Buying an Apartment in Spain

Buying an Apartment in Spain. Our recommended sites:

One of the ways to buy an apartment in Spain is to search the internet and save money by buying the apartment for sale directly from the owner or local estate agent. However, it is more convenient to use one of the many property companies that advertise an apartment for sale. Now is a good time to buy an apartment in Spain as European interest rates are low, there is a wide selection of apartments for sale, and low-cost flights abound. Buying an apartment in Spain from a developer of property company usually involves buying off-plan, you put down a deposit on an incomplete apartment in a new development. Alternatively you buy an apartment secondhand. If you want a bargain, look for an apartment a little inland where prices are lower. A cheap apartment for sale can be found in Spanish areas, apartments are more expensive in areas popular with tourists.

We aim to encourage the do-it-yourself approach to buying an apartment in Spain and provide advice to help you find an apartment for sale. We suggest the following steps to buying an apartment in Spain:

• Decide on the area you want to buy an apartment. This may involving spending some time in Spain or at least doing some research at home. Spain varies a lot and different areas have different climates, language, scenery, food and in particular property prices!
• If possible, narrow the search down to a particular town or small area.
• Decide if you want to live in an urbanization (holiday development) or in a residential street.
• Decide if you are happy to buy from one of the specialist property companies that run Spanish property exhibitions in the UK and elsewhere. This usually involves buying off-plan and you may have to wait some time before your apartment is built.
• Consider buying an apartment from a local Spanish estate agent. You can find these for your chosen area by searching on the web. The Spanish yellow-pages online may help.
• Go to Spain. Visit as many apartments for sale as you can.
• Put in your offer.

Tips and Advice
Holiday, travel and tourist information for Spain. This site is intended as a major facility for all travellers to Alacant or elsewhere in Spain. Useful information on flights, buses, trains, boats, hotels, camping, hostels, paradors, selfcatering accommodation, tourist information, and much, much more. An independent guide to Spain.

Yellow Pages for Spain
The excellent online Yellow Pages for Spain. Although in Spanish it is relatively self explanatory even if you don't speak the language. Simply type the service you require (eg "Inmobiliaria" for Estate Agency) into the "Actividad, producto o marca" box and type the town or locality into the "Localidad" box, then hit the Buscar (search) button.