# Omg I own a house in Spain!!



## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Our purchase completed this morning - massively exciting, but we're also feeling a bit freaked out!! Did you all feel the same?? We're 99.9% sure we've done the right thing but it's such a big thing do do, I guess it's natural to be a tad nervous now it's all done?! 

It's a holiday home initially, with a view to spend more and more time there until we semi-retire in a few years time. So we intend to ENJOY every minute of owning it and focus on being grateful we have the chance to do this  

Rp


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2015)

Congratulations on your new home. Go and have a glass of wine and I can assure you, you'll feel happier about everything. Seriously, you'll grow into it as it all becomes less strange to you.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Congratulations! I do understand how you feel, we bought our house knowing that we'd be using it as a holiday home for some years before moving over permanently. I used to worry about the house when we weren't there, and we bought a property that needed work so there was the hassle of organising that (and paying for it!. When we came over for visits, which we tried to do as often as possible by taking our holidays one week at a time, there were always jobs to do. However, in spite of all that, it was the Spanish house which really felt like "home" right from the start, and I hated leaving it and going back to what felt like a temporary life and something that just had to be endured between visits. It was all worth it in the end, though.

Hope your ownership will be problem free (as much as owning property ever can be) and you will continue to enjoy it for many years to come.


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## lauren2000 (Oct 21, 2015)

congratulation on purchasing your new home which I'm sure u will love, we are coming over to torrevieja to look at properties next week and have no idea what were doing, any advice or recommendations on solicitors etc would be most welcome


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## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Thanks everyone!! It's reassuring to read your replies  We are so excited about it all - I think the scariest thing is seeing the vast majority of our savings balance disappear! But we were determined to stick to a budget that meant we didn't need to borrow, and I'm pleased we did manage that. And, hey, only has value if you DO something with it! 

Lauren - when do you go out for your property search? We looked in that area too (southern Alicante really) but plumped for the Mar Menor in the end (not too far south from Torrveija) as it was a little quieter. But there are some lovely places where you're visiting and some absolute bargains if your budget is tight!

I do recommend finding a lawyer when you're there, and sorting Power of Attorney...it means you're all set up and ready to go as soon as you find somewhere! And you might not make a firm decision until you've returned home and mulled the options over. Good luck with your search - let me know how you get on!

Now I get to go shopping for furniture and bits and bobs  

Rp


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## Andy-Lisa (Oct 25, 2015)

Well Done. 

We are just beginning of our journey into all this, so much to learn and do.


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## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Good luck Andy-Lisa! It's huge fun - just try and do as much research as possible


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Congratulations on your new home , it is really exciting , we move permanently to ours in 3 weeks time and cant wait , I have retired early from my UK job , we have a little business in Spain and have passed our UK business onto our son. I have some contracting work lined up for next year but don't plan to be doing a lot , just want to enjoy our new home and hope you do too


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## Monkey Hangers (Jan 8, 2009)

Rockpea said:


> Good luck Andy-Lisa! It's huge fun - just try and do as much research as possible


I live in the Mar Menor, been here 4 years. I love it, where are you exactly?


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## StevejR1 (May 21, 2013)

We spent two years looking, searching, and deciding what we really needed over what we wanted initially. We looked in several areas, and eventually picked a house that pretty much ticks all the boxes......

....despite that, the day before the completion of our house my partner got in so much of a wobble, faced with the enormity of what we were doing, that it affected us both and we nearly pulled out!!!...even faced with losing the deposit money!!!...

Thankfully we saw sense, and on the day we went through with it 😀

We've been in Spain around two months now, and I can't say it's been easy, because there is a lot to learn, a lot to adapt to, and a lot to just let yourself accept that you actually now live here!!...it took weeks before we went shopping for food and it felt normal, not a trip out, and that's when we felt we were home 😀 

Having said that, it's not been as hard as we expected either...a lot of the preconceived ideas/fears have not materialised either...the Spanish workers/tradesmen are friendly, punctual, and professional, the red tape nowhere near as bad as I'd expected, shopping for things is a little harder, but most things are 'gettable'. And generally we've settled in well.

