Reading Newspapers

Looking at newspapers and gazing in the window of an estate agent is a quite normal method of starting the search for a new home. After all the newspapers have large property sections, sometimes greater than the news content itself. Similarly a walk down the main street of any town will see a number of estate agents displaying for sale many attractively photographed properties. This initial browsing may not take place with any specific intent, but merely to give a feel of style, price and location.

Finding a property in Spain follows a similar course, but on a much larger scale.

Each week in the popular daily press and the Sunday press there are dozens of adverts for Spanish properties. They often have a drawing or photograph tending to emphasise a low cost, high specification property in a sunny location.

Of course there are English language newspapers published in Spain. As you would expect they too have large property sections. Living elsewhere in Europe, it is sometimes difficult to get hold of these newspapers but contacting the publishers should result in one being sent by post (see Appendix 8). Here are the main titles:

• The Costa Blanca News – a well read publication.
• The Costa del Sol News – equally popular.
• Sur in English – the big one for the Costa del Sol.
• The Mallorca Daily Bulletin.
• The Island Gazette – for the Canary Islands.

 

Going To Property Exhibitions

Moving from ‘passive to active’ mode means making a positive commitment. This commitment is the first real step to the fulfilment of a dream. Armchair contemplation is now over. Going to an exhibition is metaphorically getting one’s feet wet.

Property exhibitions are commonplace: small ones run in hotels throughout the year, large ones in conference or exhibition centres in the spring and summer. Some are specifically targeted at Spain but the larger exhibitions may also have representatives promoting properties in Florida and Cyprus.

Objectives

Before going to a property exhibition, you need crystal clear objectives. This is not the time to fall for the seductive charms of some salesperson. Nor is it the time to be woolly headed. What is the object of your visit? Here are a few suggestions.

• To confirm your perceptions about the area of your choice.
• To obtain more facts about properties, styles and prices.
• To acquire brochures, particularly those with property plans and photographs.
• To prepare a list of questions to be answered.

 

 

• To choose an agent, one who has sincerity, knowledge, and most importantly, the widest selection of properties to sell.
• Lastly, if relaxed about these facts, to plan a visit to Spain to look at some property.

The Exhibition

It is a colourful, noisy affair. Orange and yellow are the dominant colours, not only representing the Spanish flag, but the lemon and orange crops. The noise is people talking, with much verbal fencing, displays of knowledge or lack of it, or holiday locations being revisited. Salespeople are anxious to ‘close’. Visitors are still wary, asking questions, getting facts. Sangria, the mass Spanish anti-depressant, is usually available.

What of the exhibitor? They may be an international company, or an estate agent or a small Spanish business. What are their objectives? It is not to sell a house since they do not have the necessary detailed, up to the minute information to hand. It is simply to move people to the next step in the selling process by giving facts and persuading them to go on a ridiculously cheap inspection flight.