
From Tourist to Local – How to Feel at Home in Spain
You’ve fallen in love with Spain – the sunshine, the lifestyle, the charm of its towns and cities. But what happens when the holiday ends and real life begins?
Belgians Inge and Eric Gabriels had no problem selling their property in the Costa Blanca, thanks to the expert guidance they received from HomeEspaña.
The couple from Antwerp listed their apartment in Orihuela Costa with HomeEspaña in the autumn of 2018 and by March 2019 they had received and accepted an offer. The purchasers were a Spanish couple, who agreed to pay around €92,000. The sale was completed at the start of July 2019.
“HomeEspaña were amazing throughout the process and were especially good at communicating with us, replying to emails without delay,” said 47-year-old Inge. “They got us lots of viewings quickly. After listing the property, we had tenants in the apartment over Christmas. They had dogs and didn’t look after the property well, which we think may have put off some buyers. But as soon as the tenants left, HomeEspaña quickly secured us an acceptable offer. We used their sister company HomeFinance for legal representation during the transaction, which all happened smoothly.
The Gabriels, who have three children aged 19, 21 and 27, owned their second-floor two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment for three years. Located in Punta Prima and 10 minutes’ walk from the beach, the family used it as a holiday home. A highlight of the property was its large roof terrace.
“We didn’t visit in July and August, but still made four or five trips there each year,” said Inge. “Reaching the Costa Blanca is easy for us. We can fly to Alicante from a range of airports, including Eindhoven, Maastricht or Amsterdam. We decided to sell after it rose in value.”
But the Gabriels are far from cutting future ties with Spain. “Our plan is to retire out there in about four years’ time,” added Inge. “We’ll definitely go back to HomeEspaña for help finding our new home. We’ll need a detached property, somewhere more rural than the apartment. We have lots of dogs and parrots, so we’d ideally have some land too!”
Punta Prima is one of the residential communities that make up the popular Orihuela Costa, which stretches south from Torrevieja. Other popular areas there include Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Villamartín, Los Dolses and Campoamor. The most developed stretch of the Costa Blanca, in Orihuela Costa you’re never far from a great choice of amenities, fantastic sandy beaches and a top quality golf course. Other highlights include the La Zenia Boulevard shopping centre and the lively strip, with lots of bars and restaurants.
You’ve fallen in love with Spain – the sunshine, the lifestyle, the charm of its towns and cities. But what happens when the holiday ends and real life begins?
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