How find the right location
and how much does property for sale in Spain cost?
A little guide to help you find the right location:
- Am I working from home/remotely or from an office?
- Will I need a car?
- How much do I want to rely on public transportation?
- Do I want to live in a (country) house, duplex or town home, or an apartment?
- How big of a home do I want? M2 of build area in Spain includes walls, so always calculate a little more.
- What kind of neighbourhood do I want to be in? Historic architecture, modern, near a park or in a finca in the countryside?
- How close do I want to be to amenities like supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and restaurants?
- How much community and social activity do I want?
- What kind of weather do I want to live with?
- Do I want to live by the sea, in the mountains, or near both? Fortunately, in Spain, there are loads of great options for living near both!
As always, location is key. For those seeking a property for sale in more authentic Spain, there are hill-top white villages with farmers driving their flock of sheep through the alleys, Moorish wonders such as the Alhambra and the coolest of cities Barcelona and Valencia – prices have already begun to rise, and the ever-popular Costa Blanca.
There are a number of property hotspots in Spain to consider right now – in fact, some of them never really cooled off, such as recession-proof Mallorca, still attracting the mega-rich and royalty, and ever fashionable Ibiza, drawing the children of the buyers who discovered it in the Sixties. You can get a two-bed apartment in Mallorca from around €150,000, although you’ll pay more in the charming city of Palma.
The mainland offers more for your money, the current favourites are the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol. The southern Costa Blanca has so many advantages for property hunters, including a plethora of golf courses near popular towns like Villamartin and Playa Flamenca, and just about the healthiest climate in Europe. Prices vary between the desirable areas and the overbuilt areas but are generally low – two-bedroom apartments near the sea from €50,000 around Torrevieja.
In Cabo Roig, to take another popular resort, you might pay €90,000 for a spacious 2-bedroom apartment with a sun terrace. Inland a little, in the village of Algorfa, a comparable property will be nearer €70,000.
The northern Costa Blanca, less affected by development and with more building restrictions in place, draws buyers to towns including Moraira, Javea, Denia, Calpe and Benissa Costa. In upmarket Moraira, expect to pay €400,000 for a quality three-bed villa with a pool in a good location but in Benitachell you might get a four- or five-bedroom villa for €300,000.
Inland of these resorts, the Orba and Jalon valleys are increasing in popularity for buyers seeking a more tranquil location than the coastal resorts; and also, more worth for the money. In the Orba Valley you can get a 3-bedroom villa with a pool for around 150.000-200.000€, or a large restored finca for 450.000€.
Popular areas include Pinoso, Sax, Monovar, La Romana and Agost, which are not too far away from the coast, popular with tourists and expats and you can get a nice villa for around 180.000€ where the equivalent right on the coast would cost you more than double.