# Finding a house



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

How long did it take you all to find a house in Spain? Although there is loads of property for sale and we have a decent budget we are finding it quite hard. One lady (a vendor) we spoke to in August told me they had looked at about 100 properties before buying 

We didn't want to rent as most people do because it seems like throwing money away but I think we are going to have to bite the bullet. We haven't put our house up for sale yet as we expect it to go quite quickly :fingerscrossed: and the way things are going we'll still be renting/looking in 10 years time!


----------



## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

infomaniac said:


> How long did it take you all to find a house in Spain? Although there is loads of property for sale and we have a decent budget we are finding it quite hard. One lady (a vendor) we spoke to in August told me they had looked at about 100 properties before buying
> 
> We didn't want to rent as most people do because it seems like throwing money away but I think we are going to have to bite the bullet. We haven't put our house up for sale yet as we expect it to go quite quickly :fingerscrossed: and the way things are going we'll still be renting/looking in 10 years time!


We rented for three months, so less than €1000 and we saved that by getting a house that we found by driving around a different area. We have been here a year and could not be happier.


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Most definitely rent. Much worse to buy a house and only later discover that there is a major issue such as area or something in the house itself. Selling is a lot harder than buying here.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

It took us about 3 trips out to our preferred area over the course of a year and viewed around 12 houses in total (but we had narrowed our search down to one area of one town).

Strangely enough I would find it much harder to rent a property here than to buy one, because there are very few properties available for long term rent and more than ten times the amount of properties for sale. 

We didn't rent before we bought as we were both still working full time in the UK then and bought the house to use as a holiday home for the first few years, but always with the intention of moving into it permanently so we looked at houses very much with full time living in mind rather than just somewhere for holidays, and checked out local services, etc very thoroughly.


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

Thanks for your replies. We have definitely found the area we want to be in so no problems there but just can't find the right house! Earlier in the year we were excited about the thought that we'd be in Spain for Christmas but I doubt very much that we will be now :-(


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

Hi Lynn, I have lost count of the number of houses we've viewed in just two trips! In most cases the photographers have been very creative with the pics, which is kind of pointless to me but I guess it's standard practice everywhere now. Yours seems to be the ideal solution but we can't really afford to buy anything of the size we would want till we sell our house so looks like renting is going to be the only way for us. Being cooped up in a little apartment with two hyper dogs is not my idea of fun however!


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

I reckon we will end up breaking the 100 viewings record partly because so many houses are soooooo different in real life than the glossy pics . Almost resign myself to that now before I walk in the door


----------



## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

Rabbitcat said:


> I reckon we will end up breaking the 100 viewings record partly because so many houses are soooooo different in real life than the glossy pics . Almost resign myself to that now before I walk in the door


I know that feeling, we had weeks of misleading pictures and then we saw three we liked in one day actually had a choice to make!


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

We were looking at houses knowing that we would almost certainly want to make some changes and have some updating to do, so as long as the location, aspect, views, amount of light and size of rooms was right we weren't concerned if it wasn't in showhouse condition.


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

You are SO right! I think there's only been one we've seen that was actually better than the online pics. Are you not intending to rent then?


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

We originally thought that too but have found when we walk into houses with dingy old bathrooms etc we just feel so uninspired, so have decided that we want somewhere that is in really good nick. That is subject to change however as we continue our journey!


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

At the time we were looking (14 years ago) the Spanish estate agents we dealt with locally didn't even have websites so we went to look at houses not knowing a thing about them or having seen any pictures in advance! Maybe that was better as we weren't disappointed when they didn't live up to expectations. Most of the ones we saw were awful but both of us knew the one we bought was THE one.

We haven't had any major structural work to do but had the kitchen and both bathrooms reformed and retiled, had the front of the house and the internal staircase retiled, replaced all the internal doors, had the patio, external staircase and roof terrace retiled and reformed what used to be a palomera on the second floor to be an extra sitting room/occasional guest bedroom, plus what used to be a dingy and dark storeroom half way up the external staircase is now a covered seating area.


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

The thing is, even when we've bought houses in the past that we've thought were perfect we've ended up doing work so maybe that is the way to go (as you can maybe tell we are far too fussy for our own good!!)


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

infomaniac said:


> The thing is, even when we've bought houses in the past that we've thought were perfect we've ended up doing work so maybe that is the way to go (as you can maybe tell we are far too fussy for our own good!!)


I practically never see houses (and I'm addicted to the property porn shows) which are exactly to my taste even if they've been totally done over, so if I were to buy a house with a brand new kitchen and/or bathrooms that I didn't really like, I would feel I had to live with it as it would be foolish and wasteful to rip it out and start again, but then I wouldn't be happy living with it. I don't like all the upheaval of having work done (I only like the nice bit of choosing styles and materials) but maybe it's better to pay less for a do-er upper and end up with exactly what you want, than pay a higher price for one that's already done when you might want to make changes anyway.

I guess you could always rent somewhere to live whilst the work was done, we got as much as possible done before we moved over full time and most of it was done whilst we were back in the UK. I really, really don't like living in a building site.


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Our other beef is we never seem to get both together- location and property. Have saw some gorgeous villages but didn't like houses and some amazing houses but too far out.

Our strict remit is although I drive I prefer to think well ahead to times when I maybe even temporarily cannot .

