Find a property in Southern Spain & what to look for in a community

Choose wisely and be happy - Property in Spain So its your turn to find the perfect place for a home abroad. Spain is the most popular for Brits because of its proximity and the choice of flights. However for those thinking about a home in the sun, Southern Spain offers a variety of scenes and landscapes. A barren desert land is much cheaper than green pastures or naturally forested locations. At the end of the day the rule of thumb means that living in the more attractive locations will always cost more but usually fare better in a rising market. So be very aware of the surrounding areas and how developers are able to promote and sell property where terrain is not very appealing. Architects developers and builders,take a parcel of desert land and create an oasis a holiday paradise in the sun. These lovely developments of villas and apartments surrounded by lawns pathways flowers and trees shielded from the harsh external terrain by walls and are great for holidays. However whilst a swimming pool, a community square with a fountain couple of shops and a bar are great for the odd holiday, ask yourself about living there full time. Some of these holiday paradises are simply not practical for full time living specially if the majority of people using them are holiday makers.

So maybe if your looking around Spain and your an expat who would like a social life with similar minded people consider looking for a community with a good International School. The fact there is a school in the area means that there is a community that live there.{insert picture Sotogrande School} Sporting facilities are another great draw for living in Spain Tennis Golf Horse riding and as such a community with good facilities will always be more attractive for those wanting to settle and provide a good base for meeting and socializing.

I have met many people in Spain who have had several enjoyable holidays and blindly bought a very nice home in the same area where they had a great relaxed vacation only to realise within 6 months that in winter months the area is virtually unpopulated. As an agent living and selling homes in Sotogrande I describe this area as a real community here you will find expats making a full time life for themselves and within the community a real diversity of groups and clubs. Sotogrande people organising Bridge clubs,Dining clubs, golf societies, coffee groups,Sunday morning social tennis,running clubs, social cycling groups and many other social activities. For those reading this article I am using Sotogrande as an example and indeed it may be a place outside your budget. However this article is simply saying choose a place where you want to live and scrutinise it very carefully before deciding to buy. After all why buy in a place where nothing much is going on, tranquility can become very boring. For most of us who have lived in Southern Spain for a long time part of the enjoyment is the friendliness of the community and the choice of interests around you. Even if you are looking to spend 6 months in Spain it makes sense to buy where you can integrate with the full time inhabitants of the area. Just from my own experience I look forward to holiday time when friends come here for the entire summer. These friends equally love catching up year after year. Its not only the children who need to be entertained when moving to sunny Spain.