Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Do you think I should bring some carpets with me when I move then ???

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I wouldn't recommend it personally - I bought some rugs for my sitting room but they got so dusty (even in winter) I couldn't stand it and had to get rid of them. Choose a South or South-West facing house reasonably close to the coast and not high in the hills, if you don't want to be cold.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

We had one bedroom carpeted, just moved into it for winter.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

We used to live at sea level in Marbella and it was noticeably warmer than when we moved higher up at the back of Marbella.

I can never understand why houses built since around 2000 didn't have CH installed as standard:confused:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

We chose the house, 3 people (obviously the agent) but 2 of my friends as well told me to go for this property as it was facing best for Summer and winter, I wanted sun in the AM and Eve but not in the afternoon and it was right for that, if you want afternoon sun you just walk 10mtrs or so to the pool area.

Another couple were agitated with me as they have the house behind and complained cos I hummed and hared so much about the choice.

But for the Winter I was told it was good too, it has everything the above poster mentioned but for the floor heating, that would be luxury to me anyway, lol,

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

some have the fittings but not the heaters, we looked at a place in Elche which was well modern, looked just like a luxury UK / USA type house, brick built massive underbuild / sotano / basement whatever you want, proper nice aircon but we could not negotiate the price down enough, and it was right on the flight line into Alicante, which I know is not everyone's cup of tea but it is mine

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Afternoon sun is actually very good for keeping the house warmer in the winter, it's fairly easy to keep the worst of it out in the summer but you can't manufacture it in winter (not without expensive heating anyway!:lol:). Don't forget the sun is much lower in the winter, if you have morning and evening sun in summer, it can take ages to rise over any neighbouring hills or houses and goes down behind them much earlier in winter. I have seen some valleys and villages that seem almost permanently in the shade of mountains in winter, it must be not only cold but dark in houses in locations like that.

My OH took a compass with us when we were house hunting, the agents were invariably surprised!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

It is totally flat where we are going, I don't think for the first year it will bother me too much, I am getting a little older now and I am starting to feel the cold a bit more, but for ten years I never had any heating on apart from some small oil fired radiators, with all the heat that comes from the electric running its not so bad, if I have made a mistake ill learn from it and take a compass like you ;) thanks for the tip

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

That is possibly the best tip I have seen for a long time!

If you included an inclinometer and a set of astronomical tables you could even work out when the sun would go behind the hills in the winter!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I would say YES. Bring rugs. Make sure they're small enough to shake out or beat occasionally because yes they do get dusty. I find them a comfortanle and warming especially under my feet where we sit., or under your computer chair.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Combine it with a sun map plotting where and when the sun is on your property.
Go back a few times at various times and if possible weeks or months between visits.
Our property is built in a N S axis with only one downstairs window on the N side. The winter morning sun shines into the east facing loung lounge bringing warmth and is too high to broil us in the summer.
The east side is in shade in high summer providing a cooler area to eat and sit in.
The afternoon winter sun heats up the bedroooms. and kitchen.
All the principal rooms have large double glazed areas to maximise solar gain.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I agree. And our long thin terrace house set west to east seems to stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter whilst still being bright. I wish we were set on a south facing slope though as our light-well doesn't get as much sun in winter as I'd like.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

When we built our house the architect suggested a long thin horizontal window in our bedroom just below the ceiling as the sun rising would flood into the room.

She was dead right - you don't need an alarm clock!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

When we went to view the house we went on to buy, the elderly Spanish owner told us, in the main bedroom, that we could lie on the bed and sunbathe at 4pm - and he was quite right! We have wooden shutters upstairs that keep out the hot sun in summer and the early morning light all year round - I don't like getting up early and if we ever need to get up before 9am to go somewhere we HAVE to set an alarm clock otherwise we don't wake up!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

The Spanish guy we bought the house from had already built various extensions to maximise the benefits from the house and we've added some of our own over the years, some to benefit from the movement of the sun as we got used to it. I can tell the time from wherever I am on the property.

Because of the current hot weather, I go in the pool when there is the first yard of shadow at the deep end, in about half-an-hour's time, my brave wife goes in when the sun is directly overhead.

I come out when the early evening flight to Malaga appears high in the sky. (I could be wrong about the destination, but I like to think it's the plane I used to travel on on a regular basis).