Tips....
Learn the language, it makes such a difference, not only for communication, but to help talk to Spanish neighbours, so that you can really join in to the real Spanish community.
We didn't fight 'the Spanish way' and so found it so much easier to adapt. We didn't try to teach the locals the 'British way' , preferring to accepted the changes we'd signed up for. As a result we quickly found that we'd blended into the siesta lulls, the necessity for paperwork, and just the brilliant pace of life.
Shopping....always try locally...from little things, to big things, you'll be amazed what is available in even the smallest of communities and villages. Our local electrical store can get you anything in a couple of days if you give him the model number, it'll be a little bit dearer, but he'll deliver and instal it for you free of charge.
Same with everything else, you'll find somebody will do it, and do it very well.

But most of all, relax, enjoy, and don't worry 😀


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## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Ah thanks for your posts guys - I'm feeling really excited about it all having just read them 

And yes we do intend to learn the language - we fully want to 'live in Spain' when we visit, rather than always feel we're on holiday. I'm on week 6 of my Spanish evening class - I'm not a natural, but I'll keep going!!

Monkey - we're just a few km north of Los Alcazares, near Dolores de Pacheco. Please don't tell me it's horrible haha!! We wanted somewhere in a traditional area/village but also not too far from the sea, and that seemed to be a good match! We've seen so many places, from Mazarron up to Alicante, but that's the place we fell in love with  Where are you?? 

Rp


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## Monkey Hangers (Jan 8, 2009)

Hi, I pass that way on my route to work. I live in Torre Pacheco. I love it here. We aren't in the town, we're on the golf resort, as I tried a typical Spanish village and it wasn't for me. I came here from Florida and liked gated communities with 'cookie cutter' homes. We love Los Alcazares, just enough there to keep us entertained all year round. There's a good mix of Brits and Spanish.


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## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Monkey Hangers said:


> Hi, I pass that way on my route to work. I live in Torre Pacheco. I love it here. We aren't in the town, we're on the golf resort, as I tried a typical Spanish village and it wasn't for me. I came here from Florida and liked gated communities with 'cookie cutter' homes. We love Los Alcazares, just enough there to keep us entertained all year round. There's a good mix of Brits and Spanish.


Are you in LA Torre itself, Monkey? We viewed a few places there and one apartment definitely caught our eye, but in the end we wanted to be a bit closer to the sea. It was lovely in Torre though!!


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## Monkey Hangers (Jan 8, 2009)

Rockpea said:


> Are you in LA Torre itself, Monkey? We viewed a few places there and one apartment definitely caught our eye, but in the end we wanted to be a bit closer to the sea. It was lovely in Torre though!!


No not La Torre. Torre Pacheco, two mins from Los Alcazares. Mar Menor Golf Resort.
La Torre was too far out for us and too quiet.


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## StinaLina (Oct 20, 2015)

Rockpea said:


> Our purchase completed this morning - massively exciting, but we're also feeling a bit freaked out!! Did you all feel the same?? We're 99.9% sure we've done the right thing but it's such a big thing do do, I guess it's natural to be a tad nervous now it's all done?!
> 
> It's a holiday home initially, with a view to spend more and more time there until we semi-retire in a few years time. So we intend to ENJOY every minute of owning it and focus on being grateful we have the chance to do this
> 
> Rp


Happy for you! All the best with your holiday home and I am sure you will never look back as its such an exciting new adventure!
StinaLina


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## bentms (Nov 4, 2015)

Congratulations!!!! I'm about to do the same and just reading this makes me nervous/excited. Let us know hoe you get on


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## johnbear1 (Apr 6, 2015)

Which solicitors etc did you use ?


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## Rockpea (Sep 11, 2015)

Hi - we used a solicitor called IMONT, based in San Javier (Murcia). They also have offices in Alicante. I can't recommend them highly enough!!!! They were super-helpful and efficient, and the fixed price included them sorting out NIE numbers and re-connecting our utilities (the house had been empty a while so water and electricity had been disconnected). PM me if you want contact details


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