Buying a House in Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, Spain - Between the Lakes with Mike & Yvonne

[@michaelalexander2306]

I bought a 2 bedroomed apartment in Tazacorte on the Canary island of La Palma in September 2019. This is one of the less developed islands and is a more traditional Canarian experience. The estate agent, who spoke perfect English was brilliant and arranged everything. The apartment came fully furnished with everything I could want. With a Spanish bank account and NIE we went to the notary office exchanged the money and keys and I was able to move right in that very day. Two things I would recommend: there is an old military adage which states " time spent on reconaissance is never wasted". Visit you chosen area and look around before you buy and NEVER buy property straight off the internet. The other thing which will make your life in Spain easier is learning the language. My Spanish is limited but I have acquired a Spanish Girlfriend (how did that happen?), who speaks a little English, but although I live in a very Spanish community, the people are so friendly and I have been made very welcome by the locals. Virtually no COVID. Was it a good move no, a drop dead shrewd move!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Michael, very wise words and it sounds like you had a very good buying experience. We have not been to the Canary Islands but hope to one day. They seem to have almost totally evaded the virus. Hope you enjoy your time there, something tells me you will. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@elainegreen430]

Thank for this, the breakdown of finances was especially helpful.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Elaine, so pleased it was of some help. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@cr45682]

Thanks!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you so much for your generous super thanks. I'm sorry it's a late response but I've only just noticed now as I am reviewing my comments. I like to reply to every single comment we receive. I'm so pleased that this video was of some help to you. There are more details and videos about buying a property in Torrevieja on our website and on a particular page dedicated to it (there are some more relevant videos at the bottom of the webpage). You can see it here: sites.google.com/view/betweenthelakes/buying-our-house?authuser=0 Thanks again for watching and for your donation and our apologies for missing it on the first time. All the very best, Mike and Yvonne.

[@UnusSedLeo-w5l]

Very helpful indeed! € 59,000 doesn't buy you anything in the region these days. Love your house, perfect for two.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi, thanks for watching. Yes, we bought at 59,000 euros in 2017 and prices have gone up now, these properties are going for between 75,000 - 80,000. We have no regrets buying this house and will probably stay here happily for the foreseeable future. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@UnusSedLeo-w5l]

@@BetweenTheLakes We hope to join you guys in the nearby future! We are saving for the transfer to a more sunny life. Cheers, Roel

[@BetweenTheLakes]

@@UnusSedLeo-w5l Good luck and best wishes...

[@loumcast]

I came across your video, and your explanation of the different things you need/prices when you buy a property in Spain was excellent! I liked so much, that I subscribed!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you so much Loumcast, we are pleased that you enjoyed and learnt something from our experience. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@MumaBoo]

Really helpful video, thanks guys

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Barbara, Thanks for watching and for your nice comment. Best wishes. Mike and Yvonne.

[@Linda-gw5pm]

We brought from Bewola, was based on Torreta 3. He is retired now. Great service, painless. We are residents, based here all year round.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Nice to hear from you Linda, you are close to us. We like to pop in to Bar Patricia on a Sunday afternoon for Lunch and card bingo lol. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@bryancycling1543]

We had a similar buying experience to you, visited & rented a few times. Viewed properties & areas as well as revisiting without the agent to have a good walk around, we purchased a house in Atalaya Park in between Quesada & Benijofar as close to all amenities but not too close either. Good point about adding 15% additional cost as they don’t mention this on ‘A place in the sun’ We used an independent property consultant at no cost to us & we had an excellent Lawyer who is still looking after our taxes at no cost. No regrets buying in Spain but as mentioned there are hidden costs which may arise after purchase. Great video & very informative.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks for watching and commenting Bryan. Yes, A Place in the Sun used to mention communal charges in the early days but stopped mentioning it, they probably didn't think it was "good television" lol. They also always ask what the budget is and any "wiggle room" but then never mention the 10% property tax on top plus the other bits the viewers may not be aware of. Anyway thanks again for your comments, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@jackiemann7849]

So useful! Thank you.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks for watching and for your comment Jackie. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@edulfermejia4734]

Hi. Nice to see your videos. Happy days is coming in torrevieja

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Edulfer for watching and commenting, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@tonyg1179]

Mike and Yvonne thank you for the presentation. We are a retired couple from Canada and have considered Alicante City, but have not done anything thus far... Beautiful area agree!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Tony, thanks for watching and commenting. Alicante is a big and beautiful city. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne

[@wayne8872]

Great video guys, very accurate and informative. It brought back some memories of our house purchase. We can draw some parallels too, we downsized from a 4 bed detached to a terraced 3 bed which raised some cash and allowed us to retire earlier. Looking to get back to Spain soon. Take care both and thanks for the video. 👍🏻

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Wayne, looks like we are all singing off the same hymn sheet....lol. Hope you are well, Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@bandolero5068]

Lots of good info, guys, many thanks. Itching to move over myself.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Bandolero, thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Hi Yvonne and Mike. We did a similar thing . A fried had an apartment in Roda near Los-Alcázares we rented for 6 years and used that as a base to look for a property. We found the village of Sucina for our holiday home in the sun. Cheers Stevie and Corinne 🤩

