Looking for advice/recommendations

Hello to EOS members.

I am a new property owner in Spain, and have just joined EOS, where hopefully I can greatly extend my knowledge about all things related to owning and renting my property.

Briefly, we have a 2-bed 2 bath apartment at La Cala de Mijas on the Prados del Golf development. We completed in early August but due to an oversight it was late August before the utilities were connected and the property ready for use. When the process started in April, we were informed that unfurnished long-term rental was the best strategy, and that we could potentially achieve 1000 Euros per month. Now that the credit crunch has started to bite hard, we are trying to market at 700, but not really generating any interest. We are considering switching our strategy to furnished short-term lets and would appreciate any advice or recommendations on the following:

is this potentially a better strategy?

as we cannot be in Spain due to various commitments in the UK, we need a good and reliable management company to look after the property i.e. cleaning, general maintenance when required, handing over keys etc. Has anyone any experience of a company in the area that can help?

we have searched the internet for furniture packages, but is there anyone locally who may not advertise on the internet that we can consider?

what do other members see as the long-term prospects for property in this area? Ultimately, we will use the property for ourselves and family/friends, but we need to get up and running to start getting something towards the mortgage payments.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the Forum which is very informative on every subject under the sun...

Regarding your property ,most  agents exagerate the potential income on a property whether long let or for holidays. At the moment holiday and long term rental clients are becoming more difficult to obtain. There are thousands of standard 2 bed, 2 bath apartments available to rent.  Regarding furniture packages these can be very overpriced and take 6 - 8 weeks to be delivered. Take a look at the online version of Sur in English, long term rentals, and you will see the competition. There are  new apartments, now available from 550 a month Calahonda, Riviera and La Cala. Sorry it isn't good news for a new property owner

will send you a private message.

gwm

Hi Vrodrig,

cannot sent you a private message until you have posted 10 times...get busy as I have loads of information for you.

gwm

Hi Vrodrig,

cannot sent you a private message until you have posted 10 times...get busy as I have loads of information for you.

gwm

Ok this is my 2nd message - only 8 to go.

Vrodrig,

Can't really offer a lot of advise except that I think a lot of people look for furnished rather than unfurnished long term lets. I think a lot of people may be like myself, moving over to Spain but keeping a property in the UK,  so leaving all their furniture here.  We are certainly renting a furnished property for a year before we buy, and then we will go and buy new stuff (safe to write that - husband on the other side of world!)

You will get loads of good advise on here!

Wendy

Thanks Wendy.

Does anyone know if IKEA  Spain has an English version of their site? If so, how do you get it?

gwm again, not up to your ten posts yet....you can contact me at

www.aqua22.net

Just looked at IKEA Spanish website - it's only in Spanish, but you can ask Anna (whoever she is) anything you like in English. But buying stuff from IKEA is rather like painting by numbers. Most if not all the products are identical in stores all over the world. What exactly did you want to know?

Roberto

Saw somewhere, probably another thread on this site, that IKEA do furniture packages, and that someone local would collect and build for a fee. Thinking about it, I don't really want to go down that route as the furniture is obviously IKEA, and will probably give totally the wrong impression to potential renters.