Five Reasons Why You Should Move to Spain, Ideas For Redecorating Your Kitchen, Plus More

Welcome to the August edition of the Marena Murray newsletter.

This month, we share five great reasons why you should move to Spain, we discuss mistakes to avoid when buying property abroad, we reveal the most popular home improvements and we share ideas for decorating your kitchen.

Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Property Abroad

 

Who hasn’t returned to the daily grind following a relaxing summer holiday and wished they could sell up and move to a holiday home? Many people have made that dream a reality, and whilst making the move to a new country can be the best decision you have ever made, there are some common mistakes you have to avoid.

Before you go ahead and buy the first house that looks like a good deal, you should double check that they have been built legally. It’s not unheard of for environmental agencies to demolish properties that have been built too close to the coast or on a green belt.

Some unscrupulous agents take advantage of foreign buyers. Ensure you conduct all your property dealings with a reputable solicitor and estate agent like Marena Murray.

It also goes without saying that if you haven’t visited a property, don’t buy it. It’s important that you have a view and make sure the property is somewhere you could see yourself making a home.

When you receive your contracts, you might find they’re in Spanish, or that you receive a Spanish & English version. Ensure you have a qualified translator and a lawyer review the Spanish documents as well as the English ones to ensure that you have fully understood what the documents entail.

As with buying a new home in the UK, a good independent surveyor can be worth their weight in gold should they discover anything that needs to be updated or repaired before you make the move. Ensure you have a surveyor or architect take a look at your new home before the move.

Some buyers also make the mistake of buying their home through an estate agent that is solely based in the UK. Marena Murray is based near Murcia on the south-east coast of Spain. Our local expertise and passion for finding the right homes for our clients means you can rely on us to conduct your property dealings in a safe and legal manner. For more information get in touch on +34 968 175 087

Five Great Reasons to Move to Spain

 

Need a better reason than amazing weather to make the move to Spain? We’ve singled out five great reasons for taking the leap into the Spanish property market.

Plenty of Flights
When you own a holiday home, you want to be able to visit quickly and easily. Low-cost airline carriers now cover all the main Spanish airports such as Alicante, Málaga, Barcelona, and Palma, meaning accessing your Spanish holiday home is now easier and cheaper than ever.

Healthier Lifestyle
Thanks to the Mediterranean diet, comfortable climate, and relaxed alfresco lifestyle you will be enjoying in your new home, you can expect your life expectancy to go up!

According to the OECD, the average life expectancy in Spain is 83.2 years, two years more than the UK and the highest in Europe. Who knew all that relaxing you will be doing could be so beneficial?

Homes Are Far More Affordable in Spain than in the UK
Spain’s low-interest rates means a European mortgage is a good deal, and far less costly than properties in the UK.

The Spanish property market is incredibly diverse, meaning there will be a property to suit everyone’s tastes and needs, with multi-million euro villas, cheap beachside apartments, quiet rustic fincas and modern city apartments all available. Selling your home in the UK will likely provide you with ample funds for finding the perfect home.

You’ll Hear a Familiar Voice
If you choose to make your home in a resort like La Manga, you probably won’t be there five minutes before you hear the familiar tones of a fellow Brit.

Despite Brexit, Britons still account for a fifth of foreign buyers in Spain. There are some areas of Spain where the UK population outnumbers all other nationalities, so at least you’ll never feel lonely!

Cost of Living Is Cheaper
Property isn’t the only thing that’s cheap in Spain. According to consumer price website Numbeo.com, the cost of consumers prices is 19.9% cheaper in Spain whilst eating out and groceries are 29.5% and 16.5% cheaper respectively.

You can expect to be paying €12 per person for a three-course dinner and one euro for a coffee.

 

If you are considering taking the leap and making the move to Spain, get in touch with Marena Murray. Our unrivalled local expertise and decades of property experience mean you can be confident you will find the perfect home with Marena Murray.

The Most Popular and Most Valuable Home Improvements

 

 

Owning a home means that there is a good chance you’re constantly considering what additions and improvements you could make to your most valuable asset.