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Stevie and Corinne, Wow, you spent six years looking. Glad it all turned out well for you. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@robbienorton2370]

Fantastic video and incredibly useful. I have just arrived home tonight and this time last night was spent in Shannons 🙂🙂 its still very quiet there at the moment. I was with Sheila on wednesday as she is looking after my sale and truely a lovely lady who is incredibly helpful. Hopefully i will get the opportunity to buy you both a drink in august as your videos have really been fantastic and given me the confidence to go ahead with my purchase 🙂 Your video will be a big help to those who are thinking of buying and great to see you back online. My wife and I were talking about you last week and were worried that somebody might have been ill when you were offline for a few weeks. Great to see you back online and thanks for the great videos 👍👍👍

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you so much Robbie, you are certainly in our neck of the woods if you were in Shannon's Bar. It's good that you are also endorsing Sheila and her great service. We are both fine, no problems with covid or anything else thankfully, we have just been absent more for moving house and not having the internet than anything else. Anyway, it's all done now so we can try and get back to normal. We will be heading off to Torrevieja in August for a long spell we hope. Best wishes to you both, Mike and Yvonne.

[@lordbarringtonkane1117]

Thanks you both have really helped us with costings, brilliant, thank you.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Lord Barrington Kane 111, It’s a pleasure to be of help. All the best

[@lordbarringtonkane1117]

@@BetweenTheLakes thanks loads we love your KZbin vids we are selling and moving asap 😎👌🏻👍🏻

[@lordbarringtonkane1117]

Hoping to play a gig or 2 in Spain youtube.com/@bsidekane69

[@BetweenTheLakes]

@@lordbarringtonkane1117 You will get plenty of work here.....

[@carolynfield9762]

Thanks for the fantastic information as we have just bought in torrevieja and this really helps, thank you Mike &Yvonne ☺️☺️

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Carolyn, It’s a pleasure, thanks for watching and your nice comment. Hope you enjoy your Spanish property, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@michaelcarey1999]

Outstanding video, extremely helpful, thank you both

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Michael, thanks for watching and your nice comment, hope there are some more of our videos we can help you with. All the best Mike and Yvonne

[@marcmackie6893]

Very helpful, thanks.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Marc, thanks for watching and for your comment. Glad to be of help. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@thomasdoughty9639]

Very useful video. Really helpful to see an actual, detailed process. Thumbs up.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Thomas, thanks a lot for your comments, much appreciated. All the best Mike and Yvonne

[@alistairhenderson6744]

Thanks for the information we complete on our apartment in Quesada in October and your videos are very helpful

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Alistair, thanks for watching and good luck with your apartment in wonderful Quesada. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@dorissiverios]

Wuow is mooie guezada

[@dianefrench5174]

Very good video. We have bought and sold 2 properties with Casa Espania and always used Sheila Garcia for any legal advice. We now live in La Siesta permanently as residents. Hope you manage to get back out here soon for a visit.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Diane, we hope to get out in August when the restrictions hopefully lift. I would always recommend Casas Espania and Sheila Garcia they both did a good job for us. Enjoy La Siesta and we will look forward to getting out there soon, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@juliecarr1191]

Great video, we also bought through Casas Espania. Hope you are both well x

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks Julie, we were well looked after by Casas Espania, they have a great reputation and will be around for a long time. Hope you are well, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@juliecarr1191]

@@BetweenTheLakes Yes very professional and nice friendly people, they will help all they can x

[@yvettewood9926]

Lovely video very informative and not boring like some others . Can’t wait to go and seek my new holiday home. -)

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Yvette, thanks for watching and commenting. Good look in your search. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@dorissiverios]

Gracias ya conosis a Torrevija mes gustos muchos en octubre estuves haya

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Doris Thanks for watching and commenting...

[@stevenstiles5112]

Thanks for taking the time to make this very good video.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Steven for watching and commenting Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@jaccroft]

Great to see you both and I clicked on yours as soon as I seen it . This info is perfect and in plain English easy to understand , like the way you have mentioned approx total % to add on as that makes all the difference with working out your budget . Love that you knocked the wall down in your place , so much better ! It's great to know that casas espania where able to help there too ! Gonna look at the places you've mentioned and do exactly the same with a few trips hopefully? . You make it sound so easy and I can clearly see that you have both got sensible heads 👍 Like that you've made plans to retire earlier and downsized to do so , as we have to make happy memories most important nowadays ! Love the video and feel like I know you personally now . Well done 👍 and hopefully see you in torrevieja soon x 🌈

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Jaqueline, Thank you for your nice comments,. It's great to know that the video has done its job in delivering the right information and easy to grasp. Thanks again and best wishes from Mike and Yvonne.

[@gingerbard2607]

Was looking on Airbnb for a month's apartment rental in the autumn - every other property had that same yellow and blue kitchen divider / window arrangement. Dated. I think you're brave (or clever) to be buying there at the moment.

