Case Study
Where Before What
Our clients, who were recommended by friends who had used The Property Finders to find their property in 2022, first contacted us at the tail end of a two week stay in a rented villa, part holiday, part property hunting. They had been in contact with an estate agent for many months prior to their holiday in summer 2024 and viewed several properties that matched the brief. However, they sensed that they weren’t looking in the right location for them. This is a common problem - buyers often start looking at specific properties too early in the process before appreciating the importance of identifying the best locations for them. They put the ‘what’ before the ‘where’ but we think it should always be the other way round.
the brief
- Detached house,
- 4 beds minimum, 5+ better
- Short drive to amenities
- Sea view
- Contemporary interiors
- Prefer no work needed
The challenges
Our initial conversations told me that the problem with the ‘where’ of the rented villa was that a car was needed for absolutely everything and two weeks in this type of location was probably enough. It brought into focus the advantages of being closer to amenities. I gave them a few ideas to check out before the end of their holiday and it turned out they really did want to be within walking distance of a good range of amenities such as the beach, shops, bars, restaurants, sports facilities etc. This meant we had to have a discussion about that sea view - was it non-negotiable or could there be a compromise? The reality is that most of Spain’s Mediterranean coastline is flat and getting a good sea view usually means going at least a couple of kilometres back into the hills. And that makes it unlikely there will be any facilities within an easy walk. There are a couple of exceptions but not in the area they wanted to be, near Marbella and Puerto Banús.
the search
Knowing who you are working for is so important for buying agents. It’s why we spend so much time asking questions - it’s never just about how many bedrooms and what’s the budget. I knew I was looking for a family with one teenager still in full-time education and another at university so use in the short term would be restricted to the holiday cycle but once school and university were finished with longer stays would be the norm, above all in autumn, spring and winter. So orientation would be key, preferably south/south west facing, definitely no east facing houses.
Walking to everything was now top of the wish list and I could forget about the necessity for a sea view. Being close to the sea would be sufficient. Of the six properties shortlisted for viewing four were beachside and the two that weren’t were within 500 metres of a shopping centre and the centre of town and, as a bonus, had a sea view, not exactly panoramic but a sea view nonetheless. Although our clients had said they would consider doing building work five of the shortlisted properties were in excellent condition and ready to move into. All the shortlisted properties matched the agreed criteria in terms of accommodation and location.
Once our clients had seen the written reports and our recommendations a 4-day viewing trip was arranged. and at the end of the second day all had been viewed and an offer made on one of them. The owners of this property were motivated sellers and it was getting a lot of interest following a recent price reduction. We asked for a second viewing as it seemed likely our clients would be pushed to the asking price as a bid higher than theirs but lower than the asking price came in. That second viewing was crucial and highlighted a couple of issues they hadn’t focused on during the first visit so the following day we took a second look at one of the other options. The openly-listed asking price for this property was above their budget, all the others were well below. However, I was confident I could get access to this property without going through one of the big name estate agents with the possibility of being able to offer it at a lower price. A few phone calls later I had the access I wanted.
the result
It had been purchased by the sellers in 2016 as a rental investment and although well-furnished it wasn’t as eye-catching on first viewing as the one they had offered on which was a family home furnished with a more contemporary look. It always surprises me how many buyers make the big decision based on one viewing and I recommend subsequent viewings should always be at a different time of day.
The second viewing made all the difference. the took on board that it was much bigger with seven bedrooms against four and had not one, but two heated swimming pools, a 14.5m pool in the basement with jacuzzi and steam room alongside and and a 10m x 8m freeform pool with easy walk-in access in the garden.
Even though it didn’t need any refurbishment it has already undergone a bit of a makeover and will be further improved during winter 2025/6. In the meantime this wonderful house, just 200m from the promenade of San Pedro de Alcántara, is available to rent and can sleep up to 14 guests. If you would like to know more please contact The Property Finders and we will be pleased to put you in direct contact with the owners.
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