La Zenia Boulavard......Amazing

The underpass is still not finished, but the shopping centre is really going well the say September it will open I enquired yesterday from one of the builders, it will be massive and will add value to our homes as well, Hasta Luego....

The whole place and area now looks like a dog's dinner and why anybody would think buying property in this area would now be desirable is totally beyond me. I wouldn't buy property anywhere near it. The precinct itself will probably do OK out of curiosity for the first few months, then become another of Spain's White Elephants especially as most locals I speak to will boycott it anyway... So many people getting excited about the Spanish tat shop version of Primark.... 

 I can see it from My Los Dolses office and it is flying along at the moment,we should he happy for any new infrastucture,i personally think when established it will be a great plus for the area.

I have heard they are due to complete in September so maybe october/Novemeber is realistic.

 Sorry Georgia... I could not disagree with you more.

I cannot see what benefit it provides to the infrastructure at all, apart from making it a much more difficult task to get anywhere locally due to the extra volume of traffic they are hoping for. 

As for being a great plus for the area, We happen to be in a major recession where people either do not have or are not wiiling to spend their disposable income in a manner they used to do a couple of years ago.

Just building a shopping precinct doesn't suddenly make it a thriving area, in fact in the present financial climate it could well end up a major slum precinct.

I for one would like to know where all these extra shoppers are going to come from, because for the past year or so in the La Zenia area, especially in the winter months.... It's been "Spot the Person"

People are leaving Spain in their droves at the moment... Not coming here.

All I can see happening with this awful eyesore is that the bigger outlets will survive and the smaller shops within the precinct won't. They will be forced to c;lose down because they won't be able to compete with their bigger neighbours. That will be the start of it's demise.

I happen to live in La Zenia, but thankfully not in eyeshot of this disaster and I for one will never shop there on principle... In fact I shall not be re-newing my contract with the Mailbox people who I use in Los Dolses either, purely because of having to mess about with the new infrastructure you seem to think so wonderful.

What also really concerns me and other locals that I talk to, is that after the initial opening nonsense is over and done with, The fear is that it will have already become a magnet for the beggars, pick-pockets and grafitti artists.

It's such a pity that yet another open space in the La Zenia area has become the victim of an ugly piece of prefab concrete with matching tarmac  that can boast nothing more than a mass of parked cars..... or should I say.... That's what they are hoping for..... But I don't think it will be for long.

La Zenia Boulavard.... No thanks.

** Edited - Offensive **

The construction work is certainly moving along very quickly.  I don't think I have ever seen anything in Spain built as fast.  It is a fairly big complex.  They may even meet the planned opening time - which would be pretty amazing!

I can appreciate and understand the differing views from Muck-fe and Georgia.

It is a bit of a mess at the moment due to the roadworks - but when all that is finished I think the roads and infrastructure will be fine.

La Zenia Boulevard maybe successful in the long term who knows.  Only time will tell............

One thing is for sure, La Zenia Boulevard will look better than the Eyesore across the road left by Tecnologia Urbanistica - what was that supposed to be called?  La Zenia Elite.......??

Nothing Elite about Tecnologia Urbanistica.

It looks like some other builders have taken some of the Tecnologia land and are now building their own houses.  So hopefully one day that area will be finished also.

Kind regards

Keith

Great to hear they are going well, I have a house just above Palm Drive near Supervalue, and I hope it will increase the value by at least 20%, You must be positive at all times Lerroy Merlon will be the main hub and they are a fantastic store I seen them in Malaga, and being near the motorway is a great bonus and there is talks of removing the toll so it will attract passing motorists........

0b123, you are a hoot - increasing the value by 20% -  I recently sold my 3 bed apartment in an upmarket urbanisation not far from there - I sold it at a loss of 35% and I am releived to have sold it because this time next year I could be looking at a loss of 50%.  Unemployment in spain is 27%, energy prices are rising, Spain has just received a bailout, I doubt if values in property will be rising for a very long time - there is a massive oversupply of property in spain that will take a long time to reduce before prices will rise.

