Do you know where to start looking for real estate in Spain? How to choose the right place that suits you best? What criteria should be analyzed first when buying property in Spain? Even if your answer is «yes», professional reminders will never be superfluous.
Step 1: Determine a goal
The most important thing is to determine the goal. What are you buying a house for and how it will be used in the future? There are different goals, but there are three main ones.
The first is housing for rent or your own vacation. Most buyers are guided by this goal. We must proceed from reality. Most of us still want to combine our own vacation and income generation. This scheme is working, but it also has nuances. If you are the owner and have placed your ad on short-term rental services, it is very important that the property works for you. When you come to rest and stay in the apartment for one or two months, then you lower the rating of your housing on these sites.
The second goal is investment. You buy two or three apartments exclusively for rent with the help of a management company. The third goal is moving to permanent residence. Buyers of Spanish real estate who pursue the second and third goals are in the minority. According to the data, lots of people buy it in order to live and rent it out; some buyers are just investors and few of them are those, who wants to live in Spain permanently.
Step 2: Choose a city
To choose the one you like the most from a dozen places, you need to study the region. But even in this case, we must not forget about the goals. If you are buying a property for your own residence, you can consider any city.
But if you want to relax and earn money, then the choice will be limited to two or three localities. In this case, you can get into a car and drive along Spain, visit three or four cities. A day or two will be enough to get acquainted with each of it. When you decide on the location, then for another two days we will look at about 20 properties. This period is quite enough to make a final choice.
There are the following cities for those who buy real estate for living:
Calpe. It is unique place with beautiful mountains. and wide sandy beaches. There are some attractions, such as Ifach rock, Salt Lake with flamingos. The city is small, so the most popular real estate is a house. There are very few hotels. It is quiet in winter, so Calpe is ideal for those who want to relax and live a measured life.
Denia. It is a good choice for mature people who are planning to move to Spain in retirement. It is comfortable, clean, and quiet, especially in winter. There are few tourists, beautiful nature, magnificent mountains and gorgeous beaches.
Alicante. It is a city with a large port, where you can travel and take boat trips.
Step 3: Choose the type of property
Let’s start with the fact that in Spain there are several types of real estate.
Apartments are simple. This is an ordinary flat with one or two bedrooms.
The next type of housing is a bungalow. This is an apartment with a separate entrance, which can be located on the ground floor. It has its own courtyard of no more than 30 sq. m. Bungalows on the second floor are usually more prestigious. There is more sun and you can organize a recreation area with a barbecue.
Duplex or townhouse is a two-storey apartment with a separate entrance. It can occupy the last floor of a residential project or represent a separate structure for several owners.
Finally, houses, which in Spain are called «casa» or «villa». The terms are different, but in fact it is the same.
Our assistance in buying real estate in Spain
More interesting real estate options from owners in Spain are posted on Spain-Real.Estate. You can get detailed information about buying real estate in Spain and moving to the country for permanent residence from the agent on the website.