Place in the Winter Sun
 

Just been on but only watched a bit and saved it for later. Set on the Costa blanca around HBG's area.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/a...un/4od#3283666

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

We just watched it. Looks very flat around there so good for the less mobile.
I did cringe a little at the thought of that guy in his speedos though LOL. It reinforced our need for a property with no immediate neighbours.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

We always know the holidaymakers / tourists in winter, always in shorts and skimpy tops whilst we are in fleeces etc. Just shows you do acclimatize. missed this prog. will have to see if repeated.:thumbup:

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

It was flimed in November and I think the weather was good then. Actually the centre of Torrevieja looked quite nice. They then went to some of the urbanisations and they were awful, hundreds of houses all the same just like council estates. They did have a small budget though. Beaches looked good.

Barbados next time...hope they have a large budget.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

I like the centre of Torry, and the old port has a charm......I find the locals very friendly, I would not like to live out of the centre, in the Carrefor district, but loads are happy there.

I do perfer a bigger city though, but Torry seems to have everything needed for a comfy life. A big new hospital as well.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

The only place they looked at that we would even consider was the remote villa. We also thought the other places looked horrific. Thought the new presenter was a tad patronising too. As always the advice was you have room to add a pool... do an extension... run a B&B... have a nice rental income etc. Why are they never honest? Maybe they get a kick back from the agents. LOL
Price wise they seemed cheaper than around Guadalhorce area.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Yes much cheaper than here in the Guadalhorce valley, but here there is much more space between you and the neighbours. :thumbsup:

I know some like living on the urbanisation's but it would be my idea of a living hell.
I was surprised at how built up the coastline was, like the Costa del Sol....but more so!

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

I didn't see the programme and can't play the clip from Jacky because I live in Spain, but I've read up on it.

Lo Crispin is a fairly new urbanisation, nearer to Quesada than Torrevieja, the latter is a good ten miles away, the urbanisation comes under Algorfa.

Lo Crispin consists of detached villas which were sold for around 250,000 Euros, five years ago. Unfortunately the urbanisation, like many others, was never fully completed and is a bit isolated, you need a car if you live there.

That the three-bedroomed detached villa sold for 113,000 Euros, with a car included, at least 50% lower than the original price seems typical of the Spanish property market for the area. On the face of it, it sounds like a bargain.

I know it's a daft comparison, but you wouldn't get a three bedroomed detached house in the UK for £85,000, and the Spanish one even has a decent communal swimming pool. And what price 300 days of healthy sunshine?

(I'm not an estate agent).

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

They seemed happy that they had a bargain :)

Urbanisations just aren't for me neighbours too close and it did look like a pretty version of a council estate.

They didn't show much of the town of Quesada but it did look like a nice town and very flat for walking around.

Still happy we chose Malaga region :)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

the most remarkable thing was they looked so old, approaching fifty? from which direction?

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

lol they did look older than 50.
I'd have chosen the one in the countryside if i were to spend £150k (which i'm not, i'm going to rent, but would like something similar!).

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

The one 20 miles from the coast looked the best value for money but I suppose that's logical. We always choose the location we want first instead of looking at houses. No good having a super house if it's not where you want to be. I noticed most only had paved gardens and no lawn...why is that? Is there a water shortage? Except for the rural house they were all very small but they did seem good value.

I thought she looked older than him.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Dont want to brag but I'm nearly 63 and look a lot younger than her. Maybe she's had a hard life. To be honest I thought they had been borrowed form the filming of the next series of Benidorm!

OMG slap me someone I'm being bitchy.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

I did not see the programme, but I thought you were all talking about the age of the properties, well she had better slap on the sun protector with a trowel when they come to Spain, or she will look like an old tabacco pouch in no time......... you catty buggers.......:rofl:

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Not at all, you should have read us with the marbella belles programme:)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Without being picky, and not wishing to start an argument but it sold for £113,000 not Euros, they argued the toss in Euros, I think it was 135,000 or something.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Good point. Then the oncosts about 10%.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

I watched the programme, and apart from not liking the huge expanses of identikit houses, the main thing that struck me was what a cheeky b****** that man was! I'd have told him where to go.

When we were selling our house in the UK to move over here, someone put in a stupid offer and the estate agent said "but he's a cash buyer". I said I didn't care if he brought the money round in a carrier bag full of used fivers, he wasn't buying it for that.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Always worth a try! ;) My niece is in Hackney, decided to ask £400K for her modest 2 bedroom terrace house, not really expecting to get it. First viewer offered asking price, she was very tempted, but estate agent said, "whoa, hang on, we have another 18 viewings lined up" Long story short, sealed bids, ended up with 428K. Well pleased.;)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

It wouldn't make much difference to the overall conclusion that the seller made a massive loss on his property. 50% is the local average, and with 1.7 million unsold homes in Spain without taking millions of repossessions into account, it's a dire situation that will take years to resolve.

You can't look at it any other way, and incoming expats need to be told the truth. Getting back to Lo Crispin, it's not a bad urbanisation, and if you want to try it out there are many rentals available at £100 a week.

