Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2024 4:13pm
My tips would be......
Find somewhere on a bus route, you never know if one or both of you will become unable to drive. This means somewhere along the coastal strip for anything regular.
Insulation for sound and cold is TERRIBLE in most Spanish houses.
You will need heating due to single skin construction and no insulation. Temperature charts may not show it so bad but believe me, it will feel warmer outside on a sunny, but cold day unless you have good heating.
You can get insulation sheets which cover both heat and noise but then you will need to move all the power points and it will overlap the skirting tiles as you will need plasterboard on top so it will be cheaper if your husband plays via headphones.
Dont believe a word the estate agent says, however nice they seem, they are being paid by the buyer. Caveat Emptor. The only land which will never be built on is within a National Park.
Get yourself an independent solicitor, not one linked to the agent.
Ask your solicitor to get a copy of the flood map, this is why....! Murcia Today - What Is A Gota Fría?
Remember 10 to 15% for purchase tax, solicitor etc. Never give a deposit to an estate agent to take it off the market. If you look on Kyero.com there are thousands of properties for sale all the time and now they are going to build thousands more on the undeveloped land between El Chaparral and Jardin del Mar Torrevieja's new residential megaproject: 1,800 homes and €375 m investment — idealista/news
New builds go for silly money.
If you find something in June, come back during the summer holidays, especially August when the Spanish decamp to the coast and things get very loud, very late.
If you are going to have a car, they are much more expensive here and you will need a garage, a drive or an allocated parking space.
Estate agent translations can be a bit iffy, for example a bungalow may just be the ground floor of the building.
Make sure the property is EXACTLY as described on the deeds before you pay your solicitor the first deposit. Underbuilds are storage, not living space, not all glass curtained terraces have permission, not all rooftop rooms do either so beware of anything that does not look original.
Damp is usually more of a problem for homes which are closed up for months on end.
Communal bins are not handy, they will stink in hot weather so stay as far away as possible.
You can choose the power input from the grid. Too low and things will keep tripping, too high and you will just be paying over the odds.
Check everything works, ask the agent to put any heating and water heater on before your visit, check the air con works on heat and cool and doesnt leak. Check that hot water comes out of the taps you would expect it to and that it drains away quickly. Fill a sink with cold water to make sure you are not relying on partly blocked drains. Check the shower pressure. If there are electric gates, again, make sure they work.
Large windows will make the house too hot in summer and too cold in winter. Grills on windows are normal here and some insurers will insist on them. Persianas, or external window blinds are great for keeping rooms cool in the summer.
Make Spanish wills and sort out funeral arrangements.
Thats the bad, the good you probably already know. Take your time and happy hunting.
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