Whats it like..... Camposol Community, Murcia.

We purchased a holiday place in the sun on Camposol Urbanisation almost 2 years ago. For us its been a great move to make a villa purchase but be clear its not for everyone. We are both retired and living in UK on a reasonable pension and with mortgage paid we decided to invest in Spain. We took some of a pension lump sum and some out of a small remortage so we could purchase as cash buyers in Spain. We allowed about 15% extra for costs and funds to update the villa.  Since then we have spent another 10,000 Euros making improvements and the property is being well used as a holiday home. Why Camposol ?? . having done masses of homework and with a limited budget we considered the key points . How much we could spend , locality to the beaches and what entertainment would be available. We also looked at availabliity of low cost Airlines and which Airports we could use. We also considered climate and where we could sail to by ferry and even drive to via France if the worst happen to Air Travel prices in future years. So Spain came up as the Country of choice.

We came across Camposol as a likely place to buy as we were also looking at Polaris Resorts. We Chose Camposol as it ticked all the boxes and the prices were amazing for what we could buy. A two bedroomed house for less than the cost of a decent motorhome. Location wise we couldn`t get any better because we have access to a choice of beaches in just 10  minutes by car. The area has some lovely place to visit. La Manga, Pt Mazarron, Categena, Murcia. Lorca and plenty more. The roads are just fantastic with motorways everywhere and very little traffic. Aiport access to Camposol is a doddle, again fantastic . Murcia 45 minutes drive Alicante 1 hour 15 minutes all by motorways. Flights are cheap, Jet2, Easyjet  Ryan Air and so is car hire when you get here ( off season  )

Camposol has about 13 bars and a dozen restuarants and a golf club/club house with regular functions. Everything you are liklly to need is here on site Hair dressers,doctors dentist,accountants,banks,petrol station,shops plus a very large supermarket and two smaller ones and China Bazzar the size of a football pitch that sells everything. The Resort is a bit rough at the edges due to the builders failing to complete the resort especially round the town centres but if you drive round the four areas ( Sector`s A,B,C,D) you will see some stunning houses with beautiful landscapped gardens and most have private pools in a lovely mountain setting. Of the 6000 Homes on Camposol built around year 2000 I would guess about 3000 are lived in full time and the bulk of them being Brits. Many tell me that the good weather has help them medically and if not the medical centres and hospitals seem to be very well respected by those who need to use them

Camposol poulation is slowly changing as both foreign buyers and Spanish are seeing the bargain prices up for grabs in Murcia Region . Example 4 bed detached with pool for under 100k euro.  The residents who retired here generally have a VERY busy social life as events  charity doos, parties, pub events such as darts, quiz nights, live bands,,karaoke , etc etc entertaiment outside all year round in a fantastic climate where the sun shines over 300 days a year.

If you think this might be the place for you to consider have a look at ( Google)..... rightmove camposol  and take it from there. Good Luck

I also bought a place on Camposol about 7 years ago it is a large 3 bed 3 bathroom villa with swimming pool I chose Camposol because the of the high number of British expats that live on Camposol and the properties are good value for the money the nightlife and the community spirit is very good.

Excellent description,aliton,spot on.

We bought are property nearly 4yrs.ago on sector D and have to say we are really pleased with where we are.

We use it as a holiday home and try to get over as often as we can,as we are both still working here in the u.k.

We have made many friends there and find everyone friendly,have to say we find it harder to leave to come homebut we only have a couple of more yrs left before we retire, then we can spend more time there.

Like you said it is not for everyone, so do your homework before you buy.     

I really enjoyed aliton's post. I've driven around Camposol once or twice and couldn't make up my mind as whether it was too Brit or not. But it's great to see that it's worked for some, and I can readily see many of the advantages. No matter how much we enjoy living on our finca in Extremadura, sometimes we think it would be nice to just go to a local bar and have a drink with fellow English speakers. I can't understand why 3 people would give a thumbs down to aliton's cheerful, informative  and happy post!

 I can't understand why 3 people would give a thumbs down to aliton's cheerful, informative  and happy post!

GuyT.

You have answered your own post here, because aliton gave an excellent informative post and seems to be  very happy with the area and house they bought....While the 4 thumbs downers are not happy with the area they bought into, or the house they bought...Hence the thumbs down.

PS. Now it will be my turn.

The thumbs down brigade may have been to Camposol and perhaps do not agree that it is as utopian as Aliton claims it is. I am sure it will suit many who can't speak or don't want to learn Spanish, but if you choose to live in Spain why live in a Brit dominated enclave with hardly a word of Spanish or any demonstarion of Spainsh culture. I think this is the point. It's each to their own and if Camposol suits - then good luck to you and enjoy.