[@Queen-of-Swords]

Thanks guys, I have been bargaining for all the things you've mentioned but it does help to hear it all over again. Have spoke to people who really put a downer on it, but I know its DOABLE! Plus, I effing hate the UK these days. I won't ever leave entirely, but I NEED time away.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Queen of Swords, thank you for watching and commenting. If you are planning to buy and not reside (like us) then the 90 day rule would come into play for you. We can just about live with it but it is a restriction we are hoping will be fixed in the future. We spend 90 days in Spain, then out for 90 days then back in for 90 and so on. It's a pain. Before Brexit we had freedom of movement and it wasn't a problem. We don't want to put you off Spain, it's a wonderful place to be but It's just a thing for you to consider. This applies, at the moment, to all Schengen countries in Europe. Thanks again, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@lavvyheid]

Hello guys! Nice to see you again. Been a while. Look forward to watching later tonight. 👍🏻

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Cheers Scott, hope you are keeping well, all the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@lavvyheid]

@@BetweenTheLakes Excellent insight into the process. Hopefully you will be back out there soon to enjoy the 😉 water!

[@eileenburrows1061]

Really great video and informative. My wife and i are looking to buy next year! Thank you!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks for watching and your nice comment. Hope you find the perfect property. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@Watches_Radios]

Having a beer now over near Bar San Remo beautiful weather just met the guys at Casas Espana. Take care both Russ and Cara 👍

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Great to hear you are there and enjoying the weather, I think Bar San Remo is a local haunt for Andy and Helen at Casas Espania, glad you met up....Enjoy the rest of your trip, Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@darrencharnley8240]

Great insight into buying abroad.We stayed in casa Jose when Josephine had the apartment use to love up on the roof terrace

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Darren, We wondered if the previous owner rented it out, we never met her but she was selling two properties when we bought this one and it was called Casa Josephine. We bought it on Valentines Day so we renamed it Casa Valentine. The solarium is our favourite place, spend hours on there doing nothing... all the best, Mike and Yvonne.

[@darrencharnley9497]

@@BetweenTheLakes Hope you are enjoying life there.We do still get out to altos del limonar we rent Maria just down the way from you.Yeah I used to love being up on the solarium I was forever cleaning to to pass the time away.May bump into you when we are next over,usually in July but for the pandemic #enjoy

[@BetweenTheLakes]

@@darrencharnley9497 👍

[@garrysmythe]

Great little video, first time I have seen you two, very well presented, thanks for posting from Garry in Barnsley UK

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks Gary for your comments, glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne

[@gerkilduff8044]

Thank you for excellent info! Enjoy your videos.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Ger, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@our-placeinthesun]

We did exactly the same as you guys, used a couple of different agents and visited a number of different properties. We also had a stay in Torreveija to make sure we were happy with the area. We final ended up just round the corner from you guys in Dona Ines, just behind the boat on the round about!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Robert, Yes we know that roundabout, you're close to us. Great place to be. You did the right thing checking out the area like we did, it makes good sense...best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@our-placeinthesun]

@@BetweenTheLakes you are just behind McGills and the Shannon bar etc from memory. We often go to both of those places! We love the area of Torrevieja, and had a local bar literally down the road El Paraiso, which has now been converted to a church...

[@jasonthompson514]

You mentioned a few estate agents and a solicitor in your video. Do you mind sharing those, always handy to now a few good ones, if we take the plunge . Cheers

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Jason, we bought with Casas Espania at la Siesta. We also went out with several others in the area, Casas Manuel in Benijofar (featured on Sun Sea and Selling Houses) Vincent in Benijofar, Habitat in Los Montesinos and a few small local ones. Our solicitor is Sheila Garcia in La Zenia. All the information is on our video "Buying a house in Torrevieja" (check the information in the details in the description) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHPPnWqjYsaCsJY Thanks for watching and commenting, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@jasonthompson514]

@@BetweenTheLakes thanks

[@leegilmour8090]

Hi Mike and Yvonne thanks for a great vlog, we have watched various vlogs on the process of buying a spanish property and getting the bill's set up, and yours is the most straight forward that we have watched so far 😉👍🏻

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks Lee, it's great to hear that you enjoyed the video. We will keep on making them as long as people like yourself are benefitting from them. It's great to hear positive feedback, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@neilhamilton6734]

Fantastic video guys. It was a pleasure helping you with your successful search and seeing me on there with the sold sign. Give me a call when you are next in Spain. It was good days at Casas Espania, but I can still be found selling property with Spanish Life in Ciudad Quesada,

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Neil, great to hear from you, we heard you were selling in Quesada but didn't know where. Glad you enjoyed your cameo in our video. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@davidwatts968]

Hola, Great to see you back. Glad your move went off ok. I am booked to go to Spain at the end of July. Really need to to go this time as my property in Torrevieja has not been seen for a year now. This will be my sixth attempt of going. With such flight changes and rearranging things in the U.K. and Spain is so frustrating. But never mind, we are heading in the right direction now. We all have to think positively and try to work through all the issues. Good video. Nice to see back on line. David