That being the case a small town with all facilities or a village with connection to a town with all facilities is required

It's proving much harder to get all those ducks in a row than I thought it would


----------



## Chica22 (Feb 26, 2010)

We were very fortunate in that we had a holiday apartment for over 10 years in the place where we wanted to move to, so when we decided to move to Spain we just upped sticks and moved.

However sharing a small two bed/one bathroom apartment on a complex long term with OH and 3 cats filled me with dread. It actually worked out fine as I think at that point in the move people are still in 'holiday mode' but with more time to really sit and consider the best options/areas in which to buy.

We ended up staying in the apartment for 9 months whilst we carried out work to the house and looking back it was a time that I actually enjoyed rather than the nightmare I thought it would be of moving from a large house in the UK to a very small space. The added advantage of 'renting' for a period of time is you can focus all your energy on looking for your ideal property


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We did plenty of research before we first came to look at places. We knew roughly the area we wanted (north and west of Granada and a few [1500+] feet up). We found a number of properties in villages and small towns, made appointments with agents to see them. We came, we saw, we went home again. It was not as it might sound, a total waste of time because we had a much better idea of what we wanted and what we didn't want.

Our remit was to not only find somewhere for us to be able to live in reasonable comfort but also to have suitable accommodation for the m-i-l (by suitable, I mean somewhere for her to not be under our feet.) Our second house-hunting visit was to an area a bit further north, moving into Jaén province and the western end of Córdoba province. By this time we knew that we didn't want some other expat's attempts at reforming a Spanish house with crazy plumbing and/or illegal electrics. This meant that we were mostly looking at unmodernised houses owned by Spaniards and could see that we were going to have to do some modernisation ourselves which would have to be factored into the cost of what we were to buy.

Towards the end of our second week, we arrived at a house in a village that I had mentally discarded previously. As we walked in, the house seemed to say to us "Ah, you've got here at last, I've been waiting for you." We looked all around it and it was pretty much just what we needed - a ground-floor with kitchen, dining room and lounge (both smallish but could be knocked together to make a nice sized lounge-diner); a first floor with 3/4 bedrooms and a bathroom ripe for modernisation; an attic that could provide a rec-room and/or additional bedrooms. On the lower ground floor was a good sized store room that would make a good bedroom for us, a fair sized cupboard that would become a bathroom, a sitting area and, initially, outside the door down to the patio, a winter kitchen that later became my little office. A further floor down was a concreted area (patio) off of which were two areas, one for the pigs (now leña) and the other for a few chickens and a couple of ducks (now my workshop). price €87k (this was in 2007, before the crash)

We went away and thought it over and decided we wanted it, offered 85k which was accepted. We will have been living here for 8 years at the beginning of November.


----------



## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

We didnt rent as we made the choice to buy , partly because we knew the area we wanted to be in. We had visited the area on and off for 10 yrs and had family there so were pretty happy thats where we wanted to be. In terms of looking at houses we looked at lots virtually and also every visit we looked at the shortlisted ones. It took us around 18 months to find the right house. In all honesty what we thought we wanted wasnt actually the most practical house and having looked at lots it helped us come to that decision. We looked at really remote albeit fabulous houses but where we ended up we can walk to the village , we have mains power and water and good wifi (all important things to think about )7 We ended up with something that we thought we couldnt afford but were lucky at the time we bought that the market and euro rate was in our favour. I guess every house has a compromise and even in less than a year here we have made lots of improvements mainly externally with more planned but only to get it how we want it , the house was absolutely fine. We ended up with a one bedroomed house , something we never thought we would look at but the rooms are really large and it was designed and built for 2 people so its perfect for us. It also had an upstairs space that hadnt been opened up , we have done that now and its 15m x 5m so the house has grown. The bonus is we have a 2 bedroomed Casita too which sleeps 4 , has an open plan kitchen /dining living room and a bathroom, its built to the same spec as the house and has aircon so we have a self contained space for family and friends that visit and in fact thats great because we can all have our space if needs be.We have a pool and a lot of land so that was a bonus too givne some of the properties we looked at.Its a difficult decision but the you will know when its the right house. Good Luck in finding your forever home ;-)


----------



## paintersmate (Dec 1, 2015)

We probably did everything wrong but we sold in UK and left with our personal belongings and the dog and set off here in March, this year. We did arrange to rent a villa owned by one of the agents father for 3 months. We had seen a property we both liked on internet but , on the day we arrived. someone had put a deposit on it. So, for a week, we went out with a different agent each day, widening our search of areas that we already knew, and found another house. We have always bought properies in UK and done them up to how we want them, so wasnt put off too much by worked needed. Then, the next week, after putting offer on the new found house, the original house we liked came back on, the people couldnt borrow the money, and we bought it !!!, a t a very good price because owners were disappointed at 1st sale falling through !!!. It took 6 weeks to go through ( there were 3 fiestas in that time,though) we moved in end of April and are now experts in every DIY store in a 50km radius. So, all went well with us other than poor hubby still trying to work on the house in the present, intense heat. So, be brave xx


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Maureen47 said:


> We didnt rent as we made the choice to buy , partly because we knew the area we wanted to be in. We had visited the area on and off for 10 yrs and had family there so were pretty happy thats where we wanted to be. In terms of looking at houses we looked at lots virtually and also every visit we looked at the shortlisted ones. It took us around 18 months to find the right house. In all honesty what we thought we wanted wasnt actually the most practical house and having looked at lots it helped us come to that decision. We looked at really remote albeit fabulous houses but where we ended up we can walk to the village , we have mains power and water and good wifi (all important things to think about )7 We ended up with something that we thought we couldnt afford but were lucky at the time we bought that the market and euro rate was in our favour. I guess every house has a compromise and even in less than a year here we have made lots of improvements mainly externally with more planned but only to get it how we want it , the house was absolutely fine. We ended up with a one bedroomed house , something we never thought we would look at but the rooms are really large and it was designed and built for 2 people so its perfect for us. It also had an upstairs space that hadnt been opened up , we have done that now and its 15m x 5m so the house has grown. The bonus is we have a 2 bedroomed Casita too which sleeps 4 , has an open plan kitchen /dining living room and a bathroom, its built to the same spec as the house and has aircon so we have a self contained space for family and friends that visit and in fact thats great because we can all have our space if needs be.We have a pool and a lot of land so that was a bonus too givne some of the properties we looked at.Its a difficult decision but the you will know when its the right house. Good Luck in finding your forever home ;-)



You know the way you are describing your casita it's almost like you are offering us it free, possibly with the loan of a car- for our viewing trip? Am I reading between the lines correctly?


----------



## paintersmate (Dec 1, 2015)

ya gotta admire the cheek of him, haha


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

You've all given me a bit of food for thought. As i said, even when we'd thought houses were perfect (in UK) they never were so maybe it might be a good idea to buy something that needs a little touch up so we can have it the way we want it rather than putting up with someone else's taste. Like most of you have said we will know when we've found "the one" so it's just a matter of sniffing it out!!


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

infomaniac said:


> You've all given me a bit of food for thought. As i said, even when we'd thought houses were perfect (in UK) they never were so maybe it might be a good idea to buy something that needs a little touch up so we can have it the way we want it rather than putting up with someone else's taste. Like most of you have said we will know when we've found "the one" so it's just a matter of sniffing it out!!


For us, it was a case of buying something that needed a certain amount of work rather than something that had been modernised to somebody else's needs or desires and having to rip it out before we could start which would have been such a waste and, if the previous owner was still about, might have been distressing "My beautiful kitchen...!" Not if you want to remain friends and use their help to introduce you to the neighbours, etc.

What you need is a place that has all the basics right. A lot of houses we saw required you to walk through a couple of bedrooms to get to the bathroom - in the middle of the night when others are sleeping in the intervening bedrooms? I think not.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> What you need is a place that has all the basics right. A lot of houses we saw required you to walk through a couple of bedrooms to get to the bathroom - in the middle of the night when others are sleeping in the intervening bedrooms? I think not.


I suppose it depends on what type of property you are looking for, but when we were lookiing for a townhouse we found exactly what you describe in many of them, and that was a no-no for us too. 

It is surprising what people can overlook when they go to view a house. We were speaking to some neighbours the other day who bought a house which we actually viewed and rejected. They were saying they didn't like the fact that their bedrooms don't have any windows and said "well, it's not the sort of thing you notice when you go to look at a house, is it?". I didn't say anything but I thought "well, we certainly noticed that when we looked at it!". 

I didn't want a house which didn't have a bathroom on the same floor as the bedrooms either, which a lot of houses we viewed didn't, nor downstairs bedrooms, nor one which only had one bathroom.


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

It is surprising what people can overlook when they go to view a house. We were speaking to some neighbours the other day who bought a house which we actually viewed and rejected. They were saying they didn't like the fact that their bedrooms don't have any windows and said "well, it's not the sort of thing you notice when you go to look at a house, is it?". I didn't say anything but I thought "well, we certainly noticed that when we looked at it!". 

No I don't think that one would have escaped our notice either! We have a pretty long list of things we don't want which is probably why we're having such difficulty but it is to be our forever home so HAS to be right because as we're both giving up work we can't afford to move again. 
The one house we've viewed which we both like (but don't love unfortunately) will be a compromise because we wanted a house all on one level (it's not), wanted 3 bedrooms (it's got 5), didn't want a separate apartment (it's got one) and didn't want to be overlooked (it is slightly) but other than that we can see it working for us so if it's still for sale when we've sold ours...who knows!

Oops that "quote" above didn't quite work!


----------



## Celinemcfly (Sep 7, 2016)

There is a new property portal called Resort Worldwide Properties that selects the best properties throughout the world and has a great choice for Spain. I would recommend it as they also help with booking viewing trips and things like that.


----------



## Chica22 (Feb 26, 2010)

Some of the things on our wish list initially have turned out to be completely unnecessary, other things that we did not want we could not manage without!!!

For example, one of the things that attracted me to the house was 3 large terraces on the first floor (One of the first things we did was to replacereplaced the window in our bedroom with patio doors so I could get out of bed and walk on to the terrace, something I have never done!!). My plan was the top floor would be my own personal sunbathing area and a place to sit and enjoy a coffee in the mornings. Somehow the fact that I would have to go downstairs make the coffee, take it back upstairs never entered my head!!!! In 10 years we have never used the top terraces.

