Spain Property Portal Magazine August 2011

issue 4 August 2011

INSIDE:

Featured Properties on the Website Fantastic Bargains available Right Now!

Also:

Kids These Days

Do you browse the web in a Ford Focus or an Audi TT?

How does a Teenager adapt to living in Spain?

Life on the Costa

Dave and Sue tell us about what it’s like moving to the Costa del Sol

View From the Web

Spain? Isn’t That Just for Pensioners?

Fiesta time has arrived in Spain

Burning Down the House The Spanish equivalent of Bonfire Night

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August 2011

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August 2011

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The Summer Edition Welcome to the August Edition of the Spain Property Portal Magazine.

The holiday season is upon us here in Spain. Between now and the beginning of September, everything slows down to a virtual halt as people all go on holiday.

No matter what you’re doing, everyone in Spain is affected by this. If you want to go shopping, a lot of shops decide to close completely or only open in the morning for 2 - 4 weeks throughout August.

But, unlike the rest of the country, the Spain Property Portal magazine will continue through the hottest month of the year and it’s a red hot issue we have for you this month.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to uproot a teenager from the UK, drag them kicking and screaming to Spain, then unleash them on the Spanish Education system, then you wont want to miss our article from an English teenager who lives and goes to school in Spain. If you have children yourself, it might give you an insight as to what to expect should you take the plunge.

Our resident Under 35 column explores the Spanish traditional Fiestas with an honest appraisal of the differences in traditions between the UK and Spain while our Webmaster goes all Top Gear to try to explain Internet Browsers to the uninitiated.

Dave and Sue from the Riviera del Sol share their experiences living in Spain, and we also have a look at the Spanish version of Bonfire Night, comparing the similarities with the UK night.

Continuing our theme of exploring local businesses, we have a talk to the fine, upstanding (they made me say that!) ladies from Almeria Rentals who are more than willing to share their own experiences with setting up business, finding a home and living in Spain.

The lovely people at Spanish Property Bureau have also written an excellent article about their favourite place in Spain, Cuidad Quesada. If you’re not familiar with the history of Cuidad Quesada, be sure to check it out. Honestly, I have seen the name but didn’t know anything about the place and reading the article was a real eye opener and I enjoyed it immensely.

Be sure to take a look at the Featured Properties throughout the magazine too, there are some real bargains to be had and some lovely properties on offer.

Anyway, back to the sun lounger for me, keep up to date with Spain Property Portal via the links below. Until next month. www.spainpropertyportal.com www.facbook.com/PropertyPortalSpain twitter.com/SPropertyPortal spainpropertyportal.wordpress.com info@spainpropertyportal.com

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August 2011

3 Bed, 3 Bath Villa in Benidorm 246,750€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Portet de Moraira 199,000€

4 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Benissa 112,000€

3 Bed Country House in La Alqueria 136,000€

3 Bed , 3 Bath Townhouse in Vera 159,500€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Albox 139,000€

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August 2011

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Palomares 84,000€

2 Bed , 2 Bath Apartment in Villaricos 95,000€

2 Bed Country House in Arboleas 82,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Townhouse in Balsicas 109,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Pego 132,900€

3 Bed Country House in Pinar de Campoverde 168,000€

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August 2011

View From the Web Helpful Tips on the Internet

A car is supposed to tell a lot about a person. The make, model and condition of the car apparently tells us how much the person cares about appearances and first impressions. So what does a choice of Web Browser tell us about people?

You may or may not be aware that there are many web browsers available to download to your computer for free and your choice of these can tell us a lot about your computer habits and comfortability.

Internet Explorer The basic browser that comes bundled with a new PC is the Ford Focus of the browser world. The most recent version is slick, fast and designed to appeal to the masses. You use this for one of two reasons: It’s there when you first turn on the computer and you’re not confident enough to install another or You find it does everything you need and there’s no necessity to change.

Mozilla Firefox The second most popular browser is like the Vauxhall Astra. Comfortable, reliable, flexible and with a hint of Internet Explorer in there too. You use this because you want a browser you can add upgrades and add-ons to when you want.

Google Chrome First released in 2008, Google Chrome has appealed to the masses for it’s ease of use and barebones setup. Like the Kia Cee’d, this browser is good looking, reliable and growing in popularity by the day.

