Long term house rental Spain

[Bassfisher]

Hi guys, For a while now I’ve been seriously thinking about renting out my house here in Hants, and moving to Spain early retirement. I’d also like to rent over there. Wondering if any of you have any knowledge of Spain, looking for golf, sea and airport links etc An ex pat golf community could be good

 

[Mel Smooth]

We're on the Costa Blanca, 30 minutes from Alicante airport - some cracking courses round here, a few guys I know live a little further South an play a few times a week in societies which is the most cost effective way to play, without limiting yourself to one course. They are in the La Florida area, if you google it you'll find it - verymuch expat and lots and lots going on around the area.

Make sure you do all your research on getting your residencia, it's a right pain in the are.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

@Hobbit is yer man

What he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing ?

 

[Bassfisher]

We're on the Costa Blanca, 30 minutes from Alicante airport - some cracking courses round here, a few guys I know live a little further South an play a few times a week in societies which is the most cost effective way to play, without limiting yourself to one course. They are in the La Florida area, if you google it you'll find it - verymuch expat and lots and lots going on around the area.

Make sure you do all your research on getting your residencia, it's a right pain in the are.

Hi Mel, thanks for your reply, can you recommend any golf clubs worth considering to join

 

[Mel Smooth]

Hi Mel, thanks for your reply, can you recommend any golf clubs worth considering to join

It really depends on what your requirements are.
One of the best value memberships can be had at Font Del Llop, but the course itself is quite remote - they're currently building around the course but it's very much in the early stages. Plus, you would have to drive quite a way to get to it, if you wanted to also have a decent expat golf community around you.

https://fontdelllop.com/en/

If you want to live right in the heart of a busy community, and have a golf course on your doorstep, Villamartin is a great shout - there is a plaza which is full of bars and restaraunts and 100 metres up the road is the golf club, there are also some other great courses nearby, Las Ramblas, Las Colinas, La Finca etc

In order to be a member here, you need to buy a share - which ain't cheap, but once you've bought it, you can then get a membership for around 850 euros, the share also allows for one family member to gain membership as well. Of course, if you decide to leave, you can sell the share to recover your outlay.

https://www.lafincaresort.com/en/golf/villamartin-golf

If you're not as bothered about the standard of the course, then there is one near us callled La Marquesa, which is in the urbanisation of Ciudad Quesada - again, plenty of expats here - it's about 5 minutes from where we live, so nice easy access to the airport - about 5 minutes from the AP7 motorway which lins straight up to Alicante Elche airport. I have a mate who plays here - he bought a regular weekly tee time - which I think is 12.30 every Friday, and it cost about £850 euros, so if he plays every week, it's about 18 euros a round. Although the course isn't as good as some of the others, it is flat, and walkable - something to consider when it gets warmer - if you don't want to be paying out for buggiesevery week.


https://www.lamarquesagolf.es/en/inicio/

Personally, I'd always lean towards playing society golf, most will be charging 50 to 60 euros a round with buggy, you get the varierty of playing lots of different course, and you get an instant group of like minded blokes and ladies to socialise with after each round, but that's juts my personal preference.

 

[The Fader]

Bit further South from the Alicante area - Might be worth looking at the GNK golf group. You can join for 3 or 6 months and pay a nominal green fee each time you play.

Membership gives you access to 4 courses within a 20km radius - all Nicklaus design.

http://www.gnkgolf.com/tarifas

I stayed on La Torre for 6 weeks in April / May this year and took out the 3 month membership. Played 3 times a week and it ended up costing me about EUR35 a round. That is very reasonable for Spanish golf. I would easily have brought my cost / round down to nearer EUR20 a round if I had stayed for the full 3 months.

I played with quite a lot of Scandinavians who lived on or around Villamartin who chose to play golf on the GNK membership as it was way cheaper.