The house had a downstairs bedroom and bathroom, something we did not want but thought it could be a guest room. This bedroom has proved to be a godsend, in summer it is far cooler for an afternoon siesta and in winter warmer than upstairs. More importantly my husband had an operation which meant he was more or less bed bound for a week, it was far easier for him to be in the downstairs bedroom than to banish him upstairs for a whole week!!!! 

My priority for the house initially was for a sunhaven where I would spend the rest of my days sunbathing all day with an occasional dip in the pool, now, 10 years later, very rarely would I spend a day sunbathing and most of August is spent indoors away from the sun.


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

We want a good quality townhouse and I accept opting for town is convenience over outside space, 

However I as far a as possible want both. 

Not just for wifey and me but for our 2 cats. Sounds dumb I know but they are used to pottering about outside so a bit of a terrace or roof terrace is essential .

Our search continues......


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

Chica22 - go downstairs to make the coffee?? Isn't that what husbands are for?  That's a good point about having a downstairs bedroom where it's cooler. I will definitely bear that one in mind...it could be a Godsend.
Rabbitcat, I know what you mean. We have two little dogs and are used to a big garden so whatever we buy will have to be suitable for them too


----------



## Chica22 (Feb 26, 2010)

infomaniac said:


> Chica22 - go downstairs to make the coffee?? Isn't that what husbands are for?  That's a good point about having a downstairs bedroom where it's cooler. I will definitely bear that one in mind...it could be a Godsend.
> Rabbitcat, I know what you mean. We have two little dogs and are used to a big garden so whatever we buy will have to be suitable for them too


Brilliant idea infomaniac, maybe I should reinstate the terraces, and just lay on a sunlounger every morning waiting for my espresso 

We had to find a house suitable for my 3 cats who we brought with us. We now have 8 cats You newbies, when purchasing a property, also need to bear in mind that your 'animal' family is likely to increase significantly the longer you are here


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

I still love this one- but fortunately wifeys pointed out that I don't. 

Says it would be too hard to heat as it's very open plan


.


----------



## Chica22 (Feb 26, 2010)

Rabbitcat said:


> I still love this one- but fortunately wifeys pointed out that I don't.
> 
> Says it would be too hard to heat as it's very open plan
> 
> ...


Unfortunately, she is correct, but perfect place to increase your 'animal' family. 

We knocked down the wall into the dining room ,took the door off the kitchen and made an arch, put full length, large patio doors in the living room (as well as the 3 windows we have). My quest for open plan would have continued with the bathrooms and bedrooms if OH had not put his foot down.

Now what do we do......in summer we close all the shutters on the windows and patio doors to make the house as cool as possible, and in winter we have put curtains on all the arches to close rooms off. However I still love the open plan feel from around March to June and September to December


----------



## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

We found a lovely place that is a series of parks with houses in. No grass just houses and trees and plenty of play space for the cat. We also were picky about neighbours and avoided anywhere with bogans visible. Not sure whay a bogan is in the UK


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

What is a bogan????


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

The separate apartment could be a useful adjunct if ever your income drops and you need to let it for additional income. Frequently, a downstairs bedroom was created to meet the needs of an elderly relative - you will note that Spaniards don't, as a rule, banish their elderly to a rest home. My _suegra_ has her bedroom and access to the house bathroom on the first floor. She eats in the dining room on the ground floor with us and has a chairlift to overcome the fact that she can't/won't do the stairs any more. As mentioned before, we sleep on the _sotano_ where we have our own suite including bathroom.

Any new Spanish words you come across - look them up.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Rabbitcat said:


> What is a bogan????


"Bogan - a derogatory Australian and New Zealand slang word used to describe a person of lower working-class background, whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour exemplify values and behaviour considered unrefined or unsophisticated, similar to the English word chav."


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

I'm so glad I started this thread-I'm getting some good info/advice! 

We too love open plan and light rooms (we've looked at a few villas where my hubby has expressed a desire to knock whacking great hole in a wall and put in a huge window!) but I guess there is a reason why some Spanish houses are so dark 

Another point is heating. I know it does get colder in the winter but we are tough Geordies from Northumberland, where the temperature only raises above zero for a couple of days a year (!) so we're wondering-will we really feel the cold that much??


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

infomaniac said:


> I'm so glad I started this thread-I'm getting some good info/advice!
> 
> We too love open plan and light rooms (we've looked at a few villas where my hubby has expressed a desire to knock whacking great hole in a wall and put in a huge window!) but I guess there is a reason why some Spanish houses are so dark
> 
> Another point is heating. I know it does get colder in the winter but we are tough Geordies from Northumberland, where the temperature only raises above zero for a couple of days a year (!) so we're wondering-will we really feel the cold that much??


Yes, you will - for the simple reason that once you are acclimatised to the very hot summer temperatures, you will start feeling cold and piling on the woollies once the temperature gets down to 20C (yes, honestly). So imagine how cold it will feel when the temperature on winter nights goes down to low single figures. Afternoons in winter can be lovely most of the time, and quite warm, but once the sun goes down the temperate drops like a stone and you will really feel the difference.

It is quite true that in most Spanish houses the inside temperature is colder than the outside (during the day, that is). I get far more use out of my roof terrace in the winter when it is pleasant to sit outside and read in the sunshine, than I do in summer.