You use this because you’re confident with installing programs on a computer and want websites to load faster with no frills.

Apple Safari This is the Audi TT of the browser world, more expensive to buy and run, but damn you look good using it! You use this browser because have an iPhone, iPad or an Apple Mac. Unfortunately, that’s the only reason!

Opera Similar to Firefox, but not as popular, Opera is the Peugeot 207 of web browsers. Quick and Smart, but it will never be as good as its more established cousin from Mozilla. You use this browser because a friend recommended it.

Whatever browser you use, always ensure you use the latest version available. Updates are there for a reason and a number of the older versions are deprecated because they have a security flaw that hackers or viruses can exploit to attack your computer.

If you have any questions about browsers or anything else on the internet, feel free to mail me at webmaster@spainpropertyportal.com

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August 2011

It’s Party Time

A View of Spain From a Resident Under 35(ish!)

The Summer season brings forth the party season in Spain. Each city, town and village will have some form of Fiesta which celebrates the place in which people were born or live.

The Spanish people, in general, like to party. As a rule of thumb, anything of note is worth downing tools, taking the day off work and having an impromptu celebration. New Year, Easter, and Christmas are celebrated just like in England, but Spain does it with much more gusto. On top of the regular holidays, Spain also celebrates Christmas a second time with the Coming of the Three Kings on the 6th January and marks the day the Three Kings arrived at Bethlehem to give their gifts. Children in Spain receive their main Christmas presents on this day. Easter is not a day of giving chocolate eggs, it’s a three day celebration of life and death.

Add to the regular holidays a day for the community you live in (Andalucia is 28th February), a day for the Workers, a day for the Guardia Civil, plus a whole host of others and you start to get the picture.

On top of these celebrations, you also have a local fiesta where the whole city/town/village closes down for a week to pay tribute to their patron saint. Stalls, bars and fairground rides are erected in the main square, roads are closed and the place stops to celebrate.

Generally this is from the Wednesday to the Sunday, but larger or special fiestas can go on for longer.

The Fiesta is a sight to behold. If you time your arrival just right you will see the whole population in one place, plus others who may have left, may be at University, or who may have turned up for the dancing. Unfortunately, if you’ve arrived at this time you’re probably seeing this from the car as you wont have been able to find a place to park. If you manage to arrive slightly before the masses then it’s a special sight and a special feeling to be part of it.

OK, the band that plays is normally pretty rubbish and would have Simon Cowell pulling his waistband up to his eyebrows, but it doesn’t matter because people are too busy trying to ignore the bad notes, keep to the proper rhythm and not spill their drinks.

This is a true celebration. It’s not about seeing it advertised everywhere for three months, only to wake up on the morning of the day with a banging hangover and a small child screaming because Father Christmas forgot to bring the Playstation 3. It’s a time for partying and celebrating with the whole family regardless of presents, dodgy jumpers or economic climate.

The local Fiesta is something special to Spain. Tradition may be struggling in the UK, but in Spain tradition is treated with respect and closely guarded. If you’re thinking of visiting rural Spain anytime soon, have a look on the internet for when that place holds their local Fiesta and treat yourself to this spectacle.

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August 2011

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Arboleas 159,950€

4 Bed, 3 Bath Townhouse in La Alfoquia 120,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Country House in Arboleas 105,000€

Bar/Restaurant in Torrevieja 72,500€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Duplex in Orihuela 122,500€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Country House in Torrevieja 95,000€

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August 2011

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in La Matanza 99,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Orihuela 99,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Ciudad Quesada 110,000€

1 Bed Apartment in El Faro 89,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Torrequebrada 199,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Benalmadena Costa 185,000€

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August 2011

It’s Cool for Kids

Being a Teenager is Tough... Being an English Born Teenager Living in Spain, Now That’s Totally Different!

High on the agenda, for families, when considering a move to a new country is will the kids settle in and receive an education. Ophelia Giles moved from England to Spain 13 years ago with her mum. After eleven years in the Malaga region, a business opportunity saw them upping sticks once more.

