mwallace

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of researching a property purchase on the Costa Blanca and I'd appreciate some insight into the local property environment.

My interest is in a new build holiday home and I'm torn between locations close to the seafront and inland properties (e.g Golf properties) which appear to afford more space compared to similarly priced properties that are closer to the beach. Any tips on the pro & cons of beach locations versus inland?

Also whilst doing some searches on a Spanish property website, I noticed I could narrow my search by "Golf" or "Golf Resort" properties which implies some difference between the two - does anyone have some idea of what this might be.

Thanks
Mike

Boseley

Remember if you buy close to the sea/ocean, then you will be troubled with salt, from constantly having to clean windows and terraces, to oxidization of metals and long term damage to walls.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

iano

With a holiday home on the Costa Blanca coast, traffic is most definitely a 'con' during the summer months.

Coast 'Pro' ..more choice re entertainment, eating out, supermarkets etc. Plenty of golf courses in easy reach of the coast. Generally more vibrant out of season too.

Inland 'pro'..apart from getting more for your money, quieter in and out of season, and greener. Golf on your doorstep.

Inland 'con'...limited facilities and public transport, can be ghost townlike in the winter months.

missile

It really is personal choice and depends on what you want.

A beach front location may be ideal for some, front line golf course may suit others and a remote hill top retreat would be heaven for a few.

Perhaps your ideal location is on a golf resort close to the beach? There are many such locations.

johnnyone

Don't forget it gets a lot colder during the winter as you go inland.

mwallace

Hi Boseley, Iano, Missile, Johnnyone

Thank you all so much for the items you've highlighted. Whilst some of these points may appear obvious to people familiar with the Costas or the seaside in general, they are particularly helpful to me as they are tidbits that don't immediately jump out at me.

Thanks again
Mike

Bri and Katee

Inland you get more property for you money. It depends how far inland. So if you want a 4 bed villa with a pool and 2 acres of land, that would cost an arm and a leg on the coast, you can get for 130 to 200.000€ inland. But as pointed out, public transport is non existant and unless you are in or very close to a town so too are shops/shopping. If its a holiday home and that is your sole intention, I would suggest as close to the coastal area as you can get. You ensure you have plenty of entertainment and if its a community you have a pool that you don't have to worry about maintaining, its done for you.

johnnyone

Our overriding consideration would be and was all about location when we purchased.
We are on the coast as we like the sea and, yes, you may get less for your money but what is the point if it's not where you want to be?
Similarly, we also did not wish to be on an urbanization so chose an established town.
Personally I would always sacrifice size of a property for location.

Others have different criteria and preferences.

All I am saying is you must choose carefully as once you make a decision it's costly to sell up and move in Spain.

chrisjolly

Hi Mike, We deliberated over this issue for years and have lived both on the coast near Marbella and inland. In the end we decided on inland. We are close enough to the coast to go to the beach or enjoy the excitement of the coast but can easily retreat back to our little village where life is less stressful, more honest and closer to nature. Its everybody's choice.

mwallace

Hi Bri & Katee, Johnnyone, Chrisjolly

Thanks again for your further input. These as well as browsing other posts on the forum are invaluable in helping me formulate a more focused and realistic approach towards my area/location viewing visit next week after which I plan to take another trip later in the year to start looking at actual properties in my preferred area.

cheers
Mike

Mark604

I personally dislike the humidity you can often get on the coast, but that's just me. Inland it is far less so but that aspect is an individual choice.
One thought is if you have to get into the car to hit the beach, how far are you willing to travel to do it? That could determine how far inland you would want to go. Or do you want to easily walk there? That then determines the prices of property. It is obvious that the harder it is to get to the beaches the cheaper it will be.

Do you want local shops nearby or would you just stock up at a big supermarket once/twice a week?
Same for local bars and restaurants.
In essence, what facilities do you want on your doorstep.
It takes me two hours drive to get to the coast from where I am and I'm nearly 2km from the nearest village. That suits me fine as I see going down there as a treat and I do a big(ish) shop once a week. You have to decide yourself how much 'civilisation' you want and/or is a minimum you can put up with.

I have friends who immediately moved to very near the coast after leaving the UK. They stayed there a couple of years before they moved to a bit under an hour away saying it suited them better as they weren't quite as gregarious as they thought and enjoyed the calmer areas where they are now, but still have reasonably easy access if they want it. Plus they have a bit bigger property and now some land.

amideislas

Everyone initially believes they must be near the beach. But that's only until you do that. There are a lot of drawbacks, including cost, high traffic, moisture, high maintenance...

One thing we discovered is that inland, you will likely be able to afford a private pool, which in practice, tends to be far more practical than living at the beach.

The beach is great, but if it's only a half hour or less, then you'll go there when you have lust for it. Otherwise, you always have the pool. All to yourself.

Bri and Katee

The biggest thing you need to do and what everybody forgets are the seasons. Most viewing trips are done May to late September. The weather is warm there are people about and everything looks rosy and inviting.

If you can wait before making a decision, try and visit the same area in January/February, traditionally the coldest wettest months. Then see how it looks/feels then. The coast will be quite a bit warmer than inland. We are only 50k/30miles from the coast yet the weather/temperature is markedly different in the winter. For instance we get coatings of snow from time to time and really cold, just like the UK, yet down on the coast at the same time it can be quite fair.

johnnyone

That's a good point. There may be a big difference between what you would look for in a holiday home as against a permanent home and it's not just location.
Similarly if you are looking for rental income other factors may come into play.
Security can also be an issue.