Which is the best area to live in?

Hi Evelyn

I'm not sure how well you know the area? Javea is certainly a nice town, and like Denia gets packed in the summer months. Javea probably has a bigger ex pat Brit community than Denia. Just a personal opinion, but I prefer Denia because of the layout - one long marina area and front paseo facing straight onto the town. And beaches - miles of them - a few paces just to the north.

It's hard to know what you like, but close to Javea you have Jesus Pobre on the Denia road and you have also some nice urbanisations on the Cabo la Nao side of the town to the south of Javea. Jesus Pobre might be worth a look, nice village and it's certainly a lovely area, as is the Montgo generally. That location is equidistant from Javea to the AP-7 and the big shopping centre Portal de la Marina on the N332 at Ondara. 

Your best bet if planning to move out permanently is to rent for a while - not too long - and get an in depth feel of the geography and the places you like/don't like.

Happy hunting, all the best, Steve

Dear Steve, many thanks for the response. In fact, we only know the area from hearsay and the films on internet. After Christmas we looked at the Costa des Sol, Marbeilla, Malaga and Nerja. However, that was very expensive and I did not like the proximity of the old autoroute to really everywhere. Estepona eas nice though we thought.

We are not British, but of German and Egyptian origin, which is why we are more interested in multi-cultural places with some Spanish authenticity. Also places like El Arenal on Mallorca are more of a horror to us than anything else.

In terms of houses, we were looking at new ones which are energy efficient and green, also a bit more expensive probably. So far we looked at Bennecke and Groupa Fercosan, but it is hard to decide from the distance. My husband works less than me and will probably set up some appointments and then go over. We are thinking of buying soon for the near future and to move over.

The idea of renting is also interesting to explore.

We will check your site. Stay in touch. Best, Evelyn

Thanks your reply. If you liked Estepona you would probably like Denia. It has some similarities and is very multicultural with residents from many ethnic and religious backgrounds. The town hall there might be a good source of information about that. 

Denia and indeed Javea are both generally cheaper than the Costa del Sol when comparing similar properties. 

Kind regards,  Steve

Evelyn, we bought last year in Denia, we love Javea but only for a trip out in Summer, it gets packed with tourists. Denia gets busy too but it seems to remain 'Spanish' and is not overtaken with tourists.  Denia seems to have a buzz about it all year round, definitely our preferred option.

Best of luck. Jeff.

Hello Evelyn

I have lived in Spain nearly half my life. I came here from England in 1985. I lived in Altea for many years and latterly have lived in Jávea for about ten years. It is quite hard to give good advice to people like yourselves who clearly have very individual tastes that do not match the "mainstream" model! Much of what the previous replies says is very true and I would only be repeating it by saying it again in different words. 

To enjoy a Spanish environment, that is not overrun by foreigners - mainly English - you'd have to look inland, I feel. Of course property prices are far lower there or put another way, you'd get much more for your money. 

Property, like everything else follows fashion trends. Currently the fashion is for the "white box". These are springing up everywhere and no doubt incorporate all the "home automation" you could wish for.  They tend to cost more than a traditional house and seem to be positioned without regard to taste. In a few years I can anticipate that they will look dingy from years of winter rain discolouring their pristine looks. One has only to look at past fashions such as the German inspired turret villas from 20 years ago to see how fashion changes.

Many properties that I see have enormous living areas that would be a nightmare to heat in winter. There is a persistent illusion that Spain is warm and summery all year. As I write I am looking at a week of temperatures between 5 and 7 and almost continuous rain! Energy in Spain is amongst the most expensive in the world but not being a politician I will avoid commenting further on this. Many properties advertise underfloor heating. Beautifully comfortable but it is seriously expensive to run.

I will declare an interest - I am involved with Mangolinkproperty.com in the Jávea area. We specialise in working with overseas clients. You might care to look at our web site where we cover coastal and inland areas. The contrast is apparent for all to see! 

I don´t know what property markets you are familiar with, however, I would strongly recommend that you come here and rent for a while - perhaps 12 months or more - and thoroughly explore the region before buying. Unlike some markets - eg England - it is not easy to sell property and thus you need to be certain that your choice is right for the long term. In addition the buying costs are around 12%  and selling costs about 6-7%

If you would like to talk more, I should be delighted to help. You can send me a personal message on this forum. 

Good luck

Dear Jeff, thanks so much for your response. We probably think alike in that we like it to stay somehow Spanish. We will check out Denia. We saw films online and liked it already.

All the best,

Evelyn

Hi there, We appreciate your advice. We may revert once our thinking has advanced.

All the best,

Evelyn 

HI Evelyn,

Just read your posts & wondering if you ended up finding anywhere. We're in a similar position to you a couple of years ago, and also thinking of buying a property in Denia...and keen to gather people's experiences of buying in the area & how they got on.

Any tips much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Simon