Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:10am
Hi Lisa,
I wanted somewhere in Spain where I could go all year for short stays or up to two or three weeks at a time, and particularly for winter trips. (I may rent it out in peak season as it will be too hot and busy for me then, and it would help offset the running costs.) I'm hoping that family and friends will use it, too, for holidays and golf trips. I did earlier property-hunting trips to the Mar Menor area, and then Javea/Denia but they were not quite right for what I wanted. I have an old friend who lives near Mijas Costa and realised that being near her and in an area that had lots going on all year was a good idea, although it is much busier/more built up than I originally envisaged. I did loads of research on-line and then upped my budget to get exactly what I wanted. Lower Calahonda will suit me well - very near the beach, good access to shops, restaurants and cafes, public transport, etc, and with lots of places to go and visit within easy reach by bus or rented car. I found several very nice properties there. Apartments back from the coast, up in the hills (Upper Calahonda, Upper Riviera, etc) are cheaper, often newer, and some are like very posh hotels, but there is little flat outside space (so the pools and green spaces were smaller) and you would need a car for every journey. I didn't want a high rise resort and needed somewhere that was near the airport and didn't shut up for winter, which ruled out some of the earlier places I looked at (Costa Blanca and Denia). I can't get there now because of Covid - I have not been to Spain since buying it - which is a frustration, but it will pass. I am a bit concerned about running costs, getting work done, and the admin of having a second property but I'm sure it will work out.
My friend used a networking website to get recommendations for a solicitor, which worked out very well. The local estate agents were excellent - in the Mar Menor area they didn't listen to me about what I wanted (I learned how to manage them better after that trip !).
God luck, Diana