Buying on Entre Naranjos

1st ever post. I was thinking about buying a property on this development but internet searches have turned up the possibility that there is a lack of commercial developments here. And that the "planned" golf course that the agents and developers told me about has not got final planning permission? I also turned up a story in the press that a 40 bed residential mental health facility with an additional 20 day places was to be established in the area. Can anyone out there enlighten me as to the present situation. I did like the look of the area but now having doubts about the longterm resale potential and if in the short - medium term the infrastructure required to ensure my enjoyment of the area and make it attractive to friends /family for rental is present.

This message was last edited by haufdun on 3/22/2007.

Hi,

I know it´s a long time since the original post. The golf course is open and has stunning views which can be enjoyed from the restaurante and bar, they serve lovely meals, tapas etc and even have a take away menu. The mental hospital has been cancelled and at present we have 2 shops and 2 bars open. Both of the bars provide food and entertainment. In my opinion there is no better place to live.

 

Gill

 

 

 

 

Hi Gill, thinking about buying here, you seem to really like it.  We intend  to rent for 6 months to get the feel of the place.  Any advice would be gratefully received.

Mojogal

Hi Mojogal,

It is a lovely place to live for us, however we are all different. Young families seem to struggle due to lack of work and there are few facilities for children. At the moment there is no bus service, however my husband has just started work with the Orihuela Town Hall as a foreigners representative and one of his priorities is to try and get the Orihuela-Torrevieja bus re-routed to include Entre Naranjos. This week they have started to build a bowling green, 2 ball courts and a childrens area next to the golf club. I would definately rent first, there are plenty of houses to choose from both for rent and for sale. Have you been out to view the area? If I can help in any way do feel free to ask,

 

Gill

Hi Gill, thankyou for replying.  My husband and I lived in Torrivieja for five years and we left in 2005 and moved to USA.  Due to health problems he can't do long haul flights any more.  UK in the winter is a not  for us and thats why we thought of coming back to Spain.

We love the thought of being some where quiet. We are retired.   I expect things have changed somewhat over the years we have been away.  Do you know anything about the new hospital at Torrivieja?  Whats the crime like where you live.

We have already rented an apartment for six months arriving October this year   and we are looking forward to re-aquainting ourselved with the area.  Taking walks along the beaches was always one of our favourite pastimes, and there are so many beaches to choose from isn't there.

Kind regards

Mojogal

 

Hi Mojogal,

 

Yes things have changed dramatically in the last 5 years, the N332 is now a dual carriageway along the coast, Punta Prima, Playa Flanenca, Cabo Roig etc. which makes it a pleasure to drive there instead of the nightmare it used to be. There is also a new Marina in Torrevieja with some very nice bars to visit even if it`s only for a coffee, the promenade has had a facelift and many of the streets have been pedestrianised. As far as EN is concerned, had you asked me yesterday I would have told you that there is virtually no crime here however last night my neighbours were broken into while they are on holiday in the UK. It happens everywhere but it is very unusual for a house to be burgled here, usually when it happens it is the apartments as a lot are holiday homes and people go out leaving doors and windows un locked. I expect you will be hiring a car to start with, if so, make sure you remove the sticker as that tells everyone you are on holiday and have money, passports, credit cards etc.

 

Do not go to agents when you come to buy, they add large commissions to the sale price, we usually know a few up for sale. The house next to us is with an agent and has been reduced from 199,000 euros to 150,000 when in reality you can buy one here for less than 100,000.

 

Where are you renting? It has been quiet here for the last year, most of the young families have returned and a lot of pensioners only just surviving due to the exchange rate, the holiday season was almost none existant in August as car hire prices have gone very high, this has resulted in many bars and cafes closing, hopefully there are better times ahead. As long as you don´t have to earn a living Spain is a great place to be and I must admit that I like the quiet life. We are just a short drive from Los Montesinos, San Miguel, Orihuela, Quesada etc. so there is plenty around if you want it. We are also pensioners, well I am (66th birthday tomorrow) but hubby is 4 years younger. I have full healthcare due to receiving a UK pension and my husband is also covered as my dependant. Valencia have now stopped free healthcare if you are not covered by the UK or working and paying in to the system. However there is a government scheme which is 270 euros per quarter per person but covers you for pre-existing conditions which private companies won´t do. Torrevieja Hospital is excellent, I could quote you dozens of cases where people would not have survived in the UK but due to the health care here have had all treatment covered almost immediately, waiting lists are virtually unheard of, you see a specialist usually within days for urgent cases and a couple of weeks for non urgent. I had an operation on my throat 3 years ago and they have only recently discharged me as they like a 2 year follow up. Our doctor is at Torremendo a couple of miles away, a small practice but very good, one of the receptionists speaks perfect English and you can have a translator for 5 euros if you wish, the doctor also speaks English so not many people bother.

