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Before you embark on your purchase of a property in this or any other area of Spain, you do need to know what the area is like and what owning a property means. We like to give an honest view, so that people who do buy, are not disappointed afterwards.
First of all, Torrox is a small village, with a mainly Spanish population, however, the younger ones are now moving away for work and to modern housing. This is similar to many of the white villages in the area. Torrox Costa, is the area along the coast, where you will find many modern apartment blocks and villas.
Village houses look romantic, but the truth is, they can be cold and damp, and in the winter some form of heating is needed. They will probably need painting every 1 or 2 years, depending on the state of the walls. The houses tend to be built of stone and mud, they were designed to keep cool in the summer, but suffer in the winter. Winters in Torrox are mild compared to the UK, with temperatures rarely getting below 8c . Even so, a house can feel very cold. Ongoing repairs etc should be expected, and if you want to do any work on the house, ie, replace a window or sink, you will need to get a licence for the work. Gone are the days when you could do what you liked. Now you could get a hefty fine and have to change back what you did.
Buying any property in Spain, will cost around 10% of the price in fees, and when you sell, typical estate agent fees can be from 3% to 6%. The village did have an outdoor pool open in the summer, but 1 year ago they started to cover it in, for all year use, and then run out of funds. At the moment the village has no access to a pool. It will be finished at some stage, but this is Spain and things do go slowly. This is another area some find difficult. You do have to be patient.
Finally, remember the agent acts for the vendor, not you. Always seek independent advice, use your own lawyer and do not think that everyone is your friend. Its very easy to get carried away while doing business over a beer at the local bar, but you would not do it in the UK, so do not do it in Spain. There are a number of agents in the Torrox area who work from home and so are not registered estate agents. If you use such as agent, it is unlikely you will be able to get any satisfaction legally or otherwise is you have a problem. Some agents are still flouting the law and not giving you the correct documentation when you view a property. Always ask an agent are you registered. Just because you see an advert on one of the portals, does not guarantee that the agent has the correct documentation as we recently discovered. The portals tend to take the agents money, and not worry about the legal aspects. Remember, most properties will be advertised with more than one agent, and so the chances are, you can find the right property for you, from a bona fide agent, who has offices in the area. Even then, remember, they only get paid if you buy, so think before you act and get as much advice as possible. Of course, if you find a property on this site, you could end up paying less than via an agent.
If you want to sell your property, why not contact us and apply for our new service.
If you still want to buy in the area, at least you know what to expect and can plan accordingly.