A lucky break and the perfect property

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:04 pm.

Buying a holiday home in Spain when you retire continues to be a popular option. For Claire a little luck helped her secure the perfect spot to enjoy her free time.  

When Claire retired, buying a property in Spain as a holiday home was on her list of things to do. She was already familiar with the Orihuela Costa and it seemed like a very good position from which she could enjoy Spain.

Claire soon found an ideal property but unfortunately it was already in the process of being purchased and she knew that she would need to look elsewhere. Her lucky break came when another property owner, who had seen her looking, explained that he might also like to sell.

Second time lucky

This second property wasn’t far from the one that Claire had previously seen and she was keen to proceed. However, the property owner wasn’t sure about whether to sell or not and over a couple of months Claire waited to find out what his decision would be. Finally, it was agreed that the property would be sold and Claire’s offer was accepted.

‘From that point on it didn’t take much more than a couple of months for everything to be sorted and for me to have the keys,’ explains Claire. ‘There’s not much to do in the house. We didn’t want a property that needed any major refurbishment.’

The Spanish property she has settled on is a bungalow with three bedrooms and a swimming pool. Its position means that there should be plenty to do for friends and relatives who stay there. It could be an ideal property to let as it is close to golf courses but Claire has no plans to rent it out. ‘It’s just for family really. I don’t play golf but they might want to,’ she says.

Choosing a solicitor

Claire did not come with preconceived ideas about the buying process or who she would like to help her. Ábaco was recommended by some neighbours close to the new property she was hoping to buy.  ‘They had used Ábaco eight years ago to purchase their property and they recommended them. The whole process went very smoothly,’ says Claire. ‘Everything was co-ordinated very well and I was always kept informed.’

Claire had been particularly worried about the currency conversion process and how to transfer money over from the UK. Ábaco were able to give her advice about this and guide her through the process. ‘I hadn’t done it before,’ explains Claire. ‘So it was quite a major worry and I appreciated the information and guidance I was given.’

Claire decided to rent a flat for a few days in Torrevieja whilst the purchasing process was going through. The flat was close to Ábaco and she felt that this was a good decision to make. ‘It meant I was on hand and available for everything such as the notary and signing,’ says Claire. ‘It also meant that I could spend some time enjoying the town of Torrevieja itself and walking along the sea front.’

Looking forward

Claire has a very open-ended agenda for making the most of her new property. ‘I’m not sure about spending time here in the winter because the weather’s not as good but then it’s been very pleasant over the last couple of weeks, so we’ll see. However, I’ll definitely be out in the summer and I’m looking forward to spending time here with the family.’

Does she have any advice for those thinking about buying in Spain? ‘Be sure to factor in all the costs. I knew I had to pay legal fees and taxes when I bought but was a little surprised at just how much those taxes were. You could be left struggling to pay if you don’t include these in your budget.’

Now, Claire can enjoy learning more about her new holiday home and plan her relaxing breaks with her family.