Viewing Trips to Spain - Your Options
How you plan your viewing trip is a matter of personal taste.
When you book a personalised viewing trip with us, all hotel accommodation and meals are free - Free Inspection trips to Spain >>
No matter which way you prefer to view, at the end of the day the most important point is that you are happy with your purchase, and the property is right for you. You should also have funds in place to make a deposit payment (usually a bankers draft for £2,000/3000 Euros) - if you spot your dream home it is advisable not to linger too long, the Spanish property market moves fast!
Many people make the decision on an area in which to buy from the comfort of their living room. Brochures from sales agents, magazines, television programmes, the internet – there are many ways to ‘look around Spain’. Others may go to Spanish property exhibitions, or have visited a certain place on holiday and feel an affinity with it.
However, there is no substitute for actually planning a viewing trip - visiting Spain and looking around at what’s on offer. You may find the price of property not quite what you expect! Many TV programmes are out of date, and some unscrupulous agents will price property at last year’s prices – yet when you want to buy one they have all been sold. Of course you can buy from ‘Phase II’, but that’s more expensive!
If you require private rental accommodation - villa, apartment or Bed and Breakfast on the Costa Blanca see - Spanish Villa Rentals: >>
Going it alone
Making your own viewing trip arrangements, leaves you free to visit whatever area, with whatever agent you choose. You need not even use an agent if you don’t want to. Driving around, seeing what’s for sale and calling the number on the ‘for sale’ sign is no problem – or is it?
Without the Spanish language you run the risk of your call being answered by someone you are unable to speak to.
Often, Spanish owners and estate agents see a foreigner is interested and increase the price! Negotiations are best undertaken by a native, or someone in the business who is used to dealing with these matters.
However, if you do plan to look around an area and see something you like, will you be able to find it again if you are not familiar with that area? Obviously it is practical advice and common sense to take a map with you, but many new urbanisations and building sites are not on local maps so you will have to rely on memory. In many areas, you can drift from one urbanisation straight onto another without realising it, it can become very confusing to someone unfamiliar with the area.
Looking for Spanish property on your own can be time consuming and difficult. Our advice in these circumstances would be to spend at least a month in your area of interest, as viewing this way without the experience of a local to help you, may not reap the rewards you were expecting.
As a rental agency, we often see people coming over looking to buy. However, most go home empty handed as they are just not here for long enough. It takes time to look around, and time to arrange viewings. Many owners appear difficult and unwilling to fit in with your schedule – even agents often have a hard time trying to make appointments. Sometimes, you will find that the agents themselves are too busy to fit your viewings in on a certain day, and will need 3 days notice.
If you are only on a short viewing trip to Spain, the best way to avoid these problems is to approach agents (if you intend to use one) before your visit. Do some internet browsing and find property that suits your requirements and budget and send enquiries. Let people know when you are visiting, and ask them to arrange some viewings on your behalf.
When going it alone – always seek professional legal advice.
On Spanish Villas Spain you will find privately owned Spanish villas and apartments to rent. We have a dedicated long term rentals section which is ideal for those who wish to spend a little time looking around a certain area before buying property. For independent property viewing, these villas and apartments can be booked midweek, or for a shorter 4/5 day stay – thus avoiding the expensive weekend flights. To enjoy a fantastic holiday on mainland Spain, the Balearics or Canary Islands - search our selection of private Spanish villas or apartments
