The Wilmot family can look forward to quality time together in the Spanish sunshine, now they own a house in the Costa Blanca purchased with the help of HomeEspaña.
Andy and Sarah Wilmot from Shropshire, aged 48 and 45 respectively, got the keys to their townhouse in Playa Flamenca at the start of August 2022. The couple, who have a 13-year-old son Harry and 10-year-old daughter Emily, had agreed to buy the property a few months prior after flying out in April to do viewings.
“We looked round our property in the morning and by lunchtime that day had agreed a purchase price of €126,000 with the British vendor,” said Andy, a logistics supply chain director. “We went back for another look in the afternoon, just to be sure! That was the fourth property we visited that day and we’d seen six others the day before with another agent – who we didn’t find as helpful as HomeEspaña. So we had a good idea of what we wanted and what was available.”
Andy and Sarah, a recruitment manager, had never been to Orihuela Costa before they went to see properties there. But they had an idea of what to expect thanks to feedback from friends who lived and owned second homes there already.
“So in March 2022 we got in touch with HomeEspaña, who we found via the Internet,” continued Andy. “From their website and emails, we could see they had experience of working with British people. They were very good at communicating and helped us put together a short-list of properties. When we arrived in Spain, our agent Natasha was really helpful, talking us through the buying process and showing us round the local area. It helped that I recognised a lady in their office who had worked for me 20 years before in the UK! Similarly, HomeEspaña’s after sales service was first class. Along with our lawyer, to whom we appointed power of attorney, they kept us updated when we returned to the UK. Then, when we flew out for completion day, they accompanied us to the notary’s office.”
The Wilmots are delighted with their holiday home, which was sold fully furnished, and haven’t ruled out moving there in years to come. The property is over four floors and includes a basement level used as a garage, ground floor with open-plan living area and kitchen, first floor with two double bedrooms and bathroom and second floor with one ensuite double bedroom and large balcony. Outside there are terraces to the front and rear.
“Highlights for us were the balcony, underground parking, the lovely sea views and the fact that our communal pool serves only 20 properties,” said Andy. “And the location is ideal, being just 5-10 minutes’ walk to bars and restaurants and a bit further to La Zenia Boulevard and the beach. As a family, we love relaxing by the pool but we’ll also enjoy jogging along the seafront together.”
The Wilmots plan to visit their Spanish home five to six times a year. They have a choice of airports for flights to Alicante or Murcia Corvera within easy reach of their home in the UK, including Birmingham, East Midlands and Manchester.
Buy a new build and recover 100% of the VAT by registering the property for a VAT-eligible rental or business activity for 10 years.
When retired advertising and marketing executives Gill and her husband John from the northwest of England reached the conclusion it was time to sell their holiday home in Dehesa de Campoamor (Alicante), they decided to act on a recommendation from their solicitor and check out HomeEspaña.
If you are considering selling your property in Spain, it is important to be aware of the latest changes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations.
Owning a home is a keystone of wealth… both financial affluence and emotional security.
