A PLACE IN THE SUN

I watched the programme during the weekend and watched a couple searching for a house in Torrevieja. I’m convinced that this programme gives viewers the idea that they can buy a dream property in the sun for buttons. This particular episode was in the south of Torrevieja. The couple wanted a fabulous place on the Cabo Roig coast and within walking distance of the sea, bars and restaurants. The presenter finally showed a very decent house selling for around £105,000. Both liked the house but felt the kitchen needed to be completely replaced and THE WOODCHIP would also need to be replaced. The presenter never mentioned that most Spanish homes have the plasterwork finished in this style. The kitchen certainly didn’t look bad to me! Finally, they met up to discuss the plans List. The couple sat and told the female presenter that they liked the final prop our holidayer and had put in a cheeky offer. Amazingly, they offered £50,000. Even the presenter was shocked but little else was said.
These programmes suggest to people that they can pop over to Torrevieja and surrounding areas and buy a dream home in the sun for very little. It’s time they stopped this and promoted our area more honestly.
We need serious buyers who are prepared to pay a realistic sum for a decent home. We certainly don’t want dreamers coming over thinking that they will buy the perfect house for buttons. This programme is misleading and is lowering the tone of the Costa Blanca. I’m disgusted with it. Am I the only one to feel this way?

I cant blame them for trying, it's a buyers market. But it does make you wonder if they were serious about the property.

Most of the shows are a few years old, the tv people say they explain costs and things to them off camera. I agree with you, they are living in cloud cuckoo land

What amazes me is when they are asked what’s the maximum they can afford, they are then shown properties to the value of this, however it’s never explained that there is probably another 12% needed on top to complete the purchase, and very rarely are the hunters told what community fees are!

kathyl wrote:Most of the shows are a few years old, the tv people say they explain costs and things to them off camera. I agree with you, they are living in cloud cuckoo land

The current series on channel 4 has only been filmed last year,but some of these potential buyers if they where getting the house for nothing they would still want a discount

Ah this is one of my favourite topics. They complain about the property and so inland they go, complain some more, then they end up with the perfect house a few miles outside of a tiny village deep in the countryside. Then they say, ah we wanted to be by the coast and shops. Generally there’s compromises to be made. I like a couple of agents as they tell them straight - you need to compromise. Someone them are idiots. They show them terrible properties with loads of stairs when they don’t want a property with stairs. Sometimes you think - jeez.

Although we get the "your offer has been accepted" we never actually know if they bought the property. Follow up programmes would be good, say a year later to see them in their property.

Bee

They should also do interviews with some who have bought in the last 12-24 months to see how they got on, issues encountered and support provided after sale... that would be really useful to would be buyers