----------



## Chica22 (Feb 26, 2010)

infomaniac said:


> I'm so glad I started this thread-I'm getting some good info/advice!
> 
> We too love open plan and light rooms (we've looked at a few villas where my hubby has expressed a desire to knock whacking great hole in a wall and put in a huge window!) but I guess there is a reason why some Spanish houses are so dark
> 
> Another point is heating. I know it does get colder in the winter but we are tough Geordies from Northumberland, where the temperature only raises above zero for a couple of days a year (!) so we're wondering-will we really feel the cold that much??


We live in an area which has 'mild' winters compared to many places, so it depends where live. The first couple of years I managed fine, now if I go to the gym early in the morning, switch on the car and it dips below 10c (9c!!!), I am positively freezing.

For the first few years we managed with the casual blast of the aircon units blowing hot air. We then invested in a log burner and it is one of the best things we ever bought. However my normal attire, at least in January and February is socks, slippers, tracksuit bottoms and layers, something I would have never worn in the UK!!!! Maybe it is an age thing or just that as you get aclimatised to the heat, and you get dis-aclimatised to the cold.


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Good post with good points, cheers Chica


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I have only suffered (I mean it!) from frostbite twice in my life, the first occasion was in the winter of 1962/63 when the temperature fell below freezing on Boxing day 1962 and never got above freezing until March 13th 1963 in southern England. The second occasion was here in Spain in January 2009. Yes it can get that cold here in Spain just as it can get to over 45°C (120°F) in summer. Both of those extremes are very uncomfortable so plan well with what you buy and how you fit it out. 

The average Spaniard doesn't have aircon and has his house wide open to get the warm breezes in the morning during the summer then it is persianas down and close the house up into a cave until the next morning to keep out the heat. In winter, the same applies - open up to get the warmth of the sun and a bit of fresh air, then close up, light the chimenea or brasero and get your feet under the table. 

If you are fortunate and have a Moorish style house with an open attic and stairwell with a cool patio with fountains, water features and pools etc. then you can use the Moorish way to cool your house in summer.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> The average Spaniard doesn't have aircon and has his house wide open to get the warm breezes in the morning during the summer then it is persianas down and close the house up into a cave until the next morning to keep out the heat. In winter, the same applies - open up to get the warmth of the sun and a bit of fresh air, then close up, light the chimenea or brasero and get your feet under the table.
> 
> If you are fortunate and have a Moorish style house with an open attic and stairwell with a cool patio with fountains, water features and pools etc. then you can use the Moorish way to cool your house in summer.


We soon learned to do that after moving here. It's hard, coming from North West England, not to think oh, it's a nice day, we'll leave all the windows wide open and pull the blinds up to let the sun stream in - until you realise that the air coming in from outside is making the house uncomfortably hot. Conversely, it takes some getting used to to sit with all your windows wide open in January!

Our house is built around an external stairwell and a patio (sadly we don't run to fountains or water features) and I have been told that building them that way acts as a kind of chimney to draw hot air upwards and away from the house. It seems to work as people come into our house and say "oh, isn't it cool in here" although the house faces South West and gets the full sun on the front of the house all afternoon, and we have no air conditioning.


----------



## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

Have to agree with the previous comments , you would think on a nice sunny day it would be windows open but we have learned during our first Summer , persianas down for the morning as our house gets the sun on front in the morning and then windows open later in the day to let the breeze in. We have used the aircon as some days its just been too hot ! I also found myself going round to make sure our visitors were doing the same thing and not leaving the aircon on when they were out of the room ! I thought I would hate living in the dark but if I just leave the persianas up a smidge then there is enough light coming in. I am so glad our terrace gets the shade from late morning and all afternoon , the sun is great but you need to be able to escape from it too. The other thing we didnt have was a dry outside space. We have put a roof on the space above our terrace , its makes such a difference to have somewhere dry to put things when it rains . I guess all these things come to light when you are living in a property but if you are still looking worth considering.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Maureen47 said:


> The other thing we didnt have was a dry outside space. We have put a roof on the space above our terrace , its makes such a difference to have somewhere dry to put things when it rains . I guess all these things come to light when you are living in a property but if you are still looking worth considering.


Yes, very useful. We have a storeroom on the roof terrace which has open doorways plus a large window with no glass, and a laundry sink, so it's ideal to put washing lines in there as it stilll gets whatever breeze is going to dry washing. I even hang some delicate things like my swimsuits in there to dry, to avoid the strong sun damaging them.

What I would not do is to put a glass or perspex roof over our external stairwell and patio as a few Brits we know did with their houses. It has the effect of turning it into a greenhouse in the summer, not good, and the noise of heavy rain on them in bad weather is horrendous. Same with the corrugated metal chapas a lot of houses have on their roof terraces - not only are they noisy in heavy rain, but I think they are stifling to sit under and seem to encourage flies to hang around. Our house had one and one of the first things we did was take it down.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> Yes, very useful. We have a storeroom on the roof terrace which has open doorways plus a large window with no glass, and a laundry sink, so it's ideal to put washing lines in there as it stilll gets whatever breeze is going to dry washing. I even hang some delicate things like my swimsuits in there to dry, to avoid the strong sun damaging them.
> 
> What I would not do is to put a glass or perspex roof over our external stairwell and patio as a few Brits we know did with their houses. It has the effect of turning it into a greenhouse in the summer, not good, and the noise of heavy rain on them in bad weather is horrendous. Same with the corrugated metal chapas a lot of houses have on their roof terraces - not only are they noisy in heavy rain, but I think they are stifling to sit under and seem to encourage flies to hang around. Our house had one and one of the first things we did was take it down.


