What do you want in a house in Spain?

When you think about what you want in a house in Spain you think of outside space, a good pool, large interior spaces and terraces. What you may not think of is shared facilities, you may insist on having your own pool. We have noticed that people who have been here for a time are starting to move into towns and they like small complexes with shared facilities because they realise that it is a bit easier to have a pool you dont have to look after and to have shops and transport facilities nearby. Living on an estate is great if you have transport as most estates do not have shops and facilities and are located too far out of town to be walking distance.

Here then is a selection of our houses with shared facilities, all have a pool, all have gardens and some have their own garden areas as well as the common areas.
Prices range from 235000 Euros to 365000 Euros for those properties shown and all are within walking distance of towns or shopping and leisure facilties.

Merry Christmas

From all of us at Valencia Property to all our clients, friends and readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

For us it has been another good year as we have managed to help many new clients settle into their new lives in Valencia and we are starting to open up to the rest of the World with our new international property blog site and into the Spanish market with our blog site in Spanish. Hopefully, as we tend to answer to people who ask, this year was better than last year but not as good as next year.

Make sure to keep in touch and ask for any more information as we can help you along the way.

Doing up or Buying To Move in Straight Away?

That is the question.

It's not always an open and shut case. Here we have two examples, one a house set in a complex of 10 houses with shared pool and off road parking, built in an arabic style for 235000 and second a project in the same area (About 1km outside Lliria) on a smallish 400m2 plot with dingy everything but that hidden word, potential, at 190000 Euros or nearest offer. (Just in case you want to know 4 and a half bedrooms, living room, kitchen, pool, bathroom, covered terraces, and open roof terrace and I could have used the word small before all of the room sizes.)
So what do you buy if you really want something in that area and are attracted by these two? There is a difference in price of 45000 Euros so you think about the doer upper. How much would it cost to renovate? Take a couple of non-supporting walls out to make a large lounge but lose two bedrooms, that leaves two bedrooms and a half through room. The bathroom needs to become a wet room due to size but is not then on the same floor as the two remaining bedrooms so you put another bathroom in on the upstairs open terrace, lose one of the bedrooms or extend onto the down terrace overlooking the garden... So many questions and options. By the time you are happy with it you have spent a year, the vast majority of the 45000 Euros and you are bald from tearing your hair out.

Or there is the other scenario of knowing exactly what you want to do and so spending 20000 Euros giving yourself a chic pad with essential central heating because the majority of your time will be spent outside anyway in the smallish garden and cooling off in the dip pool.

Meanwhile in our ready to move into place you are looking to extend upwards (As is allowed in these particular houses) as you now want a project after sitting around for a year soaking up the sun and relaxing. The itch is there so you look at a project house for renting out and creating a second income...

Oh the choices!

Reducing the Price

I phoned up a house today that we have had on the books for some time to check for availability for a client and found it was still available. What surprised me was the reduction in price from 240000 to 216000 Euros and that is also negotiable. This becomes a very good value house in the market conditions. Therefore i have put the link in http://www.valencia-property.com/1047m.html so that you can see the description and more photos for yourself. It is on the Pedralvilla estate in Olocau, a leafy and very private estate about 4 kilometres from the town and just 25 minutes from both the airport and Valencia. Medium sized plot and in need of a bit of tlc but apart from that very good purchase now, especially if the negotiation takes the price a bit lower.

Our New Blog Sites

We are now publishing three blogs in total. This one of course, our international property blog at http://vpii.blogspot.com/ and our Blog in Spanish which you may want to browse to brush up on your language skills or to point out my basic errors http://valenciapropertyesp.blogspot.com/

They will all be able to be seen from the main site at www.valencia-property.com within the next week and we hope to build up a useful fountain of information for you to look at whatever your interest in the property market may be.

Remember if you have any questions about anything you may see on any of our four sites then feel free to get in touch through replies on this website (We do not publish comments as they are full of unwanted spam and gibberish) or from our e-mail accounts found on the main site (And the address is not put here due to the aforementioned spam but graham at valencia-property.com should give you an idea of the mail address to use.

Big Place in El Rebollar

I went further than we normally go today to bring you a worthwhile investment property and somewhere great and quiet to live. 55km out of Valencia on the Madrid road, El Rebollar is a small village in the heart of the Valencian Wine Growing area. It is just five mins away from Requena.

The accompanying pictures are of the seven bedroomed house on the outskirts of the village with two very seperate parts in the main house and the possibility of converting the garage into further accomodation. There are also 5200m2 of land with 140 mature olive trees in full production as seen in the picture of the views. 297000 Euros will get you this impressive property.

Enjoy.

