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Buying in los alcazeres

Posted: Fri May 24, 2019 9:41pm
29 replies3368 views10 members subscribed
Lisa61

Posts: 19

8 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 18 Mar 2019

Help help help. Been looking at buying in los alcazeres but also along beach up to la Zenia.we have had so many conflicting views on areas. We are looking for a 2/3 bed property near beach an use of pool would be a bonus. We have four small grandchildren that would be holidaying too. Any areas we should avoid or any areas recommended would be so very much appreciated.many thanks lisa

NickB

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 11:00am

NickB

Helpful member

Posts: 103

104 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 27 Apr 2019

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 11:00am

Hi Lisa,

We own a 3 bed property a few minutes from La Zenia that we brought a few years ago as a holiday home, but as we're planning to retire in the summer to Spain we decided we wanted something larger, with more outside space. So we are currently in the process of buying a 4 bed villa in Los Alcazares.

Around La Zenia, Cabo Roig, etc it is great for nights out in bars and restaurants, you've got the Boulevard on your doorstep (think it's the 2nd largest shopping mall in Spain) and loads for the kids also. Great beaches, etc. However, the property prices are far higher than LA. 

The villa we've brought is immaculate with it's own pool, etc. It cost 220k euros. We looked all around LZ, but couldn't find anything as good for the price.

We've only visited LA a few times, but it definitely feels more Spanish and is a lot quieter for night life. However, feels more upmarket than LZ

Hope this helps?

Nick.

Lisa61

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 2:48pm

Lisa61

Original Poster

Posts: 19

8 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 18 Mar 2019

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 2:48pm

Thankyou, totally agree with your comments. My heart is saying LA

colouredman

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 3:05pm

colouredman

Helpful member

Posts: 41

69 helpful points

Location: Roldán

Joined: 6 Jan 2019

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 3:05pm

Hi Lisa,

As a long time property investor here in UK and until recently the owner of a beachside apt in Paphos in Cyprus for 12 years i can give you these crucial tips:

1. The coasts in any tourist-oriented country are the regions/areas which are developed first and therefore by implication, the oldest. So some properties near the sea may be as old as late 80’s. That means old spec, old electrics, old construction and building codes, old tired concrete etc etc. As demand in an area grows then developers start building inland, so usually inland tourist properties are newer.

2. In the boom years the Spanish were throwin these properties up in the 100’s of 1000’s. They are often not the best built and tacky, and the reason is this. A developer knows that he doesnt have to try hard with properties near the sea coz the sea itself will sell the property. Property inland has to have a lot more goin for it to attract buyers. These coastal properties are built largely specifically with foreign buyers in mind, not for sale to the Spanish. Mostly that means standards are lower in build quality.

3. Bear this in mind more than anything.... If you buy near the sea yre payin an absolute premium for that! If you spend €100,000 buying on the coast, about 30% of that at least is ‘in the sea’ not in your property. If you spend the same half hour imland 100% of your money is in the property which quite simple means... a better property, with more independence, more land, more bedrooms, more modern, more m2 space etc etc.

4. I was once where you are now.... the retirement or holiday home dream of long days in the sun. Indeed i had all those things and more. But what i also experienced was so many things i could not possibly have imagined.... noise or loud music from other neighbours/owners, or noise from those they rented to. Furniture scraping across floors above us. Cigarette ash raining down onto our balcony from balconys above, etc etc. A key thing to understand about that kind of apt block/communal living, is that you have to really (now) take on board that (contrary to what you now think) your holiday home happiness (or unhappiness) is a lot less in your hands than you think. If that sounds dramatic consider this. Imagine all the people in your street or neighbourhood (the good ones and the bad) living above you, below you, at the sides of you; etc, i.e all in the same building. In imagining it how does it feel? All i can add to that is that I did it and for 12 years and Ill never do that again. The property type we now look for is as detached as possible, for all the above reasons and many more.

5. Be very very very aware of ‘Communal Fees’!!!! These are a nightmare, and cannot be ignored in overall property costs. Some are as much as €50 to €100 per month and always go up up up over time. This is mainly coz the costs of pool maintenance or the salaries of those who do it, all goes up over time. Bear in mind also that if theres ever a time you dont use the apt much or need to return to live in UK youll still be paying, and effectively paying for something yre not using. Another issue with Communal Fees is that generally a small group of people on a block committee wield the power, and a lot of it too. If they decide the block needs repainting or the pool revamping etc you and other owners will be contributing to that without necesarily wanting it or agreeing with it. A few years ago our committee pretty much unilaterally decidec the block needed re rendering and painting. As a consequence (coz the block kitty was low) i had to come up with over €1000 one pay day before Xmas. I was absolutely livid but still had to pay.

6. In any block you will have a percentage of non payers. At least until they pay up or have their property embargoed other owners end up paying more just simply coz they ate paying less or none. Our block was only a block of 8 yet consistently we had 3 non payers who up to when we sold up last Nov, owed the committee/owners about €20,0000!!!

Good luck but go into what yre doing forensically!! Oh and buy a good book on buying property in Spain. It will open your eyes to the complexities and pitfalls of it. Anthony Foster has a very good one for £12 available from Amazon.

Tim

Lisa61

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 3:38pm

Lisa61

Original Poster

Posts: 19

8 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 18 Mar 2019

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 3:38pm

Thankyou so much Tim. It sounds like you know your stuff and have found your

Reply to be very helpful. I will certainly take all on board. Have a few things to 

rethink. Thanks again lisa

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colouredman

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 7:08pm

colouredman

Helpful member

Posts: 41

69 helpful points

Location: Roldán

Joined: 6 Jan 2019

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 7:08pm

Yre welcome Lisa. Theres a lot too it, so take your time and understand all the ins n outs n implications, not just the happy stuff. 