We normally dry our laundry on one of those rotary clothes lines on the patio. In the winter when the weather is not suitable for drying outside we put it up in the attic where the heat from the log burner chimney soon has it dry quite quickly. (The log burner chimney is a brick enclosure running from the log burner on the ground floor to the roof and contains a stainless steel tube which carries the smoke, etc. The airspace around the tube and withing the brick enclosure is vented in the lounge [cool air in] and also in the attic [heated air out])


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

I'd better get all those winter coats and jumpers back off ebay then!!

Seriously, thanks very much for all of the advice. We will definitely be looking at things in a different way now. 

I've read that a South-facing house is a must-is this still the case?


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

infomaniac said:


> I'd better get all those winter coats and jumpers back off ebay then!!
> 
> Seriously, thanks very much for all of the advice. We will definitely be looking at things in a different way now.
> 
> I've read that a South-facing house is a must-is this still the case?


It certainly wasn't a factor for us when we bought.

South facing is great but it gets SOoooo hot!

We've just had one of the hottest weeks ever - even the Spanish are complaing and saying it's unheard of.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

infomaniac said:


> I'd better get all those winter coats and jumpers back off ebay then!!
> 
> Seriously, thanks very much for all of the advice. We will definitely be looking at things in a different way now.
> 
> I've read that a South-facing house is a must-is this still the case?


I would say NOOOO!
Our house has a north south orientation and the difference in temperature from one side of the house to the other is huge. The kitchen faces south and the living room north. A few years ago we re did the living room, changed radiators double glazed the patio door, re did the wall insulation and finally we have a room we can sit in in winter.
However, this summer which has been the hottest ever in 22 years of living here, cooking is forbidden in the kitchen! Have to say the north facing garden is delicious in the afternoon /evening recently though,
Get an east /west distribution.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Well, I like my South West facing house. I like the sun coming in to my living room on Spring, Autumn and most of all Winter afternoons, when not only is it very light but also helps to warm up the room. In Summer, the windows and shutters are closed and the blinds down during the hottest part of the day and I don't find it gets too hot. If we had a modern house with enormous windows it might, though.

The kitchen/dining room is at the back of the house and never really gets the sun on it as it faces on to the patio which is enclosed by 3 storey walls.

This year, the highest temperature inside the house has been 29C - and that's on the handful of days when it has reached 40C or just over outside. 

Our roof terrace gets sun all day long. I can't sit up there when it's very hot, although we do have a retractable toldo for shade.


----------



## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

You see I disagree, we love sitting in the shade at the moment and in the sun in the winter. Coming from Australia we do like warmer weather and I am enjoying the current weather while others are complaining it is too hot. We spend most of our time outside and have retractable awnings to keep the sun/rain out/off when needed.

The added benefit of being outside is everyone stops to chat and you get to know people quicker.


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Where we are if it is windy it is too cold sitting in the shade and that is despite it still being over 20°c, quite often this summer I have had to resort to a jacket and tracky dacks. Not been impressed by this summer at all and now it is nearly over it's a bit sad. 
That said as soon as we extend our fence height and can have a bit of privacy we will set up the other side of the house and catch the setting sun.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> Well, I like my South West facing house. I like the sun coming in to my living room on Spring, Autumn and most of all Winter afternoons, when not only is it very light but also helps to warm up the room. In Summer, the windows and shutters are closed and the blinds down during the hottest part of the day and I don't find it gets too hot. If we had a modern house with enormous windows it might, though.
> 
> The kitchen/dining room is at the back of the house and never really gets the sun on it as it faces on to the patio which is enclosed by 3 storey walls.
> 
> ...


South west is not the same as south/ north. Our front entrance is like your roof terrace.
We usually manage ok, but the last 3 years and above all this one has been horrible.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Whatever orientation you decide you want, Infomaniac, take a compass with you on house viewings to check it! My husband did on our viewings, and the agents were most surprised, I don't think they'd seen anyone do that before.

Maybe smartphones have that function now, I wouldn't know as I don't have one.


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Go on Lynn give me a quickie Spanish sentence to use please- "which direction does this house face"


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Rabbitcat said:


> Go on Lynn give me a quickie Spanish sentence to use please- "which direction does this house face"


¿Cual es la orientación de la casa?

But still take a compass to check - never believe anything an agent tells you!


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Thanks Lynn.

Now when I start my viewings and stand there with a dumb glazed look as they ramble on about exorbitant prices, the house having no roof and subsidence I can smugly chip in, yeah yeah yeah BUT- Cual es la orientation de la casa ?

Impressive or what. 

My massive command of the lingo also allows me to ask are there any toilet roll factories nearby ( ¿dónde es el rollo de retrete más cercano fábrica?) -an essential query for any discerning property buyer


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Rabbitcat said:


> Thanks Lynn.
> 
> Now when I start my viewings and stand there with a dumb glazed look as they ramble on about exorbitant prices, the house having no roof and subsidence I can smugly chip in, yeah yeah yeah BUT- Cual es la orientation de la casa ?
> 
> ...


