Northumberland to the Costa Blanca

Digby Walker is a retired police officer, 67 years young. After a successful career of 21 and a half years, he retired from the police due to an on-going back injury, and two and half years ago, Digby and his wife Lesley decided to make the move from their home in a tiny village in Northumberland called Bardon Mill to Torrevieja in the Alicante region of the Costa Blanca.

Their English home was minutes away from Hadrian's Wall and 5 miles to the nearest shop, but today, they couldn't be happier living just a 7 minutes' drive to the beach and an easy walk to the shops.

The couple's big move to Spain was prompted by Lesley. One day she was surfing the internet and came across a website for Taylor Wimpey España. They were offering a 3 day inspection visit to the Costa Blanca and the Walkers decided to go.

The original property that had lured them to this area of Spain was up in the hills on a golf course. Once there they decided that the beach was a little too far away for them and it wasn't quite what they were after. The Taylor Wimpey España representative suggested they consider a new development that was just being built closer to the beach instead. Once they saw this particular development Lagunas del Sol they fell in love with both the area and the development.

Snapping up a 3 bedroom 3 bathroom end of terrace property on a wonderful bespoke development of just 28 properties, their new home had the benefit of a large shared pool, parking and private gardens, all at the bargain price of €142,000, including Spanish taxes.

The Walkers had to wait for their property to be finished but once they received the key and were able to step inside for the first time to a finished home, they knew it was worth the wait as they immediately fell in love.

Are you contemplating an overseas move?

Digby's advice for anyone considering taking the plunge and buying overseas is to pick your spot carefully and make sure it really has the amenities you are looking for. Things like a good local medical centre are essential. Make sure you get a legal representative that speaks fluent Spanish and good English - this will make the entire transaction so much smoother as there are quite a few hurdles to step over before everything is completed. Digby used a solicitor that Taylor Wimpey España recommended and he was delighted with their suggestion.  

He goes on to exclaim that the benefits of living in Spain are endless. The weather of course, but many things besides. Digby is constantly surprised by the cost comparison to the UK: The service charge on their apartment is just €56 a month - and this takes care of the garden and the wonderful pool. Council tax is just €240 per year- compared to the £1,700 he was paying in the UK.

All the normal food and drink is cheaper, electricity needs to be shopped around for, but petrol is cheap and the roads are in fabulous condition compared to the ones he was used to in Northumberland.

For more details contact Taylor Wimpey España on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com