SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT location for your property on the Costa Blanca? Our first advice is to discover the region. We have done the work for you, here is our detailed article for property on the Costa Blanca: everything you ever wanted to know.
- Where are the main transportation facilities, airport and railway stations?
- Which are the biggest cities, and how many inhabitants do they have?
- Where are the UNESCO heritage sites?
- Where are the top places to spend your holidays? The best beaches, shopping malls and retail outlets, traditional and street markets, the top golf courses and natural parks?
- If you are looking to study there, where will you find the best universities?
- Last but not least, it's always good to know where the Hospitals are.
Now that you know the region, it will be easier to move further and study the location criteria you should have in mind while searching for your Spanish dream home. And of course, your ideal location is the one you will love, never forget that. In this article, you will only find practical tips to make sure you don't forget anything.
List your objectives
To be efficient in your property search, don’t hesitate to list your objectives.
Sea view?
90% of overseas property buyers looking to buy in Spain want proximity to the sea. Unsurprisingly, the Costa Blanca, the Costa del Sol and the Spanish islands are top of the list of places to search for a property in Spain. Let's enjoy tapas on the beach.
Your budget
Depending on your budget there are certain locations available or out of reach. So it's important to calculate your budget before you start your search. Knowing if you are searching in an expensive or cheaper region will help you to define your budget. Here is a good place to check Spanish property prices.
On a tight budget?
The good news is that property prices in Spain are not expensive and the Costa Blanca is not too expensive either. If your budget remains small for your area, our advice is to search further in the countryside, you'll decrease your budget by at least 20% if you are not searching in a major city.
If you want to read more on that subject, have a quick look at our article covering the real estate activity of foreigners in Spain.
Before looking at the top criteria for your Spanish property location, check the weather statistics for the location of your future Spanish property.
Always check the cost of living in your future city
We wrote a detailed article on the cost of living in Spain. In this article, you can compare the cost of living in any Spanish city with your current city anywhere in the world or with any other Spanish city.
What do you want to use your property for?
The first question you should have in mind is what will be the function of your property on the Costa Blanca? We can differentiate between three main purposes:
- A holiday home or second home abroad
- A primary residence if you want to relocate to, or retire in Spain
- An investment property
Each of those functions will mean very different objectives and specific search criteria.
Location criteria for your Spanish holiday home
Holiday home capacity (the number of bedrooms) is always one of the first ways to start. Proximity to the airport and travel time from your home country are other criteria.
Here is our list of search criteria important for your second home:
- Distance to the beach
- Distance to the airport
- How many flights are available to the airport?
- Travel time from your home country
- Check transport facilities
- Proximity to tourist attractions and sightseeing places
- Distance from the best beaches
- Distance to shopping malls, shops, and retail outlets
- Distance to traditional and street markets
- Hospitals and care facilities
- Distance to recreational and family activities
- Plan to rent your property? Check if it is legal to rent your home
If you are not buying for a second home, your criteria may be different, check those by following the links:
Your property on the Costa Blanca and the weather
This is of course the first reason why people buy a property on the Costa Blanca. Checking weather statistics for the full year is important. Another good piece of advice is to check the weather statistics for the months when you intend to go there.
Yes, it is obvious, but many think “It is warm in the winter”. That is not the case everywhere in Spain. If you want a warm winter, you have only one perfect place in Spain: the Canary Islands.
Have a quick look at the infographics on our website with the monthly weather statistics for Alicante. You will find details available for each month:
- Average, minimum, and maximum daily temperatures (°c)
- Sea temperatures (°c)
Daily and monthly average rainfall (mm) - Average relative humidity (%)
- Number of rainfall days equal or greater to 1 mm, and the number of snow days
- Number of stormy days
- Number of foggy days
- Number of frosty days
- The monthly average number of cloudless days
- Hours of sunshine per day and month
This article was written by howtobuyinspain.com in partnership with Lazenia.com. Read the full article here: Where are the best places to buy a property in Spain?
Photo credit: Inmo Investments Real Estate SL