Not wishing to curb your enthusiasm for practicing your Spanish, but if you learn phrases like that off by heart, if often has the effect of giving the impression to the person you are talking to that you speak more Spanish than you really do, and what you will get is a machine-gun volley of rapid Spanish in return!


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Just one thought about what direction you want a house to face - the hot summer temperatures last for about 3 months of the year. So if you buy a house to avoid it being too hot for that period, you may end up with one which is gloomy and cold for the other 9 months of the year.


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Lynn R said:


> Not wishing to curb your enthusiasm for practicing your Spanish, but if you learn phrases like that off by heart, if often has the effect of giving the impression to the person you are talking to that you speak more Spanish than you really do, and what you will get is a machine-gun volley of rapid Spanish in return!



You are very correct.

However for highlighting my dumbness I am now going to start house hunting in..............Velez Malaga 

See you soon, vecino!!!!


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Rabbitcat said:


> You are very correct.
> 
> However for highlighting my dumbness I am now going to start house hunting in..............Velez Malaga
> 
> See you soon, vecino!!!!


Err, that would be "vecina" as you're addressing a female.

And anyway, no you're not because your wife won't let you.


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Bah!

Corrected and foiled again! Grrrrr


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Watch out also for the orientation of any mountains or high ground. 

The places on the opposite of the valley/hoya from us are in the shadow of Mt. Acamuña so get no sun at all, in the darkest winter months therefore are perpetually cold at that time (apart from what their heating produces.) On this side of the hoya, we face southwest (and the mountains) and to the east/southeast right round to the North is high ground which helps keep off some of the winter weather. In the summer, the back of the house is baking and the heat from the sun gets right through the walls so even they are very warm on the inside. Having a roof on that side that is in the sun from when it gets over the high ground to the east right through to sunset means that during those months when the sunlight is warm enough, we don't need to use the gas to heat hot water and our single solar panel is more than adequate to give us very hot water.

We are in an old village so the road in front of the house is only 3 - 4m wide and the sunlight reflected from the building opposite is such that we need to keep blinds/curtains closed in the summer. We are considering getting some of that reflective film to put on the windows on that side so that we can, at least, get some light in without the heat.


----------



## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

Lynn R said:


> Not wishing to curb your enthusiasm for practicing your Spanish, but if you learn phrases like that off by heart, if often has the effect of giving the impression to the person you are talking to that you speak more Spanish than you really do, and what you will get is a machine-gun volley of rapid Spanish in return!


I have this problem, I learn how to ask for things in shops etc. While the answer is way above my comprehension level, they do appreciate the fact I have learned a little. The phrase to speak slowly please, is always needed and thanks for your help gets a smile.


----------



## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> Watch out also for the orientation of any mountains or high ground.
> 
> The places on the opposite of the valley/hoya from us are in the shadow of Mt. Acamuña so get no sun at all, in the darkest winter months therefore are perpetually cold at that time (apart from what their heating produces.) On this side of the hoya, we face southwest (and the mountains) and to the east/southeast right round to the North is high ground which helps keep off some of the winter weather. In the summer, the back of the house is baking and the heat from the sun gets right through the walls so even they are very warm on the inside. Having a roof on that side that is in the sun from when it gets over the high ground to the east right through to sunset means that during those months when the sunlight is warm enough, we don't need to use the gas to heat hot water and our single solar panel is more than adequate to give us very hot water.
> 
> We are in an old village so the road in front of the house is only 3 - 4m wide and the sunlight reflected from the building opposite is such that we need to keep blinds/curtains closed in the summer. We are considering getting some of that reflective film to put on the windows on that side so that we can, at least, get some light in without the heat.


There are many urbanisations built on the side of mountains along the Costa Blanca that suffer from this problem. In the winter, when the sun is low, they fall into shade very early in the day and can be very cold. An estate agent told me that they always have to arrange viewings well before mid-day in the winter months!


----------



## infomaniac (May 27, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> Just one thought about what direction you want a house to face - the hot summer temperatures last for about 3 months of the year. So if you buy a house to avoid it being too hot for that period, you may end up with one which is gloomy and cold for the other 9 months of the year.



Again, lots of great info folks, thanks so much  
I've just talked it over with him indoors and your advice above has struck a chord Lynn. He thinks we'll be better getting blinds and keeping the house shaded for 3 months then we hopefully will be nice and warm for the other 9. Neither of us are sun worshippers but like to be warm. The thought of sitting out on a roof terrace (which I didn't think I'd ever use) in the winter sun sounds fab!


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> Just one thought about what direction you want a house to face - the hot summer temperatures last for about 3 months of the year. So if you buy a house to avoid it being too hot for that period, you may end up with one which is gloomy and cold for the other 9 months of the year.


East/ west, west/ east and you will more than likely avoid that problem!