They now live in the pretty market town of Turre, Almeria which boasts a thriving Spanish community and is just a few kilometres from the coast. Ophelia is now in the final years of her secondary education and is working hard to gain entrance to University. We asked her if she’d kindly submit a summary, if you like, a small snapshot of her life here to date so other parents who may be considering getting away from the UK can have a read and see that any kids coming with will be in for experience that’s both beneficial and rewarding. Take it away Ophelia... oh and anyone with teenagers will be fully au fait.

The sound of an outraged Indian man shouting loudly: “PICK UP YOUR PHONE I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR PHONE SO PICK IT UP!” is heard echoing through the flat. I’m sat on the sofa and Mum is working on her computer. She turns to look at me.

“Will you ever change your ring tone? It’s kind of...annoying.”

I laugh. “Yeah, but it’s cool. Besides, it’s not a ring tone. It’s a text alert.”

“My God, I can’t imagine what the ring tone’s like.”

“One word: Awesome.”

I sit back and start to think about everything. It’s quite surprising how much things have changed in the past 12 months. And for the best, too. I can still remember every single second like it just happened. I can even remember the day we arrived...

“Welcome to Turre” The voice made me jump. I realised the car had finally stopped after www.spainpropertyportal.com

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August 2011

three days of driving, me wedged in the back seat between piles of boxes. I wriggled out onto solid ground and found my limbs were numb, and proceeded to walk like a drunk penguin.

“I swear she’s not normally like this” Mum said to the man waiting for us outside the building we’d be living in. He laughed.

“No problemo! Did the travel go well?”

He spoke good English but with a strong Spanish accent. This was our new landlord.

He showed us inside the building, up some stairs and opened one of two doors and gave us a grand tour of our new apartment. It was big and spacey and I decided I liked it. My bedroom was the biggest and I soon started to unpack and make it more homely.

“Do you like it here then?” I turned to see Pete, mum’s boyfriend, standing in the doorway.

“Yeah. It’s nice.”

“You start school tomorrow. In a place called Mojacar. It’s right down on the sea front. You’ll love it.”

I remember I was pretty worried about starting again at a new school in a new place. I’d lived in Malaga for eleven years and Mum and Pete had moved us down to Almeria because they’d managed to find a business they could run together: A magazine named The Sentinella.

The first day at my new school was pretty awkward and a bit scary.

“Hi. I’m looking for class 3B.” I was trying to control my blushing but it was difficult when you’d just walked into a classroom unannounced and every single kid was staring. I’d thought the room was empty and had forgotten to knock. A big plump woman sitting on a desk smiled at me.

“Yes. This Is it. Are you Ophelia?”

“I am.”

“I’m Amudena, your tutor and English teacher. Please, take a seat.”

Remembering all this makes me smile now.

New schools are always daunting. Settling in takes time. Oh, and the knowing-whois-who is vital. After a while I’d come to learn the different groups at break time: There were the English kids, who were mainly all boys except for one girl who I found wasn’t exactly the nicest of people.

Then there were the Spanish girls who I hung around with and found some of them were really nice. The primary kids played tag and the primary boys found it fun to find spiders and beetles and throw them info@spainpropertyportal.com

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August 2011

at us. The kids who couldn’t-really-careless, there are always some of these, they hung round at the back of the school, smoking and drinking red bull Finally, the show off guys, who played football and pulled pranks on the teachers.

Anyway, I started to settle in quite well and didn’t miss Malaga much.

One day Mum announced when I got home: “I’ve found you a job. I think you’ll like it.”

“Awesome! Is it in a shop?”

“Close. It’s a market” “Wow! Is it cool? Like, will I be selling computer games or something?”

“No. You’ll be selling paving slabs” I stopped and thought about it for a second. “Paving slabs?”

“Yes, and you get paid 20 Euros for four hours.”

“GREAT. I Love paving stones.”

The market was in Albox and my boss was a sweet lady called Denise. I found I liked working there and never missed a single day. One day, we were sitting and talking when I saw a Spanish man park his van and take out a crate. He put it on the ground and walked away, so I got up and went over to see what was inside.

At least eight tiny black kittens were inside, and they were adorable. I picked one out and knew I wanted to take it home. I wish I’d realised then that the kitten would grow up with the personality of a black panther, attacking and eating anything she could find (including my lucky socks once) and finding her favourite game was to hide at the top of my bookshelf and pounce onto my head whenever I walked by. Ah Bless.