 

[The Fader]

It really depends on what your requirements are.
One of the best value memberships can be had at Font Del Llop, but the course itself is quite remote - they're currently building around the course but it's very much in the early stages. Plus, you would have to drive quite a way to get to it, if you wanted to also have a decent expat golf community around you.

https://fontdelllop.com/en/

If you want to live right in the heart of a busy community, and have a golf course on your doorstep, Villamartin is a great shout - there is a plaza which is full of bars and restaraunts and 100 metres up the road is the golf club, there are also some other great courses nearby, Las Ramblas, Las Colinas, La Finca etc

In order to be a member here, you need to buy a share - which ain't cheap, but once you've bought it, you can then get a membership for around 850 euros, the share also allows for one family member to gain membership as well. Of course, if you decide to leave, you can sell the share to recover your outlay.
https://www.lafincaresort.com/en/golf/villamartin-golf

If you're not as bothered about the standard of the course, then there is one near us callled La Marquesa, which is in the urbanisation of Ciudad Quesada - again, plenty of expats here - it's about 5 minutes from where we live, so nice easy access to the airport - about 5 minutes from the AP7 motorway which lins straight up to Alicante Elche airport. I have a mate who plays here - he bought a regular weekly tee time - which I think is 12.30 every Friday, and it cost about £850 euros, so if he plays every week, it's about 18 euros a round. Although the course isn't as good as some of the others, it is flat, and walkable - something to consider when it gets warmer - if you don't want to be paying out for buggiesevery week.


https://www.lamarquesagolf.es/en/inicio/

Personally, I'd always lean towards playing society golf, most will be charging 50 to 60 euros a round with buggy, you get the varierty of playing lots of different course, and you get an instant group of like minded blokes and ladies to socialise with after each round, but that's juts my personal preference.

Mel,

I am staying in La Marina for 3 months - Sept/Oct/ Nov this year and had narrowed my golf down to either Font Del Llop or Alenda Golf. Any views on the latter? How does it rank against Font del Llop?

La Marquesa is much nearer but their price for a 3 month membership is almost 3x that of the other 2.

Thanks

 

[Mel Smooth]

Mel,

I am staying in La Marina for 3 months - Sept/Oct/ Nov this year and had narrowed my golf down to either Font Del Llop or Alenda Golf. Any views on the latter? How does it rank against Font del Llop?

La Marquesa is much nearer but their price for a 3 month membership is almost 3x that of the other 2.

Thanks

I’d say Font Del Llop is slightly better, but not by much.
El Plantio is always good value as well, get some fantastic twilight prices there, and at Alicante golf - they’re owned by the same company.

 

[backwoodsman]

Mel,

I am staying in La Marina for 3 months - Sept/Oct/ Nov this year and had narrowed my golf down to either Font Del Llop or Alenda Golf. Any views on the latter? How does it rank against Font del Llop?

La Marquesa is much nearer but their price for a 3 month membership is almost 3x that of the other 2.

Thanks

I'd go to Font de Llop rather than Alenda every time. Alenda is OK bht personally think FDL is much the better.

You also need to be aware of the residence rules - you can only stay for 90 days in any consecutive 180 days - unless you get full residentia status which requires a decent wodge of income and much official "hoop-jumping" (Hobbit may be ble to supply the full detail). And the 90 days includes any stays anywhere in europe as a whole, not just in Spain

 

[The Fader]

I'd go to Font de Llop rather than Alenda every time. Alenda is OK bht personally think FDL is much the better.

You also need to be aware of the residence rules - you can only stay for 90 days in any consecutive 180 days - unless you get full residentia status which requires a decent wodge of income and much official "hoop-jumping" (Hobbit may be ble to supply the full detail). And the 90 days includes any stays anywhere in europe as a whole, not just in Spain

Thanks for the input.

Ruddy Brexit scuppered my retirement plans of "wintering" in Spain without needing residency. So looks like 3 months there and 3 months home and repeat!

 

[Bassfisher]

All very useful information guys thank you! One would think that it’s in Spains interest to make it easier for uk retirees to make the move?

 

[Mel Smooth]

All very useful information guys thank you! One would think that it’s in Spains interest to make it easier for uk retirees to make the move?

They’re still obsessed with Franco here mate, some of the hoops you need to jump through (and fees you have to pay) - are absolutely ridiculous.

And don’t get me started on the taxes…..

But the weather is good. ?

