This is a new article which we are developing (time permitting) to offer some suggestions as how to choose the right property for you, and what checks to make.
1. Choosing the area
It might be a good idea to think about the area BEFORE you choose the property. There are many factors to take into consideration, including
a) Do I want an area that is very typically Spanish, where not much English is spoken, and most of my neighbours will be Spanish, but where I will get a REAL flavour of Spanish life?
b) Do I want an area that already has a high number of residents from many other countries, including my own, where it will be easier to get by with just a little or no Spanish, and there will be no problems adapting?
c) Do I need an area that has a lot of bars, restaurants, good schools, golf courses, beaches, airports, leisure activities etc, or are some of those things not so essential?
d) Are there likely to be any extreme weather conditions (eg some inland towns are much hotter in the summer and much cooler in the winter than some coastal towns). Also, some towns have a higher risk of flooding during extremely bad weather. Luckily there is a lot of data available about which towns are more susceptible, so if you are worried about this, you can do your homework. You might find the following links useful:
https://www.112cv.gva.es/documents/163565706/163566523/3ListadoMunicipiosConRiesgo.pdf (This is a list of local towns with their flood level risk where ALTO = high, MEDIO = medium and BAJO = low risk)
https://www.112cv.gva.es/es/inundaciones1 An official Valencian government page with a lot of detailed information
https://villasfox.com/flood_risk/48.00_BCOS_SUR_SEGURA.pdf A map of our area showing flood risk areas
https://villasfox.com/flood_risk/AR48.pdf More detailed information about our area
2. Choosing the property
Rather than just flicking through websites looking for properties that "look nice", you need to have a clear idea about the following:
a) How many bedrooms is the minimum that I need?
b) Likewise for bathrooms.
c) Do I really need a private swimming pool, or is it OK to have a community pool or a town pool nearby....or maybe just to be close to a beach is enough?
d) Is it important to have a great view, or is it more important to be close to amenities?
e) Do I really need a private garage, or is just a shady place enough for my car, or street parking?
f) Do I want a house that is ready to move into, or am I prepared to renovate a property?
g) Will I have enough money for the running costs of a large property, or would it be better to buy something more modest that I can enjoy for years without worry.
To be continued.......
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