Flats in Costa Blanca: Advantages, Disadvantages and Other Nuances

Who does not dream of living on the coast, closer to the sea to enjoy the sound of the Mediterranean waves, go to the beach right after breakfast, and to admire the views from the window? A tempting dream for most people…

However, the reality of living in a place like this may be completely different. Not everyone knows or is ready for the nuances of resort real estate. Moreover, we shouldn’t forget about the coronavirus and its impact on the real estate market.

In this article, we will try to talk about all the pitfalls of apartments for sale in Costa Blanca and answer frequently asked questions based on the experience of the expert, CEO at Virto Property, Sergey Sinyugin. A minor disclaimer: if you want to apply for a Costa Blanca residence visa, read this before.

The Nuances of Resort Flats

As you have already understood, most of the flats on the Spanish coast are resorts. This means that they are in the resort area and that they have been constructed purely for relaxation.

Typically, these houses are built over one year. The walls are thin, about 10 centimetres, and the foundation is low. Along with this, central heating is only used in exceptional circumstances. Due to housing seasonality, you do not need thick walls and heating radiators in the Spanish summer heat.

Mostly foreigners who spend a short period in Spain (lasting from several weeks to several months) live in such flats. Often such holiday property is bought by Spaniards from large cities so that they can travel to the beaches of Costa Blanca on the weekends.

If nevertheless, you have chosen this type of housing for year-round living, according to the CEO at Virto Property, Sergey Sinyugin, you need to be ready for the following. Speaking about the advantages, almost all new high-rise buildings have an elevator. Also, all new buildings (after 2008) are equipped with entrances for disabled people and parents with baby carriages.

Due to the hot weather, the floors in most houses are tiled. Naturally, it is not customary to take off your shoes in Spain. All of the sidewalks and roads are dry and clean. Spanish Management Companies thoroughly monitor home maintenance. This is why all the entrances are perfectly clean and smell good.

Layout and Location

As a rule, there are offices on the ground floor in Spain, but there may be flats there too. Ground floor flats are cheaper, especially in coastal cities with high humidity. One positive factor is that there is often a separate entrance from the yard.

Everything above the third floor is much more expensive. The top floor, though, fetches the highest price. Advantages of this floor include the absence of neighbours from above, a huge loggia, and an exit to the roof with a picturesque observation deck. This roof chill-out space is a kind of recreation area for the entire entrance, where you can sunbathe, lie in a hammock, or dine in the fresh air.

When choosing a property, Sergey Sinyugin recommends taking into account that flats in Spain are sorted by the number of bedrooms. The average Spaniards’ bedroom has only a bed, a chest of drawers, and, sometimes, a bedside table. The cabinet is also built into the wall for the children’s rooms.

Along with this, in new buildings, flats have at least two bathrooms. The first is for the parent’s bedroom, and the second is for children and guests. Often one bathroom contains a shower, and the other contains a bath.

Most of the flat area is divided into two zones – a recreation area and a dining room. In the dining room, there is an ordinary table with chairs, where the whole family can eat. Sometimes the kitchen has a spacious pantry with a window, where they put a washing machine, dry things, and set up household appliances. The recreation area has a sofa, TV, and other cosy interior details.

When choosing a property in Spain, you should pay attention to the view from the window. In some cases, the windows face the courtyard with arches and flower beds. The yard can vary in size.

However, it is not uncommon to see the wall of another house from the window. Such walls are quite widespread and might put off some future homeowners.

In general, despite all the quirks of Spanish flats, living there is very comfortable.