So, to verify the reality of this opportunity (in Moscow you definitely can't buy anything for that money!), we posed as buyers and contacted the agency «Diamond House». This agency has a good business reputation and operates in one of the most popular among Russians towns on the Costa Brava coast, Lloret de Mar. Friends who bought a house in Lloret this summer assured us that the town is a heavenly place and «Diamond House» solves all issues without delay.
We call. As expected, the agency staff speaks Russian.
– Yes, yes, – the girl understood from the first words what we wanted. – On our website www.diamondspain.ru there are enough options in this price category. Write down the property numbers: 3079, 2858…
– But, for example, 3079, what is this property?
– This is a good apartment in a new building 50 meters from the sea…
– 50 meters?! Is that true?!
– Yes.
– And is there a sea view?
– No, there is no sea view because on the first line there is a five-star hotel and its territory is planted with cypresses and pines. It is quite picturesque.
– And what are the downsides of this apartment? Honestly…
– It is not suitable for winter living. It has no gas heating. You can heat it with air conditioning, but that is very expensive.
– But we don't want to live in Spain in winter.
– Then this option suits you. The apartment has underground parking. A pool on the roof.
– What on the roof? A pool?! For 100 thousand, also a pool on the roof. Maybe there is also a helipad?
– No, it's just a good one-bedroom apartment by the sea.
– And how much did such housing cost before the crisis?
– Well, at least 150 thousand euros.
– How much does it cost to maintain such housing? Is it affordable for an actively working Russian?
– All taxes and all utility bills for 12 months are about 1500 euros.
– And what amount do you actually need to have to buy truly comfortable housing on the Spanish coast?
– Not an easy question. It depends on what you need the apartment for. If you come 1-2 times a year to relax, then an apartment for 100 thousand is an ideal option. If you want to come year-round, then pay attention to this option, it has gas heating. And, by the way, the price is also good. But if you are looking for a house to move to Spain permanently with your family, then that is a completely different conversation. And the price of such a house starts from 300-350 thousand euros, and truly good options from 500 thousand euros.
– Young lady, you are a treasure! And since you know everything, we will ask you a very serious question. This year, Spanish economists for the first time began to talk about the country's exit from the crisis. And, of course, the question naturally arises: does this mean that real estate in Spain will start to rise in price?
– According to our experts, there will be no rapid price growth. It should be expected only in 3-4 years. But what is already obvious today is that the number of truly good offers will decrease. And if today for 100 thousand you can buy an apartment by the sea, then after some time such offers will no longer be on the market. Yes, there will be apartments for 100 thousand, but far from the sea, and not in perfect technical condition. Offers in general will become fewer, which means that for the same money you will have to buy something much more modest and certainly you won't be able to count on any discount.
– Oh, by the way, a discount! Very good that you reminded!
– You shouldn't count on a big discount if it's a good property.
– And what does the availability of a discount depend on?
– In my experience, primarily on how urgently the seller needs to sell the house or apartment. If the seller is in no hurry, then you shouldn't count on a discount.
– And what should we do now? We really want to see that apartment for 100 thousand, 50 meters from the sea….
– Usually our clients who are confident in their desire to purchase real estate on the Costa Brava fly in for a short time, and by that time we prepare several options for viewing according to their request. Well, preliminarily, everything can be seen on our website, there is search and sorting.