 See the link below from spanish property insight:-

http://www.spanishpropertyinsight.com/buff/2012/06/15/latest-house-price-index-and-forecasts/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Spanish+Property+Insight+Bulletin+16+June+...&utm_source=YMLP+mailing&utm_term=+%2B+Latest+house+price+index+an...

This message was last edited by angela59 on 17/06/2012.

Angela why did you sell now you should hold on, Spain will come back in about 10 Years, and people will be sorry for selling at a loss, my house I bought in 2000 and I would get the same price for it now as what I paid for it, why sell in the healtiest place in the world to live, super weather, and Torrevieja is one of the safest cities in the world after dark, and food prices are still low one Orange here in Ireland is 59 cent I got 12 in the Lod Dolses English Butchers the other day for 60 cent, I think you are insane.........

 Keith110

I think they are trying to get it finished quickly before everybody evacuates.

I have asked that question more than once, ob123, but have never recieved an answer....ie; why are you selling/have you sold your Spanish property?  I can't understand why anyone would buy a place in Spain, which must have been bought with considerable thought and financial output, only to sell it again at a loss.  Have we really given up on the dream?  Is Spain really changed so much?

Of course, people have very good reasons for selling!  Some folks must be selling for the same reasons they would sell a property in the UK ie; move with a job, downsize, upsize, move closer to family or good facilities or, as is the case with friends of ours, for a change in the weather.  I'm guessing that some people can't afford to keep their Spanish property for financial reasons or because they can see prices going down and they want to sell whilst they can get a 'reasonable' price or loss.  Are there any other reasons to sell a Spanish property?

As for the new precinct at La Zenia....I haven't seen it but it COULD prove to be worthwhile depending on the building itself.  On Tenerife in the Fanabe area there's a new, up-market shopping precinct that was built at considerable expense and opened just in time to catch the downturn in tourism!  However, it really is a beautiful place, lovely to look at, to be in and just to walk around even if you can't afford some of the prices in the expensive shops. It's built 'in the round' with central cafes that serve delicious coffee (is there any other sort in Spain?) and snacks.  Whenever you go there to walk around, or to visit the Tourist Information shop or the supermarket, there are always people sitting and drinking coffee, reading a newspaper, chatting.  Will the place at La Zenia be the same?

ob123, I don't think I am insane, I have elderly parents to look after and having a second property is one less headache I need - Spain is a gamble at the moment -  as there is so much uncertainty right now.  I think it has changed a lot over the last 2 years - its manic with people during holiday season but once that is over it is like a ghost town and depressing - holidays are precious, you want to be able to enjoy them - every time you go to the Playa Flamenca center to eat and it's out of season - the restaurant managers are outside trying to get you in.   For me I am so looking forward to renting a different property and be able to close the door at the end of the holiday and not have to worry about it and try different places.  ob123, you seem hell bent on the price of your property rising in value because of a shopping center - good luck - I wonder who is insane? 

Hi Angela,    I see what you mean about a second property but I still think that your Mother and Father would live a lot longer in Spain with the superb weather and no dampness,  I am planing to go out there for most of the time when I retire, myself and my wife, I like it when it's quiet Playa Fleminco is a nice place to eat but as you say they try to drag you in for dinner, It's supposed to be summer here in Ireland and it is raining with 9 Days since I came home, I am depressed but I have family here, my wife want to go out again, I drove home this time and plan to derive out very soon again, Ireland is so expencive and we are ripped off here as you know austerity is in full swing, I pay 50% tax on my income what a rip off, I am ashamed to be Irish, however Spain is the place to be and can't wait for the new shoppping centre to open just down the road from us, and I still think our property will go up in value because of the superb complex the biggest in Spain they tell me......

