Location Advice Please

check out the history of the nuclear bombs accidently dropped in the area and the resulting polution on google might sway your decision!

Hello Nick. I hope that you get positive replies from those who have bought, and are living, in Palomares. We live ten minutes away and are in and out of the town all the time, visiting the shops, eating at the cafes, relaxing on the very pretty beach with its popular chiringuito, and have never met anyone who presently suffers from the aftermath of the nuclear bomb incident that took place in the sixties. 

Good luck in your search.

Thank you both.  We are well aware of the nuclear situation and whilst it did figure in deliberation it didn't figure for long!

I suppose I am wary that property prices seem generally less expensive in Palomares than towns only a few miles away - is it the lack of wider facilities that reflect that price?

I also wonder if there are certain urbansations to avoid - there seem to be a few online that have a significant number of similar properties for sale at the same time.  

We look forward to getting out to view in the coming months.

It's true that it's a much smaller place than, say, Mojacar or Vera and consequently has fewer facilities. There are maybe four or five cafes against goodness knows how many in the larger places, but if you can't find what you want there then the larger places are a short drive away. The same with other facilities.

As you say, you need to come and see. Let me know when you get here if you would like to have a coffee in the square in Palomares. We would be delighted to meet up.

Thanks Marion - that is very kind.

Sounds perfect to be fair - if we need/desire lively we can always get to Mojacar or Vera.  The key is having the essentials on the doorstep and being able to enjoy the occasional meal out and have a drink in the evening - we are simple folk with simple needs, all we want is the sea, sun and a relaxed pace of life for a few months every year. 

We bought in Mojacar Playa sixteen years ago after owning an apartment in Torrevieja. We hated Torrevieja and bought there because of the low price of property there. Palomares was on our short list before we left Torrevieja. The atomic bomb caper meant very little to us and it keeps coming up on the forum like there's going to be another Hiroshima or Nagasaki within the next week. 

I would say to Nick that his easy option is to rent a place in Palomares in the off season for several weeks (no less than six weeks). He'll learn enough then to proceed or retreat. It's easy for us to give advice, but our advice could be way off the targets set by Nick.

We don't know if Nick wants to settle in Palomares. We don't know if he wishes to rent the place out. I am guessing that Nick needs the place for his holidays/breaks-away only. 

If Nick is taking on a mortgage, likely he'll need to get some rentals from the place to cover some of his costs. There's the question of taxes on the income, property taxes, utility charges, internet cost, maintenance charges, cleaning fees etc etc. We needed rentals when we wouldn't be using our apartment and therefore it was the main reason we chose Mojacar Playa over Palomares.

Matthew - good morning and thank you for your response.

The intention is to purchase a bolt hole on the Costa De Almeria for holidays and break outs initially.  I have a few years left to work so will be based in the UK for the foreseeable future but with the luxury of running my own business there is a little more time to run away to the sun.  The longer term aim would be to settle in the area but we will deal with the challenges that entails nearer the time. 

We are fortunate to be cash buyers and despite looking (on line) at properties along the coast we are constantly drawn back to Palomares due to proximity to the sea and the value for money property seems to represent.

We haven't considered renting any future property out primarily due to the associated red tape and taxation.  That said, with restrictions on the time that we can use the property it might be sensible to consider renting out during any fallow period we cannot use it.

At the moment we are trying to draw up a list of monthly/annual expenditure that we will need to consider when we have bought the property - that seems to grow every time we visit it!

That said it is all good fun and we can't wait to get out to Spain and view properties in person!

Good Man Nick. You have your cake and you are entitled to eat it. My hunch is to tell you to go ahead with buying Palomares. But, be aware that many properties you see on the internet although on the market may not be for sale. (Don't ask why, you'll get a torrent of answers that may upset you). I would advise that you at least visit and ask questions before paying a penny through your solicitor. I wish you only the best on your Spanish adventure. Running costs per annum should be around €2,200.00 minus any rental, maintenance, meet&greet, cleaning expenses.

Thank you Matthew for your sage advice.  Interestingly we were originally considering Torrevieja as a potential location but decided against it as it seemed just that little bit too commercial for our liking.

I have been following the forum for some time but this is my first time putting my head above the parapet - I am glad I did.  Some of the contacts that are regularly mentioned (solicitors, gestors, utility providers etc) are in my little black book and those that are well recommended will certainly get an enquiry.

Again, many thanks all.