Buying a home abroad can be a quick and simple process, once you get the right start. When Paula and Rob Clarke from County Cavan headed south to Dublin a year ago their plan to buy in Spain had been going nowhere.
“We’d wanted to buy in Spain for a few years, but the pandemic delayed things and we hadn’t got round to progressing anything,” says Paula, 60, who runs a testing laboratory with Rob, 72. “We knew we wanted Spain, but we didn’t know how to do it.”
A Place in the Sun Live Property Showcase Dublin
The couple were looking for a holiday home that would become a 50/50 home once that they retire (which they hope is soon). Their budget was around €250,000. “We found the exhibition very useful as we talked to lawyers about the purchase process and what to expect. Being cash buyers we didn’t need to worry about mortgages, but we ended up talking to MASA International as we liked the idea of a new-build home on the Costa Blanca.”
A chat with Kerry Dixon on the stand led to booking a trip out to Spain in January. “We got shown around and saw all sorts of new-build projects, realising that we would buy a three-bedroom property so friends could stay.”
On the development in Quesada that they liked, new two-bedroom properties started at €250,000.
They ended up buying the last show home on the development that is close to amenities, bars and restaurants. They completed on 29th March. “Everything went very easily. The purchase process was straightforward – in fact it was perfect.”
The couple will have been out around six times this year – luckily they don’t have to worry about a 90-day limit with their EU passports.
Get out to Spain to have a look around!
“I would advise anyone looking to be realistic about pricing – we ended up paying way over our budget, rather than compromise. But also consider the future: what is the point of having a big sun terrace or solarium if you can’t get up there in a few years?” she says. “But do get out to Spain and have a good look round – it’s no substitute for looking online.”