Agree with Woodbug. Although, Imo, Alitons post came across as an advertisement for Camposol I didn't press dislike, because it is a personal choice of environment.

Know 2 couples who bought there and moved to my area and one couple near me who think it is " heaven on earth" and can't wait to relocate there.

It cannot be denied it is a safe haven in Spain. Everything a Brit abroad could desire is catered for. Even the young Spaniard who runs the shop in sector B  speaks perfect English now because that is all one hears spoken. 

For me, it was all too much of a retirement/ holiday camp complex type of unnatural utopia and my one visit was sufficient to decide never to go again however friendly the occupants were.

I am totaly confused with some of the postings on what Spain is supposed to be like if you want to live in a cave and try to live like a Spaniard then carry on,  Spain in my opinion is what you make it Camposol is certainly not a big retirement home just go into any of the bars on A or B and you will find live music with young and old enjoying the atmosphere so if you have only visited Camposol on a passing visit you should not be making any comments all my family love it and can't wait for the next invite.

I did mention more than a retirement home....and although only the one visit it was much longer than a passing through scenario.

Don't live in a cave, up a mountain,  or like a Spaniard but , oddly enough, some Brits prefer not  to live in communities with close neighbours and entertainment on tap because part of the fun of living in another country is to experience the culture of the indigenous people.

But if fun in sun in safe surroundings is what folk want then places like Camposol are ideal.  So no need for confusion but would be nice though if you community folk could understand it isn't everyone's Spanish dream.

As Woodbug said before it's really totally personal taste.  I'm amazed by the house prices on Camposol, the risks are probably a lot less now than they were and for many this represents a marvellous opportunity.

For me it's a bit brash and too British, but having said that a lot of the "Spanish" resorts and restaurants across most of Spain are similar.  I much prefer a either quiet Spanish acoustic guitar as background much, or nothing, but it seems that more and more Spanish restaurants want to blast out Status Quo or the Beatles these days.  But each to his own.

Hey Windy - Not all 'Spaniards' live in caves, be fair!  We are all different and our lifestyles are a choice and the location of a home when moving to a foreign country is part of that choice. Those of us who were brought up in the country still want that peace and environment that we are accustomed to and conversely those who enjoyed town life may wish to continue to do so.

Camposol for me is too claustrophobic and noisy and in the holiday season it is well over populated for the services it provides (except for English bars), but it gives pleasure to many who live or visit the complex so it serves a purpose. I just don't understand the move from UK to live in a British enclave to continue the same life-style.

This doesn't make me right and others wrong, it's not a question of who lives where - if you enjoy it then carry on but Alitons Camposol eulogy could have been written by one of our many English Estate Agents as it was a bit 'over the top'

 woodbug-"I just don't understand the move from UK to live in a British enclave to continue the same life-style."

What's not to understand? One can live in the sunshine, for starters. Probably live in a higher standard of accomodation for the same outlay. More swimming pools, barbecues, beaches, better food, more colour, more social contacts (because better climate encourages people to get out and socialise). Oh, and more space. I daresay that a lot of people wouldn't bother to move to Spain if they could wave a magic wand & change the UK climate. In the meanwhile, my spirits lift when I get off the plane at Madrid, no matter where I'm living.  Smell the galan de noche!

Hi there.  My husband and I have just bought a 2 bed villa on sector c.  We bought it as a holiday home so that family and friends could also enjoy and may even look at renting it out for so many weeks of the year.  We'd decided that we wanted to buy something within a complex with expats - this was important to us as we are looking to retire to the area within the next 7 years.  We have 2 sons, 22yrs and 17yrs old and although we did as much research as we could before buying we're keen to find out if there are many british kids of their age in the area?

The expatriates that live on the Camposol urbanisation full time have a average age of 60 their are not that many young people that live on Camposol the one's you do see around are visitors coming over for a holiday  the 17 and 22 year old will enjoy the night life in and around Camposol with plenty of bars and restaurants on Sector A and B, sector C has the golf club that has free live entertainment most evenings failing that try out the bars on A and B l don't think you're visitors will have time to get bored Camposol is jumping from may to September you have made a good choice good luck from a owner on sector D for the last nine years and still enjoying it.

