Property Viewing trip £99 - Page 2

The portals are useful, however if you know what area you want, you should make sure that you do a targeted search. 

Find the town or area on Google maps and search there for "inmobiliaria" , estate agents. 

A lot of the results will be Spanish agents who are less likely to subscribe to the portals. Searching for their websites will yield results that Kyero etc will not show and give you choices you would otherwise not have. 

The downside to this is that they are less likely to respond to emails. You would have to turn up at their office with a list of what you are interested in and arrange things from there. 

This might sound like a lot of work...... and it is. Remember, if you are investing many thousands of pounds in somewhere to holiday or live, it is your responsibility to put the time and effort in to get what you want. 

"Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted". 

I think most real estates do list with at least one of the portals.  However, they may not list all their properties on there as you have to subscribe so to speak and there is a limit to the number of properties u can upload according to the “ level” u subscribed to . E.g pay €100 per month to upload 10.  200 to do 20 etc. 

so , browse the portals.  Make enquiries . Send emails specifying what u are looking for and when .

In the early days of our search we came across 'A Place in the Sun' exhibitions. They were held regularly in major city locations. The one we went to was at the NEC Birmingham. They have estate agents from various countries, mortgage companies and money transfer agents on hand to discuss everything with. We were looking at inland Spain, which wasn't catered for at all by the estate agents, but if you are looking at more popular areas for British immigrants then it may be a useful source of info for you.When we attended the tickets were complimentary.

Even if you don't find a property you like you get the opportunity to do a screen test for the programme and also meet a presenter.

Do you know exactly what you are looking for?  If you are dreaming of being within walking distance if the sea then you must tell them.  Torrevieja has SO MANY man made urbanisations which have popped up over the past 20 years. Lovely houses, shops, restaurants but nowhere near the coast   No bus service even a likelihood.  You’ll need a car and many of the properties will be unoccupied most of the year. Are you looking for a holiday home which eventually could be used for longer periods?please think hard and fast as to what type of property you’d prefer. Eg. Do you want to visit off season?  If so, make certain the property has good aircon in all rooms so that you can heat the place in the cold weather. You’ll need good outside space too and a place to dry your washing. Think about storage if you decide to buy bikes. Car parking …. Check to see if you’ll be able to park easily. We all started with hire cars and you’ll need to be able to park safely and you don’t want to have to carry all your purchases and suitcase up 3 flights of stairs if there’s no lift. A communal swimming pool is a plus.If you’re planning to buy an apartment, ask if there is communal WiFi. 
If you go out with a subsidised sales trip, be prepared to be encouraged to buy. Yes, you’ll see some very nice properties and you could be easily coerced into buying. Please stop. You’ll need time to think. You’ll need to be sure the area is good, you’ll need to know if there’s a good bus service, shops and restaurants within walking distance.  A place to barbecue outside as we don’t all eat out every night. Sun on the patio in the evenings when you want to relax with a beer and eat outside catching the last rays of sunshine.

Be aware that many areas have flooded in the past few years. 
If you want the coast, take a look at La Mata and the surrounding area. Great bus service, gorgeous in the winter, lovely boardwalks, salt lake nearby, natural Sandy beach, an old Spanish village which used to be quiet in the winter but not so nowadays. So many Scandinavian people spend their winters there so lots of people about and we also see big camper vans parked in the area having travelled from Germany and other European countries. 

If you feel that you can avoid the BIG SELL, then go on the trip. Keep a notebook with all the things that you’d like and need. Don’t sign on the dotted line unless you are allowed time to think. Also, look for 2 bathrooms if possible. Good hunting. 

If you have paid upfront I would just go for the experience - they put you up in a hotel and ferry you around as well as feed you and...you do not have to buy. But it gives you some useful experience and shows you some areas you may not have discovered. But I go along with all previous comments - do your research and make sure it is within easy travelling distance of an airport.

Hi there.

I agree with everything that has been said. List what is essential for you and then decide on area. You should do lots of internet research and then come up with short list of areas which you can then visit on your first trip. Don't get tied to one estate agent (I made this mistake). Instead visit all of the estate agents in your chosen area - they will have lots of local knowledge and likely to know of properties not yet advertised.

Tim

We did the 99€ trip with EuroPrestige and bought our house through them. Never felt pressured to buy but found the house we loved.
Good luck 

Joan