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hola David, We think the worst is over now and hopefully by the end of July we should be almost back to normal and flights etc should be ok and no testing required. We will come over in mid August for 3 months. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@davidwatts968]

@@BetweenTheLakes that’s good news. I am going at the End of July for about ten days Due to doing business there which has been postponed so many times. Just seen on the news that our Covid infection rates are going up again, which is a bit worrying. I will probably go out again in October. Let’s hope that next year is not going to be the disaster that the last 14 months have been for us all. May see you in Torrevieja in October time. Keep up the good work David

[@juliaeaves9355]

Great video. Very interesting & clearly explained. Hoping to buy in the area next year so found this very helpful. We are both retired now. You have a new subscriber. I've heard your channel mentioned by other youtubers so thought I'd take a look. So glad I did 💃🏖 Thank you and now to watch your others videos 😊

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Julia, Thanks for watching, commenting and subscribing. So pleased you found it helpful. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne

[@darlowad]

Brilliant video guys! Me and the wife have been planning a Spanish holiday home for a while, restrictions are making it difficult but were itching to get on a plane now and start viewing! Some great tips here that we hadn't even considered.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Cheers Chris, thanks for your comments and good look with the search when you get over here. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@jimboyle6974]

Insightful. Thks for sharing your experience. My personal opinion is unless you've decided to live permanently in spain, would you not be better to rent for the 3 winter months ( for example), then just say 'adios' to the property with no bills to worry about,no maintance etc. You might say the rent is dead money,but so is that 15% you paid on the purchase price. That will never be recouped,even should you sell up eventually. Just thinking out loud.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Jim, thanks for watching and for your thoughts. You may be right but we are happy to have bought somewhere to call our own and we have made a modest profit on the market value of the house. We never intended to make a profit and the annual running costs are very small so we are very happy to continue to spend time in our place in the sun.

[@Kim-ix6yv]

Great informative Video, thank you

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks for watching Kim. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@JannyHaak]

Hi Mike & Yvonne! Thanks for sharing your buying experience, so kind of you and very helpful! 👍 It looks so much better with the wall removed in the kitchen, and all the fresh paint. Looks very bright! We also recently moved to a new home to lower our monthly costs so that we can maybe retire a little bit earlier. We are not sure yet if we want to buy a property in Spain, or maybe just rent for the months that we will visit. We'll see how things work out 😉 In the meantime we will enjoy your beautiful video's of the area, and learn from your tips & tricks. Hope you can visit sunny Spain very soon! ☀️ Take care! Greetings from The Netherlands 🤗

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Janny, Thanks for your nice comments. Things change don't they! who would have thought 2 years ago we would have had to do the things we have been doing like restrictions on travel, wearing masks and staying at home. You may change your mind about buying, you never know what's round the corner. I think we have turned a corner now and I see a much brighter future for us all, lets hope I got that one right, Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@zoyayakimenko8699]

Excellent video. We also bought casas ESPANIA.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Zoya, yes, Casas Espania do look after their customers even after purchase. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@carolinecurtis6788]

Hi I've gonna back to near the beginning of when you started your channel very informative. One quick question I have Suma on my bank statement twice, is that because there is two people .or is that how it come out each year , picking your brains layman's terms.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Caroline, Thanks for watching and for your comment. If you are in our community (Torrevieja), the suma bill appears three times in total in the year. We get one in May, which is for rubbish collection ours is 21.36€ and then we get two payments in either October or November for, rubbish collection again 23.36€ and the big council tax bill which for us is 146.50€. so one in May and two in October or November. Hope this is clear. Thanks again, all the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@carolinecurtis6788]

Ahhh bless you guys , it's clear ,thanks so much ,yes I'm when there in the Torretta 2 area , always hoping to bump into you guys , I'm on my second bungalow of which one will be for rental and I have used and referred your videos to people who want to buy and may have missed certain things what we're not clear from the solicitor. ,So thumps up and hope to meet you guys one day👍👍👍

[@michaelmiddleton9576]

Thank you Guys. Very helpful. Cheers 🍻

[@deetusk]

Great video and thanks for breaking it down can't wait until its our turn... Hopefully we will get out this year at some stage and view the few we have lined up.. Take care xx

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi deetusk thanks for watching and your nice comment, All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@gweedoreone4877]

Another great video production. We also purchased 2 yrs ago and same process/costs , however I would recommend you always get an independent solicitors (avoid conflict of interests), everything is negotiable so you should 10% higher than your budget and then offer what you can afford. When are your next over would be great if you can do a drone video shoot for our roof top apartment (summer job)...cheers

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Gweedoreone, Yes it's a good point you make about the independent solicitor. Fortunately we had no problems and all ended very well. We were pleased with everything and the ease of completion etc. We will be over sometime in August, we think. Keep you eye on the channel for confirmation. Thanks for your comment, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@katharinatrub1338]

Love to watch you Guys. Very interesting to watch you!!! My mom (100) lives in Quesada, me I live in Quebec but who knows maybe I wanna go live in Spain someday ; )) For the moment I enjoy very much your vlogs!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Katherina, Thanks for watching and commenting. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@susancoward8323]

Very informative

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Susan, All the best, Mike and Yvonne.

