Looking for somewhere special to live in Spain ? Look no further

Reasons why Spanish mainland provided all the options

So let me raise a few reasons we love living in this beautiful country and why the area we live in Spain ticks so many boxes, far more than we ever envisaged when we moved here

My family are from Poole Dorset and since the late 1960's early 1970s for many people from Poole & Bournemouth annual holidays to Spain often meant a Palmair trip (locally operated air carrier) to Mallorca. The reason for this was that Bournemouth had its own airport and since the 1960s Palmair was a wonderful service to Palma de Mallorca with a great hotel network. So in the footsteps of our grandparents and parents our happy holiday memories were of holidays in the Balearics . So it's no surprise that we dreamed of living there.

As a family we often chatted about living abroad on the Mediterranean sea and regularly suggested to my wife that we consider living in Spain . We began exploring our options starting with Mallorca.

Despite my love for Mallorca, my realization was that Spain was a vast tapestry of Historic Cities and contrasting scenery and we decided that to make a move and be constricted to a holiday island was not what we wanted. Over the 5 years of planning we made many visits to mainland Spain and enjoyed great Road trips through Northern Spain wending our way South and down along Spain's Southern Coasts. We had discounted Almeria as too dry arid and dusty and North of Barcelona was stunning but too quiet and isolated. We liked Javea & Moreira areas but my wife who was tasked to investigate the children's schooling could not be convinced. It was as a result of one of my lads golf trips to Spain that we found out about Sotogrande. I returned home saying that I had stayed in the Almenara hotel and had found a place that was stunningly green, a private estate surrounded by mountains sea river lakes and forests.

My wife started looking into the International School and liked what she found out. (picture of Sotogrande International School)

Over the next few years we traveled many times for holidays and loved coming here particularly when we started to make friends. I would play golf the children loved horse riding and my wife enjoyed the sun. We also liked coming here and exploring villages and towns nearby and soon we discovered the culture history and gastronomy of the Spanish cities. From our base in Sotogrande we would often head off for an overnight stay in Jerez, Seville, Cadiz and Malaga all within a 2 hour easy Road journey. Sophisticated Cities buzzing day and night all on our door step. Sotogrande is Europes largest upmarket private community that we often describe as a bubble. No traffic congestion, beautiful surroundings, wonderful climate and immaculately maintained. The estate has 24/7 security and traffic in and out is monitored and checked on CCTV.

Since living here enjoying Sotogrande we often travel all over Spain and even Portugal only 4 hours drive. In the winter a favorite family half term trip is 1 hour 45 minute up to Sierra Nevada for the skiing. At half term in February you meet half of Sotogrande there. Sierra Nevada is the highest ski resort in Europe and every year I will do several day trips up there with mates . There can be snow there right up until late April

For my wife the Sotogrande area was a great mix of English European and Spanish where she would not feel isolated she even pops into Gibraltar a couple of times a month for her English shop. For me Sotogrande is a very social community where I am spoiled for golf and other active outdoor lifestyle a secure community where the weather lends itself to boating cycling, fishing, racquet sports and hiking. I also love the diversity of the wild life that surrounds Sotogrande.

We have lived here for nearly 9 years and to this day there is no going back. The community we live in is all about meeting up with friends at the beach or at sporting venues or socially and there is always lots going on. We love the lifestyle in Sotogrande but its also great at a drop of a hat to head for the long weekend break to a Spanish city. Our location is perfect as it offers us so many choices and its having these choices that has made our move to Spain so perfect.

Click on this further summary Sotogrande in brief to find out more

Article by Francis Payne

www.tailormadesotogrande.com

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A lifestyle move to a special place and a Villa in Millionaires row fronting golf course and views of Mediterranean

Millionaires row high on the hill overlooking Sotogrande, Spain for an idyllic family lifestyle

The ultimate location with a view in Sotogrande Spain. Sotogrande is a millionaires enclave and one of Europes largest private residential gated communities where well heeled Spaniards and European expats enjoy life in the sun with all the sporting pursuits one would expect couple with some stunning real estate.

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The stunning home pictured enjoys a wonderful elevated position with views directly over Almenara golf and the famous San Roque golf resort and beyond to the meditteranean sea with beach a 10 minutes drive away. Houses in this street start at 8000 sq ft and there are several built at 15000 sq ft and another currently under construction indicated at 20,000 sq ft

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The beautiful villa featured was completed within the last 5 years to a very high specification and incorporates the best of modern finishes.This Sotogrande property is a grand design set inside beautifully landscaped grounds enjoying southerly views fronting a beautiful golf course.

to find out more about this stunning home click on the link Villa Sotogrande.