Fancy a Ground Floor Loft in Valencia?

We have just received two almost identical ground floor lofts (Is that possible?) in the centre of Valencia. Both priced at 220000 Euros and soon to be finished off with impressive kitchens to the design of those who buy them, these lofts have approximately 70m2 of floor space and have a small back terrace for that all important outside space and the light they provide. Blank canvasses for you to play with right by the Pilar area of the city, just a five minute walk to the central market and town hall. Excellent location and good styling from a reliable developer with a very good record of finishing jobs well.

More Trends

The BBC is today reporting on trends in Brits living abroad and why. Here is the report on Spain. There are now 990000 people in Spain, if part time residents are included, but if you look at the concentrations on the coasts, especially in the Alicante and Costa del Sol regions you can still find yourself living in the real Spain. Here in La Pobla de Vallbona according to the latest census there are fewer than 20 British residents out of a population of 17000 and even in an area such as Villamarchante where a lot of foreign buyers have settled there are still fewer than 300 permanent British residents.

The trends also suggest that more and more younger professionals are moving here taking advantage of the ability to work from home due to the internet and more liberal professions. Therefore it is important to consider location and communications above all when choosing a property and Valencia Property helps you to do this.

Frankly there are areas in Alicante where the only permanent residents are almost all foreign and the chance of hearing a Spanish voice is negligible. However we now find that people who have been here for some time are now moving into the towns and cities as they discover that they want everything to hand. If you are happy to use the car then by all means buy a house that is on an estate otherwise bear in mind that most small towns in Spain have everything to hand within walking distance because they are compact with flats rather than having urban sprawl. This also means you can get out of the town very easily and be walking in the countryside in just a few minutes.

To illustrate this point I have attached photos of a couple of places within walking distance of a town or village and a flat within the city of Valencia. All offer good value, great areas and a good standard of living. Prices of those illustrated range from 135000 Euros up to 300000 Euros and areas are Casinos, Gatova,
Lliria and Valencia itself.

Prices and Trends

Kyero have just published their price guide and request guide and there is a discrepancy. The average price of a property sold in Spain is now 250000 Euros whereas those who request details and want to come to the country are hoping to pay 150-200000 Euros. Our average house price sale for this year has been 261850 Euros an increase of just 13000 Euros on last year, or roughly 4.5%. The year on year increase in our average house sale last year was 64000 Euros or 33%.

Why has this happened? Well there are a few reasons, one is the slowdown in price increases, secondly, the willingness of owners to negotiate on prices and thirdly the fact that we have positioned ouselves at Valencia Property in this area of the market. It is easy to position yourself at the lower end of the market and sell 100000 Euro shacks for renovation but the satisfaction of the client is not guaranteed because firstly, and most importantly, the properties will not get planning permission to build and secondly the properties are usually out in the sticks and have no water, electric or gas and a telephone is a pipedream. It is easy to position yourself at the top end of the market and try to live on selling a couple of mansions per year with huge commissions involved but we prefer to work hard, give good possibilities for capital gain and renovation and make sure that our clients are satisfied with their purchase and their lifestyle here.

500000 Britons have a property in Spain and another 100000 people plan to move abroad this year. The majority of those purchasing want to do it for a permanent move whereas a reduced number now buy as an investment or for holidays. Investment in Spain is forecast to rise by 75% over the next three years. And the most important factor is always location.

For the whole report view the Kyero blog here

The photo accompanying this report is a house in Olocau on a large plot with four bedrooms but needing central heating, at 270000 Euros.

Holidays and Lofts

Valencia is closed. Wednesday was a holiday, people took off Thursday as usual to make up the week and Friday, today, was a holiday. The weekend of course is an extension of this. Tuesday night was gridlock trying to get out of Valencia according to those who eventually got to my 40th birthday party. Now it is empty. Tomorrow as we need to take more photos of flats and houses we shall see if there is anybody in town.

If you want a different style of living we now have some lofts available. I have attached some photos here but the emphasis is on light and space. A total change from the traditional Valencian type construction where people tried to keep sunlight out to avoid summer heat, these houses are well insulated and keep warm in winter and cool in the summer. They are also very stylish.

Apologies

We have to apologise for the lack of updates to the main site for owners of properties and for those of you looking to buy here. Hopefully the Blog has been useful during this time. Our web designer is currently sitting in his office waiting for Telefonica to install his new ADSL line which is now three weeks since application. Therefore he has had no chance to update the site. If you are due to be here in the next few days please get in touch and we can arrange viewings of the new properties as well as what you can see on the main site and blog.
The accompanying pictures are of an end terrace in La Pobla with shared garden and facilities. Excellent location and good quality of living. Pictured on a cloudy day for a change. It is now back to normal and sunny though a bit nippy.