----------



## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

baldilocks said:


> Watch out also for the orientation of any mountains or high ground.
> 
> The places on the opposite of the valley/hoya from us are in the shadow of Mt. Acamuña so get no sun at all, in the darkest winter months therefore are perpetually cold at that time (apart from what their heating produces.) On this side of the hoya, we face southwest (and the mountains) and to the east/southeast right round to the North is high ground which helps keep off some of the winter weather. In the summer, the back of the house is baking and the heat from the sun gets right through the walls so even they are very warm on the inside. Having a roof on that side that is in the sun from when it gets over the high ground to the east right through to sunset means that during those months when the sunlight is warm enough, we don't need to use the gas to heat hot water and our single solar panel is more than adequate to give us very hot water.
> 
> We are in an old village so the road in front of the house is only 3 - 4m wide and the sunlight reflected from the building opposite is such that we need to keep blinds/curtains closed in the summer. We are considering getting some of that reflective film to put on the windows on that side so that we can, at least, get some light in without the heat.


Don't over-estimate the effectiveness of the film and be aware that you may still need to close the blinds at certain times. Plus, of course, the film will reduce the light in the winter. It's become almost the norm in Australia (at least where I lived), but it really doesn't overcome the need for blinds, or a an awning or automated Vergola.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

EverHopeful said:


> Don't over-estimate the effectiveness of the film and be aware that you may still need to close the blinds at certain times. Plus, of course, the film will reduce the light in the winter. It's become almost the norm in Australia (at least where I lived), but it really doesn't overcome the need for blinds, or a an awning or automated Vergola.


Can't use awnings - they would block the street. We have persianas which keep away some of the heat but then one can't see out.


----------



## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

I didn't bring a compass with me on our search so I haven't got a clue what direction the house faces, the only idea is in the description were it states the rear terrace will get sun until late in the day. Also with all the research and part of the criteria being two bathrooms, my wife said to me she can't remember seeing a loo in the downstairs bathroom, a shower yes, a sink yes and even a washing machine but no evidence of a loo. So it's either there or we will have to install one if possible. If not there is room upstairs to put in an en suite but that will be expensive. So much for research


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Roy C said:


> I didn't bring a compass with me on our search so I haven't got a clue what direction the house faces, the only idea is in the description were it states the rear terrace will get sun until late in the day. Also with all the research and part of the criteria being two bathrooms, my wife said to me she can't remember seeing a loo in the downstairs bathroom, a shower yes, a sink yes and even a washing machine but no evidence of a loo. So it's either there or we will have to install one if possible. If not there is room upstairs to put in an en suite but that will be expensive. So much for research


If it's true that the rear terrace will get sun until late in the day, it sounds like the terrace faces West as that's where the sun sets. Therefore the rooms at the front of the house will face East and will get sun in the mornings but not in the afternoons. That's a good thing in the summer as the sun is hotter in the afternoons than in the mornings, but not so good in the winter when there won't be sun on those rooms to warm them up. You'll have to go outside and sit on the terrace!

If your kitchen is at the back of the house facing West, it may get very warm in there on summer evenings when you would be wanting to cook.


----------



## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Lynn R said:


> If it's true that the rear terrace will get sun until late in the day, it sounds like the terrace faces West as that's where the sun sets. Therefore the rooms at the front of the house will face East and will get sun in the mornings but not in the afternoons. That's a good thing in the summer as the sun is hotter in the afternoons than in the mornings, but not so good in the winter when there won't be sun on those rooms to warm them up. You'll have to go outside and sit on the terrace!
> 
> If your kitchen is at the back of the house facing West, it may get very warm in there on summer evenings when you would be wanting to cook.


Thanks Lynn, the kitchen is at the front of the house but in an alcove type area with no windows although is part of a bigger open area at the front of the house, luckily there is also a small patio at the front of the house.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Roy C said:


> I didn't bring a compass with me on our search so I haven't got a clue what direction the house faces, the only idea is in the description were it states the rear terrace will get sun until late in the day. Also with all the research and part of the criteria being two bathrooms, my wife said to me she can't remember seeing a loo in the downstairs bathroom, a shower yes, a sink yes and even a washing machine but no evidence of a loo. So it's either there or we will have to install one if possible. If not there is room upstairs to put in an en suite but that will be expensive. So much for research


Oh dear, not a boy scout then? The old way was to use one's watch to identify where south was, but it doesn't work with digital watches. What you can do is to go to Google Earth to identify which way the house faces.


----------



## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> Oh dear, not a boy scout then? The old way was to use one's watch to identify where south was, but it doesn't work with digital watches. What you can do is to go to Google Earth to identify which way the house faces.



I did that just now and it looks like the rear of the house could be NE but every time we visited in the afternoon it was sunny, not sure what's going on. The map seemed fairly straightforward but only time will tell and I'm sure we will get enough sun.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Roy C said:


> I did that just now and it looks like the rear of the house could be NE but every time we visited in the afternoon it was sunny, not sure what's going on. The map seemed fairly straightforward but only time will tell and I'm sure we will get enough sun.


PM me with the address and I will take a look.


----------



## billcallaghan (Sep 9, 2016)

*Property viewing 7/10 October*

Hi all,

My wife and I are visiting Menorca on 7th October for three days to view properties with Bonnin Sanso. We will be renting a property between May to October 2017. Time will be precious during the weekend so I would really only welcome replies that can definitely promise viewings on October 7th, 8th and 9th. Any location, any property style, minimum three bedrooms, 800 - 1000 euros pcm. 
Kind regards,
Bill.


----------