Sotogrande resort unlike Marbella has been carefully planned offering low rise developments and luxury homes on landscaped grounds along palm tree lined avenues where you are never far from nature yet safe within a security patrolled gated community

Calle Granada is the premier street of Sotogrande Alto and this part of Sotogrande attracts people who love to wake up to the best of views so this street its panoramic.

So what does it mean to bring your family to Sotogrande. Well Sotogrande will provide your children with a lifestyle like no other.The Sotogrande International school is warm friendly and welcoming and kids soon integrate and in no time at all will be looking to pursue similar interests as their friends in this very safe environment. From my own experience my children have enjoyed golf, tennis, horse riding, sailing and particularly dance.As one off activities in summer or winter camps within the estate they have tried children's polo fun, kayaking on the river, padel boarding at the beach and many kids surf. As parents in Sotogrande its good to know that wherever the kids go they are never far from recognizing people they know and so often in my daily travels people stop me to say they spotted my daughter on the beach at the port and this in itself has given us a lot of reassurance. Sotogrande is a community and parents will soon find themselves adapting and attending fitness classes, gymnasiums, tennis clubs, golf clubs, book clubs, cycling groups at all levels. Back in UK my wife was not a sports person and despite being here 7 years still isn't but does attend sport on a social basis as well as joining the odd gymn class and playing padel tennis once a week for fun and making new friends as new people arrive in the area and join in the fun.I myself love the sports here and am a member at the San Roque golf club I also love playing padel tennis and normally aim to play in the open mixings 3 nights a week. I occasionally try the odd cycling trip through beautiful Andalusian country and forests that surround Sotogrande. Fishing is another favorite hobby and I have even caught several good sized Tuna over the years its fun to be out on the water particularly when the dolphins are about. Our teenager is of course a worry aren't they all but at the end of the day this place is reasonably safe and kids love hanging out at the late night beach bar or in the local village out door disco. At least you know there are lots of friends around at all times. Occasionally they worry us more with the odd trip to Marbella but its 45 minutes drive and these night out are not frequent.Our lives here have changed from the UK where the day ended at 7pm wife watching TV kids home and bed by 9.30. Socially I would go for a curry with mates on a Thursday night, maybe out with wife Saturday and a Sunday roast with friends after Sunday morning golf. Now a typical work day for me in the summer means the Sotogrande Port at 9am coffee with friends {and theres always a few there} until Tailor Made estate agents office opens at 10am I will work until 2pm take 30 minutes for tapas and a drink then if I have no viewings i head home 4pm to enjoy pool fun with my youngest. My youngest depending how she feels may come with me to padel tennis at 6pm where she meets other kids and I get strenuos excercise until 8pm promptly followed by a cold beer.

Once home I may fire up the BBQ and sit out on the terrace chatting with the wife for an hour. Alternatively during the week if not busy I often get to play twilight golf and there are 6 courses within 5 minutes drive. On a weekend I aim for a golf game in the weekend competition. On Sunday mornings there is open play padel tennis and normally the day continues with lunch at the beach or up in the mountains. What about the wife I hear you say, well the wife here in Spain is a lot more chilled these days it comes with the more relaxed lifestyle. For my wife she keeps herself entertained coffees,lunch, beach club, shopping in Marbella some social sport and getting involved as a helper in the numerous community social charity events. Living here you also get a lot of invites for dinners BBQs and family day sporting events.For instance for us there are various family fun days at the Octogano tennis club. I know from being here 7 years that there are wives who have never been sporty and are now total fitness fanatics with Piloxing Yoga Pilates Zumba running club and a lot into equestrian pursuits. Of course it wouldn't be Sotogrande without a few family trips to the Polo and the Santa Maria Polo club is an excellent centre to pass a few hours sipping Pimms shopping in the various stalls and sitting out in the sun watching skilled horsemen thundering past. For our family we have a wonderful social life with a large circle of friends and sometimes we feel there is simply too much going on week to week. Of course if you are not into a lot of activity it is the best place to grab a book and lay be the Pool or chill at at one of the several beach chiringitos or the luxury beach clubs. Marbella wasnt for us it was simply too built up and the roads were chaotic not to mention the seedy side of Banus too close for comfort when bringing up teenagers. In Sotogrande we are away from the madding crowd but with the added benefit if we need a small piece of England Gibraltar is 25 minutes away. My parents live in Northern Spain and regularly visit us. When they arrive one of my dads first trips is to Gibraltar and Morrisons he wants his Branston Pickle, Birds Custard and a Christmas pudding.