Carless in Valencia

I was carless today due to the service needed, oil change and that, so I spent the whole of the day walking round three areas of Valencia finding flats to offer.; Ruzafa, Cabañal and Benimaclet. Despite being far apart all are well served by public transport and so to get from one bit to the others is just a couple of metro rides or a bus journey away.

Ruzafa, recently described erroneously in the Sunday Times as the Notting Hill of Valencia, is a short walk from the centre of Valencia but with prices that are nowhere near places just a five minute stroll away. It is a melting pot of cultures, styles and architecture, moving from the totally decrepit to the modernist loft development. It is a great place to live and prices are in the 200 and something thousand euro range usually for your average flat.

Cabañal is a strange mixture of old town houses, ruins and redevelopments lying next to the America´s Cup Port. Some places are excellent value and certain areas are, shall we say, less inviting. Low rise mixes with medium rise and new lies next to old. Prices therefore are more eclectic and it is still possible to pickup redevelopment projects for just over 100000 Euros and new chic pads cost up to 600000 Euros depending on proximity to sea and port. Be careful in this area as there is a swathe which will be knocked down to make way for the extension of Blasco Ibañez street.

Benimaclet for me is the hidden jewel of Valencia. A young barrio as it was one of the few places that younger families could afford yet still retaining elements of the older generations that previously lived there, this is the real village within a village for which Valencia prides itself. Some streets are all still two floor houses with two flats, one above and one below. The streets are semi pedestrianised and around five in the evening the streets chime to the sounds of children laughing and running around as they are collected from the multitude of schools and nurseries in the area. A working class area of the city with a heart and soul.

The photos accompanying these words are of flats we have available in those areas just showing the facades.

Urbe Desarrollo 2

I again went to Urbe Desarrollo today to see a couple of things which I missed on Thursday. Much more of the same. To see the scope of some of the projects just look at the photos of the stands. These companies put a lot of money into promoting what they offer.

Today I picked up a luxury development in Siete Aguas with prices starting from 540000 Euros for delivery in three years time around a golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones. The houses are designed with energy efficiency, environmental quality and design as a premium. The top of the range houses will have five bedrooms, three suites, spa, sauna, infinity pools, geothermal heating systems, and even panic rooms for those with a tendency to jump at the sound of a sliced golf shot. The course will be watered by recycled water from all of the estates in the immediate vicinity so doesn't have the problems associated with many of these top end developments. A totally gated community just twenty five minutes from Valencia. The price of one of the top of the range places, a cool 1.2 million euros off plan. These are evidently aimed at the top end of the buying market and they are making a play for the disenchanted Marbella set

Our Favourite Estate Throws Up Another Gem

I have just photographed a place on Portacoeli, as many of you will know our favourite estate. Great price for a really nicely designed house overlooking a good sized pool in a quiet cul-de-sac. High quality throughout this house should be seen as the price has been lowered for quick sale by the developer who needs to reduce bank endebtedness in order to start his next development.

Look at the photos and think all of that for Euros is not bad. All it lacks are the semi-compulsory arches on the terraces.

Urbe Desarrollo

The biggest Real Estate Fair in the Mediterranean started today in Valencia. Urbe Desarrollo brings together all of the offers from the biggest promotors of properties on the coast from Malaga to Castellon and beyond borders to the Caribbean and South America this year.

Golf dominated. The number of artificial holes placed strategically nearby to pneumatic hostesses to get your interest in the product was amazing. I counted over 30 stands dedicated to golf developments most of them here in Valencia but also including Polaris World, a development in the Dominican Republic and too many others to count. There tends to be a sheeplike mentality amongst the promotors about what people want, (Last years event had a few golf developments but I do not remember anything close to this year, and not many will deny that a villa or good apartment overlooking rolling green fields dotted with the odd really badly dressed octogenarian pushing a trolley of hugely expensive pieces of metal designed to propel a small white object into a hole in the ground is easy on the eye). However the issue was how many of the projects had final approval, not many. The water question is now a very big deal.

Many promotors seem to be panicking because they are being forced to pay higher land prices and therefore cannot shift the product as fast as in the past. Therefore there were offers galore from 300 Euros down and 300 Euros pcm until completion, with that scheduled for 18 months down the line, to draws for cars, free furniture to put in the flats, High Definition TV´s, 3000 Euros discounts, 6000 to spend at the Corte Ingles etc... Really if they concentrated on quality build, favourable payment terms, location and value for money they would have much less of a problem moving their offers. Gimmicks are all well and good but in the end the development has to be worth the investment when you are buying off plan unless this is intended to be the final home as opposed to a temporary bolthole. At Valencia Property we listen to our clients and find them exactly what they want whether it be investment potential, buying into a lifestyle concept or developing a career. Try us out on that point.

