Think of the Costa del Sol and well-known resorts like Marbella, Torremolinos or Fuengirola spring to mind. But buyers looking for a home on sun-drenched Andalusian coast are realising that your money can go further east of Malaga airport.
Darren and Joanne Poole from South Wales were of this mind when they decided they wanted a home for their family of five to use - and had a budget of £180,000 for a three-bedroom house. Their search was to focus around Torre del Mar, Valle-Niza, Lake Vinuela and Torrox in the coast between Malaga and Nerja.
“To us it feels like it has remained a bit more traditional Spanish and we were keen to immerse ourselves in Spanish culture,” says Joanne, 43, a primary school teacher.
It is also ideal for the sporty family who love cycling and hiking – former Mr Wales bodybuilding champion Darren was soon to join the Nerja & Torrox Coasters cycling group which meet up to enjoy the beautiful national park and Tejeda mountains, especially during the mild early spring or autumn.
The couple went out looking for properties after applying to go on A Place in the Sun TV show – their episode has just been broadcast in May – but they went out in June 2022 and found a ‘stunning’ three-bedroom apartment in Torre del Mar for £178,000.
It has all gone pretty smoothly since Jean Johansson helped them find the property, in part thanks to their estate agent BluCee Real Estate and the advice they picked up at A Place in the Sun Live Olympia when they did their screentest.
“We listened to Jasmine on stage talking about the importance of research and using a good agent, as well as using A Place in the Sun Currency to transfer our funds, so we didn’t have any nasty surprises,” says Joanne.
The property costs around €100-€120 a month to run, reckons Darren, who runs an engineering business. “That includes around €60 a month community charges – the communal pool is well maintained. The area is a nice mix of British, Dutch, Spanish and other European expats. We love it – and are learning to ask for everything in Spanish.”
The family will not be renting out their property but using it as much as possible within the school holidays – their youngest child, Catrin, is 14. Joanne adds that they get very emotional each time they walk through the door, as the home is firmly associated with her beach-loving late brother Matthew who died of cancer at only 27.
“We’ve taken out all the children and showed them the places we visited on the TV show, such as Lake Vinuela,” says Joanne, who’s joined a local netball team. “It’s already feels like home and I’d say we are definitely living the dream.”
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