If 2016 is the year you’ve decided to buy in Spain, you’ll need to head out there to view properties. Meet one couple who found their Spanish home during their first viewing trip, organised after a visit to a UK property expo…
Holidays will be especially enjoyable for Phil and Sandra Jones this year, thanks to the Manchester couple now having their own place to go to in the Costa Blanca.
The Joneses received the keys to their attached villa in Playa Flamenca in November 2015, only a month after seeing the property for the first time during a viewing trip.
“We arranged to come out to Spain and view six properties with local estate agent HomeEspaña last October,” said Sandra. “When we visited the first property we knew we wanted it, so after seeing the other five we asked to go back. We met the owner and made an offer there and then, which was accepted, returning in November to complete the purchase.”
The couple paid €146,000 for their property, excluding fees and taxes. They have two bedrooms, one bathroom, a solarium, off-road parking and lots of outdoor space, which is all tiled.
Phil and Sandra’s buying journey began in March 2015, when they visited the A Place in the Sun Live exhibition in Manchester and met the HomeEspaña team who were exhibiting there. “Their communication with us after meeting at the show was excellent and they kept us informed until we were ready to view properties with them later in the year,” added Sandra. “They also guided us through the buying process, helping with all the paperwork, like our NIE tax number and opening a Spanish bank account.”
Phil and Sandra’s property is part of a gated community which includes a communal pool. Meanwhile, the popular Playa Flamenca beach is only 20 minutes’ walk away, and it’s even less to a selection of bars and restaurants, as well as the supermarket.
“It’s perfect for us and our two adult sons, who will also use it for holidays with their children,” said Sandra.
The Costa Blanca remains one of the UK’s favourite places to buy a second home or retire to in Spain. “Popular resorts in the southern part along the Orihuela Costa, for which we get a lot of interest, include Cabo Roig, Playa Flamenca, Punta Prima, Villamartín and Campoamor,” said Elaine Ferguson, Head of OverseasGuidesCompany.com. “North of Alicante, the resorts of Calpe, Moraira, Javéa and Dénia attract a lot of buyers.”
The next A Place in the Sun Live exhibition takes place in Manchester, 11th-13th March 2016.
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