How To Find The Right Place In Spain For You.

So you are thinking of moving to Spain but where do you start looking?

One question I am often asked is “where is the best place in Spain to Live”

Asking people on Facebook may not be a great idea as you will get very personal views and these may not be right for you and your needs. It does give you ideas and info though and that in its self is great research.

I would always say Almeria is best as i have lived here 19 years and travelled all over Spain and worked in many areas but thats just me and what i like.

In this post i will give you some great tips on what worked for me and others i know that have bought here in Spain and this could save you time and money so read on…

Well most people start with google and look online at properties and areas in Spain but that can be a daunting task as everybody has different ideas on just what is the perfect place in Spain.

Personally i did my research from the uk and went to a few hotel promotions that were offering different areas of Spain. Its still hard from the uk though as it all looks great on paper or in some slide show on a screen in a hotel.

YOU HAVE TO GO THERE

You really need to go look for yourself as its always a lot different once you are actually there.

Davids TIP 1.

After narrowing it down a bit online. book a cheap long weekend say 3 or 4 days at the area that you think you like . Before you go. search estate agents and properties in that area and tell them you are coming to look so they can prepare and search for what you are looking for. If you cant speak Spanish then use google translate to send them an email in Spanish explaining what your looking for.

So once your there dont go sit in a bar or on the beach, you can do that all day once your living there, this is a recky trip to find that dream home. Use your time wisely.

Go into as many estate agents as possible on the first day and tell them you have sold your house in the uk and are ready to buy. this is a little white lie but it will make them keener to help as they think you will buy fast and maybe you will.

Davids Tip 2.

When you go out with the estate agents normally they will take you in their car and you need to use this time to ask them loads of questions about the area like schools shops bars beaches hospitals and just about anything. they will be happy to tell you if they think you are serious about living there. Ask what are the costs of living like there now..

These agents have a wealth of knowledge so pick their brains and get as much info as possible. Some agents now have bank repossessions to offer so ask about that as well.

Many agents are now in teams and some here call it a “NET” basically they have access to each others properties so they may not have what you want but they may know another agent who does so they call that agent and they share the commission. This is what happened to me on the last property i sold here my buyer had 2 agents from different agencies that got together to sell the guy my property.

This is winter in Spain…..

Davids Tip 3.

Take photos of all the places that you see. we all have mobiles so snap away as these photos help later on when you cant remember what was what.

Years ago when i first came here i stayed in a small town that looked great online but when i was here i ended up about 30 mins away in a different town that i had driven through as i was looking around so this is why its important to come have a look.

Personally i rented first for 10 months as i though the place i liked was it for me but after that time here i found that i loved it but that there was a better place just 20 mins down the road so i was glad i didnt buy in that area at that time so for me renting saved my money in the long run.

You may think that just a few days is not enough and you probably wont find what you are looking for the first time but you could cross that area off your list. Use the few days to go out all day every day just looking at what they have. The more research you do online before you come here the better chance you will have of choosing the right area for you to start with.

Going to the areas you like in the winter months is a great idea as it may be very different there in winter as some areas sort of close down for a few months or the weather may be very different in winter than you think. We all love Spain in the summer but whats that area like in winter. There are many areas that get very cold and have snow here in winter so get the facts or go see for yourself.

Remember dont be put off by what others say about a place its your dream not theirs but take in advice they give about that area and just do as much research firt as possible as this will save you time money and stress. PS did i say LEARN SOME SPANISH.. this above all will help you more than you know.

Even if you are in The UK and still thinking about a move to Spain there is a lot you can do to keep your dream alive and as long as you take action daily then that dream has to become a reality in time..

Remember I have set up a mentor group on our facebook page where you can get one on one help and advice from our expert members see in the menu bar in the group.

Hope these tips have helped. please leave a quick comment or like in the group or on this blog.

Remember loads more tips and advice on living here and finding work here in my 4 new books out on Amazon now see below.