We believe that Sotogrande is a family and community lifestyle like no other place in Spain. Moving abroad is about integrating and improving your life and I believe Sotogrande offers all the options towards such a goal

. Driving through the estate several times may give you the impression that its a little sleepy. You will not get to know Sotogrande by a drive through there are places that you will not find there are restaurants in stunning locations you will not see unless you know a local who can show you. The main thing is that you Visit us and get expert advice

As you can see I am very enthusiastic about Sotogrande Spain even after 7 years I still wake up for work feeling like I am on Holiday. I am happy to share my experiences as a family man moving to Spain and settling. I always thought it may have been my wife who would not settle but she loves it here and we call it home. Its important before buying or renting a home and moving over that you establish what this community has to offer and how it may benefit your own life and I am happy to meet for a coffee and chat before even discussing property in Sotogrande.

Francis Payne. Tailor Made estate Agents Puerto Sotogrande Spain

tel. 0034 956790320

Tailor Made estate agents also have offices on the Sandbanks Penisula Dorset UK & Poole town centre rental agency Dorset

Property buying Spain Agents desperate to sell

Estate Agents in Spain desperate to sell Are you looking to buy a property in Spain then lets start with assessing the agent you will be using. The best way to check out and qualify an agent is to search on a property portal as opposed to an agent direct website. So lets say you Search for a villa in Sotogrande up to 1 million euros in zoopla overseas the same property may come up with several agents in the area. So now choose a property that interests you and then ask the same questions to each of the agents listed. Make sure they are questions that will lead the agent to qualify the property being offered.

1. I like this property is the value realistic

2. What is your opinion on the location

3. Can you comment on the finish and quality of construction

4. How long has it been on the market

5. You seem to have 10 times more property than anyone else are they all on the market

So now you are looking for well constructed sensible replies that an experienced agent will respond or pursue on your behalf. You maybe surprised at some of the variety of responses to the same questions and will be able to work out which agents are the blaggers and which offer a proper honest service. Why not ask the agent questions outside the property field. For a family you may ask if they have children at the school or maybe you are keen to get involved in sport so ask whether they are keen golfers. An agent that knows more about the interests you are pursuing could be useful toward guiding you toward your own goals for living in the area. Also be warned there are a number of local agents in Sotogrande that simply leave every property they have ever listed on their website. It makes them look bigger than they are. We had one client recently that asked to see 12 properties with a local agent all listed on the website of those 12 the client only managed to see two and both of those were out of date on prices. Another owner had sold a villa 7 years ago and spotted it still for sale

So often when people arrive in Spain they end up going home confused. The typical scenario is that prospective buyer arrange to meet several agents all desperate to make a sale all keen to take up as much of your time as possible. The normal trick for the first agent {call him/her agent A} is to keep you occupied for as long as possible to the point that you are fed up with looking at property beyond the many they have shown you, the same agent will do their best to find out what other property you have agreed to look at with other agents on the grounds that they are your best friend in Spain and will give you good honest advice as others are not to be trusted.

Often prospective buyers will have print outs of property from all the agents they have communicated with prior to flying out to Spain. Agent A will have a keen eye to see what others you are looking at. So do not be surprised that towards the end of the day agent "A" suddenly announces there are several others that you must see before ending the day and that those others just happen to be amongst the sheef of papers you have been shuffling round on your lap through out the day. What a coincidence

So by the end of the day you are exhausted after been shown only a couple of the properties you initially were interested in and loads that were never of interest in the first place. Of course you are told that showing a wider variety is all part of Agent "A" assessing your needs. The next day you meet up with the second agent only to find you are arriving at property you have already been shown. What a waste of every ones time.

My suggestion is that if you take the time to qualify the agent and build up a raport prior to flying out to Spain then ask that agent to become your finding agent .

In effect you have found an agent you like and checked out the property on the books and if those are not suitable the same agent can take you to see other property on offer with other agents. A good agent will have good links with reputable other local agents and know which are the unscrupulous agents to be avoided at all costs. Sotogrande has a good few estate agents to choose from and I am aware of a number of out and out blaggers, a few fruit cakes and some very good straight forward agencies.

Find luxury villas & lifestyle in upmarket Sotogrande Spain. Property Spain

Villa for sale in Sotogrande Spain

This upmarket Villa is simply a beautiful home. Very Andalusian in style and finish it has been beautifully improved and maintained by the Spanish owners. This luxury home is on the market for sale at just over 2.4 million euros a large reduction on its 2007 value. The house is a couple of minutes walk of the Sotogrande International school in a quiet residential street.

The property is available for viewings and is shown in show home condition If you are thinking of buying a home in Spain then make sure you visit Sotogrande. The estate is one of Europes largest upmarket private resorts a location where well heeled Spanish live and mix with wealthy expats from all over Europe and the rest of the world.