[@markdonovan1540]

Not a good time to buy at the moment, unless you get lucky of course. (E.g. someone needing a quick sale to leave Spain) Three main factors to consider waiting a couple of years: 1. Sterling vs Euro exchange is still quite low 2. Property prices are artifically high in many areas. You have to bid much lower and don't budge. If they are not interested, then look elsewhere. 3. Brexit consequences are still unclear at the moment.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Mark, you make some good points here. I think a lot of people will be hanging on for now due to Covid and Bexit. The 90 day rule would be the one that would make me think twice about a holiday home in Spain now. Thanks for your comments, All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@Loopyland886]

Thank u guys I knew u did I just couldn't find it watched it again lol a bit scary xxx

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hope it helps....

[@jdmortega9121]

Torrevieja is the cheapest village you can find along the cost but It doesn't mean that its a bad place to settle , its really big and you have anything around you want or need ...good weather , beaches , close to another places as Guardamar , Santa Pola , La Manga .....I think you can live quieter and with less stress .....there are two great cities as Valencia and Alicante close as well , in Spain good transport to anywhere even TGV , no pay for roads , free health ., friendly people ....what else ?

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi JDM Ortega, thanks for watching and commenting. You make some good points in your comment. Torrevieja is a great town with a rich diversity of people and all at great value in terms of property and prices at the shops and restaurants etc. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@chrispeach8953]

Brilliant video guys, very useful for us who are in the process of buying a property!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

thanks a lot Chris, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@felipe9941]

Good to see you both..happy new home ! Great idea to downsize and enjoy more freedom in sunny Costa Blanca...you both look very well on it ha! Great video and easy to understand info.. iv looked at houses on Limonar top floor..definitely a good choice and location..I agree the kitchen wall needed to go ..fab improvement ..hope you get to visit in soon ..all the best ..Philip :)

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Philip, hope you are well. Yes we have now settled in our new downsized tiny little house in Cleckheaton, we really like it here it has everything we need. Yes the kitchen in our place in Torrevieja was not good and needed the wall out to create a nice open space. We will be there in August sometime we hope. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@alanmchaffie3047]

Lovely to see you both….we are flying out this Saturday. Tests are £225 each. That will be a 1 off. Obvs can’t afford that each time……we will have a few beers for you…stay safe. Best wishes. Alan & Cher 😎😎🥳🥳

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Wow those tests are so expensive, let's hope by the time we go in August they will be a thing of the past. Hope you are both well, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@charliemassage2368]

Hi Mike and Yvonne Thank you for your video's Helping for to make decisions quickly 😅 We just contacted Sheila recently and she will look after our next adventure..buying apartments in Torrevieja... Thank you for your advice 🙏 God bless you

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Charlie, thank you for watching and your nice comment. Best wishes with your properties, Mike and Yvonne.

[@charliegbr4744]

thanx...very helpful video...planning to buy this year or next...around torrevieja..:-)

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks for watching and commenting Charlie, keep watching, All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@sergiopte]

Hello Mike & Yvonne, We love your videos🌟 Me and my wife are considering moving to TorreVieja since it seems a very nice place to live and to buy property, but there's something that concerns us, and it's about the security, because in a fast Google's search, we found out that TorreVieja is on the top 3 of the most dangerous cities to live in Spain, We are very sad about it, since we are very much looking forward to moving there 😪. Our question is, if you have experienced something no so great regarding safety on the streets and house security. Thank you for reading us ✌🏼 Adios!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Sergio, Thanks for watching and also for your comment. We have not had anything happen to us that would make us think Torrevieja is any worse regarding safety than any other town in Costa Blanca South. We are not saying that there isn't any crime but it's not something that has bothered us so far. We had a friend who recently had their electric bike stolen in broad daylight on the seafront but I think this could happen in any town. As regards home security, we live in an upper bungalow so we are surrounded by other houses, below and opposite and I think this is why we have never, in six years had a problem. In Torrevieja center, we have never seen any violence on the streets or anything like that during the day or when we have been out at night. Again we are saying that it might happen but we have never seen it and we spend a lot of time in Torrevieja. I think the best thing to do is spend as much time here in Torrevieja as you can before you decide to buy, ask around, see for yourself and then make up your own minds. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@chilled-out-on-lantau]

great video! Love what you did with the kitchen!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Camn, Gareth at Casas Espania recommended this kitchen design, we saw it at another property, liked it and went for it. The wall came down and the kitchen was fitted. They did a great job. Thanks for watching and commenting, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@lizcoleman5229]

Thank you for the information! Looking to buy a house on the beach in Spain within a year or two.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks for watching and your comment. Have a good look round before you buy, check out the prices away from the beach as well just to compare...All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@johnnyn1964]

Thank you both for this excellent video. IMO one of the best on this topic 🙏

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Johnyn 1964, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your nice comment, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@ladhope]

Looking forward to this!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Cheers Steve, hope you find it useful, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@ladhope]

@@BetweenTheLakes Very useful thanks. We both enjoyed it. Steve & Pauline.