If you are currently pondering your next project, then the new research from Zopa may be of help to you as they looked into which improvements add the most value and which are the most popular amongst homeowners.

In a survey of 1,550 homeowners who had recently taken out a home improvement loan, Zopa found the loft conversion to be one of the most valuable home improvement, adding a huge 13% to the property’s value on average and giving 70% return on investment for those looking to sell their property.

What may come as a surprise is that although it is the most valuable improvement, only 2% of homeowners have chosen a loft conversion, however, it is also one of the more expensive options, at an average cost of €26,000

The most popular improvement, according to the survey was a renovated kitchen, with a quarter of survey participants opting for shiny and new cooking area.

A new kitchen sets homeowners back by €19,800 on average and adds 10% to the property's value with a 51% return on investment for sellers. In comparison to the other improvements, it is on the more affordable end of the scale and shows a sizeable return, so it is no surprise that it is the most popular choice.

The full results of the research can be found below. 

 

Ideas for Decorating Your Kitchen

 

 Whilst the living room is usually considered ‘the heart of any home’, in most UK households, the kitchen plays a much more central role in day-to-day family life. Follow these simple guidelines to achieve kitchen bliss!

1. Make the most of your space
Finding suitable storage units to house all of your pots and pans can be tricky - especially if you are working with a particularly small kitchen. Utensils, appliances, and accessories can certainly clutter up your worktops. Either tuck these items away in cabinets or display them in open shelving to add a decorative and homely feel.

If you are renovating your kitchen from scratch, choose cabinets that have pull out baskets and drawers for maximum storage space. A recent trend for kitchen redesigns is to contrast worktop colours or textures and to change traditional handles for stylised ones. Although this look is popular right now, that may change by next year, and counters can be costly to modify. Finding a balance between trendy and timeless ensures that your kitchen never seems dated.

2. Go bold
Even if you’re not renovating your kitchen, there is no rule to say that you’re stuck with your old counters or the ones that a previous owner left behind. Sand and paint the counters yourself, and save having to buy and fit out a completely new kitchen every time you redecorate.

Whilst patterned tiles can make bold statements, don’t overwhelm your kitchen by tiling it from floor to ceiling. When going for bold, try to keep it simple. That may seem contradictory, but having too many bold prints, colours, or patterns in one room will make your kitchen look messy. Tie your room together with colour gradients and make complex patterns more subtle.

3. Light, candles, atmosphere
Everyone appreciates privacy in their own homes, but rather than choosing to hang heavy curtains, look instead towards using a lighter fabric or blind to highlight any natural light in your kitchen. Likewise, a lighter colour will emphasise the openness of your window whereas a darker material may make the room seem much gloomier.

For the areas of your kitchen where natural light does not reach, put lamps or candles into position for ambience during the evenings. Spotlights or ‘downlights’ attached to the bottom of your cabinets are also an affordable way to improve lighting in your kitchen. These additions will make your room seem bigger, more open, and yet more intimate.

4. Opt for quirky and personal
Don’t be afraid to style your kitchen according to your own specific tastes. No matter how quirky they may be! By all means, consider hiding your knick-knacks when your property is on the market - as this will encourage potential buyers to envision buying your property - but whilst you are living there, live there! Whether you are a minimalist or a hoarder, showcase your treasures and memories for all to see.

5. Plants here, there, and everywhere
Having potted plants or herbs in your kitchen will give the room a healthy and natural look. Plant pots can be bought from a wide range of suppliers and you can even paint these for a different and unique finishing touch.

At the end of the day, style trends fluctuate seasonally, and redesigning your whole house multiple times a year would be a very costly enterprise! That being said, it is important to update certain elements of each room regularly in order to maintain livability and quality. Unlike a full redesign, these updates can be easy and affordable to implement.

Your kitchen design ‘musts’ should be; appropriate use of space, maximum lighting options (both natural and artificial!), and suitable storing. Once you get these things right, they require very little attention. Unlike colour scheme and accessories, which