 

There is a Spanish man on EN who has an office here and will do anything from making doctors appts, phone calls, tax returns, denuncias, wills etc, his name is Vicente and nothing is too much trouble for him.

 

Can't think of anything else right now but if you have any more questions do feel free to ask,

 

Good Luck,

 

Gill

Hi Gill,

Thanks for your lovely long message its great to talk to someone who is there and knows the area.

We are really looking forward to coming back albeit in the winter months.  We have rented for 9 months and at the end of that time we will decide what the future holds fo us.  Wonderful to know how good the new hospital is.  When we were living there I was in hospital in Ouihella (propbaly the wrong spelling) for 6 weeks and knocked deaths door a number of times.  My doctor in UK said if I had been home in the UK I probably wouldn't have survived.

We used to love the markets and "rip a chicken" as we called it with salad on our balcony.  We have some wonderful memories of that 5 years.  Some nasty ones too as we remember getting mugged at Torrivieja market and having our home brocken into when we rented in La Marina before we bought.  We have no illusions as we know this can happen everywhere.

We are coming out for 1st October and staying until the end of June.  It really does sound nice I neally lost my husband here in USA last month he had a pulmonary embolism ( blood clots in his lungs)  We shall be sorry to leave USA, we love it here but long haul flights are not for him any more!  The blessing is that I still have him and we are looking forward to a new adventure.

Do you golf!  Someone told us that it is very expensive in Spain now.  Do you know anything about that?

We are going to rent our mobile home in Florida (on an over 55 year park)  just in case anyone you know is interested.  The golf here is wonderful and very reasonable.  Would make great accomodation for a golfing holiday.

Thanks Gil, lets keep in touch.

Maureen(mojogal)

Hi Maureen,

 

You really do seem to have been on a roller coaster for the last few years. I also got mugged in San Miguel and had my bag stolen, however I was not hurt whereas when it happened in the UK I got a knife stuck in me, most of the crime here is petty and opportunist and the police have worked hard in recent years to reduce it.

 

I don´t play golf but do spend time at the golf club as it is so nice to go for tapas and a glass of wine whilst overlooking the mountains. There are also various activities there, dance classes, quiz night, Spanish music on Saturday nights and on Friday they hold Latino nights where you can dance or just watch but a very pleasant atmosphere, generally a nice class of people

 

I am not sure about all the fees but at the moment there are only 11 holes although the golfers still play 18 holes by repeating some of them I think the full round is 39 euros, I know it is a lot cheaper than most courses.

 

Have you rented an apartment or quad?

 

Look forward to meeting up when you finally arrive, the weather should still be quite nice in October,

 

Gill

Hi Ladies,

Ive just been enjoying reading your posts, we are in the process of buying a property on Laguna Green, hopefully to move in to full term from this summer.

We are moving out with our daughters who are 6 and 13 as we wanted a new start some where away from the UK but close enough to get home to see family and friends, we have spent many hoildays in the area and feel this is a lovely place to bring up the girls compared to the UK.

After reading your posts Im concerned we may be isolated from everything by choosing here and was wondering if there are many families or ways of making friends for both us and our girls. 

We are not to worried about work as long as we can make enough to live, as we work long hours here and want more of a relaxed lifestyle for us all.

Look forward to hearing of you

nikki x

Hi Nikki, I used to live outside Torrevieja about 4 years ago and lived there for five years after leaving UK to retire.  My sister followed me out a year later and is still there.  We decided to move to the USA and left Spain.

You know when you leave Uk for a better way of life for your family you have to accept that it is a different way of life.  Much slower to start with and I am sure that this is a good thing.  Dont expect things to get done quickly because they just wont and this is the first thing that you must accept.

There have been many horror stories about moving to Spain, but if you are sensible and aware of all that goes on around you, for istance you must take security very serious.  We loved our time there and believe you me the schools and health are amazing.