[@IamGaryRichardson]

Hi folks, the good lady and I have just started our search. Thinking about buying in Algorfa as we've been there a load of times and really like it. Great info contained in this video, really helpful. Wondered if you would consider doing a quick video ( or comment reply) on the process of registering and operating rules for your drone in Spain. Thanks and keep the valuable info coming. Edit : Don't mean this to sound cheeky but one of the things I wondered about the drone was did you buy the mini because of regulation differences or was it because you thought it would suit your purposes better? Drone filming is a thing I would need to do a lot of in Spain.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Gary R, thanks for watching and your comment. To fly your drone in Spain you need to register with The Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA), the equivalent to our CAA. Ypu also need to take an exam with EASA The European Air Safety Agency, which is not too difficult. You need public liability insurance and depending on your particular drone you may need to take additional exams to fly in certain areas if the weight of the drone exceeds 250gms. Spain are very tight on privacy laws so these must be adhered to. I never fly over people or buildings and stay a good distance away around 50 metres. All this can be found online here: drone-traveller.com/drone-laws-spain/ or www.grupooneair.com/spanish-drones-laws/ I found it quite difficult to get registered but managed it with the help of The International Drone Seekers: facebook.com/groups/1980281998867305/ In answer to your last question, I bought the Mini 2 because of it's weight (under 250gms) Restrictions are a little less harsh, it can be flown over things but the privacy laws are different so you still have to be aware of that. I just use my common sense and respect the Spanish Laws as best I can, if in doubt I don't fly. Hope this helps, Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@PhilHiggins-jn9bl]

You strike me as a very Happy couple and Honest and helpful. I have come across a similar property to your wee Casa Valentine. Similar price to what you paid. I know the area but can't get out till mid May. Would you purchase online? Like your Casa Kitchen needs wall removed and new units. What approx in today cost. Have you done Bathroom 🚻 yet as similar to yours needs a walk in Shower. If you done it approx costs. I have been in these apartments in Nature area so know layout and sizes

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Phil, We paid 4000 euros for the kitchen. We haven't yet done the bathroom but I think a walk-in shower would be about 2500 fitted. Thanks for watching and for your comments. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@PhilHiggins-jn9bl]

Thanks for replying with good 👍 tips. I think I will go for Apartment. 59 in today market not bad. I must also compliment on music in video 📹 brilliant 👏 👌. Doing any more videos round the area

[@robertbriansande1514]

Well played guys :D

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Robert, Thanks for watching and commenting. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@alanmchaffie3047]

Looking forward to this guys 🥳🥳

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Alan, hope you find it useful, all the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@TheDotBot]

Brilliant video, lots of useful info and very reassuring!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Dave , glad it was of some help to you, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@Hope2421]

Thank you, that was informative and useful.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you for watching and commenting Tom, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@ritasheeran2403]

Great video I am looking for a property so you have given me the confidence to get looking now thanks .

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you so much Rita, It's easy, straightforward and painless as long as you use a good estate agent and solicitor. We had no problems and were very well looked after by both Casas Espania and Sheila Garcia. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@johngilluley1327]

Hi Mike and Yvonne. Noticed the bus drove past Quesada. Does it stop there by chance.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi John, the bus does not stop until it gets to the bus station. It is really frustrating as it passes within 100 yards of our house also. there were only 2 couples on the bus but they wont drop anyone off. We get a taxi back up, costs us a tenner....lol

[@johngilluley1327]

@@BetweenTheLakes thanks for getting back to me. Enjoyed the video. Found it very useful.

[@kennethtoft6940]

Great stuff guys ..

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Kenneth, All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@yogiparashara4016]

Hi Guys - love watching your content , when will you be launching another episode?

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Yogi, we will be doing one soon hopefully....

[@yogiparashara4016]

Thanks that’s great news 👍 love your show

[@ghanishrif3328]

Thank you very much

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Ghani, all the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@brianpinkard7746]

Very nice presentation. Do you have more pictures of inside and out?

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Brian, thanks for watching and commenting. We don't have any more pictures at the moment. We will take some when we return in August. We have replaced a lot of the original furniture so it does look a little different on the inside. We have painted the outside also so it has changed quite a bit since we bought it. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@ceciliacarvajal5642]

Buen vídeo!!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Cecelia, thanks for watching and your comment best wishes Mike and Yvonne

[@WinstonSmith1984]

Thank you for the video. Most recommend not to use the solicitor that the property agent recommends just in case there is some conflict of interest there. Your bank costs are high though, so perhaps you should change bank. My solicitor told me that most Spanish banks charge exorbitant tariffs for foreigners and recommended Cajamar to me. There is also the new Openbank that doesn't have any costs which is a Spanish bank without offices that one can open as a foreigner without a NIE number. I am a EU (Dutch) resident though, so perhaps the situation is slightly different in my case. When you bought the property, which documents did you receive at the notary? I'm curious if they gave you the Cédula de Habitabilidad (habitability license) for the property or if you have to go to the town council to request it yourself. It's not so important if you're living in a apartment, but it really is for those living in villa's on land that could possibly be illegal for urban use.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Winston, thanks for watching and commenting. Yes the bank charges have crept up since we bought in 2017. They were €30 every 3 months and now €40. 25% increase! So I will look into other banks and see what our options are. I'm in UK at the moment so can't check my documents, we had to wait for the deeds but we have them now and I'm thinking we did get the habitation document but not 100%. Thanks again for your comments.

