Choosing a Property

Once you’ve settled on the general area to focus your search it’s a good idea to be clear about the type of property you would like – use this list of questions to make sure you are clear in your own minds about what you want.

1. Is this a permanent move or a holiday home?
2. If it’s holiday home, could you ever see yourself moving to Spain permanently?
3. Do you want somewhere lively, quiet, holiday feel, or residential areas?
4. Do you like the idea of a typically Spanish village in the country? A holiday resort by the coast, a first class golf development, somewhere overlooking a marina – try describing the feel of the place.
5. Will you want to rent the property out?
6. How important is the rental income?
7. Would you rent it just to friends and family or any paying customers?
8. Are you looking for a property that will require ongoing attention, in the garden for example, or are you looking for a totally low maintenance property?
9. How many bedrooms, bathrooms etc. do you need – are these absolute ‘must haves’ or would you compromise for the right property?
10. Do you want a private pool, a communal pool or do you never really use a pool?
11. Do you need to be near schools, shops, medical facilities, bus routes, bars, restaurants etc?
12. Will you be looking for work or starting a business – how does that influence you choice of location?
13. How will you spend your days in Spain – do you want to be near a golf course, the beach, shops or will you be spending your time lounging at home?
14. How do you feel about decorating, would you rather have something brand new?
15. What are your timescales – do you want something that’s ready to move in to or does the idea of stage payments while the property is being built over the next year appeal to you?

Property types

Now that you have a good idea about what’s really important let’s look at the types of property available.

Spanish terminology is sometimes quite different to what we are used to in the UK, for example in Spain you will often see property advertised as a first floor bungalow – how can that be – we always think of a bungalow as one level on the ground floor, no-one living above or below you. It can be quite confusing to begin with but hopefully the explanations below will help or call us on 020 8645 6655 to find out more.

In Spain you will often find that there is great emphasis on the outdoor living accommodation. The Spanish love to socialize and eat outside and the wonderful climate makes it possible for much of the year. The climate influences other aspects of property - quite often you will find that the bedrooms are much smaller than in the UK and with older properties the windows are invariably small with shutters and blinds attempting to keep the sun out and the inside cool – totally different from in the UK where we like to get as much light into the house as possible – hardly surprisingly when you compare our weather with Spain’s.

So what should you expect from “property in Spain”?

Apartment - Bungalow - Duplex - Quad

Townhouse - Villa - Finca - Penthouse

Apartment

Your immediate thought might be of a block of flats, which can be off-putting for some people and appealing for others. The reality is that the term ‘apartment’ can mean many things. In the UK we might use ‘maisonette’ to describe many Spanish apartments – 2 storey, both apartments with their own private entrance, the ground floor having a garden perhaps and the top floor having a solarium or sun terrace.
There are of course Apartment Blocks and these would be similar to our idea of a block of flats with an elevator.

Bungalow

Typically a bungalow will be on one level. It can be the traditional type that we know and love i.e. a house with all the living accommodation on the ground floor but sometimes even these can have an internal or external staircase up to a private sun terrace.

Duplex

A popular design particularly within newer developments in Spanish Urbanisations. These are usually on 2 floors and often linked to another property. Quite often the duplexes will be built around a communal pool with landscaped gardens and nice pathways

Quad

As its name suggests these properties are one of four. If you imagine a square divided into quarters each duplex would be one of the quarters. You can have a quad duplex on two floors or a quad bungalow at ground level and all on one floor. Just like the duplex they are often built around a communal pool. Cleverly designed to give maximum privacy when you are enjoying the sunshine on your solarium.

Townhouse

You probably wont often see the terms Semi-detached or Terraced in Spanish property pages – more likely these types of property will be described as town houses. They are usually built as two storey properties but can be three floors.

Villa

A large country residence in its own grounds it can be a detached or semi-detached house in a residential district. In Roman times a villa was a large country house having an estate and consisting of buildings arranged around a courtyard but now you can find ‘villas’ that are really quite cosy.

Finca

Fincas are older style properties found in the countryside often surrounded by farmland, vineyards or open land. There are some fantastic mountain views in the region so if you are looking for tranquility and space an inland Finca may be for you. Sometimes referred to as rustic or rural properties that are situated more than 30 minutes driving time from the coast. Usually with lots of character and often but not always in need of renovation or extensive refurbishment.
There are some quirky issues surrounding the ownership of some properties making it essential to have a good lawyer working with us.

Penthouse

These apartments are usually luxurious and designed to take advantage of the spectacular views. Privacy on the large solarium is a given. Penthouses are very popular on golf courses as you would expect. Quite a bit more expensive than other apartments but usually worth the extra for the views alone.

Brand New or Second Hand?

All of these property types can be found in the Costas and you see them described as
Off Plan, Key Ready or Resale - in other words brand new or second hand.

Off Plan

Extremely popular with investors or people who are not in a desperate hurry to take possession of their property. You can buy ‘off plan’ at any stage of the construction. You can reserve your property when it is literally a green field site with absolutely nothing to see other than the architects plans for the plot and maybe some previously built show houses – or - you can buy your property when it’s just a few weeks away from being completed – this would still be called ‘off plan’
The reason that Off Plan is so popular with investors is that the prices are at their cheapest in the early stages so ultimately the early bird will make the greatest amount of profit and will get the pick of the best plots. Following the initial reservation deposit stage payments will be made throughout the construction period with the bulk of the balance being paid on completion.

Key Ready

These were ‘off plan’ properties that have now been completed and are ready for you to move in – sometimes called Key in Hand, they are brand new and never been lived in.
Key Ready properties are a good option if you are looking for low or no maintenance as the developers that we work with are very particular about the finishing.

Resale

Simply any property that has been owned before. Sometimes referred to as second hand.
These can be older properties or brand new properties.