairway to the upstairs living areas, meaning there's a very large garage. I then used Google street view to look around these villages. Funny enough most houses in these villages had similar sized garage doors and no windows at ground level (no living area at ground level) which makes me think most of them have similar sized garages. I could be wrong but from the fittings (alloy front doors, side folding metal garage doors), these houses look like they are from the late 1960s, 70s or 80s. So although village houses with large garages are very rare, as Fred pointed out, it may be the norm in villages with houses from a certain area? Anyway, the good news for me is that it seems what I'm after is not impossible to find.

Mark604

I notice when people search for somewhere the website Idealista is usually mentioned, plus a few others maybe more local to an area. But for a general search on all area I used to use Kyero as a starting point (ten years ago though), yet I'm not sure if anyone has ever mentioned it. I'm curious if it's not well thought of now or has just gone downhill for looking for properties and Idealista is better?

el collado kid

HI i think you need to visit and look around we had a pile 100mm deep of villas we liked when we arrived. But when we started to look at them it became very obvious nothing was like the information given to use.So feet on the ground viewing in real time is best we bought in a different area where we had never looked , after being disappointing with are previous choices Please do not believe most things an agent tells you and most of all make sure the properties are legal and have all documentation.You can go to your local town hall and check some things for free. good luck

chrisjolly

The difference between Spanish properties and British ones are too numerous to mention and of course living in Spain is also very different. Searching through Idealista helps but there really is no better way other than to visit the south of Spain and see for yourself. You will be surprised especially within your budget. Good luck.

bobd22

You really do need to visit and stay for a while in an area to have any idea if it suits you. At least a long holiday but preferably 3 to 6 months. Do you live in a rural village in the UK? You really need to research the area town/village rather than just the fact you want 2 garages and cost.

Moses2013

As others mentioned, you really need to consider so many other things and sometimes out of the box thinking is required. You say you don't know Spain and speak no Spanish and have nobody to help, so would you really want to live in a rural area so far inland with not much else around? Now it's all about the car but once you get older a 3 storey townhouse won't be great either. I can't help you with that area, but have experience with getting a licence to build a bungalow from scratch. There are many companies that can offer cheap ways to create additional space or garages in areas where English is widely spoken.

missile

Hi,
I would advise you to first decide on the location then contact estate agents in the area with your requirements.
You might want to contact one of the classic car clubs?
Which classic car(s) do you have?

m2m2012

Although not new, the 5 houses I found that meet my criteria all seem to be in good condition; and they don't seem to have been patched up to sell. Here's one of them. When the time comes I most definitely will visit Spain take a good look at all the options and check out the village and have a lawyer check out the paperwork.

m2m2012

Car is a LHD early 30s American car. Great car to have when moving to a village where you don't know anyone because everyone, all the men at least, will soon know about the car and want to see it...great way to meet people. I have looked into importing a vintage car into Spain and there are companies that assist in getting Spanish historic number plates. I know that I will need to fork out a few thousand euros or more for importing and historic plates. Rules for historic number plates I've heard vary region to region; eg. some require you be a member of a car club. I've been told the rules in Andalusia are fair so that's another reason why I'm leaning towards buying a house there.

Fredbargate

Being a 30's american car will it fit down village streets?