poolboy

I'd have a good look round before parting with any readies.

TBH the cheap areas in Spain are just like UK council estates with sunshine, & as you live mainly outdoors you see yr neighbours more!

I'd spend a bit more & get something decent, at least if you tire of it you could rent it out.

johnboy1

Thanks everyone for the help and advice.

I think I need to look for somewhere that the community fees are not going to cripple me...Allthough I would have been buying the flat out right...community fees for a holliday home will add a bit of financial burden over time so the lower the fees the better.

I would not have minded if you lived there and were using the communities services but for short stays a cheap rate would defo suit.

Once again thanks for your help on this.

pwwm

Communtity fees are separate from council tax payments.

johnboy1

can you give me an example of what you would have to pay for cummunity fees and council tax per month? I don't mean to be rude and enquire about personal finances...just trying to get an axample of what would be average? say in murci on the coast or that area.

any example would be a start point though

Dick Dasterdly

If you pay community fees you don't normally pay council tax equivalent and visa versa.

There can be huge variations in community fees depending mainly on the quality of the complex and how well it is run.

Annual property tax is generally better value for money.

cricketman

Hmm I didnt realise that, I thought everyone had to pay IBI tax?

Community fees will depend on the communal services that are available to everyone. May only be 20 euros a month if it is just a hallway, but can be hundreds of euros a month if there are gardens, a pool, garages, a spa, a porter, communal heating etc etc

whitelinen

Dick, I do not think that is correct.

Everyone I know, including myself, owing property on an urbanisation, pays IBI to the Town Hall and community fees to the urbanisation. They are 2 distinctly different payments.

johnboy1

Can I ask how much they charge? Not how much you pay but maybe an example. sorry to poke my nose in...it would help in my research.

Dick Dasterdly

Maybe the difference lies between urbanisations of seperate houses and being part of a communidad complex.
I had two properties on communidad complexes many moons ago and as far as I can recall, apart from electric, all other charges were included in the community fees.

whitelinen

Makes no difference if an apartment on a complex or detached house on an urbanisation, the community fees are just that, fees payable to the community or urbanisation.

IBI is a tax and payable separately to the Town Hall.

handy sue

Hi,
We have an apartment in Northern Costa Blanca, which is a bit more up market than Torrevieja, but it is on quite a cheap urbanisation for the area. It is between Javea and Moraira, and you can walk to the beach!
Our community charges are 378 euros per year which is a bit extra this year as the large communal pool needs some work. Our taxes are 330 euros for the year. The prices on this urb are about 80,000 euros for a 2 bed.
Hope this helps.

johnboy1

Hi Sue,

thank you very much. That was exactly what I was looking for. Sounds quite good too. Sounds fair I mean..... Now I just need to get the ball rolling and make things happen. I hope to maybe be able to get something within the next 18 months.

I think prices will fall a bit more over this time and possibly flatten out by the end of 2012....anything could happen though....so fingers crossed it works out as planned.

thanks again

DENISE WALTERS

We took the plunge and bought on an urbanisation as we did not want to be isolated and wanted people around us .
Inland 20 mins from coast by car smashing pool.
Prices for fees simular to already stated. We use it most months of the year at some time and love it.
Sometimes I think you got to bit the bullet and do it as long as you do not over stretch yourself so it is an affordable and not a lead wieght around your neck as I know many people that have done so and regreted it. A little 2 bed room pad for your enjoyment.Great stuff
The prices are low now and it would be best to come and rent and visit different areas to find out where you would like to be. You will soon learn where the not so good areas are.Plenty of choice Good Luck

megmet

Do so to speak try before you buy!
When we moved to Spain three years ago we thought we wanted a town house, the reality was that after looking at several we realised they were not for us.
We also stayed in a rental property on an urbanisation for three months while we were house hunting....it was simply awful. Tourists have no respect for people actually living there, they are on holiday and they are going to party no matter who they disturb!
In the end we bought a house inland in a small hamlet and the residents are all Spanish....life is very good here and we have no regrets!

What I'm trying to say is do your homework, stay in the area before you buy, most important of all....don't believe all the estate agent tells you.
Check things out well, the estate agent will tell you what you want to hear as they are working for the vendor not for you... and they stand to make a huge profit from a sale.

Good luck, I hope you find what you are looking for.

DENISE WALTERS

I agree that is only the down side of urbanisations that holiday makers sometimes do not respect other people who live many permanently in the apartments.
I am fortunate I have lovely nieghbours who live either side of me who live there full time.As although I am a holiday maker as such I am there so often its like my second home.
I guess that unless you are in a position to buy detached with ajoining land you can never guarantee what your neighbours will be like even in the UK. In saying this if I was going to make it my long term permanent home I would be looking for something like a vlla with garden near a village As I dont think most of the apartments are big enough to accomadate all my worldly sentimental junk I keep in UK.Its important to really think what you really want and what you are purchasing for
We are in a pedominantly spanish village so there is a good rapport with our spanish neighbours and I think they are very tolerant and friendly to us incomers