What is this area like?

Graham_Lynn · by **Graham_Lynn** » Tue May 24, 2022 7:33 am

It sounds as though you’re having doubts already if you are having to ask that question.
Most importantly advice is the area has to feel right for you. As you say you’re moving permanently I’m sure you must have had a check list of what you want for your permanent home. But you always have to find the correct area first, the ideal property is secondary.
From:the area you’ve circled, you seem to be close to the aquapark. So that area does get very busy in the summer months, lots of additional traffic and as noise carries a long way here in Spain, you’ll probably hear the noise from the aquapark. Did you check how far it is to walk to your nearest bars and restaurants, if so are you happy with that distance. Also bear in mind that although we are having a “mini heatwave” (quote British media) at the moment, it’s nothing compared to the weather in August, when that 15 minute walk turns into 30 especially if you have any slight inclines around you.
When we bought our property we sat in what would be our local bars and chatted to people to get a real impression of what people thought about the area and everything just felt right. We immediately knew we’d made the right decision.
We fell in love with our local bars and yes bar owners change hands quite often, but we were immediately made to feel part of the community and knew we’d be happy. As soon as the location felt right we only then started viewing properties.
Once we’d found the location we bought within 24 hours!
That was five years ago and since then, we’ve realised how different all the little areas of Quesada are from each other and we all want different things.
I have a friend who lives in Punta Prima, loves the area, loves her property, recommends it to everyone. But to me it’s all my nightmares rolled into one as she lives directly on the N332 and lives with the noise and pollution levels of the traffic jams in that area. The only traffic noise I have is from the odd cement mixer passing by and the daily visit from the ice cream van.
What works for one, definitely doesn’t work for another.

Lynn

Expat in Quesada · by **Expat in Quesada** » Tue May 24, 2022 7:34 am

TonTri wrote:I believe that area is known as Atalaya Park. I don't know much about it but it is very convenient for Quesada Town. I haven't heard anything bad about it at least but hopefully there is someone on the forum who is familiar with the area.

Good luck with your purchase and welcome to the forum

Thanks TonTri.

Expat in Quesada · by **Expat in Quesada** » Tue May 24, 2022 7:40 am

Patriciaann wrote:I would rather lose €3000 than continue to buy something in the wrong area
There is a lot of expenses buying in Spain , so
you really need to be sure before you commit , even if
other people are interested

We bought a villa 5 years ago in El Raso
Didn’t really do our homework about the area , but saw
the beautiful detached villa , and went for it
Never really worked for us

Hi Patriciaann, thanks for your post. I agree that losing €3000 is considerably better than buying in the wrong place. The Spanish property tax at 10% is almost criminal so paying it twice is lunacy. If I discover that this area is not right, I would have no issue stopping the sale at this point. Obviously, I would prefer not to do this as nobody wants to throw away this much money so if the overwhelming consensus is that this is the wrong area, I will re-evaluate our purchase.

Cheers.

John & Angie.

Graham_Lynn · by **Graham_Lynn** » Tue May 24, 2022 7:43 am

Would it not be cheaper to pop over for a couple of days to check out the immediate area of your property?

Lynn

geeeman · by **geeeman** » Tue May 24, 2022 8:09 am

I think a lot depends on what you like - I like things peaceful and to be left alone so I love the area but others may find it a little too quiet.

I know the area well and nothing but positive comments from me - It’s a nice spot. Central between Quesada high street, Benijofar, Benimar and Rojales - all walking distance (15 mins to Quesada high street). Small bar showing football 5 minutes walk away if that’s your thing.

It was chosen by my parents 10 years ago and I thought it was a bit too far from Quesada (my favourite out of the 4) but as I’m getting older and more relaxed I’m enjoying the walks more and think they got it spot on. Also would be a lot more expensive if it was closer.

I’d suggest having a car for big supermarket shop trips as it will be a trek with shopping but you don’t need one for day to day little things. Mercadona supermarket less than a 5 minute drive.

Quick car run to Guardamar beaches and half an out from many more. Close to motorway. Easy to get to from airport. It’s on the edge of the general large urbanisation (seem to lots of smaller urbanisations blending into one as the area is developed) which means you can quickly get to the bigger transport links rather than 5-10 minutes driving out of the local area.

A blend of residents and holiday homes.

Quiet but close enough to infrastructure.

Nice and safe.

There seems to be a few of the older residents who have been there 15 years or so moving on as old age takes its toll but that probably happens everywhere.

Yes you can hear the aqua park during the day but it’s only open 2 or 3 months a year and it’s not an offensive noise - just kids having fun and it isn’t too loud.

Charlotte is a very thorough conveyancer and you’re in good hands.

Go for it and enjoy !

I’m a little biased though !!!!

