POLL: Buying an apartment in Vera Playa

Vic, You're asking questions only you can answer. Buying a holiday home/fulltime home in Spain is different for everybody. You probably have hundreds of more questions too. My advice to you is advice I have been giving after some years on this forum i.e. go and live in an area you think will be good for for no less than 5/6 weeks November - March (It's rent there and money well spent). During this period not only will you will discover that Vera or wherever is for you but if Spain is for you.

If you purchase property after a week's holidays and are fully happy with your buy then buy a Lottery ticket immediately after and I hope you have the same luck there. 

Setting up a poll on where is best to live gives an accuracy in feedback like polling 2 year olds on the performance of former jump jets of the Royal Navy. A point of information:- Remember Brits are not great at polls - Brexit being a prime example (Don't mention the "war").

Good point Matthew - the only thing a poll will tell you is the bias of whoever responds to it.

I live (now) in Vera Playa and own a shop in Vera.  Having just moved to Vera Playa it's going to be difficult to say whether I "like"it here.  We moved here through circumstances dictated to us, not by choice.

It'summer, so I am glad we have covered underground parking a) so the car doesn't bake and; b) so I can actually GET parking because the road I am on is jam packed with people parking to go to the beach.  Getting a parking space outside my block during the day is an exercise in futility.

It will be interesting to see what it's like here come winter (but I am really really hoping it starts to cool down a bit soon)

So as to where you SHOULD buy ... where do you feel comfortable? what do you look for in an area?  surrounded by expats, jammed with tourists in summer, lots of night life, British fish and chip shops etc? Mojácar Playa.  or Still lots of tourists in summer, great amenities, but a few more Tapas bars plus some excellent seafood restaurants, mainly Spanish? then it's Garrucha.

Do you want seasonal traffic, little less activity in Winter but plenty of bars, cafes etc and ready access to the Naturista? Then Vera Playa for sure.  If it's a small town with lots of Brits, then go to Palomares; if you prefer Spanish surrounding you and a place where very little English is spoken in Post Office, Doctors surgeries etc ... then its Vera

Good compehensive post from Dario above. Here are a few more points:-

1. Do you wish to rent out your holiday home?

2. Are you taking out a mortgage to buy the holiday home? Can you afford to take the repayments?

3. Are you paying cash upfront? Can you take the hit with less cashflow available?

4. Have you discussed the venture with your life partner and family?

5. Do you need to work in Spain?

6. Brexit has meant much (detrimentally) to Brits living on the Costas.

7. If you're absentee you'll need somebody to look in occasionally on your property. This costs too (unless somebody volunteers).. Can you trust the agency or person caring?

8. If you decide not to take any of my advice ensure you hire a solicitor to act solely for you during the sale and not the person employed by the seller or estate agent. 

I didn't enjoy posting any of the above, but test the waters before you dive in. Buy a notebook today and have it for Spanish details only. Update it daily and let it become your best friend. Now set up a SWOT analysis (changeable) with the buy meaning to you with Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. 

I won't say a word against Garrucha, Vera, Vera Playa either. Garrucha would get my vote of the three, but you will need some Spanish and be aware that Vera and Garrucha are working Spanish towns. Each has its Lidl and even one has its Iceland (points to keep you away).

And we were undecided on where we wanted to buy at first and we chose Mojacar Playa over Palomares by mere facts (i) We needed income from rental to survive (ii) otherwise Palomares or San Juan de Los Terreros would have "won."

Thanks both for the information. Really helpful in terms of thinking through the wider picture.

Just to be clear Spain is a country I would be happy to own a holiday home in. I have lived in Saudi and Kuwait and am used to heat.

So the poll was a tool through which I might attract attention to the post, the answers unless one dominated might not have been that informative as you both say.

I love the suggestion that the car parking space is needed so that the car will not bake so that was helpful.

On the questions 1-8, helpful thank you. Great idea about the notebook used that in the past when moving especially internationally.

All in all thank you both for taking the time to comment.

In case anyone is interested I have made an offer on an apartment. Waiting to hear as the property is with a bank and they take time to reply.

Not sure how to close this thread but thanks to those who engaged.

Hi Vic, I'm glad you put in a bid on an apartment. I hope you have many years holidaying in Spain. In what town is the apartment? I advise to let the thread open too as many others looking in will find it informative.

Matthew

The apartment is in Palomares. I will keep the thread open and thank you for you kind wishes.