Time went on pretty well but I did lose my job in the end as the market was seasonal, but then I started working for Mum’s magazine and concentrated on passing the year and making up for the odd <accident> such as water bombing the maths teacher with some friends and the whole fiasco with a class bin being set on fire - I swear I had nothing to do with this but I still got the blame. Teachers never see the fun side.

But yeah, lot’s happened and then summer came and that brings us to the present day...

“PICK UP YOUR PHONE I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR PHONE SO PICK IT UP!” Mum sighs. “I swear I think I am going crazy.” www.spainpropertyportal.com

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August 2011

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in San Juan de los Terreros 126,100€

3 Bed Apartment in Condado de Alhama 78,671€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Duplex in Alicante 176,000€

6 Bed Country House in Albox 138,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Country House in Albanchez 129,000€

4 Bed Country House in Cieza 175,000€

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August 2011

1 Bed Apartment in Fuengirola 113,616€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Mijas Costa 115,000€

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2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Calahonda 150,000€

2 Bed Apartment in Mijas Costa 97,500€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Riviera del Sol 195,000€

4 Bed Villa in Coin 285,000€

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August 2011

3 Bed, 2 Bath Duplex in Filipinas 89,950€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Hondon de las Nieves 110,000€

6 Bed, 3 Bath Country House in Orihuela 130,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Villamartin 99,000€

2 Bed Townhouse in Villamartin 112,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Villamartin 119,000€

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August 2011

Keeping Your Feet in the Water

Relaxation and Retirement on the Costa del Sol

Dave and Sue have worked hard all their lives, a few years ago they decided it was time to ease off and reward themselves by buying a property in Spain, having had a few holidays on the Costa Del Sol, there was no other place to consider 320 days of sun per year was just what they wanted.

Buying a property off plan can be fraught with difficulties if not handled correctly, but with their business skills and using a reputable estate agent close to where they wanted to buy the whole process was as painless as it was enjoyable.

They had opted for an apartment and were given regular construction updates. The developer kept to the schedule promised at the beginning.

The date for completion arrived and after a visit to the notary for completion on the deal that morning, they began to moving their stuff in on same day.

Over the next few years the apartment was used and enjoyed by Dave and Sue, their family and friends. It could have been rented privately but they opted not to go down this route.

Dave and Sues business in UK is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go Europeanâ&#x20AC;? and is one of the most prominent Motor home and Caravan dealerships in the Midlands, based initially in Redditch it has recently expanded to a second large site in Gailey near Cannock.

In 2010 Dave began to look further into the future, with his son becoming more involved in the business and his partner taking more responsibility Dave was more comfortable in taking a back seat (as long as he could see the road ahead) and thoughts of a more permanent retirement began to manifest. A larger home in Spain was required.

The search began in earnest in the summer months of 2010, Dave called SOL Villas, his initial agent, as they had seen a nice semi detached villa not far from where their apartment was, they viewed it the next day but it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for them.

Dave being a collector of cars a Masarati an Impala and many others envisaged a large garage with a house attached Sue had other ideas mainly a larger house, modern, easy to maintain and above all comfortable, a townhouse would fit the bill.

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Their agent showed them a well appointed 4 bedroom townhouse on Riviera Hill Club. It couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really be described as a distress sale but with the owner very motivated and keen to sell, Dave was able to make an acceptable offer which included the furniture being left in situ.

From that point on it should have been plain sailing and completed relatively quickly, but the vendor had other problems on his mind and rather unfortunately spun the whole process out to a frustrating period of over 4 months.

This kind of delay does occur from time to time but still 4 months for a purchase is not an overly long period of time.

In January this year Dave and Sue took possession of their Townhouse on Riviera Hill Club, a beautiful, secure, gated development set in tropical gardens, boasting a heated pool , a clubhouse and a fully equipped Gymnasium.

The house is almost, but not quite, how Sue wants it and is used at the moment just for holidays which they are hoping will be more frequent allowing then to spend time in an area of Spain they have fallen for big time.

