John and Cath from Newcastle had watched A Place in the Sun on TV for years, often talking about how amazing it would be to buy their own home in Spain.
“It was a bit of a pipe dream for a long time,” says Cath, 59, a family support worker in a school. She shares three grown-up children with John.
“We both owned a house, and when we sold one, we realised we had enough funds to buy something in Spain. We love the relaxed lifestyle there, the people, and the fact it’s only 2.5 hours from the UK - somewhere we can go for long weekends.”
A visit to the Manchester exhibition
The couple headed to the A Place in the Sun Live exhibition in Manchester in March 2025 and were ‘blown away by the whole experience’.
“We listened to Jasmine and Laura talking about how they were buying in Spain, and it really spurred us on. The fact that they are doing it gave us more confidence about doing it ourselves.”
They attended seminars on how to buy in Spain and met Kerry Dixon on the MASA International stand, who introduced them to the idea of buying a new-build home.
“People had warned us that estate agents might hard-sell homes, but it didn’t feel like that at all. It was very informative,” adds John, 60, a roofer.
Deciding on a new-build
“We had never considered this - my dad is a builder and told us never to buy a UK new-build - but having one in Spain could be very hassle-free and convenient.”
The couple travelled to the Costa Blanca in July and stayed at MASA’s hotel while they toured several properties.
With a budget of £200,000, they found a two-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow with front and back gardens for €245,000, including taxes and legal costs.
Choosing Vistabella
They really loved the area around Vistabella, near Los Montesinos - an urbanisation around 20 minutes inland from Torrevieja in Alicante province.
“It felt so calm and not high-rise at all. It’s easy enough to reach the beach by bus or car.”
“We were so excited to see the show home, which was stunning. It’s the first property we’ve bought together, and we’re super excited for the grandchildren to use it too.”
Looking ahead to 2027
The couple will need to wait until March 2027 for their new home to be completed. Because the payments are made in stages, they knew it was crucial to save money on transferring funds to Spain - so they used A Place in the Sun Currency.
“It all happened so quickly in the end, and it’s been really easy,” says Cath. “The aftercare from MASA was great too.” It’s hard to believe that within six months of visiting the exhibition, they had purchased a home.
Cath says that any negative press about buying in Spain or protests against tourists didn’t concern them. “When we began to understand the issues, we realised it wouldn’t impact us, and we have no worries about our new home in Spain.”
Thinking about making a similar move?
Search for properties in Spain or find out about upcoming A Place in the Sun exhibitions.
