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Building in Rural Spain
Although classified as rural, in many of Spain's inland areas you are able to invest in the best of both worlds - attaining the peace and tranquility of a rural property, but also able to take advantage of the improvements in roads and railways - meaning you are never too far from the beach, airports or towns. Buying or building a rural property is still a cheaper way of obtaining property in Spain compared with the over-inflated prices on the coast.
Building in rural Spain will often mean that you will have to negotiate with local town hall officials and architects that do not speak English so it is beneficial to either pay a translator or get a builder that speaks both Spanish and English to take care of the paperwork for you.
Rural areas of Spain have much to explore - caves, prehistoric settlements, markets, small mountain villages, lakes, and lush vegetation such as almond, orange and lemon groves. These areas are still relatively undisturbed by hordes of European holidaymakers, and consist of some of the most beautiful and scenic parts of Spain.
The Costa Blanca has some of the best rural property on offer in a number of the most picturesque parts of Spain. The area tends to be divided into North and South, the north being the lush mountain and valley areas around Gandia, Xatvia and Ontinyent, all part of the community of Valencia down to the city of Alicante. 30 mins inland from Alicante is the mountainous region of Alcoy which offers spectacular views and plenty of remote, un-spoilt villages to be discovered, and travelling west the lush fertile plains around Monovar and Hondon which offers vast kilometers of almond groves and vineyards. Going down towards the Murcia borders are the lovely Spanish towns of Orihuela, Bigstro or Jacarilla where the land flattens out and there are some stunning valleys where people build their own properties just outside the little inland villages or in a more rural location.
Building New
There is great appeal of building a rural property in Spain amidst stunning countryside, for those looking for a holiday retreat or a permanent home, although it should be borne in mind that rural country houses will need more maintenance and security than a coastal urbanisation or town house. Many areas that are considered 'rural', are still within half an hour of the nearest coast, and allow you to buy a larger more affordable plot of land than you would get closer to the coast.
Many people opting to build their own property will chose to build in a rural location. The main advantage of this is that you can get a bigger plot of land, (those on the coastal urbanisations tend to be fairly small), you can choose your own builder (often on an urbanisation you are tied to a certain builder and style of property), and of course the price, which is much lower the further you get from the coastal regions.
Renovating / Reforming
In recent years, old fincas and 'casa de campo' (house in the country, or rural property) have been snapped up by builders and foreign buyers looking for a good profit after renovation. However, there are still some bargains to be had, its just knowing where to find them.
Okay, so what do you get for your money? In the lower price bracket, you may find that these rural properties in Spain will need to be run from a generator. The sales description is likely to read 'electricity nearby' meaning that it is possible to connect the supply, but it can take time and be expensive to install (depending on the distance to the nearest supply). The same may apply to mains water. However, for an exceptionally low priced property this can be well worth it.
The property will probably also need to be reformed, which can mean anything from minor repairs to a major renovation. The local villages in rural areas will be very Spanish so a knowledge of the language may be necessary. Being very friendly, the Spanish villagers will accept foreigners who try to 'fit in'. All these factors should be considered before buying a rural property in Spain and should be explained to you by the selling agent.
For help and advice on building new properties, reforming property or renovating old ones, or land for sale in rural Spain, please contact us and we will do our best to assist.