They see themselves as intrepid explorers and want to visit as much of Spain as they possibly can. With this in mind and with being in the motor home business Dave has brought down a number of motor homes that can be hired for holidays in Spain and Portugal through his company Go European. http://www.goeuropean.co.uk/ Daveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream of retirement will possibly not come to fruition as is so often the case workaholics.

Having established a successful company in UK and a budding motor home hire company in Spain he is now looking for premises to set up a new sales/dealership for motor homes here as well. In fairness though, as Dave would say, if you can run your business just as easily from warmer climes with better tax breaks then why not do it.

Whatever the outcome of Dave and Sues business life, one thing is certain and that is they will be very comfortable in their new Townhouse on the Mijas Costa , Costa del Sol. Dave and Sue have been assisted with both their property purchases to date by Sol Villas who are based in Riviera Del Sol. If you are considering a move such as Dave and Sues the team at Sol Villas will be more than happy to assist with every aspect. You can contact them via their website http://www.solvillaspain.com/ or by phone on 0034 952932276.

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August 2011

4 Bed, 2 Bath Country House in Oria 75,000€

4 Bed, 2 Bath Townhouse in Santopetar 115,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Palomares 72,000€

4 Bed Country House in Valdepeñas de Jaen 39,000€

3 Bed, 3 Bath Country House in Moclin 114,000€

3 Bed Country House in Almuñecar 114,000€

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August 2011

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Mojacar 189,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Vera 99,000€

4 Bed, 2 Bath Townhouse in Los Lobos 129,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Villaricos 99,950€

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2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Villaricos 128,000€

3 Bed, 4 Bath Villa in El Pinar 179,000€

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August 2011

We Have Bonfire Night as well Remember, Remember the... 23rd of June???!!!

We first discovered the San Juan bonfire festival 8 years ago whilst over in Spain on a vacation and it made a routine holiday something quite magical.

On the 23rd of June each year thousands of people young and old gather on the beaches from one end of Andalucia, to the other and the spectacle which is the festival of San Juan begins. Running over 3 nights it incorporates the shortest night of the year which according to mythology is a night of strange occurrences So mythology states, certain pagan gods make themselves visible and on the beach surrounded by countless bonfires built next to the sea us mere humans celebrate good changes to come. The arrival of summer for a start. Men and women, young people and children, all spend time building the bonfires which according to tradition when jumped over three times followed by a dash into the sea allows you to be cleansed and purified.

The fire purifies and the water cleanses, rejuvenates and recuperates. A wet, cold and soggy November 5th is very far removed from its Spanish equivalent.

This year we headed to the fishing port of Garrucha in Almeria. In the summer months with its popular weekend night markets, great fish restaurants and friendly people Garrucha is always a great place to live or holiday but during San Juan it becomes truly fantastic.

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A word of caution though San Juan festival is not for the early birds nor in any way is it publicised. All towns over Spain have annual fiestas and the hanging of lights, posters and newspaper ads will serve notice that the fiesta is taking place. With San Juan you are just expected to know and it’s a source of amusement to observe the look of awe and confusion on the faces of tourists who, like we had done previously, happen to wander unexpectedly down the fire strewn beaches awash with happy, dancing revellers and think it´s the norm.

Between 10 - 10.30pm on night one the beaches are beginning to fill and by 11.30 there are over 5,000 people spread along the 8 kilometres of beach.

The fires are roaring and interspersed with hundreds of BBQ’s, some really elaborate and others simply bricks over coals. This festival is all about family and friends coming together to eat drink and dance the night away. Cooler boxes are everywhere; homemade hooch keeps arriving from car boots or nearby houses. The young are all in swim wear and those of us of a slightly older persuasion may have bought their deckchairs to enjoy the night.

Impromptu bars spring up all along the beaches and the authorities provide DJ´s. In Garrucha this extended to huge plasma screens a massive foam party and 3- 4 big open air dance areas. All of this for free. We left at 4.30 am and the party was still going strong. We had spent the grand sum of 15 euros, dined on fresh sardines, shared a 40th birthday cake and had one to many rum and cokes, Happy oh so happy and as we hit the road people were still arriving.

At home, head on pillow could still hear the music and thoughts went back to our first one 8 years before.

As outsiders we were made to feel so welcome and pulled into the spirit of things. A magical experience then and more so now. Put a note in your diary for next year 23rd of JUNE and if at all possible get yourselves over.

