Choosing the Right Property

1. Location, location and the location!

It is a well-known expression that location is the most important thing for you to thrive. There are many nice homes for sale and we will help you find the home that is right for you. However, we can not help you change the area in which the properties are located. Therefore, it is important that you tell us how you intend to use the home and what is important to you. Is it the distance to the beach, walking distance to restaurants, recreational areas, golf course, bike paths or anything else that is important to think about? The more we know about you and your wishes, the easier we can recommend areas that suit your needs. After many years on the Costa Blanca, we have good knowledge of the different areas and you can be sure that we give you good advice. It is good to remember that you can change and renovate a home, but you can not change where the house is located!

2. Sun direction

South facing the sun is what most people prefer. Of course, this also depends on how and when in the year you intend to use your new property. For most buyers, the winter months are the most important. On the Costa Blanca, the average temperature during the winter months of December, January and February is around 17 ° C. During this time, it can be cold to sit outside if you are not in the sun. On a sunny terrace, on the other hand, the temperature can rise to 25 ° – 30 °! And remember, we have about 320 days of sunshine a year on the Costa Blanca!

It can also be just as important to protect yourself from the sun and heat. This is especially true during the summer months, May to October. Most people invest in blinds and sunscreen to get shade because it can get very hot when the thermometer shows 34 degrees in the shade. Then you do not want to sit in the sun. The conclusion is therefore that there are different needs depending on how and when you intend to use the home. The best is of course to have access to both sun and shade.

3. New or used

If you buy a used home, you see what you get and today there are many used homes at reasonable prices. Many also like the old Spanish building style. But remember that older properties do not always have the same quality in terms of insulation and building standards.

Today, there are many lyxurious and stylish new construction projects with high quality and modern style. All built with latest EU-standard. You can choose between all different types of properties such as private villas, bungalows, quadros, townhouses and apartments in many different areas.

When you buy newly built, it also means that you do not have to do any work on your home for many years to come. It is also good to know that it is the same price for new homes regardless of whether you buy through an agent (such as Red Palm Estte) or if you buy directly from the construction company. We do not recommend that you buy immediately from the builder. The reason is, as we have mentioned above, that then you have no one to bring your action in place and follow how the construction goes. Even if you understand and know the language, it is not certain that they understand what you mean due to cultural differences.

It should be a memorable and pleasant experience to buy a property abroad.

At Red Palm Estate, we check out all construction companies before we start cooperating with them. When the homes are not finished, we ask for a bank guarantee on your behalf if you wish. This is highly recommended. You will always receive an oral or written translation of the purchase contract and documents in your language. We also ensure that the customer regularly receives information and photos from the construction process. When the home is finished, we make sure that you receive documents, use permits, certificates of completion and guarantees against errors and defects.

4. Activities on the Costa Blanca

Many people want to do something other than just lie on the beach and enjoy. On the Costa Blanca there is much more to do! Here are some examples:

• There are over 10 different 18-hole golf courses within a 20-minute drive of Torrevieja
• Paddle Courts
• Tennis and Squash Courts
• Petanca
• Nice recreational areas and bicycle paths, for example in the nature park around the salt lakes but also along the water channels
• Beautiful hiking trails
• Handball courts and gym
• Municipal indoor swimming pool, 50 meters (heated)
• Water activities such as water skiing, jet skiing, sailing, diving, kayaking, etc.
• Dance venue for adults
• Oil painting courses
• Wine and olive oil tastings
• Shopping centers of which the two largest are Centro Comercial Habaneras in Torrevieja and Zenia Boulevard in La Zenia
• Excursions by bus
• With shorter walking tours and or car rides, you can get to areas that are outside the usual tourist areas and get closer to the Spaniards and the Spanish culture.

5. New or used

For most people, the climate is of great importance when deciding to acquire a home in more southern latitudes. The Costa Blanca has the best climate on the European mainland and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) it is one of the best and healthiest places to live.

The salt lakes in the Torrevieja area have a positive impact on the climate in the area and result in less rainfall and a stable warm climate.

6. Travel time and availability

Another important factor when choosing a place to live is travel time and accessibility. There are two airports on the Costa Blanca, Alicante-Elche Airport and San Javier Airport in Murcia. It is about 40-50 minutes drive to Torrevieja from both airports.

It is possible to rent a car at the airport from many different companies. It is best to order these in advance. There is also a bus from Alicante Airport to Torrevieja.

The cheap air fares and availability means that you can, if you want, get many visits from family and friends and travel to your home country as often as you want.

7. Various

Operation of communal facilities (pools and other common areas) is well organized and usually works excellently. The same applies to the supply of electricity and water as the electricity is not gone more than can happen in other countries and the water has not been shut off during the 26 years we have worked here in Torrevieja.

Spain is a democracy and a member of the EU. Spain’s central location in Europe and the Costa Blanca’s central location in Spain provide a good starting point for exploration trips both within Spain and to other countries in Europe.

The language is Spanish but more and more Spaniards speaks and understands English. Our Service Center can help you with most things when it comes to translations when you need it.

8. Security

When you travel from another country, you should make sure that you have a European Health Insurance Card (EU card). The card gives you who are an EU citizen the right to necessary medical care on the same terms as the local population or EU country.

Keep in mind that the card does not replace travel insurance.
For most people, it is the language that can be a problem when visiting a health center or hospital. Our Service center also offers interpreting services for these occasions. With a travel insurance, you can instead get private health care. Then there are usually interpreters in several different languages on site. In addition to interpreting services, the Service Center also offers other services such as cleaning of properties, help with the annual tax return and ensuring that the tax is paid on time.

We recommend that you write a Spanish will. When you arrange a will through the Service Center, it is registered with the district court and then becomes a valid Spanish document at the same time. The main reason for writing a will is that it should be done smoothly, quickly and correctly in the estate register.

9. Price level

Property prices in Spain plummeted by about 30% in 2008 and subsequent years, but in recent years prices have slowly started to rise again. However, prices on the Costa Blanca are still low compared to other places along the Spanish coastline. The price increase here is about 3.5% per year. The incrase was a little lower during 2020, but seems to stabilize again.

10. Reduced living costs

The cost of living in Spain is significantly lower than in many other countries in Europe. And Torrevieja are about 20-30% lower than in the area around Marbella, Mallorca and other famous tourist destinations in Spain.

Every Friday there is a big market in Torrevieja. It is said to be one of the world’s busiest markets.

11. Health, well-being and quality of life

The lifestyle and quality of life will be different when you live in Spain. You are more outdoors all year round and make contacts and make new friends. Even if you live in Spain, there are many people from different countries who live here. Even if you can make yourself understood in other languages, it can be nice to be able to speak your own language sometimes and socialize with like-minded people. There are several different associations for different countries for this.

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists the Costa Blanca as one of the healthiest places in the world. Staying here means better health for most people.

Some of our clients who suffer from rheumatism have told us that they have almost completely stopped taking medication after coming here. In others, we have seen that psoriasis has become much better and asthmatics also tend to feel good here.

Not far from the city of Murcia, about an hour’s drive from Torrevieja, you will find the health resorts of Fortuna and Archena in an area with hot springs. There are several treatment centers.

12. Own or rent?

We often hear arguments that it is cheaper to rent than to own and if you rent you can travel wherever you want. If you own a home on the Costa Blanca, you can still travel wherever you want, but you start from a very central location for your travels.