Me and my partner Stu live on Campasol its brilliant to be honest yes it got a bad reputation and people snigger when you tell them where you live but fine we get drunk every night and enjoy the wild party nights swinging and all

Its now 99% Brits as the other nationaalities have left pretty much handed the keys back or sold low we have a two bed two bath villa and paid 38000 for it you can t get a rundown terrace in Tyneside for that we did have a few problems with our guest bedroom wall collapsing and a raw sewer burst in the street but it eventually got fixed I dont think the place will be here in 10 years anyway as its terribly built but we are in our mid 70s and have no kids so dont worry about the long term.

We havent paid council taxes for 5 years so thats a bonus too we did jump our electricity as well for 12 mths but then had to start paying again.

If you like a party cheap booze a year round tan and good company then its the place for you

Hope we meet up

Love Stu

Sector D

The fact is that people enjoy living in the mini english communities and if you can buy at the right property at the right price why should anyone crtitise that decision

At the moment, including Camposol prices are increasing, available properties are reducing and people are back buying in Spain

There is plenty to do in the area, nice beaches in Mazzaron, it is easy to visit places like Cartagena and Murcia, places like Terra Natura, whiute water rafting on the river Segura, the list goes on

Just enjoy and don't worry

Hughjardon if you bought a 2 bed place for 38,000 EU  on sector D ,it must be  the illegally built ones that have been abandoned by Masa the builder and are in a very poor state of repair the ones that have people live in on  look like dogs kennels that is why people snigger when you mention the part you live in  l also snigger as you put it l do and dont understand why Masa built so many properties that no one wanted to buy l also fail to understand why anybody would buy a property or Even a dogs kennel  and then let it fall down when all it takes is.  to be  regular maintained l fail to understand why anybody would buy shite holes you said you don't pay any council /IBI tax and fiddle the electricity meter this l cannot understand l live on D24 in a larg Neptuno delux with a swimming pool cost me to buy 185,000eu the Neptuno 3 doors down sold for 195,000eu just 3 months back I have been paying Council tax /IBI/water/electricity since I bought the place 9 years ago and so does everyone one else I associate with council tax /IBI on a large villa is only 450 EU per year the particular part l live on is highly maintained by the owners the streets a clean the rubbish bins are emptied every day by the Council what more could anyone want.

This message was last edited by windtalker on 09/01/2016.

Windtalker

We knew what we were buying and have no regrets we were just lucky to get our pad at what seems looking back a bargain if they flattened it tomorrow it wouldnt matter to us we dont have a mortgage and no one to leave it too it was only the price of a Timeshare really and we can share in all the great things here the golf course and the shops clubs etc

We did have to pay 700 euros to fix a wall but its fine now and the roads a bit wonky still and we have only had one breakin which is well below the average from talking to others we have a big alsation now so that may help

To be honest all the propertys look the same in each sector its all one big community I meant the people that snigger are the Spanish in town not fellow Brits I think they plan to legalise it all soon which would be even better of course 

Hope to buy you a beer soon

Love Hugh

Further to our review we have sold our house on Camposol and moved on to other things like a new motor home . We purchased for 53000 and sold for 78,000 3 years later. Never regreted our decision to buy on Camposol. Only The down sides of Campos were as follows.  1, Brits living there full time tended to become very clanny . Many not be welcoming and open to new arrivals. 2, our area Sec A was infested by stay cats with some daft bimbos feeding the little blighters. 3 the houses are not well sound insulated so bad you will hear your neighbours change "there mind."

4. A good per cent of moaning brits (who should go home)  live on Campo . Just as example the poster " Camposol" is typical a typical example. nothing better to do than moan.

I think Hughjardon has the right idea. Get the cheapest house in the best street and you cant go wrong. No one cares if you live in a detached villa with a pool. Location is the thing to consider.  but watch out for news on the pig farm. We did pay all taxes Rented out for 20 weeks a year and had all the right paperwork... so the sale was easy. All the, legal process was managed by "Costa Calida Property Services"by power of atorney  . Office is on Sector A Commercial . Reccommended . 

Aliton

Couldnt agree more why someone would pay 200 thousand euros for an extra bedroom and a pool i will never know we have the use of three pools within 50 meter walk the agents give us a nod if the owners are due out we are way off the radar have never registered for IBI no one knows we exist its perfect, any refuse we chuck in the car and drop it down the recycle bins in A sector after dark lots of people do this its no secret

I did here of someone buying a nice villa for 29000 if anyone wants to know any other dodges just PM me if you cant beat them join them is my motto a bit like the spongers from the EU back in UK just in reverse

Aliton one good thing about the wild cats it does keep the rats down obviusly we cannot complain as we dont pay any council tax also an air rifle comes in useful Stu loves picking the pesky buggers of at sunrise

Love Hugh