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August 2011

3 Bed Townhouse in Fuente Piedra 80,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Puente Genil 120,000€

2 Bed, 3 Bath Townhouse in Fuente Piedra 95,000€

2 Bed Apartment in Villaricos 95,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Duplex in Huerta Nueva 129,950€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Vera Playa 98,000€

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August 2011

2 Bed Apartment in Cuidad Quesada 69,950€

2 Bed Apartment in Torrevieja 74,943€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Duplex in Doña Pepa 129,950€

2 Bed Townhouse in Las Casillas 99,000€

4 Bed, 2 Bath Townhouse in Competa 159,000€

1 Bed Townhouse in Canillas de Aceituno 58,000€

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August 2011

Want to Rent?

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a property to rent in Spain, then look no further than Almeria Rentals Judy and Richard set up home in Almeria 4 years ago. Shortly afterwards they were joined by their daughter and granddaughter. They now run as a family a well established property rental and maintenance business from Arboleas call Almeria Rentals.eu. They have supplied the below snapshot of their lives since leaving the UK. I was working as an EA to the Vice President of finance for a huge global telecommunications company, obviously this was a 24/7 position and never enough spare time to spend with the family or do things you wanted to at the weekend. Richard was working for the Fire Service, we decided that after he had completed his 30 years of service we would retire early and enjoy. I then (5 years prior to retirement) started looking at properties around the coastal areas of Europe. We decided we liked the Almeria Area. I started looking at Spain and my daughter came with me independently looking at properties - my daughter in fact purchased a property off plan before I had committed to any purchase. I then found a villa in an area I liked, Arboleas.

We sorted all our finances and property ties out in the UK so that we would be able to move. My daughter then decided that she would give up a 70k+ job in order to move out with us and spend a lot more time with her daughter Mia who had undergone major head surgery and was nearly lost. We found a job that we thought we could do to keep us with some income whilst we all found our feet but also one that would allow us to enjoy the lifestyle and sun. We initially purchased a property maintenance and cleaning company PAINTRITE CLEANRITE (property management and maintenance) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this we ran for nearly 2 years and then through contacts made here we purchased a rental company Almeria Rentals.EU which is now the forefront business for the two companies.

Over the period of 1 year since adding the Rentals business we have tripled our portfolio of www.spainpropertyportal.com

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rented properties and are now running the two companies side by side, delegating where necessary as we are becoming busy.

Let´s us not pretend that it´s all sun and Sangria. Similar to running a successful business anywhere we have to work extremely hard, often 7 days straight, and then when you go home in the evening there is an inbox full of emails and admin to catch up on, however our overall lifestyle is very good and much improved. Whilst running a business it is possible to do all your work and also have plenty of time to enjoy your family, enjoy the sun, sea etc as there are so many more daylight hours and if things don’t get done today well we will do them tomorrow (mañana).

In our business we meet a lot of people, we partner with many of the Sales agents here and have enough knowledge to help these and our clients chose a rental property for the right reasons. Many of our rental clients go on to buy and because of our links to many established local agents we are always able to point them in the right direction.

Richard my husband, whilst a fireman had a second trade of painter and maintenance – this has proved to be so beneficial as whilst myself and my daughter manage and run the core business Richard works alongside maintaining the properties.

One of the mains reasons we wanted to enter the property industry was because when we initially purchased our property 5 years prior to us retiring we rented it out – through agents, unfortunately they did not do the job we expected and check items in the property, the condition left in, nor correspond with us enough for us to feel comfortable and happy that our future home was being looked after. This is our main objective, to communicate with the owners at all times, advise them and update on any issues no matter how small they may be. We have been doing this and it has paid off - our customers are satisfied and we are achieving a lot of business by way of personal reference.

To top it all we are spending a lot of time together. Going out for meals 3 or 4 times a week, enjoying swimming everyday with Mia our granddaughter, who is now at 5 years a fish in the water. Her schooling is fantastic starting at three she is now bilingual and reading books in both English and Spanish quite happily. We are chuffed with this as know she would not be doing this if she had just started school in the UK. We are a friendly family run business who really enjoy the mix of hard work and family time.

