loll_l

Can anyone recommend a place to invest which matches the following criteria:

1 - Must be on the coast
2 - Plenty of choice regarding bars and restaurants
3 - A nice, picturesque marina
4 - Nice weather all year round

I like Lagos in Portugal but I'm worried about running out of choice regarding restaurants if I stayed there for a couple of months. I would also prefer a nicer marina than the one in Lagos.

I'm thinking either southern Spain or southern Portugal at the moment but I'm open to suggestions. The Canaries would be great for weather but I can't think of a resort anywhere in the Canaries that ticks all my boxes.

Once I have a few places recommended I plan to make a trip over in December/January to visit them all and make a final decision.

Any recommendations would be appreciated - cheers.

Bedar

Sounds like you want Marbella/Puerto Banus. Be careful of taxes. Portugal is better for that.

ribeirasacra

wrong forum ask here.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/europe-55/

ribeirasacra

PS you want "Nice weather all year round"
Then look on the North coast of Africa.
Weather in Europe is never stable enough to say you will have "nice" weather all year round.

nanabee

I am really not knowledgeable at all but our daughter and her family lived for about 4 months on a Greek Isle.

The Greek Islands have great weather year round, sailing marinas and ease of getting around the hundreds of other islands for a change of scenery for dining and exploring.

It is not southern Europe but might be something to consider.

Odin

The Greek islands do not have great weather all year round. They have a winter, snow, winds, rough seas etc. Nowhere in Europe is immune from winter.

StCirq

If you want nice weather all year round, Europe is not the place for you. North Africa could work, but even that can be iffy.

If you're looking for a holiday home what does it matter what a resort in the Canaries has to offer? Are you planning to buy in a resort?

Christina

I don't know of any place that has nice weather year round in Europe, Greek isles certainly don't, though. I guess it depends on your idea of nice.

Have you ever been to Southern Spain? I guess you must have or you wouldn't consider buying a home in a place you've never been, that would be bizarre. But the idea that southern Spain is ideal year round is a new one to me, I guess if you like heat of over 100F for some months.

loll_l

Thanks for the repies. I forgot to mention that one of the criteria is a shortish flight time (I live in Yorkshire) - preferably no longer than 4 hours. This is why I was thinking southern Europe. The weather does not necessarily need to be fantastic all year round - just nice enough to be able to sit outside on an evening.

"Sounds like you want Marbella/Puerto Banus. Be careful of taxes. Portugal is better for that."

Thanks for this Bedar - I will look into Marbella/Puerto Banus... What taxes do I need to look out for? Also... I may consider renting the place out when I'm not using it... Will I need some kind of licence for this?

StCirq

Renting depends on the country and the laws there and a lot of other things. Be prepared to be embroiled in a controversy over short-term versus long-term renting and be aware that long-term renting in Europe can be a real detriment -once someone is in your property in some countries (France, for example), it is almost impossible to get them out.You won't need a license, per se, but you do need to be aware of local laws.

Of course you will have to pay taxes if you own a property. Duh. You'll pay taxes foncières et taxes d'habitation in France -I imagine it's equivalent in other European countries. The amount is calculated depending on the département you live in.

You sound naive. If you don't speak the local language you will be at a great disadvantage. You will either have to fend for yourself (and good luck with that) or hire people at a goodly cost to manage things for you. Perhaps you have enough money to handle that, but it's at the end probably going to cost you almost as much as buying a property.

Are you really prepared for this? It's not a piece of cake. I also hope that you don't think that "investing in"a place in southern Europe " is going to be a money-maker. It won't be unless you buy where you know influential people in the community, speak the language fluently, and know how to upgrade a property to make it both locally and internationally seductive.

I don't mean to burst your bubble -I did this myself and now live here full-time -but you do sound really naive. I came here 25 years ago, bought a vacation house,spent summers here for 25 years, rented it out, then came here 2 years ago to live permanently.

I totally understand your "vision"and would realistically smash it with a realistic looking glass.

But you're looking at Spain or Portugal, so good luck there.

Bedar

Yes, you would need a license for that, and even if you don't rent it out, you'll be charged a tax as though you did ! There are all sorts of taxes. I'd be sure to consult an expert, not just a r.e. agent !! One thing I especially don't like in Spain is having to report all assets abroad ! They are not taxed now, but why are they compiling these lists now ?

nanabee

loll, wouldn't it be easier to rent an apartment or house every year rather than the hassles of owning one and just using it for a couple of weeks or months throughout the year. Unless you are like St.Cirq who owned a property with the intent to move there permanently. Is that your goal as well?

At the very least I would rent in various places over the next few years to see where you wanted to permanently own a property. Get to know the locals, the neighborhoods, the store owners, the people in the community, learn the language, etc.

annhig

loll - i have to agree with nanabee. We owned a holiday home in North Devon for about 10 years when our children were small and that was more than enough hassle for us, and that was in the same country. I would be very wary of buying, especially at the moment.

I'm surprised to read that you think you might run out of restaurants to go to in Lagos. I've never been there but I did see the Rick Stein prog about it, and it seems to be a very foodie place, and it is of course a rbig city. I live in Cornwall about 20 mins drive from Falmouth and I often say that you could eat in a different pub or restaurant there every night of the year and still not experience them all, and Falmouth is a lot smaller than Lagos. It also has what I consider to be a good climate for about 11 months of the year [ it never gets too hot!] and we have even been known to eat outside on occasion!

massimop

you definitely don't want to end up as unhappy as stcirq.

cafegoddess

massimop, lol

loll_l

Thanks for all the replies - I will definitely make sure to do my homework with regards to taxes, local laws, etc before I purchase anything... For now though I am just looking for recommendations on resorts that match my criteria...

Just to reiterate the 5 things I am looking for....

1 - Must be on the coast
2 - Plenty of choice regarding bars and restaurants
3 - A nice, picturesque marina
4 - Nice weather all year round (not necessarily hot all year round but preferably warm enough to sit outside during winter)
5 - No more than a 4/5 hour flight from Yorkshire, England.

Recommendations so far have been:

Lagos - I have been already and I really like this place but I'm not that impressed with the marina when comparing it with others such as Benalmadena.

Benalmadena/Torremolinos - I have been here recently and was very impressed with Benalmadena Marina and also the massive selection of bars/restaurants in this area. The only concern I have is that a few of the older generation (including my parents) have told me that this area used to have a Benidorm type reputation. Does it still have this type of reputation or has it improved since the 80,s/90's?

Marbella/Puerto Banus - Thanks for the recommendation Bedar. This looks like the kind of place/area I am looking for (I've never been) so will definitely pay a visit.

Nerja - This resort has recently been recommended but I know absolutely nothing about it as yet.

Any other recommendation or any further input on the places listed above would be much appreciated. Cheers.