Where should I buy a property in southern Spain to spend the winter

@Maisie1

Welcome to the expat.com forum, and good luck with your potential move to Sunny Spain!

Lots of very nice areas all along the coasts, you're spoiled for choice really. Our holiday apartment is near Alicante, and we like the area very much. Even if you don't buy via them, Idealista is a great option for a bit of desk research. They have loads of online listings all over Spain, and you'll quickly get a very good idea of what kinds of properties are available in your favourite areas, within your budget.

Thank you Gwynj, allcomments greatly appreciated

@Maisie1 I would recommend you look around the Mojacar area of Almeria. There are no giant apartment blocks here at all. It’s so much less busy than either the Costa Del Sol or the Costa Blanca and property is plentiful and cheap. A few miles inland is lovely too - I’ve written more about the area on our website [link moderated] if you want to read more. Good luck. Andrew

@andrew59

Quite right! There are lots of very nice places a little inland too, and they're definitely much less touristy and less expensive than the well-known resort options. Our place is actually in Elche, which is Alicante's neighbour, and maybe 15 km to several very pretty beaches (and about the same to Alicante-Elche Airport, which has both Wizzair and Ryanair flights). Elche is UNESCO-listed for its palm groves, and it's a delightful small Spanish city. We've got all the services and amenities nearby, along with a lovely walking trail (my daily walk is along the RIo Vinalopo to the beautiful El Palmerar, the Parc Municipal). And the airport, beaches, and Bright Lights of Alicante are nearby when we want a change of scene.

Of course, like many, we started our property hunt right on the coast (Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Alicante) so this was not the location we expected (indeed, we'd never even heard of Elche). But we found a large apartment, in an upscale part of the city, within walking distance of everything we need on a daily basis. And it cost a fraction of the price of apartments in high-rise blocks on nice Alicante beaches. ("A fraction", really? Older - but nicely renovated - apartments like ours are selling for around 100k euros now, whereas something similar in/near Playa de San Juan can be 400k-500k, or more!)

@andrew59

Hello Andrew, I know someone who is selling a 3 bedroom with a terrace in Loja in Granada province. Loja is a medium size village 55 min by car from Granada city, Malaga city, Malaga airport, Granada airport, and the coast.

You can contact Paul ***(Bristol area) and ask him about more information ***

Hey Luna49,

Please use the private messaging system to share such information, as sharing contact details on the forum is not permitted for security reasons.

Cheers,

Cheryl

Expat.com team

@Cheryl

Thank you for telling me !

I just sent it by private message

Take care

Hi, apart from the tax and fees when you first buy a property in Spain, what are the actual monthly or yearly fees that you have to pay continuously if you own a property in Spain, I know like here in the UK, when you by an apartment in a block, you have to pay service charge every month for the up keep. What would I be looking at paying monthly or yearly even when not living there and using as a holiday home only, e.g 2 bed no more than £100.000.

@Maisie1

Hello in case if interested i have a penthouse for sale 25kms from Malaga on the reserva del higueron the add is online if interested.

Best regards,

Georges

@Maisie1

What do you want is the question you should be asking.

I live in a little village in the mountains inland of Altea on the eastern side of Spain and it suits us.

Benidorm is not that far away and we have an all year round scene.

BEWARE of going to some of the towns down south in the Costa del sol as these are ghost towns in the winter. Yes the Spanish bars will be open but the towns can be quite depressing. Same with those on the Mar Menor and even north of us in the Valencian region.

Come over for a holiday a couple of times in the winter its the only way you will see what the places are like. Buying wiothout seeing is a grave mistake in my view and a foolish one moneywise as selling will cost if you choose the wrong area.

Good luck with your adventure.

@angelaalwood

Same as the Uk.

Depends on what is included in the charges.

You will have the following.

Electric

Gas (if on mains)

IBI (council tax)

Basura (rubbish if not included in council tax)

Non residents tax (its a % of the rateable value of the property) so for here in Alicante on €100k its 1.1% but you pay 24% of this so about €240 a year.

Community charges we pay €240 a quarter but have no pool or gardens, a friend who lives in a block with both pays double this.

Insurance (you will need this if a holiday home as we have issues with squatters here and they have all the rights.)

Before we moved over for good I reckon it cost me about €2000 a year to cover everything

@Maisie1

Palma de Maiorca

Best place and investment.

@Maisie1

If I were you, I’d start by looking in Almería province, Murcia coast (Costa Cálida / Mazarrón / Águilas area), Costa de la Luz (Huelva / Cádiz edges), and parts of Granada / Almería coast. These tend to have more standalone homes, gardens, and lower prices than the heavily touristic Costa del Sol.

From what we’ve seen helping international clients:

-Be very careful with urban permits and licenses, sometimes a “bungalow” was built without full documentation.

-Check water supply / well rights if it’s a rural or semi-rural home.

-Ask the agent to show past community meeting minutes, any planned “derramas”, and to prove noise / seasonal access issues.

-Use an independent lawyer (English-capable) early to vet the property, clients often say that step saved them from big hidden costs.

If anyone needs recommendations for good local lawyers or vetted agents in those areas, feel free to send me a message, happy to share what we’ve seen work well.

@Maisie1

Hi, I am a Dutchman living in Spain for 25 years. For health reasons I have a beautiful house for sale in the idyllic village of Polop de la Marina. Let me know if you are interested. t***