not too cold, not too hot... any advice

 Really simple solution to your problem - live in the area between Moraira - Benissa - Calpe on the Costa Blanca. Pick something close to the sea but does not have to be the more expensive first line. I say 'close to the sea' to avoid those very high up and windy properties. Check also the shadow side of hills/mountains & avoid these. One of the loveliest areas in Spain, reasonably good all the year round weather and well served by two airports: Alicante & Valencia. We bought in 2004 and have never regretted it. 

Try the Marina Alta area on the Costa Blanca- Javea, Teulada, Benissa, Calpe, Alfaz de PI, Altea. etc. Much better climate and lots of places for sale, villas, apts. etc. We have an inherited three plus bedroom apt for sale in Alfaz, if you are interested.

Lisa at 96 649 7879

It depends on what is meant by COLD, here in Sevilla province the locals think it is cold when the temperature drops below 20C. Even now in this warm autumn, with temperatures in the low to mid 20's, the locals are wearing their winter clothes, hats, scarves, fur coats etc.

As other replies have pointed out the main problem with anywhere in Spain is with the poor construction standards. I have a four year old house that was impossible to heat because of the lack of proper damproofing. Its like trying to boil a kettle under a cold running tap. After spending substantial amounts of money having that corrected (by English builders) and throwing out the old style aluminium bus windows and replacing them with 21st century UPVC the house is now easy to heat.

Having installed a pellet stove I find I can maintain a temperature of 21/22C in a house of 105 sq. m. for about 23 cents an hour. This is equivalent to 1kw of electricity!

If  you have the time I would recommend that you have a house built and employ english builders or use spanish builders who have been trained in modern methods (they do exist). It is a lot cheaper to build it properly from scratch, trying to correct faults later is always more expensive.

Choose your architect carefully though as many are living in the 19th century.

Looking for a more temperate climate?

The most obvious choice would be to move nearer to the sea.

The Med. allows for cooler summers of around 30/35' in summer and around 13/20 in winter.

Both Alicante and Murcia can offer these temperatures and with very little rainfall, the outdoor lifestyle is available all year round.

Towns to consider might be Alicante, Calpe, Altea, Cartagena, Mazarron and Aguilas.

From my personal experience I found Aguilas to have a remarkable climate, pleasant sea front and harbour and plenty of walking and cycling space both north and south of the town.

Good luck with your search. And enjoy it.

 Hi Jon,

Certainly agree about Sevilla weather extremes. Have you thought about Huelva Province and particularly Ayamonte area? You have the best of Spain and Portugal on your doorstep, house prices are now reasonable and there is a small ex-pat population to swap experience and intelligence with.

Andrew

Hi, Jon

Seville has a continental climate - hot summers and cold winters - like New York, Madrid, Moscow. For a less extreme and more even climate, the Canaries are probably the best bet. On the mainland, I'm surprised no-on has mentioned the Costa Tropical, which is the coast of Granada province. It enjoys a micro-climate which allows the cultivation of tropical fruits, and is very agreeable in Winter.

For what it's worth, we have chosen to live in a house in the campo near Ronda (inland Costa del Sol). The house is built to N European standards with well-fitting double-glazing, central heating and a log fire, so we won't be cold indoors. Previously we lived in a reformed village house, which was freezing in Winter. I've also lived in an apartment here and all the comments made by other posters coincide with my experience. Poorly constructed, therefore cold - despite central heating - and noisy.

The climate in this area suits us perfectly - months of hot sunshine in the summer, enough rainfall and cold-ish winters. First thing in the mornings at the moment the temperature is -2C, but it soon warms up in the sun.

Good luck in your search. But rent first, don't buy until you're sure.

Pablo

I live close to Orihuela, its inland a bit the climate is great, just had a big downfall of rain but its nice and sunny today. Can be cold this time of year and it does get a bit hot in the summer- July August. The beach is close enough to go and hang out down there.

If you want to buy here make sure the property has all the right paperwork. I had a solicitor and still ended up with a ilegal property.

Al

Hi Serradal,

The Puerto is a large sheltered bay with safe shallow bathing - the whole area is kept immaculate by the council.  So where does the Coronation Street comment come from ?

With respect Serradal I don't believe you know Mazarron or the puerto, perhaps you're thinking of somewhere else.  You might wish to update your recollections of the place. 

Hi

Thes BEST place to live in Spain is:

Pueblo Bravo 5   off Avenido Del Mar   Quesada Rojales  Costa Blanca

Lovely community, lovely gardens, Beautiful pool

This area has its OWN ideal climate with the cleanest air in Europe

Very quiet and handy to get to the various shopping places and choice of beaches

Very rare there are any for sale in this place however If you are lucky there might be the odd property available at this time of the year

I believe there is just one bungalow for sale with IMOBILIARA Quesada  at  only Euro  95,000  looks well worth it

We have a property there for 10 years and looked all over Spain before we bought our little bungalow

Check it out you will be surprised how lovely it is.