 

[Bobthesock]

Costa del sol has 10x more courses than Alicante and Is much warmer in winter.

 

[Hobbit]

It’s getting harder and harder, and more punitive for Brits.

https://myspainvisa.com/non-lucrative-visa-spain/

But if you’re an immigrant from Africa the amount of money required for an NLV is about a quarter. And the current big argument is driving licences… As for access to state sponsored healthcare…

We made the decision before Brexit, and finalised before the Withdrawal Agreement raised its ugly head. Would I do it now? Hell no! The hoops that you have to jump through, and the associated costs are prohibitive. But would I move back to the U.K.? Hell no!

Add to that a growing feeling of becoming political pawns in an impending Gibraltar argument.

Driving licences; come here as a tourist and you can drive on your U.K. licence. Come here to live and it’s worth diddly! Its not transferable. You have to go through the theory and practical, minimum cost of around €800 and a 73% chance of failing first time. It’s still under negotiation, and has been for over a year.

As to the odd anti-Brit post on FB, they’re increasing. Rarely from the Spanish, though there’s a few, more often than not from the plastic paddys who are immigrants themselves, bleating about past colonialism.

 

[Oddsocks]

Jesus hobbit, it’s sound like hurdles galore!

How does that stand if for example a Brit bought an apartment to use as a holiday let? Are the as many hoops?

 

[Hobbit]

Jesus hobbit, it’s sound like hurdles galore!

How does that stand if for example a Brit bought an apartment to use as a holiday let? Are the as many hoops?

The hoops for a tourist rental licence haven’t changed, though typically Spanish there’s plenty of them. I have several friends who have both long term, residential lets and tourist lets. Residential lets don’t bring in as much per week/month but don’t have the ‘down time.’ Typical residential apartment might make €350/month, whereas as tourist let might make €500 a week during July and August, and then a fair bit of downtime.

Friend has just had to cancel a 2 week holiday let as the outgoing group had trashed the place. He gets it a few times a year. Loss of rent + extra costs. He’s now advertising for long term lets only.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Jesus hobbit, it’s sound like hurdles galore!

How does that stand if for example a Brit bought an apartment to use as a holiday let? Are the as many hoops?

I know 2 families who have Apartments on the Costa del Sol and both are trying to get rid of them since Brexit.

 

[Oddsocks]

I know 2 families who have Apartments on the Costa del Sol and both are trying to get rid of them since Brexit.

for what reasons Stuart?

 

[Deleted member 1740]

for what reasons Stuart?

They’ve had them a while and they’d planned to spend their retirement there but the changes since brexit has made it almost impossible as Hobbit has confirmed above.

 

[Hobbit]

It’s getting harder and harder, and more punitive for Brits.

https://myspainvisa.com/non-lucrative-visa-spain/

But if you’re an immigrant from Africa the amount of money required for an NLV is about a quarter. And the current big argument is driving licences… As for access to state sponsored healthcare…

We made the decision before Brexit, and finalised before the Withdrawal Agreement raised its ugly head. Would I do it now? Hell no! The hoops that you have to jump through, and the associated costs are prohibitive. But would I move back to the U.K.? Hell no!

Add to that a growing feeling of becoming political pawns in an impending Gibraltar argument.

Driving licences; come here as a tourist and you can drive on your U.K. licence. Come here to live and it’s worth diddly! Its not transferable. You have to go through the theory and practical, minimum cost of around €800 and a 73% chance of failing first time. It’s still under negotiation, and has been for over a year.

As to the odd anti-Brit post on FB, they’re increasing. Rarely from the Spanish, though there’s a few, more often than not from the plastic paddys who are immigrants themselves, bleating about past colonialism.

And it just keeps on giving… Several autonomous areas are now saying that as a tourist you need an International Driving Permit. No you don’t, but try telling that to the Guardia Trafico that’s just stopped you and fined you €600 - bear in mind it’s a €3001 fine for arguing with the Guardia in the street.

And for those of us having residencia being stopped… it’s becoming a Police state, and not just for Brits. Several bars shut down over the weekend for playing music outside of their licenced hours. They’ve done it for years but it’s a soft target now that the govt needs money.