south of Spain Help

I am very interested in buying a property in the Southern end of Spain. I am hoping to capture both the beach in the summer and the skiing in the winter (greedy I know). I was hoping that people might have suggestions of nice places to buy a 2nd home. My only requirements would be child friendly and not too isolated.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Hello Darren:

Best advice would be to come to the south of Spain for a holiday, get a car, and drive around until you come upon a place that you instinctively like.  There is a fine ski resort in Granada, so perhaps somewhere in Málaga province would suit you, where you would be close to the sea yet a relatively short drive from Granada.  It might also be a good idea to rent a place first in the area you decide you like.  Above all, don't jump into anything without first doing considerable homework.

All the best

Patricia

We bought our place here over 7 years ago - we got lucky as we did actually let our hearts rule our heads.......  Definitely sound advice.  Come over, take a drive around and when you see somewhere you like, come back again to test the waters.  There are many people who will be pushing properties, bargains etc but it is important to consider your wish list which may well change when you get here. 

We love it and as I said, we got lucky and would not change living here for the world.  We live a 10 min drive from Puerto Banus and 2.5 hours to Granada.  Went ski-ing December for weekend and in February for a day (ok bit challenging in a day but fabulous).  It is as close to heaven as it gets..........

Good luck and if you have any questions on where we are, don´t hesitate to shout.

Regards

Debbie

Good advice Debbie.  Don't let anyone push you into buying anything, if you can do buy a house or apartment that is already built, i.e. from the previous owner.  And please, please, do engage a lawyer!

Patricia

I would have thought La Alpujarra would be a good place to start, between the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the Costa Tropical at Almuñecar.

Just to support the others in that you really need to visit. You will instinctively know if a place is right for you. We overlook Torrequebrada Golf, just 10-15 mins drive from Malaga Airport, and everything we want is within easy reach. We can walk to beach and Benalmadena. For driving; Puerto Banus/Marbella 30-40 mins. Granada around 1hr 20mins. Lots of lovely coastal (e.g. La Cala, Cabopino, La Carihuela) and mountain towns (e.g. Mijas, Ronda) within easy driving reach. And we can get the train from the airport to within walking distance (Arroyo del La Miel) of our apartment . Don't forget the train from Malaga stops at Fuengirola, if you choose this region. Think about what is important for you as a location. Do you want to be able to walk to beach, town, restaurants. Do you want to be tied to having a car due to remoteness, or lack of public transport. Do you want noisy, quiet, etc.

Once you find an area you like make sure you consider the real important things that influence how much you will enjoy your stays. Private balcony, large/small balcony, views, sun in morning or afternoon. Private/shared pool, or no pool. Car parking. Storage rooms. Check community fees. There are so many things to consider, do not be drawn into buying something before you have really checked a load out.

Once you choose an area ask people on this site if they can recommend good agents, because there are both excellent agents and bad ones, so go by recommendation. Also as earlier stated, an independent lawyer is a must. Again go by recommendation.

It really can be heavenly coming out to your own place whenever you want. But don't rush it, the buying and selling costs are high, and it is an expensive error to fix if you get it wrong.

Good luck and hope you find somewhere that makes you as happy as we are.

Dave

I can thoroughly recommend Huelva region of southern Spain as we have lived here for 9 years and love it,we are close to lovely beaches and only 20 minutes to algarve and are served by Faro airport and Seville which are both 1 hours drive away.The region is typically spanish and unspoilt and the locals are extremely friendly and appreciate the fact that have moved here and spend our money here.the climate is excellent and the cost of living is low ,we have lots of Spanish friends and they are always helpful if we need advice or help with any problems.

I can only endorse what has been said previously and that is do your homework,make sure all the paperwork for property is in order,always use your own solicitor and if need be hire an interpreter to help,the more homework you do before buying the less problems and hassle you will have afterwards and you can then enjoy your new holiday home.

 thanks for the info!

 Alcaidesa, Zahara de los Atunes...

Look this nice video!

There are some great villages and towns around Granada where you can be within an hour of either the Sierra Nevada or the Costa Tropical, or can reach Granada city in a very short time.  The Alpujarras are great if you want a country location, some of the towns are a reasonable size, depends if you want peaceful isolation or to be handy for the hypermarkets!  It's a fair drive off the A44 to get to Lanjaron or Orgiva.  Last time we went to Orgiva on market day it was throbbing - maybe a bit too much?  It is certainly geared up for tourists.

Padul is just off the main road south of Granada, and there are a number of villages on the approaches to the Sierra Nevada.  Also around the junction of the A44/A92 there are a number of options - Santa Fe, Pinos Puente, Atarfe, Albolote - less picturesque (although Santa Fe has its original 4 gates in the centre of town) but all small towns with bars, restaurants and supermarkets etc and with easy access to the motorways & the city.  It's 1.5 hrs from Malaga aiport to our apartment just outside Granada.

Have fun looking, and remember that it does get cold in the winter in this area - minus temperatures at night all though January and February this year, though with some lovely sunny days too. 

I am biased as my username suggests.....

I also had the same requirements as you and after many years looking for the right place found Nerja to be the best option!!!

It's just over 2 hours drive from the Sierra Nevada at "normal speeds" and is great for summer holidays.

If you want any more info on Nerja PM me and I will be happy to help.