This message was last edited by papa on 26/11/2011.

Hi,

I am lucky enough to have 2 properties that I live in > one is on the coast (Mijas, near Marbella), the other being about 70kms inland at Lake Iznajar.

Both are totally different, so you have to decide what you want in you life;

Coastal has a more moderate climate and although you should learn Spanish, most locals do have an understanding of english, which does make life much easier for new ex-pats. Also, the shops stock many more items that you will recognise and we even have english supermarkets if that is your choice. Life is much busier on the coastal strip, but that again depends on what & where you live. I have a villa in a very Spanish area, away from the tourist areas and I find life very good. I do have a log-burner in the lounge, but only use this for 2 or 3 months of the year (or less) and have no need of any other heating, so heating bills are very low for me.

Inland is much more what people think of as traditional Spanish. Not many locals speak much (if any) english, but if your willing to learn spanish, they will appreciate your effort. I find the locals inland to be much friendlier and are mostly willing to help if they see you have a problem. It is much colder in winter & much warmer in summer (compared to the coast), so you will need heating inland. Gas is not really an option (some areas do have gas-pipes, but very rare) and most heating is via woodburners, electric heaters or gas-bottle heaters. They all work sufficiently to make life comfortable, but myself, I do prefer the woodburner as the flame also adds to the comfort of your surroundings.

If I had to sell one of the homes, then I would have a problem as I enjoy them both, but for very different reasons. One thing I would not do though is return to the UK, where life is so much less inviting, living costs are so much more expensive and the weather is generally abismal all year round (& I lived on the south coast so had the best of the weather). Life is very friendly over here and the underlying bad attitude that is so normal in UK lifestyle does not exist here in Spain.

Hope I have been of some help, but if not, im sure someone will reply to you with an alternative reply.

Serradal, with all respect, you are talking nonsense about the Mazarron area.  I've had property all over Spain and the Mazarron area is the best for me, with mild winters and very little rain, which I appreciate being Scottish!  The whole area apart from a few urbanizacions is mostly Spanish owned and the property is much more realistically priced than further North around Calpe where there is a limited amount due to the geography and therefore it's expensive.  The beaches around the Puerto are all blue flag and with the exception of July and August are deserted.  You are surrounded by a good road network and there are countless old towns and villages in the area like Lorca, Cartagena and Totana.

I know it's going off the thread topic a bit - but the other great thing about the Mazarron area is the cost of eating out are a whole lot cheaper other areas I've encountered along the med coast in Spain.  There are several places in Mazarron and the puerto where you can have a superb 4 course menu del dia including a drink in pleasant surroundings overlooking the sea etc for less than 10 Euros.  

There is one place near us where they do menu del dia and menu del noche for 7 Euros and it's good food beautifully cooked.  When we stayed in Granada it was triple the price - we weren't too bothered as we were only there for a few days and still very much enjoyed the trip, but if you're living there it has to affect your lifestyle. 

Costa Blanca south especially Quesada. Lot's of different nationalaties, lot's of good eateries and not too far from the sea. Not a lot of rain either. Because of the economic situation there are also plenty of properties to choose from too.

Campo de Gibraltar will be just the right porridge for you!

If its too hot or cold then you are just a stone's throw away from an alternative coast (The Med or the Atlantic) where the conditions will differ due to either the 'Levante' or the 'Poniente' winds funneling into the Straits of Gibraltar.

You have tthree excelellant airports with the new Malaga, Jerez and Gibraltar.

There's a good mix of real Spain and Ex pat...the best iof both World's here!

Prices are reasonable too bargain prices.

How about a 5 Bed Villa with large pool, secondary accommodation in out buiuildings, 10,000 squrae metres of land, fantastic landscape gardens all for €690k?. This would be a fantastic holiday business too if you liked!

Contact mer please if you would like some help.

We like it in Cartagena. Not so cold in winter. Being a in a city you get all the advantages of cultural life, shopping and transport yet the countryside is right beside with really good walking territory and some excellent beaches.

If you are prepared to go really rural/rustic, you could consider the Alpujarras, south of Granada on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevadas.

The benefit of the area is that you can "calibrate" your preferred temperature by the altitude you choose to live at. Summer heat is definately moderated, but we are often still able to use the pool well into October and occasionally November.

Some of the higher properties (above Capileira and around Trevelez) are well above the annual snow line and are almost guaranteed to see snow for at least a few weeks every year. Lower down (around Orgiva) you would generally be snow free.

Most of the available properties are traditional Cortijos, and as such, are designed for the extremes. Just checked, and our walls are nearly 3 feet thick. This keeps the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. You just need to ensure you control the drafts !!

JJ