Meeting new people, making new friends and contacts and helping people new to Spain find a lovely home are all benefits of what we do. Could think of far worse ways to earn a crust. info@spainpropertyportal.com

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August 2011

2 Bed Apartment in San Miguel de Salinas 59,900€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Cuidad Quesada 285,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Cabo Roig 168,400€

4 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Chiclana de la Frontera 246,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Country House in Trujillo 449,000€

4 Bed, 4 Bath Villa in Sotogrande 550,000€

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August 2011

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in La Cala 179,500€

1 Bed Apartment in Corralejo 139,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in Playa Flamenca 190,000€

2 Bed Apartment in Los Altos 68,250€

3 Bed, 3 Bath Townhouse in Playa Flamenca 119,500€

2 Bed Apartment in Entre Naranjos 57,750€

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August 2011

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Estepona 158,000€

2 Bed, 2 Bath Apartment in Manilva 105,000€

2 Bed Townhouse in Manilva 155,000€

2 Bed Villa in Cabo Roig 115,000€

3 Bed, 3 Bath Townhouse in Playa Flamenca 90,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Townhouse in Gran Alacant 129,950€

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August 2011

2 Bed Apartment in Villamartin 76,000€

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3 Bed, 2 Bath Villa in San Miguel de Salinas 289,000€

3 Bed, 2 Bath Country House in Crevillente 149,000€

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August 2011

A Brief History of Time...

Ciudad Quesada Style With one of the most Equitable Climates in the World, Cuidad Quesada is the Jewel in the Crown of Alicante We at Spanish Property Bureau have lived and worked in Ciudad Quesada for 11 years and our love affair with the area is still in full bloom. Located on south facing slopes with commanding views in every direction, Quesada has a real Mediterranean feel and a relaxed, warming and friendly atmosphere attracting many ex-pats to settle and ‘Live the Dream’.

Ciudad Quesada goes back only 40 years or so to 1972 when a Spanish entrepreneur Justo Quesada Samper decided to create his own self contained city where people could prosper and enjoy life. With his forward thinking amenities, unthinkable at the time, such as a 9 hole golf course and airport for light aircraft, it was indeed a true model of residential planning.

His dream grew from those early days until 1999 when the award winning Ciudad Quesada was given its own Town Hall. The news came in early January 2010 that Justo Quesada Samper died aged 83, but his name lives on.

You enter Quesada through a magnificent arch that marks the entrance to the town and the main shops, bars and restaurants. This is the meeting point for the residents of the town and the holiday makers alike. It is in fact the only development that celebrates its own local fiesta every August with the help of the Rojales Town Hall.

La Marquesa Golf Club was founded and designed by Justo Quesada under the name of ‘Club de Golf Quesada’ and its name changed to ‘La Marquesa Golf & Country Club’ in 1994.

Since then the development has over 15,000 homes built on 10 million square metres of land with areas still in development. Rising up from the surrounding countryside, the white houses of Quesada can be seen from many miles away.

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Up on one of the highest parts of the town stands the Aqua Park with its many slides and swimming pools and from the top of the highest slide there is a stunning view of the entire region - the higher mountains in the background, the neighbouring towns and villages, the salt lakes and Natural Park and the Mediterranean - breathtaking!

Ciudad Quesada overlooks the salt lakes of Torrevieja and Parque Natural de La Mata, as well as Torrevieja in the distance. These salt lakes of Torrevieja are still in production. The La Mata salt lake received National Park status in 1996 and is now a big tourist attraction. Close to Quesada is an abundance of flamingos and other wildlife based on the salt lakes which are just a few miles away and the whole area is classed the second healthiest place in the world mainly due to these salt lakes.

Quesada is just 10 minutes drive to the beautiful blue flag sandy beaches of Guardamar and 30 minutes to both Murcia and Alicante Airports. The climate here is typical of the region with hot summers giving way to very mild and sunny winters with very little rain. It is a very popular area and when you visit, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll instantly see why.

If our description of this secluded paradise has tempted you, and you would like help in your property search, we have a network of consultants and can make sure the right property is found for you. There has never been a better time to buy so please browse through our website www.spanishpropertybureau.com or alternatively give us a call on (+34) 966 712 581 or (+34) 699 715 788.

Regards from Cuidad Quesada, Alicante

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