Test drive it and look around, it's much better than some Godforsaken place among the gippos inland from Malaga.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

:frown: Someone been talking? :rofl:

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

One bar was mentioned, is there anything else there? We were driven around the area by some friends a few months ago and were told that it was quite isolated and that you needed some form of transport, at least a bicycle if you lived there.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

There didn't seem to be much sign of life on any of the urbanisations. Tomorrow is Barbados and they have a budget of £150:blink: We looked there and you don't get much for your money...the prices may have dropped though. Later on they are in marbella and another around denia area. Have noticed before what they call marbella isn't really, usually Calahonda or Estepona. We shall see:unsure:

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

But most of the "gippos" are down on the coast....selling tablecloths! ;)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

I'd like to start off by saying that the Spanish politicians who authorised the destruction of the Spanish Mediterranean coast should be brought to The Hague and charged with crimes against humanity.

However, it's too late for that, and the coast has now been concreted over.

To get back to the urbanisations being discussed. Despite the economic crisis and building having stopped, local people are now trying to beautify their concrete and will succeed in time. My 'urbanisation' is now 35 years old and abounds with green spaces and every garden is full of trees. We have street lights, a regular transport system, and every service you can think of on the doorstep.

The newer urbanisations like Lo Crispin will be the same in another 30 years. You will be able to hop on a bus and get to a 'real' Spanish town like Algorfa or Almoradi in a few minutes, and the many beaches are 20 minutes away.

And if you get fed up, two airports are 30 minutes away in either direction and you can fly to Las Vegas or back to the UK.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

You can't buy much in the UK for £130 I suppose. The kitchens are always a let down for me on these travel shows, always seem very basic, bit naff truth be told. The couple made the right choice really based on what they wanted, a home and a holiday place for family, sun, sea, sand and a pint I suspect.

I like the one out in the sticks; if you were retired and a keen gardener you could make something special from it and only a moped ride from a cold beer on a summers day :)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

I never made a comment about the why's and wherefores, just thought I would point out.

Oh and as to the area they covered and in particular Torre, no thanks, not if they gave me a home for nothing would I EVER move back there, I personally thought it was everything that should be detested about the Brits in Spain full of loathsome Gin soaks wannabe Cray Twin employees and ex Special Services.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

You can get a 3 bed dettached house for £130k in the Northern English town I come from. And if you go even further North you can get even more.

Once you get away from the South East then property prices in the UK arent so different to those in Spain (excluding Madrid, Barcelona and San Sebastian)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

crickman, as a buy to let landlord, I would be most interested if you would point me to a few 3 bed detached houses at that price, just the name of the towns will do, I can then do my own homework finding them :)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

seen some in Wigan:)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Yep, any of the old industrial towns; Blackburn, Middlesborough, Lincoln, Hull...

My cousin has just purchased a 3 bed semi-dettached in the area I grew up in for £90k

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

I think we've come full circle and are back to the sun factor. Most people don't come to Spain for the culture or any of the other considerations, the whacking majority come for the sun.

They are prepared to put up with a foreign language and many other things that are foreign to them just to live in a healthy climate with plenty of sunshine.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Yep, some kids in Fuengirola had a good name for them, "moscas" because they lie in the sun and eat sh*t :D

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

I suppose some Spanish people find it unpalatable that the many foreigners in their lovely land are only here for the sun. I find it a bit unpalatable myself, but it's the pure, unembellished truth for the great majority of the 'moscas'.

By the way, the respective name calling is mutual and downright silly.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

In South Wales you can get a two/three bedroom terrace for £75-£80k, nice semi for £115 (I have three I rent out) but move not far over to Cardiff and prices are considerably higher. A similar house I own in Birmingham even now would sell quickly for £300k + and one in Winchester a fare amount more so it is all down to location and of course where you choose to live. If your happy in a small town in Wales (or Hereford, I have a little place there too I rent out) then great, if you want the amenities of a larger city then you pay for it. Same in any country. Typically though £130k is not a lot across the board in the UK.

I inherited the Winchester property and a London property but I sold the London apartment initially to fund a place in Spain but after a lot of thought I'm using it to fund more buy to rent in the UK. One very nice place in Spain with no guarantee of a future sale or three/four houses added to my little portfolio generating monthly income...the UK won.

The couple on the show would be better off buying one or two houses in the UK and using the income to fund a rental property (or in my case extended holidays) in Spain in my opinion.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

That sounds like it's going to be an ex council house. ;)

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

probably where he lived before leaving the UK to avoid some sort of legal trouble.

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

No there were no council houses where I grew up (what snobbery). It is just very cheap to live there

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Pot kettle black comes to mind.....:rofl:

Re: Place in the Winter Sun
 

Was a useful confirmation of why we don't want to live on the costa. The apartments were nice but the places were horrendous. So built up and deserted. We have already seen and discounted the finca in coin :LOL.
I thought the town house looked quite nice but we don't want to be in a town.

As for the people buying... did they actually want to buy anything, anywhere? Seemed the daughter just wanted to try celeb spotting in Marbella.

I really do not like that presenter, she makes my skin crawl.