A PLACE IN THE SUN COLUMNISTS: JONNIE IRWIN & JASMINE HARMAN


SLEET IN SPAIN, THE SHORTS ARE OUT IN FLORIDA, BUT THERE’S AN AVALANCHE OF BARGAINS IN BOTH, REPORT JASMINE AND JONNIE WHO ARE BACK ON THE ROAD


I JASMINE


t is somewhat ironic that whilst recently fi lming A Place in the Sun – Winter Sun we found ourselves sheltering from sleet in a snow-bound Spain – a bit of a shock to the system all round!


But then again Spain has cooled off since its property peak, and could now potentially begin hotting up again, as more and more people realise there are some serious bargains out there. Take Valencia province, focused around the Costa Del Azahar, or Orange Blossom Coast. Out of season, this coastal destination popular with Madrileños in the summer months is pretty much a ghost town. However, heading slightly inland brought us to traditional Spanish


towns and villages, with populations virtually unchanged all year round. This predominantly Spanish holiday destination has few sprawling urbanizations, not a fi sh & chip shop in sight yet dozens of Blue Flag beaches and bargain homes. My house-hunters were Paul and Lindy,


with nine grandchildren to accommodate and a budget of £150k for a large home with holiday let potential. With prices 35 to 50 per cent lower than four years ago, this actually wasn’t too much to ask. I was amazed at what a relatively modest budget could stretch to, with a bit of haggling! But a wise investment isn’t always a cheap one,


particularly in an unstable market, so I met Nick Snelling, author of How to Buy Spanish Property and Move to Spain Safely (Summertime Publishing, www.expatbookshop.com), who advised me about the issue of buying property on designated rural land, (these properties are often cheaper) and what the potential pitfalls might be if that land is later urbanized. First up was a traditional six-bedroom townhouse in Oliva Old Town – plenty of room for everyone and at £136k a little change too; then inland to Marxuquera and a four-bedroom house with a huge garden and private swimming pool – but slightly over the couple’s budget at £158,000.


In Villalonga we saw a property with similar credentials for £149k -


although further from the coast; and then something rather different: a characterful townhouse full of charm (and junk) in La Carroja, one of a chain of eight tiny mountain villages 30 minutes inland. Each of these picturesque settlements remains almost unchanged for the past 100 years. Empty for several years, this townhouse needed a lot of renovation, but at a negotiable price of £128,000, it left Paul and Lindy feeling very confused. Just what is a fair price? This confusion was compounded at Castello De Rugat, a town of 2,400 people, where a ready-renovated house with fantastic views of the Valencia countryside from the pigeon loft living space, offered B&B potential for just £150,000. With fi ve excellent options to choose from, which would they go for? You’ll have to tune in to fi nd out!


W JONNIE


ell, they fi nally did it. At last I’ve been let loose on the programme to go abroad! I’ve been tasked with covering the whole of Florida and it really couldn’t have come at a


better time. Of course, the UK weather in the fi rst few months of the year tempts many of us to think about life in warmer climes, but it’s also the best time to be in Florida, with glorious sunshine yet still bearable temperatures. Unfortunately for you lot, the heat was enough to tempt me to wear shorts on the show, which is never a pretty sight! It’s this same weather which makes the fi rst quarter of the year


the peak season for the Sunshine State. With the exception of many Brits who travel over here in the school holidays enjoying searing temperatures – and thus are often compared to mad dogs – the peak season here is determined by the migration patterns of the ‘snowbird’ – predominantly retired folk from the northern states of the US and Canada who travel south to escape their bleak winters for up to fi ve months at a time. But it’s not just the weather that


makes this an interesting time to be here. The economic crash across the US led to Florida being one of the hardest hit, with many second home owners effectively handing the keys back


to the banks and walking away. Surprisingly, although this hasn’t lead to the market here becoming fl ooded with supply, the lack of buyers entering the market


has meant that demand has dried up and asking prices have now disappeared through the fl oor. It’s for this reason that last week’s househunters, Alan and


Michelle Raines from Sunderland, have turned their backs on the doom-mongers and decided to look for property in Orlando whilst they can afford it. Brits make up seven per cent of the buying population here and


with over a million of us visiting the theme parks and malls each year there’s clearly a market for people back home to rent your property to when your not using it yourself. Having just fi nished fi lming with them for the week, what I


enjoyed most was seeing the looks on their faces when I showed them just what they could afford. They came to me with a budget of £100k and were looking for


three bedrooms with some outside space and hopefully a pool nearby. What they got for their money was staggering, including a six-bedroom house for £97,500. The trouble is, I think we did our job a little too well and they ended up having not one but three favourites, so they’ve gone home to discuss them with their family and have promised me a decision within the next couple of weeks.


Ë SEE JONNIE AND JASMINE ON A PLACE IN THE SUN: WINTER SUN - WEEKDAYS AT 11AM ON CHANNEL 4 Ë DON’T MISS THEM AT A PLACE IN THE SUN LIVE! AT EARLS COURT LONDON, 30 MARCH TO 1 APRIL 2012 18 aplaceinthesun.com


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