A couple of other things occurred to me:

1. Crime is always more prevalent in those tourist areas.

2. Be careful where you buy coz some of those developments are ghost towns in winter.

 3. make sure (for all sorts of reasons) that you view areas/developments at their worst also; i.e in Jan, Feb, Nov etc. That way aswell youll get an idea if damp/cold etc. Spanish elec is expensive and Spanish property is built without damp proof courses and single skin/no insulation or cavity.

3. Visit the costas up n down extensively. Many of those coastal resorts are highrise hell and soul less and ugly. Bear in mind that from Benidorm down to probably Mar Menor is where the Spanish developed most and first and made their biggest aesthetic construction mistakes. After Cyprus i find a lot of Spanish coastline quite ugly; you may conclude same when you see it.

4. Its a buyers market despite what any agent tells you so haggle hard. Thers too many properties for sale for it not to be. Go on to the sites the Spanish use... Fotocasa, Idealista, Thinkspain, Kyero, then look at the bank reposession sites: Solvia, Servihabitat, Aliseda, Haya Es, etc etc. Put your search criteria in and youlll see just how many properties are for sale.....1000’s!!! Compare what you get on the coast with prices inland. Half hour inland Alicante or Murcia often gets you a completely detached property with 2 - 400sqm of land. Same on coast gets you a 2 bed apt!!!! Food for thought!

Tim

Lisa61

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 9:19pm

Lisa61

Original Poster

Posts: 19

8 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 18 Mar 2019

Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 9:19pm

Thanks again Tim. I love your honesty. I'm looking more inland now. We just got back from la zenia, our cleaner lives in catral. I've been looking there but have heard that some of the property there was built illegally. However some have said they have bought there an all was ok. I'm sure a good solicitor would do all relevant checks. 

Where did you end up buying and what's it like? Thanks again Lisa

Joelle

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 10:12am

Posts: 52

13 helpful points

Location: Mar Menor

Joined: 12 May 2018

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 10:12am

Hi Lisa,

You can contact David by WhatsApp. He can let you visit 2 houses in the requested area. He is a reliable person. We know him for years.

Here is his number +34 606 69 76 02.

I'm quite confident that he will be able to help you finding your new house.

Joelle

colouredman

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 12:26pm

colouredman

Helpful member

Posts: 41

69 helpful points

Location: Roldán

Joined: 6 Jan 2019

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 12:26pm

Hi Lisa, yes Catral stirred our curiosity also, and we may well take a look. Our lawyers PA lives there so we may seek more info from her.

A few things concern us with Catral though:

1. Its supposed to have a prevalence of mosquitoes. One guy on this forum commented about it being called ‘mosquito town’

2. If you look at aeria or street views on google it looks quite remote. I mean the plots are big so the houses are very spread out. It wud make burglary easy i think.

3. Yes widespread info available re most of those properties dont have Habitation Certificates. Its possible to get them but not straightforward. Apparently you have to agree to fit one of the new Eco type Septic tanks; not cheap at around €3000!

4. Positives seem to be huge plots and good value. We’ll see.

We go there again on Sunday for 18 days; our 4th trip since Nov. We’ve seen and viewed a lot. Started in northern Almeria and latterly in inland Murcia and Alicante. Its hard coz we are looking fir something rare with a low budget. We have about €110,000 to spend but are lookin for detached with no pool, no communal pool and bo communal fees.

However we have identifed and viewed in 2 locations i would urge you to look at:

1. Hondon Valley/La Montanosa Urb. Half hour inland from airport and coast. Better yet its only 10 mins from the great city of Elche. Its also in a beautiful setting between two nice Spanish villages. Its good coz every street of the urb is on google street view and you can see it all aerially too. We already offered on one there but it was declined. (Its still for sale now after 8 months!) our problem there is that 90% of properties have pools which we dont want. 

Great urb which feels like a neighbourhood not an urb. Plus all the plots are big.... 400sqm average. Its also a fully Town Hall adopted Urb with no Communal Fees and with the Town hall maintaining all sewerage, street lighting and roads etc. All villas there are fully legal and good build quality seemingly. Additionally (unusually) they are built with a small underbuild between floor and foundations (an airspace) so that less chance of damp.

Two agents dominate there.... Hondonvalleyhomes (steven Bromley) and hondon villas. Both have websites and HVH also has a FB site. Steven is a good guy; straight. We viewed a couple with him. Also he lives there n has done since it was built so he knows everything.... very intelligent and knowledgeable guy, and not pushy.

2. Both those agents also seem to dominate the property market in Las Kalendas urb in Fortuna. Some very good value properties there though its a shade further inland. Bearing in mind that asking price most definitely isnt selling price, i think you could buy a 2 bed 2 bath detached villa with pool on either of those urbs for sub €140,000.

Theres a very good legal website called spanishsolicitors.com. Within that site Tax Lawyers and Architects have some excellent articles. Youll find artickes there on Catral and the legal situation there; very interesting.

Tim

Philleverett

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 1:36pm

Posts: 19

8 helpful points

Location: Lo Pagan

Joined: 28 Sep 2018

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 1:36pm

The best advice is visit an area at all times of the year before buying. Places can be very different in Winter than in Summer. In Winter many Spanish resorts become a ghost town and in Summer you can hardly move for the crowds. You will be hosting grandchildren at the most popular and expensive times and probably the hottest.

It is worth renting before buying

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