I was very ill whilst living there and my doctor in UK said I would have probably died if I had been in UK.  They did every test until they found what was wrong with me.  UK I doubt if they would have bothered.  My brother in law has prostrate cancer and the medical attention he is receiving is amazing.

As for work I have no idea, nor do I know the area you are going to.  I have been away for far to long.  I am however looking forward to spending my winter close to my sister and reaquainting myself with all the lovely walks along the beautiful beaches that are in the area.

Go with an open mind accept things for what they are.  Lock your doors when in the car and if you must take a handbag out with you put it around your neck and shoulders. Take security serious this would be my number one piece of advice.

I am sure you will all love it, keep me posted with your travels

Maureen

Hi Maureen,

Hope your health has improved, sounds like you have been through the mill.

Laguna green is situated next to Entre Naranjos, its the newer part of the estate, to be honest I look forward to the laid back lifestyle. We are fed up of the hectic lifestyle and the way the UK is going and want a more relaxed environment to bring up our girls.

As for the crime over there this doesnt worry me to much as you have that everywhere now, we live in Liverpool on a lovely housing estate but all around us is crime and violence, spain has nothing compared to this and we dont want the kids growing up here. 

We have heard so much about schooling and feel that this is the right choice, its nice to speak to people who have actually lived in the area.  Im so close to my family and friends and chose here as its only a couple of hours away but feel there is nothing here to offer us as a family any more, my husband works long hours and we are always stressed, we dont spend enough time together as a family as long as we earn enough to survive we ll be happy.

It would be good to meet up when we are both living out there in the glorious sunshine.

Nikki xx

Hi Nikke,

 

I really don't know where to start. This is a lovely area to live in but to move with 2 children is going to be very difficult for you. Your youngest would settle in to a Spanish school but your oldest would have to go private as no way would she learn Spanish fluently enough in time to sit her exams. I would say that 90% of the young families that were here 6 years ago have now gone back to the UK. There really isn't anything here for children so you would have to be prepared to drive them everywhere or they would just be very bored like most of the youngsters here. Education is difficult and should you spend a few years here and then return your children would be at a disadvantage as their English education would have suffered, on the other hand if you stay why would they be given job opportunities just because they can speak Spanish when all the Spanish children can speak English fluently? A lot of the teenage children here gave school a try but left at the age of 13 or 14 because they could no longer cope. Unemployment is extremely high here, national average 20% but in the coastal area including here it is more like 50% and many Spanish couples have had to return to live with parents. A few years ago you could get a bar job at 5 euros an hour but even that is now almost impossible. If you need to work you can become self employed but it is very expensive, 250 euros a month plus monthly accountant fees or of course you could hope to get some cash in the hand jobs but not only would you be working illegally you would have no healthcare and no pension rights. There are no handouts here nor from the UK once you have left, you only get out of the system according to what you have paid in which is a minimum of 2 years stamps. You are not even entitled to family allowance once you have left the UK. Healthcare will cost you 270 euros per quarter for each one of you including the children which is through the government.

 

There is a lot more to Spain than the sun and beaches, it gets extremely cold here in the Winter as the houses have no insulation or wallpaper and the tiles are like blocks of ice and most people tire of the beaches after a few months.

 

If you don't speak Spanish then you would need to pay translators for most things, the doctors, hospitals, town hall etc cannot be guarenteed to speak English, some can't, some choose not to and believe me it is not a language that can be learned in a few months.

 

 

We do have a very good Spanish gentleman named Vicente with an office here and he will sort most things out for you but of course it will cost. Don't forget you are going to need NIE numbers, padron, residencia, medicals for the children to get in to schools, driving licence, income tax and very importantly wills. I hope you are aware of the inheritance tax laws here as when one partner dies the other has to pay tax on their half of the property and this must be paid before the property can be sold and cost several thousand euros, more if you are still non resident.

 

If you have plenty of money and do not need to work there is no better place to live but if you are reliant on earning an income it is practically impossible to survive. Of course there are families who make it work but either the husband commutes to work in the UK or if you are extremely lucky and get a job then the amount of hours you need to work leaves no time for family life. Many people came because of the TV programmes they watched portraying a Dream life in the sun when in reality it has turned in to a nightmare. Many houses here have been repossessed and until they are sold the debt rises daily which you will still have to pay.

 

Lots of people have said that had they have known about some of the above things then they would never have come so I hope you will consider what I have said. If you do decide to come then I will always be here to help you and I wish you Good Luck, please plan carefully

 

Gill