Expat in Quesada · by **Expat in Quesada** » Tue May 24, 2022 8:45 am

Graham_Lynn wrote:It sounds as though you’re having doubts already if you are having to ask that question.
Most importantly advice is the area has to feel right for you. As you say you’re moving permanently I’m sure you must have had a check list of what you want for your permanent home. But you always have to find the correct area first, the ideal property is secondary.
From:the area you’ve circled, you seem to be close to the aquapark. So that area does get very busy in the summer months, lots of additional traffic and as noise carries a long way here in Spain, you’ll probably hear the noise from the aquapark. Did you check how far it is to walk to your nearest bars and restaurants, if so are you happy with that distance. Also bear in mind that although we are having a “mini heatwave” (quote British media) at the moment, it’s nothing compared to the weather in August, when that 15 minute walk turns into 30 especially if you have any slight inclines around you.
When we bought our property we sat in what would be our local bars and chatted to people to get a real impression of what people thought about the area and everything just felt right. We immediately knew we’d made the right decision.
We fell in love with our local bars and yes bar owners change hands quite often, but we were immediately made to feel part of the community and knew we’d be happy. As soon as the location felt right we only then started viewing properties.
Once we’d found the location we bought within 24 hours!
That was five years ago and since then, we’ve realised how different all the little areas of Quesada are from each other and we all want different things.
I have a friend who lives in Punta Prima, loves the area, loves her property, recommends it to everyone. But to me it’s all my nightmares rolled into one as she lives directly on the N332 and lives with the noise and pollution levels of the traffic jams in that area. The only traffic noise I have is from the odd cement mixer passing by and the daily visit from the ice cream van.
What works for one, definitely doesn’t work for another.

Lynn

Hi Lynn,

Thank you so much for taking the time to post a detailed reply. We don’t have any doubts per say about buying in Spain or the actual house. No place is perfect after all and there are always pros and cons. We just wanted to get comments on the area. The good and the bad and maybe even the ugly. Lol.

The house is 270m from the aquapark. I had not thought about the noise from the aquapark so thanks for bringing that to our attention. I have checked out a few web pages relating to noise attenuation. It appears that with each doubling of distance, the sound attenuates by 6db. According to the website, 110db is the noise level inside a nightclub. I found a calculator online that calculates the noise level based on your distance from it and that is below.

At a distance of 1 meter, sound pressure level (SPL) is 110 dB. (Disco) Then the sound pressure level at 270 meters, is 61 dB. (Same as the noise from an AC unit) The measurement is not linear but logarithmic so a decrease of 20db means the sound energy is decreased by a factor of 100. This assumes no obstructions between the noise and the listener. Houses, trees etc will reduce the noise level even further. Fingers crossed, this noise should not be an issue.

The area seems quiet which is what we are looking for. It’s approx 15 min walk to the main street in Quesada and all that offers. The street the house is on is away from traffic. We sat with the owners for a bottle of water in the garden and could not hear any traffic sounds at all. We had a house in Thailand about 10 years ago and that got pretty hot and sticky. We have been warned about the heat in August. Perhaps we will use that time to visit family or holiday somewhere a bit cooler. I suppose we will know after year one what to expect. We will have a car and also electric bikes so walking is not going to be the only option to get to the shops on the hotter months.

Many thanks again for your detailed reply. It brought up items we had not considered.

Best wishes.

John & Angie.

Expat in Quesada · by **Expat in Quesada** » Tue May 24, 2022 8:59 am

Graham_Lynn wrote:Would it not be cheaper to pop over for a couple of days to check out the immediate area of your property?

Lynn

Hi Lynn,

Thanks again for your reply. We were over there for a week and only got home a couple of days ago. After initially viewing the house and liking it a lot, we drove back to it several times and also drove around the area. We went during the day and also at night to check out if it was well illuminated by street lighting etc. We walked most of the way from the house to the Quesada main street to get a feel of the distance and it seemed OK. I would not buy anything online without seeing it first and doing some due diligence. I imagine many people have left their brain at the airport when the romance of owning a property abroad was concerned but we have had quite a few houses over the years (and made many mistakes) but we never repeated the same mistake twice like ensuring there is a mobile signal at the property by making an actual call while at the viewing and doing a broadband speed test on our phones. Once bitten, twice shy., We got caught out with an apartment many years ago that had a very patchy mobile signal.

Cheers again Lynn.

John & Angie.

geeeman · by **geeeman** » Tue May 24, 2022 9:12 am

Don’t let the aqua park noise put you off. It isn’t bad and is sometimes a nice noise to break up the silence ! Remember, it’s only for the peak summer period as it’s closed for the rest of the year.

Chrisdee · by **Chrisdee** » Tue May 24, 2022 9:15 am

The noise of little kids having fun during the day won't bother you, unless you're a Victor Meldrew! We live opposite a small park and I love that kind of noise, they are just enjoying life, as you will. Enjoy x

PGA · by **PGA** » Tue May 24, 2022 9:16 am

As has been said, one person's requirements will differ to another. It is relatively convenient for both Quesada high street and also Benijofar in the other, which gives some nice options. Always feels a bit quiet and closed up for my liking, but others will see that as tranquil and pleasant. No immediate amenities on hand either, but that applies to many areas of Quesada and, as I say, high street of Mercadona is not far at all really.

There was a spate of burglaries in the area a few years ago I recall. I did notice a pretty decent police presence driving around the few times I have been there recently so hopefully that has now been quashed and the absence of posts on the subject would suggest its under control. Was back in 2019 (where does time go).

quesada-general-discussion-f9/warning-t41332.html?hilit=burglary%20atalaya

What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Re: What is this area like?

Who is online

Related topics

Who is online