ob123, My father passed away along time ago, my mother is 85, my mother and father law are both 90 - I don't think any of them will be moving to spain to live any time soon - they would not get the same benefits in spain as they do in Ireland - pension wise.  The cost of groceries has risen in Spain over the least 2 years, Ireland is certainly cheaper now for groceries - I was thinking of buying a couple of crates of wine in Spain when I was having my personal items brought back with the haulage company - went looking at the prices - and Tesco here in Ireland are as cheap as wines in Spain now!  Eating out in Spain in cheaper still but you can get some fantastic value in early birds here in Ireland now.  I will still holiday in Spain but the cost of owning a holiday home and running one is very prohibitive and will be going forward.   I still enjoy going to spain but glad I'm out of the property market there, I hope the shopping center is as big and better than you say.

 Maddiemack, some people are of working age and have to sell due to being unable to find work here. Its great if you have a huge pot of money to constantly dig into or a good pension, for this reason you cant beat Spain, but to earn a good living now is a different matter!!!

 Regards, Steve.

Angela at that age it would be impossible to move and as you say there are a lot pension here and freebees as well. but when you say Spain is cheaper you must be joking a few examples.... Jameson Whiskey here €23 there €14, 1 dozen eggs here €2.30 there 99 cent, 4 course meal in a chinese €4.95 here €28, to tax my car in Spain €50 here €625, a new VW Passat Diesel here €32,000 in Spain €19,000, I could go on all day, however if you are happier not having a house in paradise that fair enough, but I would not sell as this country of Saints and Scollors is a total rip off and we have no future the end is near.....sorry but Spain here I come......

0b123,

Don't forget the Suma you have to pay, the non-residents tax and the wealth tax which was abolished a couple of years ago but will probably make it's way back again.  I enjoy holidaying in spain, the weather and beaches are lovely eating out is still cheaper but I don't agree with you about property prices rising or that a shopping center will enhance the value of your property.   Taxes will be on the up in Spain, energy prices have risen also.  I have travelled around the world, Ireland is a lovely little country, Spain is also a lovely country but just glad I no longer own a home in it - one home is enough for me.

Angela59

Between my Suma and my resident tax and my Abagado fees the total €390 a Year not bad, here it will be possible €500 per house at least next Year so I think that Spain is by far the better option, you still seemed to think that Ireland is a better place to live, my Iberdrola or ESB bill in Spain is around €45 a Month here it is €120 because of all the heating, but I cannot agree with you there is no comparsion I think, another huge benfit is if  you get sick they have the best medicial system in the world and even in the new Hospital in Torrevieja which is public evey patient has there own on-suite bedroom, how did you part with your beautifull home in paradise, I think maybe down the line you will buy again because here we are at breaking point and Kenny and all the gang are a dissaster they haven't  a clue how to run the Country, and all the rain and damp will end up giving you deep depression or a dissease called SAD, sorry for all the gloom and doom but every word I speak is so true.....broken hearted with Ireland...

ob123,  even if I had held on to Spain there is no way I would live out there for 6 months of the year, I'd get very bored after a while - your better to move over there now while you can - just hope you get a job and have the life you dream of because you certainly are in denial about spain at the moment.  Having lived in Australia for a while - there are parts of it I would call paradise but not Spain - certainly not at the moment.  The last time I was in Spain and it wasn't a pretty picture I saw an elderly lady getting food from a bin - this wasn't only a recent picture but during the boom times in Spain I saw this also, I have yet to see this happening in Ireland. At this juncture ob123 we will agree to differ - I was very enamed of Spain for the first 5 years and the apartment we owned served its purpose we had many a good holiday with our childern at the time and it is still a very child friendly country but after 7 years of owning a property there - we've done our stint and time to move on.

Adiós por ahora

 ob123

So you love it over here in Spain when it's quiet (your words) and yet you can't wait for this huge shopping disaster to open up on your own doorstep...?

A bewildering statement.