Why do they come here The area unlike Marbella has not been the subject of mass development. This resort was set out for developing in the early 1960s and this is reflected in the palm tree lined avenues where beautiful homes sit in perfectly manicured landscaped gardens. The estate is surrounded by forest mountain and sea and bisected by the Guardiaro River. Its the same old adage follow the money and you will not go wrong. I enjoy living here because there is a good community and whilst for the out of season holiday maker it can seem very quiet, it is one of those places that you need a local friend guide or good estate agent to establish what goes on here and believe me we have fun with more friends thatn wee can cope with. It can also be a healthier lifestyle for those who live here or enjoy part time second home as the sun is convivial to being outside and for sports and recreational activities. For our family the social life and sporting life is wonderful and the fact that our children live in a very safe friendly environment is a massive plus side. Sotogrande international school

Sotogrande a special location in Spain

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.

Sotogrande Spain Millionaire location Villa on Sotogrande Real Golf course 7 million euros

Villa For sale on the very exclusive Sotogrande Real Golf course Just look what 7 million euros will buy in Sotogrande. The Villa owner from Madrid once refused an offer of 9.7 million to sell. This property is a stunning home set in beautiful grounds and most importantly very well maintained.

This Home very close to the beach, river,yacht club, two tennis clubs and sits on the 18th Hole of Sotogrande Golf club View more details on the Tailor Made Estate Agents Sotogrande web page A truly luxurious house on Spains South Coast. Sotogrande is one of Europes largest private residential resorts. An exclusive Millionaires enclave first established in 1962 and popular with both Spanish & expat rich and famous. This resort was designed and marketed to offer the natural beauty of the Andalusian countryside and the estate is surrounded by mountains, beaches cork forests, river & lakes. The interior of this house is classically finished. A luxury home in Spains most upmarket location. To view this property please contact Francis Payne of Tailor Made estates Sotogrande 0034 956790320 or find our office in Puerto Sotogrande click on this MAP link .

.Nearest Airports Gibraltar 25 minutes, Malaga just over 1 hour or Jerez 1 hour

Sotogrande Real Golf course

Spain.life in the sun be aware Isolated Villages

Location Location Recession Spain Expats be aware Choose you location in Spain with careful thought

One of the noticeable trends I am increasingly aware of on the Costa Del Sol and a direct result of recession, are the number of expats moving back into the more populated coastal areas after years of living in more isolated fincas or cortijos in the mountain valleys or white villages of Cadiz or Malaga Provinces. It seems to me the expat dream of a character home in the Andalusian countryside wares thin when money gets tight. The affect of reduced currency exchange rates and reduced incomes resulted in isolated villages seeing a steady stream of expats leave many returning to their homelands. Those left behind start to feel the social affect of becoming the remaining few. For the remaining expat families local bars and restaurants that once meant a guarantee of good food and company have in recent years been empty. As an agent in Sotogrande i have received a regular stream of email inquiries from wives wanting to get their family back to a busier social scene. When funds are tight having to fill the 4x4 for the 45 minute each way daily school run suddenly becomes an issue and as children get older they want to be closer to their friends. For the older retired expat with exchange rates diminishing their pensions there maybe a skill that can be revamped in order to bring in well needed additional revenue. I myself use a retired British electrician and a German plumber for small jobs. Both these men had retired to the sun with their wives and were living in the mountain village of Guacin. In order to supplement their income both chose to move to a larger expat community and both rented modest homes in Spanish villages adjoining Sotogrande. Sotogrande is the largest private residential estate in Europe a location of natural beauty sandwiched between Mountain and Sea with several scattered lakes and bisected by the river Guadiaro. In Sotogrande the well heeled Spanish enjoy a privelidged lifestyle mixing with wealthy expats from all over Europe and its main selling point is the safe environment for children, many who attend the Sotogrande International School for children of ages 3 year to 18 years.

The lesson here is to be aware that some locations are not what they were. At one time entire valleys of beautiful farm type houses were filled with expats who were sold the property in pursuit of their dream of living in the Andalusian beautiful countryside. The life was one of horse riding in the mornings lunches in the best Ventas {country eateries}and a constant circle of BBQs with the fun loving neighbours. Whilst I am certain that time will bring a new wave of country dweller to these areas my advice is to try country living and rent the farm house leaving you to try before you buy and retaining the option as so many before you to move without too much pain to an established community usually found along the coast. A number of my friends have done just that and now wives enjoy group coffee morning husband the regular invitations to play golf or maybe to join in the nightly padel tennis sessions at some of the local tennis clubs. The expat community in Sotogrande is a very close one and to outsiders there may not see a lot going on, but be assured that once you have settled it will not take very long to integrate through the school the sports and other hobbies. Sotogrande has had its fair share of expats returning to their homelands but a steady stream are arriving and amongst them many who enjoyed the country living at its best but who could no longer cope with the unforeseen changes to the lifestyle that they once knew.

Villa Ideal family home rent or buy in Sotogrande Spain. Written by Francis Payne of Tailor Made estates offices Puerto Sotogrande www.tailormadesotogrande.com Tailor Made Estate Agents also have offices in Poole Dorset