The purchase process & the first installation weeks

After months of dreaming, searching and doubting, the moment was there: we had our own apartment in Spain. A stunning penthouse in Las Terrazas de la Torre, with pool views, a sunny terrace and a great price of only €62,500. But before we could really enjoy ourselves, we had to go through the Spanish paper mill and completely furnish the apartment. An adventure in itself.

Curious about how we found this apartment exactly? Also read our full purchase story.

As soon as we had made the decision, we had to arrange it financially. First of all, we had to pay a deposit to reserve our apartment for us. Since we didn’t just have €62,500 in our account, we immediately spoke to our bank KBC in Belgium. Fortunately, we have a house of which that value has already been paid off, so we were able to get a loan quickly and easily.

This is what you need when you buy a property in Spain:

• An NIE number (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) – this is an identification number for foreigners in Spain. Without this you cannot buy a house.
• A Spanish bank account – not a must, but makes life just that little bit easier. You will need this to pay utilities, taxes and costs. In the end, we closed our account with Sabadell, because banks in Spain are expensive. We chose to open a Revolut account , so that Spain’s finances are in a different account than Belgium’s.
• A lawyer or gestor – not mandatory, but definitely recommended and useful to get the papers in order and avoid surprises. They do what a notary in Belgium does for you: check everything and work out certainty.
• The bank guarantee & payment – the full payment must be transferred to the selling party on time.

The paperwork took longer than expected – because hey, we’re in Spain. Finally, in April 2023, just before the Easter holidays, we received the redeeming message:

“Congratulations! The keys are ready for you.”

The time had come. We were going to furnish our dream apartment.

Because the apartment had been vacant for years, it needed quite a bit of work:

• No water & electricity – we had to wait until the connection was in order. That caused some stress, because it was only fixed two days before our departure.
• Painting – we retouched the walls where necessary, with the help of my parents. What a difference.
• New lighting – from loose electrical wires to atmospheric lamps (and yes, that was quite an adventure in the Spanish stores).
• Assembling furniture – IKEA rounds, endless screwing and puzzling… but I love it.

Furniture and decoration shopping in Spain is not always efficient.

• IKEA: lifesaver. We made countless trips to IKEA Murcia – from cupboards to kitchenware, we found everything here.
• JYSK: What a disaster. Orders that didn’t go through, deliveries that were delayed. Patience is a virtue.
• Local shops: nice finds, but not always the best quality or service.

Fortunately, lunches on the terrace in the sun and the help of my parents made everything a lot more cozy.

While we were putting the finishing touches to the interior, the first rental requests were already coming in via Instagram. Before we were well and truly done, the apartment for the summer was already booked. We decided to rent out the apartment through Airbnb and Booking.com, and the first guests were very enthusiastic.

“Amazing views, wonderfully quiet and a perfect location!”

Fast forward almost 3 years later:

• The apartment is a great investment
• All apartments in our resort have now been sold – the value has risen to €125,000
• We like to come back during the school holidays – it remains our place under the sun

The adventure started with a dream, but it became much bigger than we ever imagined.