Holiday home in Costa blanca

Hello both and welcome to the forum. The Costa Blanca is a great choice and covers a huge area so could I ask if you have visited before?

I am guessing that your large family covers a multitude of ages so you might want to consider first of all how far from the airport you want to be and could they all manage to get about without a car. North of Alicante City there is the tram system along the coast and buses. South of Alicante the airport bus goes non-stop to Torrevieja bus station and there are then bus links north to Alicante and South to Orihuela Costa. A lot of public transport in tourist areas run a reduced service outside of peak season, early morning, late evening etc.

Car hire is very expensive since Covid and availability is limited. There are airport shuttle services to main resorts such as Benniconnect. 

If you do have a car,  the closer you are to the beach the more you will need allocated, off-road or garage parking.

There are lots of us oldies down here but pre-Covid things did liven up in the summer months!

I would strongly suggest you don't commit to anything when you visit in January. There are thousands of properties for sale here all the time so have a good look on Kyero to see what you can buy in different areas but don't fall in love with something online. Also you need to see what the area is like in high summer, especially in August when the Spanish enjoy their holiday homes on the coast and things can get very loud, very late.

Murcia Corvera airport doesn't have many flights or facilities and currently no airport bus. Valencia has a lot more if you are considering the far North.

You will need heating in the winter months. The days are mostly warm and sunny but once the sun goes down and until the sun has warmed up in the mornings, due to lack of insulation it can feel really cold indoors and the only cheaper rate electric is from midnight to 8 am , weekends and national fiesta days, something to keep in mind if the family make free with the air con.

There is a wealth of information in the various tabs along the top of the page and keeping a regular eye on the forum will give you a good idea of the kind of problems you could come across, hints and tips, the 90/180 Schengen area rules and more.

Happy hunting.

We haven't been to the costa blanca  area before but have holidayed extensively on the costa del sol around calahonda .

Thanks for all the valuable advice  hopefully we will find our dream home and join you there one day !

Morning  ,I think there was plenty of knowledgeable and sensible advice from Cheryl  ,also remember that you will have to add about 14% to the purchase price for taxes and solicitors etc also you have your Bill's to pay electricity, water ,maybe community charges etc ,so if you still work and are not able to maximize usage of property is it worthwhile ,we are not residents but do use property  for maximum allowed time 

The north and south of Costa blanca are very different - mountainous to the north of Alicante and agricultural plains and salt lakes to the south.  The further south you go along the coast generally the milder the winter, but can still get cold at night, and coastal is warmer in winter than inland and generally a little cooler in summer.  You need to visit the different areas and be aware that your budget will buy different style and size properties in different places.  You friends and family can use the property for free but if you want to be able to take any payment for the stay then you will need a Tourist License and to make quarterly tax returns, and pay due tax.

Decide what you need around you before you start to look for a property - first do you want north or south?  Inland or coastal?  Presumably a town for amenities if families are visiting; Cheryl already mentioned hire car costs, especially in high season, can price themselves out of being an option for a family.  Chose your location first and then have a self catering holiday there, not eating out every night but live as you would in your own home, and spend time speaking to locals about the area/town and how it changes through the year, what stays open all winter and how busy it is in summer.  Consider using a keyholder to check on the property when it is empty.  Ideally you will want fulltime neighbours too.  

When you start looking at properties consider the immediate surroundings, especially empty plots of land that are not parks, chances are the empty plot will one day have a block of apartments on it!  Both buying and selling in Spain is an expensive procedure, so you need to get the purchase right first time.  Take your time, buy with your head as well as your heart, then enjoy your second home for many years to come.

Hi

Murcia does have flights, depends where your flying from, were Manchester came into Murcia in August , here until November, we have a home in Puerto de Mazarron, check it out, because cars were expensive , we usually hire, we arranged a taxi to collect us for €50 , look around see what areas you like, we have had our since 2004 

thanks John  thats a very good point 

thank you some very good points here .

we are coming over on a 4 day viewing trip in early January with a well known agent but we are concerned that we will only be shown the good points of each property and area and will be talked into buying , although they say they don't do hard sell tactics on their website I suppose they are investing in us with a subsidized trip so may want some return !!  

To be honest, if you you are on a viewing trip you will need to be very strict with yourself about not being talked into buying before you are ready, they can be very persuasive!  Make sure the agent knows it is a research trip at the start, that you want to see the different options in different locations and only properties within your specified budget.  If you see an area you like then book a weeks holiday there self-catering - plenty of cheap flights about now and rentals over winter are not expensive.  Use a website that allows you to book direct with the owner to save on fees.  Even if you find a great property the chances are there are others that will come onto the market (or already be on the market) of the same design in that locality, so don't feel you have to buy straight away, there will be others and you need to take your time in making such a big decision.  And find and use an independent legal representative, maybe one recommended by people here for the town in which you are buying.  Good luck.

yes you are right so easy to get caught up in the moment emotionally when looking at lovely properties in the sun i have form as I bought timeshare back in the day and cant get shot of it now !!!

hopefully i have learned from experience and will say no sorry its not quite what i am looking for, as you said earlier we need to get this right first time, so its worth taking our time and thinking about it !

thanks for all your help you never know maybe we will be neighbours  one day !!!😎 we will bring the vino