House Hunters' Journey to Buying Property in Spain
Gary and Sandra from Redditch in the West Midlands decided through online research that Mazarrón in Murcia was the ideal place to look for a holiday home. They’d been to a lot of locations in Spain but knew it would suit them, “It sounded more typically Spanish than some of the Costas and it also was more affordable too,” says Sandra, an artist.
When faced with trying to find a home there, Sandra had a plan, although Gary wasn’t exactly aware of it when they headed to London Olympia for A Place in the Sun Live in 2022. As Sandra explains: “It was a long-held dream of mine to appear on an episode of the TV show. Over the years I had had quite a few appearances in the audience of TV shows, from Top Gear and various sitcoms. So I got Gary to do a screentest.”
Well their assurance in front of a camera clearly paid off, as a few weeks later they were off to film an episode with Ben Hillman, as viewers may have seen from a recent episode of A Place in the Sun. With their budget of £90k, they were looking for a two-bedroom apartment and it soon became apparent that going half an hour inland would stretch their money further.
“We’d only been on package holidays to Spain to locations within around 15 minutes’ drive of the coast but, as with many others, we thought we knew what we wanted, but it turns out we were wrong,” she adds.
Mazarrón is the southern section of the Costa Calida, the section of Murcia south of Cartagena and closest to Almeria in the south. “It’s not an overly British area, which we liked,” says Gary, a warehouse manager. “We can easily get to Mojacar – a lovely, white-washed pueblo that is very international,” he says "of the Almerian town with a bohemian history. Our resort is a great base from which to explore.” Their two-bedroom home with a roof terrace is located in Condado de Alhama, a large golf resort with extensive onsite facilities including supermarket, sports club, bakery, bars, hairdresser and 24 swimming pools to choose between.
Properties start from around €75,000 (£63k) now for a two-bedroom apartment, but two years ago, prices were a little lower – and the couple got their home for £59,200. Since 2022, Murcia has been one of the highest performing regions for property, as many Spanish but also overseas buyers have been attracted by its affordability.
The resort is still evolving, with many new homes being built. There are around 3,500 properties already. “It’s very well kept with a shopping centre and entertainment,” says Gary. “Our eight-year-old granddaughter Heidi loved it.”. The couple have really made the most of it and have visited four or five times a year. “It’s really easy to do for a long weekend.” Murcia Airport is 45 minutes away, Alicante 1hr 15. There are around six different beaches 25 minutes’ drive from the resort. El Faro is a favourite beach on the Bay of Mazarron.
“We love the fact the resort is busy all the year round, I think we’ve visited there in nearly every month by now,” says Sandra. “November and December are quieter but there is a lot that doesn’t shut down. We’ve loved getting deeper into the Spanish way of life, our Spanish is improving!”
Community fees are €105 a month, for annual taxes they need to pay as owners €86 plus €178 per year, and the electrical bill €24-30 per month. “We’d just recommend anyone give it a go. Go on the TV show – it’s like having your own personal shopper!” says Sandra.
search for properties IN SPAIN
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