Renting a one bedroom apartment in Spain for a month

MalcolmsWit

We are considering renting a one bedroom apartment in Spain for a month in June in either on the Costa Del Sol or Costa Blanca. I want it to be close to the sea and on a bus route as we do not want to hire a car:beer: The idea is to test the Ex Pat life. Where is the best place to look that is "Bona Fide" where we are sure someone does not take your money and run. Roughly what should we expect to pay for a decent one bed apartment which must have a good sized balcony or room terrace. Feedback and suggestions will be a appreciated to give us a starting point.

z1a

Google????

*~Zephyr~*

Sorry I can't tell you how to find a villa, but if you really want to experience the 'ex-pat' lifestyle, I would very much recommend spending a month there out of season.

I know several people who have emigrated over the past few years, some of them family, and all of them struggled through the autumn and winter months. It's easy to imagine you're on an extended summer holiday during peak periods, but it's a very different experience once the holiday makers go home and the weather turns cooler.

It will depend on how well you adapt your life of course, one of my family members was trying to live exactly how they did in the UK right down to cooking roast beef dinners every Sunday, and they really never managed to settle into the expat life. They came back within 4 years.

DavidF

I did this years ago. I went out for a week first and walked round the local agents. Plenty of them. Long term lets get you good deals but when I say long I mean we were signing up for a year at a time. The place I was in is Benalmadena. I would recommend it as a way of life for the older generation it is really good. But it is what it is....
I came back to blighty after a couple of years....But would go back in a heartbeat if I had no commitments ect (I done the post apprenticeship couple of years out thing so kind of opposite from what you are intending I think). I would like to think when retirement comes to me that me and the misses will either move somewhere like that permanently or at least spend entire winters down there.
But my recommendation is to go out for a week and do your research on the ground, get into the local pubs ect and ask around for recommendations ect. Good luck.

DM116

The local Spanish Tourist offices may be able to help or there are some recommended websites. We stayed in a one bedroom apartment near Mijas Costa 3 years ago for a month from mid May to Mid June and it cost just over 2000 euros. We only booked up 6 weeks before departure which is probably why we got a deal. We also got a significant reduction as we were renting for a month in what they said was mid season. If you start getting into July and August it would have been nearly 3 times the price.

vintner55

Airbnb. Watch out for "hidden" charges. Read carefully as often there is an end cleaning charge to pay locally and sometimes also electricity. Security deposit usually also required. I think it's fairly safe in that Airbnb will cover if you are scammed but make sure you don't pay outside of the airbnb system. I've used them 5 times now in various countries and not had a bad experience.

happyandcontented

Owners direct are the the ones we usually use.You need to narrow your area down though.

lea2012

If you only plan on staying for a month you would still be looking at a 'holiday letting' rather than a residential letting say through an estate agent.

You could look at owners direct, homeaway or airbnb to find something or you may even be able to book via an online travel agent such as travel Republic or booking.com as they allow up to 30 days I think.

June is the start of the main season and if you head to a tourist resort you'll pay at least £250 a week I would say. You could try southern Costa blanca around torrevieja which is quite expat but substantially cheaper in some cases or around the Mar Menor. Or how about Costa Almeria in between blanca and del Sol? Look at Vera Playa or Garrucha which has a good ex pat community without being overly brits abroad?

Michael131

The idea of trying the lifestyle in Spain for a month sounds very appealing and was something we had considered trying. I know an ex work colleague who rented in mid season for a month last June following his retirement It cost him 400 euros a week but they negotiated a 50 Euros a week reduction for a 4 week stay therefore reducing the cost to 350 Euros week. they had their own terrace and a modern apartment but no use of a swimming pool. It was a 15 minute walk to the sea and shops. I believe that was in Javea near Denya.

AlexMac

Depends what you are looking for; for example, we visit Nerja (an hour East from Malaga; 60 Euros in a taxi, or a bus) most Febs and paid 55 Euros a night on a weekly rate for a fab apartment, bang in the town centre of this resort (favoured by older Brits but not at all chavvy). A couple next door were staying for a month on a slightly cheaper deal, and while the aprtment was potentailly noisy, as it was next to bars and restaurants, it had a sea view (about 30 m away) a small roof terrace with pool, and a fully fitted little kitchen with microwave , hob and fridge - and aircon! Google "Plaza Cavana 5 Apartments"

But that will give you an unrealistic view of expat life as there's not much to do except party and drink. So you'll be dead of liver failure in 10 years

The permanent expats we know there have a very different lifestyle; country or village properties, an active social life, some of it based around the local English church (but who welcome agnostics or atheists like our gay mates), an active walkers group or 60-80 mainly Brits who tackle quite tough mountain rambles every week and regular cultural or artistic programmes; not the usual Costa del Crime mob.

Find a few expat networks and think about how you'd cope if one got ill, or died; The network I mention has to support widows or widowers who are bereft and stranded when their partner dies. And you both must drive and learn the language; and maybe retain your UK property and let it out while renting in Spain for future proofing

Sicard

I second Airbnb. I used them a lot with no problems.