We have picked up only the developments that offer something different to the norm and in this we have gone for Brazil, the Caribbean, (these both complement the ongoing projects we have in Argentina) , Loft developments and central Valencia flat developments along with one of the golf developments which although still pending final approval seems to be the most ecologically viable.

You will see some of these things appear on the site opver the next few weeks as we roll out the offers to complement our carefully chosen already exisiting property portfolio. The new sections on the website will make Valencia Property open up to new areas and grow organically whilst still maintaining tight quality control and a friendly local face.

Regards
Graham
www.valencia-property.com

Good link for general information

We believe that total honesty is the best policy at all times because we live amongst our clients and we want to be able to look them in the eye knowing that we have done the job of getting them their dream house in Spain to the best of our ability and that they have a great deal. Therefore we think it is important to point out sites that give good advice to buyers so that everyone is informed well before they purchase.

Spanish Property Insight

Everything you need to know about property in Spain

Spanish Property insight is written by the Sunday Times' Property expert Mark Stucklin. It is an excellent source of unbiased advice and reflects advice we have been giving for years to all of our clients; always use a lawyer, make sure the agent works for you exclusively to get you the best price and never take the word of the vendor or unscrupulous agents making false promises.

Also keep an eye on the Sunday Times Overseas Property pages at the following link

The Beatles in Burjassot!

The Prellies (Birmingham - England), Gary Quinn (London - England), The Goggles (Gijón - Spain ) Flaming Pie Band (Madrid - Spain), Escarabajos SL presentan "Homenaje a The Beatles" (Sevilla - Spain), The Bitters, Revival, Ya para Junio (Valencia - Spain), The Liverpool Band (Crevillente - Alicante -Spain).

This is the line up of groups playing at the Beatles festival in Burjassot from the 27th of November to the 3rd of December. There is an exhibition of famous guitars from Al's Music Factory in Gijón of all places. Apparently last year it attracted over 5000 people and this year they are looking to reach around 10000. Here is the link for the website.

Touched Up and Ready to Go

And I don't mean me. Here is a fantastic value house that could even be converted into two seperate houses both with four bedrooms. The whole house has eight bedrooms, three bathrooms, two kitchens, two huge living rooms and a pool with a self cleaning bottom (Wahey!) Set on an established urbanisation just five minutes drive from the metro into Valencia and 25 mins into both Valencia and the airport this is an imposing place with excellent views. Get it now.

Compare and contrast with the last photo which comes from a house in Montserrat on a huge plot with nine bedrooms and an enormous pool but everything needs doing to it. At 400000 Euros it doesn't compare favourably with the mansion but it has major possibilities for those amongst you wanting a major project.

Do you go for the project just a kilometre from three small towns or the mansion at the price of a two bedroom semi in Cricklewood?

Now That's What I Call Value

Here is a house that reeks of potential. A large living room, three bedrooms, one with ensuite and dressing room, another bathroom, large kitchen and outside a swimming pool with filter, unmade garden with great possibilities for anyone known to have green fingers with a lovely terrace overlooking some great views of the distant mountains.

There is however one drawback, no electric currently. The pole is just ten yards from the house but the bureaucracy in Spain...! It will come of course but it will take time. The house has the deeds and a solar panel system, subsidised by the Valencia regional government, would give you more than enough power.

For more information go to this link.

Valencia in November and Holidays in Spain

Valencia is now getting cooler at night so the central heating has now been put on standby. The days are sunny and warm with the temperature around 23 degrees during the day.

The run up to Christmas in Valencia more or less starts now, a bit earlier than last year and a bit later than next year. It used to be that Christmas preparations started after the Puente in December when the whole of Spain stops from the 6th to the 8th of December, along with its associated weekend, extra day to meet the weekend etc... In effect Valencia is one of the many places in Spain that stops virtually completely to all intents and purposes from the 6th of December to the 6th of January the following year, ie; Kings Day, otherwise known as epiphany. (Accompanying picture)

Holidays in Spain are one of the big boons of living here as they are still largely respected unlike Bank Holidays in the UK. Also there are lots of them with individual towns and regions having them and they are allied to their national holidays. When you bear in mind the bridge days to meet the weekend when the holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, then you have a lot of free time in Spain and it is because of this that people work until 8pm every day (Although some do still have the long siesta break in the middle of the day even though the traditional siesta is largely ignored at least in the Valencia region. People use it to do the shopping and eat)