Much-needed boost for Almeria property market

THE Costa Almeria property market has received a much-welcomed boost.

Popular British television series A Place in the Sun chose the Levante Almeriense area to film the show.

The Channel 4 programme TV crew filmed in Mojacar, Los Gallardos and Vera over three days last week with presenter Jasmine Harman.

Harman told EWN that she loves the Almeria area, that “Mojacar is gorgeous and the old town up on the hill is so pretty.”

Although spoilt for choice, producers picked local estate agencies Spanish Property Choice (SPC) to show clients, Hillary and Ray Fleckney from Lancashire, a property in Los Gallardos and Mojacar; and with Next Stop Almeria a property in Al Andalus Thalassa in Vera Playa.

Portuguese associate producer Sam Correia said that Spain is a good place to buy, even though for the previous four years the TV series had been concentrating on other European destinations.

She said that recently they had received so many enquiries for Spanish properties that they had decided to return.

“Prices have come down so much,” she said, that in Spain, “you are able to buy a place that four years ago you couldn’t even dream about.” She remarked that prices had been slashed by 50 or 60 per cent.

Despite horror stories about illegal properties which continue to affect homeowners in the region, Sharon and Stephen Garner, owners of family run SPC, Mojacar said the Andalucian decreto 218 ensures properties are fully legal, with frequent spot checks being conducted on estate agents by police and other government bodies.

The show is part of the “Home and Away,” series in which clients have to decide between buying a property in the UK, (North Wales in their case), or abroad.

Mrs Fleckney would prefer to buy nearer to home, but her husband loves swimming and is drawn to Almeria’s beaches. As part of the application process, people wishing to take part in the TV programme must request a specific country and region, and specify their budget.

Correia said that the programme doesn’t tell clients where to go, and that these clients had specifically requested Almeria.

The Fleckneys told SPC that they really liked what they had seen, and asked to be contacted to arrange another visit in the near future.

They expressed particular interest in a frontline apartment on Mojacar Playa.

Although, they are under no obligation to buy, Correia told the EWN that so far four out of five clients in the current series had bought properties in Spain.

She said that British buyers still see Spain as a “safe bet,” because it’s a developed, modern country that’s close to home, and that she personally loves everything about the country.

Harman, who has filmed in Mojacar several times before, stayed with her cameraman husband at Mamabels Hotel in the pueblo.

She said that the Mojacar area has got, “more of a Spanish flavour,” than other places she has filmed at in Spain, and that they are always impressed by its unspoilt beauty.

She was surprised to see so many tourists in Mojacar Pueblo at this time of the year too, especially because the weather was unusually bad.

Correia who has never been to Mojacar before, said that she was pleasantly surprised by the mountains as she had expected more flat, desert-like terrain Sharon and Stephen Garner said that it had been a wonderful experience working with the A Place in the Sun team, and that they are positive that Mr and Mrs Fleckney won’t be disappointed if they decide to buy a holiday home in Almeria.

By Susan Leach
s.leach@euroweeklynews.com