# Buying 2nd home in Spain



## Damo1 (Aug 21, 2016)

Hi

I have been reading this forum a lot in recent weeks and have to say its been a great source of information.

I am seriously considering buying a 2nd (Holiday) home in Spain. This is for various reasons. I really like Spain, the sun and having a holiday home will allow me and my family to go away several times a year. My wife is a teacher so we are confined to the school holiday periods which means paying far more and such a place would give us far more options. I work in I.T and get quite good holidays also. Therefore I am hoping that a holiday home will enable us to go away far more often than has been the case and give us the best of both worlds if you will, living and working in the UK but yet spending a lot of time in Spain. Without the language and due to the lack of work I realise that actually migrating to Spain isn't going to happen. I also like the idea of spending more and more time in Spain as we get older (in our late 30s at the moment) and can, hopefully, afford to.

I was in Cap Salou a few weeks ago and really liked the area (apart from Salou as it was far too busy and too British if you know what I mean). Cap Salou, Cambrills, La Pineda and many of the places going towards Barcelona all seemed lovely and not overly touristy. Also there are plentiful flights to Barcelona and Reus. I have been in Majorca (too expensive) and Lanzorote (Not accessible enough) before also so have a fair idea.

However I was then thinking about further South due to warmer Winter temperatures. Are the winters in the South like Summers in the UK? A main consideration here is the locality to an airport and I don't particularly want more than a 30 mins drive. The Canaries is too far really for what I want and is less accessible from Belfast or Dublin. This has led me to looking at the of the Costa Blanca as it seems less built up than the Costa Del Sol. Alicante and Malaga are the 2 most accessible places from Ireland so I have been looking at areas around these 2 airports. I don't want anywhere too built up but don't want anywhere too quiet either. I have been looking at Santa Pola on the Costa Blanca, does anyone know it?

This holiday home wouldn't be a pure investment as such but I would be interested in renting it out when I can so that it can pay its way. Looking at this forum and elsewhere on the Internet this just looks a nightmare in terms of laws etc. I wouldn't particularly be bothered if its rented all year round but would like it rented for approx. 10 weeks a year (after factoring in my summer use!) so that it can pay its way. Is this feasible and are there companies that can manage lets (cleaning, keys etc) on your behalf? 

I know there is a lot in there but would be grateful for any help or advise.


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## Xabier (Dec 24, 2016)

Hi there,
Buying property in Spain is not that difficult.
You need to get a nota simple from camara de la propiedad.
Nota simple for that property you are interested in is a document in which everything realted to that property is writen. 
Once you get that and you agree form of payment you proceed to notary and sign the deeds. (escrituras).
That's all really.
What i would take into consideration:
-Check with buiding president if there are any planned maintenance works and the amount.......
-I would negotiate to get a "cedula de habitabilidad"
-Make sure the property you buy is in RESIDENSIAL SOIL. Ignore any property in touristic soil. Buy only residential.
Why?
You will need a vacation rental licence if you want to promote your apt freely and legally via internet. It is easy to get but you will need the "cedula de habitabilidad" and that property cannot be located in touristic soil, I mean, a property that originally was build for touristic use is no good for you. Go for residential.
-Check comunal fees......
-Buy it on flat terrain no more than 300 m from beach.
-Don't buy big. A 2 bedroom property is easier to maintain it in good condition.
I am sure that if you follow these rules you will get a good rental yield and keep your costs down.


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## Canadian Crumble (Dec 8, 2016)

We have purchased a second home in Javea on the Costa Blanca. It is between Alicante and Valencia airports so makes it easy to choose which airport to fly out of. We prefer this area of Spain, the culture, the town is lovely, there is a great expat community to be a part of, and the beaches are gorgeous. Homes in this town are increasing in value and will only continue to do so, therefore, a wise investment as well. Properties are at a high demand for vacation rentals, therefore, you could rent your home out during peak seasons when you are not using it.
Wishing you well in your search.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Whenever I have considered buying a second home in Spain I have always been put off by the costs. Say 13% to buy, maybe €100/month on maintenance and services (more if you want internet, TV, etc), maybe 5% to sell (when it comes to it), then there's the furnishings, wear and tear, etc. If you do rent it out then you might make some money in peak season (if you are not using it) but then you've got to factor in agent fees/keyholding and taxes, etc.

Say you want to spend €200k on a property, you can probably wave goodbye to €25k in purchase costs before you get the keys. You can buy a lot of nice holidays with that money. Plus you're not tied to going back to the same place each time.

However, if you are still interested then I'd look further south simply because the rental season is longer. The Costa Brava/Dorada are great but it's generally hard to rent outside of July and August. BTW The winters in the south are generally a bit colder than UK summers, although I guess it depends on which part of the UK your are comparing it to. If you go inland then the winters can be colder than UK winters.


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