We have been working in the real estate business since 2002. We are well established and well versed in the pros & cons of the property market here. The areas we cover are mainly the Moraira, Javea, Benitachell and Benissa locations but also some of the rural inland areas, like the Jalon Valley, Lliber and Alcalali. 

Over the years, we get asked various questions from potential buyers that are seeking a good property and we always provide honest open property advice to enable our customers to make a well-informed decision before buying.

 

One of the biggest misunderstandings is the Spanish winter and how cold a property with a poor orientation can be, especially if they are planning to live here through the winters. It is literally the difference between wearing a coat or a light top or T-shirt. Villas usually have a covered open terrace, (Naya) outside of the property, usually accessed from the main living room via French doors, as we call them! This is where you can enjoy your winter days in natural warmth, providing you have a South or South west orientation. It still gets chilly when the sun goes down though!

Open Naya’s are designed to give you shade in the summer, when the sun is hot and much higher in the sky and in the winter, when the sun is weak and lower in the sky, the naya allows the sun to shine through keeping you cosy and warm. 

If you are sat in your Naya facing due North, during the winter, it will be far too cold to sit in. If it faces East, it has the sunrise but the sun has low energy at this time of day and the naya remains cold from the night before.  South East is more of a trade off but worthwhile, especially if you want a nice sea view. 

 

South and South West is best for all day and late sun until sunset.  Plots that have this perfect orientation command the highest prices of all plots and consequently properties built upon them command the highest prices, especially with sea and mountain views!

 

A good size naya with a south west orientation is known as the best orientation and has great demand as it remains nice and warm during the day throughout the winter. Sometimes the sun may be blocked out for some of the day by tall trees or hillsides, especially if the property is in a dip, so something to be mindful of. Regardless of orientation, If you want to spend late evenings in the naya beyond sunset on a regular basis during the winter you need to consider heating and glazing. 

  

Although winters are relatively short, installing glazing to the outside opening of the naya is a good idea. Retractable glass curtains are one of the best ways of doing this, as they can be stacked up at either end of the opening. Those with frames that only half open or slide are not as functional or as aesthetically appealing to most buyers. These tend to be better for the main wall leading into the property, so worth bearing in mind before you install glazing. 

 

Please keep in mind that all this extra glass can create stifling heat when closed up and in many cases can get rather humid. So, if you are wanting to use glazing, make sure you have adequate ventilation to circulate the air sufficiently enough to avoid mould growth. 

 

Now that you understand orientation better, bear in mind that most buyers come from Northern Europe and the majority want winter sunshine and warmth. The naya is therefore a very important and functional place to understand and enjoy, especially during the winter. The summer here is never an issue for most. If anything, it is too hot during July & August for most.

Although every property has its price and what suits one person may not suit the next, all properties need careful consideration before buying. To do this one needs to fully understand what negatives will affect the price. It is prudent to know this information.  We are here to help. Do your homework and let someone else make the mistakes. Whatever compromises you make today, could easily affect your enjoyment, especially, if it's too cold in the winter. This can easily affect the selling price or chances of selling it on in the future.

 

You can change a kitchen or a bathroom but we can’t change the location or orientation. I always take a very good look at the plot before the property because if the plot is not very good in terms of location, orientation, views, road noise and possibly too steep requiring many many steps etc.. Perhaps it's best to move on to something better. 

Properties can take a long time to sell and some sell really quickly and fetch better prices. We have highlighted some of the reasons to be aware of in our Buyers Guide.  and to make it even better we made an animated video which you should find very helpful.  See Video 

You can also see what our clients are saying about us here: Reviews