[@Dave-iy1wt]

Hi are you guy's residents or are going too. I moved to torrevieja last December and I've had my residents card accepted great video hurry and retire❤❤🇪🇸🦊

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Cheers Dave, all the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@SchildersbedrijfMJF]

good video thanks

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thanks for watching and your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

Great video guys and very helpful for others wanting to buy in Spain. Many thanks for sharing the info - Big Like from me :)

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Cheers Shaun, good luck with the show tonight we will be watching. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@dorissiverios]

Hola buenas tardes muchas gracias bendiciones

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Doris, best wishes Mike and Yvonne

[@paulwilliams6163]

What a brilliantly informative video what I would like to know that even with Brexit and the pandemic and 90 day stay would you still do it again? ......

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Paul, thanks for watching and commenting. Great question, I would say yes we would do it all again because we love Spain and we can cope with the restrictions of 90 days. 3 months here and 3 months there for us is fine because we still have all our family in the UK. Tha pandemic will eventually be over or under control so should ease travel restrictions. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@paulwilliams6163]

@@BetweenTheLakes thankyou it's so helpful I'm just about to start the ball rolling for my wife and I kind regards Paul

[@delheightley6475]

Very helpful. Many thanks 😄

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Del, thanks for watching and commenting, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@anai1895]

Hello and thank you for your videos😀. I would like to know about the sewer smell that some people talk about in social media. Are there parts of the city that have a sewer smell? I would like to get a property there since they are really affordable but the sewer smell is a concern I have before making the move. Thank you so much!!!

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi, we have never experienced that here where we are in Altos del Limonar, thank goodness!. We have been passed areas where there has been a smell but not in built up areas like Torrevieja central. I think they would fix it quick as it would be a health issue. We think the best way, as we always say, is to spend time in the area you fancy buying in at different times of the day and walk around to see what is about and make sure it's what you want. Thanks for watching our videos and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@anai1895]

Thank you very much for your answer. I will spend some time there before thinking about buying any property in torrevieja..@@BetweenTheLakes

[@rickardm]

Hi Mike. As you know i really like the quality of your production, but one thing is a bit disturbing, not only with your videos, but with most videos/channels on youtube, and its the volume of the music - it tends to be 50-100% higher then the parts when you talk. I would appreciate if you tried to lower the music volume in order for me not to be forced to lower the volume. If i dont, my partner "in the other room" complain... I am also a bit curious how you do in order for NOT having the low frequency noise (mostly from wind and car noise) as most other channels have, do you use a low pass filter to filter lower frequencies out?

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Rickard, thanks for your comments. I do try really hard to get the levels where they should be. I have just changed my editing system from Adobe Premiere CC to Black Magic DaVinci Resolve Studio so I am getting used to the limiters and compressors to get the sound spot on. I usually pitch the general levels at -6db which is in line with broadcast levels and music the same level except when it is under narration I then pitch it at -24db. I will keep an eye on it and take your comments on board. The wind noise is not a problem for me because if it's windy I try not to record outside. If i do record outside I use broadcast wind muffs on the Rode wireless go mics which are excellent quality. I do use high pass filter when necessary which filter out low frequencies. Thanks again Rickard for watching and commenting, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@energibutiken_se]

@@BetweenTheLakes Is general levels really "top levels" when you talk?, if so most of the voice parts of the video will be much lower then the music? If i did not disturb any one else with my listening, it would not be a problem, but when you have your partner looking at another program in the room next door (without door) i feel the need to run the volume up and down depending on music or voice material. This is more or less standard on all channels i follow - seems to be some sort of general setup in all the editing/studio softwares. Its almost like the difference between TV-programs and the commercial spots when watching TV. This is not a big problem, i just wonder how this comes, and i understand you are one of the best of what you do, i guess you can fix it if you think i have a point.

[@GarethBolton]

Great video

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Glad you enjoyed it, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@cameramanceltic4915]

thanks for the information guys very clear and simply explained. i hope to move to spain soon myself from ireland , the price you paid is what i am looking for also.

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Camera Man Celtic, Thanks for watching and commenting. Consider Casas Espania when you decide they have many properties in the Torettas area and El Chaparal where bargain prices can be picked up. Check out the link in the description. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@earthtrekker1]

Hi guys, love your very informative video, can we ask if the property tax of 10% is every year or a one time payment when you buy?

