How to turn your Spanish summer holiday into a home from home

The Costa del Sol is one of the best places in the world for holidays and holiday homes.

Cases packed, passports at the ready, sun lotion safely stowed and cat-sitter suitably remunerated – your holiday to the sun is about to begin.

The buzz of excitement that settles in your stomach as you close your front door on the way to the airport is unique. Holidays to evocative, warm and far-flung destinations are what lasting memories are made of, and the highs of those heady pre-holiday days feel a lifetime away from the return-to-work blues that can take weeks to shake.

But it is possible to dodge, delay and do away with that UK comedown, if you play your cards right. Buying a property in Spain is not something that only the rich and famous do. It is something that people like you do. People who fell in love with the country during their holiday and took the required steps to make the dream a reality.

So how do you do it? All it takes is a little bit of forethought, inspiration and perspiration, and it is totally worth it…

Identify the right location
Although you may love being at the heart of the action while on holiday, you have to ask yourself whether you really want to buy a property that is slap-bang in the middle of it all. Sure, if you’re hoping to rent out your home when you’re not there, then it pays to offer holidaymakers an excellent location.

The town of Mijas offers a wonderful balance between tradition and modernity.

But if you are planning on spending a lot of time there, or relocating perfectly, it is all about balance: close enough to the attractions and infrastructure that makes the Costa del Sol one of the most popular destinations in the world, but far enough removed from the bustle that descends on the region every summer.

Luckily, there are plenty of locations along the coast that tick these two boxes. Whether you fancy a hidden hillside gem or an off-the-beaten track finca, a beachfront apartment or a downtown townhouse, you are sure to find something that is both affordable and desirable.

Visit in off season
There is something about a blazing hot summer’s day that can make everything feel alright. Shoulders lift as the mercury rises, horizons brighten as the sun shines, and smiles spread as the gentle summer breeze wafts sultry aromas about your person.

Even some of the most derided towns in the UK are passably pleasant when the weather’s good. The cocktail is even stronger on the Costa del Sol. Mountains, the Mediterranean, olive groves, citrus groves, cute villages, stylish marinas, designer boutiques, fantastic tapas bars – all wonderful, all elevated under sparkling skies.

The rain in Spain.

So it pays to return to the place that shaped your holiday memories during the off season in the (perhaps vain) attempt to catch it at its worst. Winter, while mild and often enjoyably warm on the Costa del Sol, is quite different from the other months, and is a good time to assess whether your identified location still tingles the spine. It most likely will, but it’s always a good idea to return as often as possible. For research purposes, of course.

Plan your finances
Spanish property prices have fallen nationally by an average of 40% since 2007, which was the peak of the recent market boom. That dramatic correction in the market was not so pronounced on the Costa del Sol, where prices held a little more steadily, but it still means that homes in the region are far more affordable than they have been for a while.

Prices have begun to rise slightly, which suggests the bottom of the market has been reached, and British buyers in particular have begun returning in their droves. In short: any concerns you may have had about whether this is the correct location from a financial standpoint should be filed away.

The big questions you have to ask yourself now are all about the Hows, not the Whys. How will you arrange the purchase? Will you aim for a Spanish mortgage? Will you sell your property in the UK? Will you need to work while in Spain? Will you need a Spanish bank account? How will you transfer cash and capital from the UK to Spain?

Luckily, as well as boasting one of the widest selections of suitable properties for sale anywhere on the Costa del Sol, VIVA also offers advice on every step of the buying process, offering a one-stop shop helping you to finally realise your dream.