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How did YOU decide where to live?

How did YOU decide where to live?

Old Sep 21st 2009, 11:37 am
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Default How did YOU decide where to live?

So many times in threads we´re advised or advising the benefits of renting first.... or at least looking around first.... or driving around first.... can´t always have been that way for all of us. Did work decide your location? Climate? Property prices? Access to airport? Joint property decision or down to one of you? Heart or head decision? So many questions
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 12:19 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

think for most for us it was probably pot luck ! I know it was in our case anyway, we saw some nice places on the internet, went over to have a look and ended up buying.....not at all how I would advise it to be done and I would do it differently if I had the chance by hey ho

Originally Posted by fionamw
So many times in threads we´re advised or advising the benefits of renting first.... or at least looking around first.... or driving around first.... can´t always have been that way for all of us. Did work decide your location? Climate? Property prices? Access to airport? Joint property decision or down to one of you? Heart or head decision? So many questions
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 12:58 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Originally Posted by fionamw
So many times in threads we´re advised or advising the benefits of renting first.... or at least looking around first.... or driving around first.... can´t always have been that way for all of us. Did work decide your location? Climate? Property prices? Access to airport? Joint property decision or down to one of you? Heart or head decision? So many questions
Hope this will be a very good thread, as I,ve been thinking of asking the same question, only to add if you are retired.

We chose Oliva. In no particular order, climate, a working town, not over run with Brits, near the sea, it's green not brown, a more settled area (buildings, compared to elsewhere) approximately halfway between two Airports. Without doubt rent first and possibly never buy.

But it's all gone pear shape due to a major health scare, and our UK house sale fell through.
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 1:09 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Originally Posted by jimmbo
Hope this will be a very good thread, as I,ve been thinking of asking the same question, only to add if you are retired.

We chose Oliva. In no particular order, climate, a working town, not over run with Brits, near the sea, it's green not brown, a more settled area (buildings, compared to elsewhere) approximately halfway between two Airports. Without doubt rent first and possibly never buy.

But it's all gone pear shape due to a major health scare, and our UK house sale fell through.
Oh jimmbo im so sorry to hear that - i hope you and yours are now ok - they house will sell when the time is right
We were in Oliva at Easter - must admit i could see myself living there - over looking the sea and the mountains - heaven to me
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 1:19 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Having been on holiday we knew the Axarquia area was for us. Came back and did a recce and Competa just felt "right". Small enough not to be overwhelming, but big enough to not feel too isolated. Surrounded by mountains and a national park, yet a mere 20km from the sea. And for us, the campo won over a village house for the tranquility. Oh yes, we're not retired yet.
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 4:10 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

I had come to Spain in 1968, to a tiny village well inland from Gandia and Dénia, and seen the amazing pink light that filled the valleys at sunset. So I knew that the area now called the Valencian community was where I would come back to, as an old bloke.

I chose Calpe because it has a fantastic main shopping street, descending from some height to the sea, with the Peñon d'Ifach slowly coming into view. And finally I found a house I really wanted to live in.
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 5:46 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

I started in Altea, Moraira, Calpe, Denia & ended up just outside Oliva. This search took place over a period of a year or so and was soley based on the surrounding countryside and value for money (as we were buying).

A lot of research was done, and I am absolutely happy with the choice we made. The countryside is beautiful, blue flag beaches, fantastic views, close to airports, good food and lots of greenery!
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 6:01 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Pin in a map.
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 6:03 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Originally Posted by Veleta
Pin in a map.
pin in a map years before for a holiday
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 6:19 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Originally Posted by lynnxa
pin in a map years before for a holiday
So how come you are on the wrong side of the mountain?
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Old Sep 21st 2009, 7:48 pm
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

We had been thinking of moving 'to the sun' for some time, but had nothing decided, not even which country. Greece was favourite. We had never been to Spain.

A colleague of my husbands moved to this area of Spain in 2001. We visited in 2002. We saw these picturesque, quaint and quirky traditional villages and thought 'that'll do!'. We bought our house in 2003 in the next village to the colleague (mostly head until we saw the view, then it was heart!), having only visited Spain twice before. Moved to Spain in 2004

Last edited by scampicat; Sep 21st 2009 at 7:50 pm.
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Old Sep 22nd 2009, 3:56 am
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Originally Posted by montgomail
So how come you are on the wrong side of the mountain?


do you know I have no idea

though I have to say I could never see myself living in Denia

Javea is about the same size as the town we lived in in the UK - & just felt like home

Last edited by lynnxa; Sep 22nd 2009 at 5:01 am.
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Old Sep 22nd 2009, 7:13 am
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Originally Posted by lynnxa


do you know I have no idea

though I have to say I could never see myself living in Denia

Javea is about the same size as the town we lived in in the UK - & just felt like home
Javea has a completely different feel to Denia, although geographically only a few kms apart.

And I could live in Denia. How did I choose it? A friend drew my attention to the area as she spent holidays on La Sella, the golf complex between Javea and Denia. I booked a couple of holidays in Orba, 20 minutes inland and on La Sella but both locations were too isolated for my family - at the time my children were 6 and 12. Out of the coastal towns, I initially preferred Javea - the Port area especially. But after a couple of weeks and several trips into Denia, I realised that I actually preferred Denia - bigger and busier, more diverse, and better transport links.

Timescale was 7 months - two holidays in February and July, then purchased in September of that year.

Last edited by montgomail; Sep 22nd 2009 at 7:15 am. Reason: because I can
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Old Sep 22nd 2009, 7:17 am
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Originally Posted by montgomail
Javea has a completely different feel to Denia, although geographically only a few kms apart.

And I could live in Denia. How did I choose it? A friend drew my attention to the area as she spent holidays on La Sella, the golf complex between Javea and Denia. I booked a couple of holidays in Orba, 20 minutes inland and on La Sella but both locations were too isolated for my family - at the time my children were 6 and 12. Out of the coastal towns, I initially preferred Javea - the Port area especially. But after a couple of weeks and several trips into Denia, I realised that I actually preferred Denia.

Timescale was 7 months - two holidays in February and July, then purchased in September of that year.
Denia just feels a bit big!

I do love the port in Javea - we started here as you know, moved into the 'hills' & gradually made our way back!

we had a lot of holidays to the area after our initial trip - stayed in different towns on the coast & not

we just kept getting drawn back to Javea
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Old Sep 22nd 2009, 7:19 am
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Default Re: How did YOU decide where to live?

Originally Posted by lynnxa
Denia just feels a bit big!

I do love the port in Javea - we started here as you know, moved into the 'hills' & gradually made our way back!

we had a lot of holidays to the area after our initial trip - stayed in different towns on the coast & not

we just kept getting drawn back to Javea
Which other towns did you stay in?
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