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Gary, the 10% tax is a one-off payment when you initially buy the property. If you are a non-resident you may be required to pay their non-resident tax which is an annual tax. We have a video about here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6i5f56rg6emY7s more relevant stuff here: sites.google.com/view/betweenthelakes/buying-our-house?authuser=0 Hope this may help, thanks for watching and your comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@earthtrekker1]

@Between the Lakes with Mike & Yvonne thank you very much 👍

[@elaineoconnor2630]

Great to see you both again and hope uz are happy in your new home, spot on information for anyone thinking of buying, we also found the buying process very smooth here too , a good estate agent and good lawyer do everything for you . Take care and look forward to next video 🍻🍻

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Elaine, yes, as you say, a good lawyer and a good estate agent and it should be a walk in the park. Hope you are well, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@juliaeaves9355]

Hello 😊😎💃☀️ I meant to ask if you had a survey done on your bungalow? General or structural? Thank you 🏖

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Julia, No we didn't is the answer to that one. We are not saying don't get one, we think you should if you feel you should. We didn't because we felt the property was sound and there are so many of the same type of property with no history of problems that we knew of so we thought it was worth the risk in this instance. Thanks for your comment, all the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@juliaeaves9355]

Thank you for yr reply. Happy holidays ahead for you 🏖☀️💃 I have now watched and thoroughly enjoyed all of your vlogs. Because of your vlogs and knowledge we are hoping to buy in your area soon. I spend every evening searching for apartments for sale. So thank you so much for sharing 👍🏼😊😎

[@zolfodor4835]

Loved this,very informative,I,ve only just found out about Los Montesinos today,because I,m looking at retiring to Spain in 2 years & looking at different areas,& I was speaking to someone earlier & they told me about this area,so I,m gonna do a bit of research,I understand there's obviously a few more obstacles regarding moving out there permanently,but do you know people who live there full time ? & What is it like ?? Thank you 👍

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Zol, thanks for watching and commenting. We have done over 40 videos on various topics and areas around where we are and Los Montesenos, so I would start by watching them and you may get a feel of what the area is like. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.

[@zolfodor4835]

@@BetweenTheLakes I certainly will watch them,It actually looks quite difficult & very expensive to retire in Spain from what I've googled.🤔🤔

[@michaelbailey2721]

Loved this vlog thank you

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Thank you Michael, All the best, Mike and Yvonne.

[@christinelucey9461]

Just thinking of buying apartment in St Luis any advice please. Love your videos

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Christine, we have done a few videos around the San Luis area. Thanks for watching, there may be some you haven’t yet seen. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@hayleycash8787]

Great video and very useful breakdown of bills. May I ask did you have a survey when buying the property and if so how much was it.? Also how long did the whole buying process take? Hopefully not as long as the UK. Once again great video thanks

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Hayley, we did not have a survey done. We thought if there had been a problem with these properties, built in 2000 we would have heard something by now. There are a lot of them all of the same construction with the same builder and all are well with no issues. We had a solicitor who was very good and checked all the things we might worry about like past payments of bills, there was no debt with the property, they had paid their non-resident tax on the house, etc. ( if it has not been paid then that debt would pass on the new owner) We decided to buy it and paid our deposit on February 14th at the estate agent (Casa Espania) and got the keys on the 18th April, so pretty quick. We were cash buyers so no hold-ups or chains to contend with. Thanks for watching. All the best Mike and Yvonne.

[@hayleycash8787]

@@BetweenTheLakes thank you for the reply x

[@simonhopkinson1815]

Evening Mike & Yvonne. Hope you guys are settling in back at home in the UK. Just a quick question re estate agents. Who else besides Casas Espania did you use to view properties in Limonar, San Luis, Torretas etc before you purchased your house in Spain? Will your channel be taking a break for a while, now you're home, or will there be some Yorkshire content? 😂. ATB Simon & Sue

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Simon, we used a few, I can remember Vincent and Casas Manuel and another one who had since ceased trading, it was by the park of nations. I think we talk about who we used in this video. We will continue with the videos from the UK and we are going to Majorca soon so one from there. Cheers, Mike and Yvonne.

[@Shamrah.A]

Lovely post, very insightful :) I wonder how much you spent on the renovation. It definitely looks much better after the renovation 👍🏼

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Shamrah-Shon, we spent €3900 on the renovation which included knocking down the kitchen wall, replacing all the kitchen units, hob, oven and fitting a new boiler system. Thanks for watching and asking. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.

[@Shamrah.A]

@@BetweenTheLakes Thanks for the reply. That's a really good price for all that, plus it definitely looks so much better - really worth it I feel. Hope you have a wonderful time in your new home and lots of positive memories 😇🙏🏼

[@yogiparashara4016]

Great video very informative, out of curiosity how much did it cost to renovate your kitchen?

[@BetweenTheLakes]

We paid €4000 to knock down the wall, put in the brand new kitchen and new boiler.

[@SlapRoundTheChops]

@@BetweenTheLakes cheap as chips. You did well there

[@MsElke11]

I'm your thousandth LIKE!! Have you ever thought of renting out your place in between stays? Or is that too big of a headache?

[@BetweenTheLakes]

Hi Elke, thank you for being the 1000th like, we much appreciate it. No, we always thought it would be too much hassle and then paying 24% tax on the profits. We don't consider it worth the effort. Also we are going to be here 3 months and 3 months in UK then 3 months here again continuously. Thanks for watching and commenting. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.