Retirement Villages

Hi all

I'm new to the site and whilst I've had a good look around thought it might be easier, and quicker, to introduce myself and ask for some advice.

I'm Tom G, a 64 year old considering investing in a retirement property in Spain, my preference being Costa Del Sol although I would consider Costa Blanca. What I want to know is can anyone recommend a retirement village in the area that would suit an active retired couple rather than a normal urbanization.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

There is a retirement (over 55s) complex in Benalmadena called Sensara http://www.sensarabenalmadena.com/en/index.php

 but it has it's problems:-

 - lots of unsold units

 - community is at war with each other

 - highish community fees

But that said you could pick up a real bargain on a resale but you would have to accept buy in cheap and weather a bit of a storm. You can pick up a unit there for approx 40% of original price.

You could also easity rent a unit there to see if it suited you etc

Anyway have a look at the link and see what you think. But don't waste your time calling developer Gruop Suite as the bargains are in the re-sale units. If you have any questions or want any details regarding community just ask.

Hi TomG,

I dont have any I can recommend from personal experience but I am very interested in this sector and I do know of a few old style retirement communities. Perhaps you will be able to help me when you have completed your research.

I am actually looking at the possibility of creating an eco retirement village which goes far further than the conventional self-catering-apartment plus medical asistance formula. This will cater for the baby boomers who are coming up for retirement but arent growing old in the way previous generations have. We would cater for their medical, physical, social, and dare I say it, spiritual well being. In additional the entire community would be energy efficient perhaps even self sufficient and recycle the maximum. Great importance will be given to the quality of the environment.

The project is in its early stages and nothing will be available for 2 or 3 years. We are looking at several sites accross Spain.

I would be very interested to learn whether you find anything similar to what we are planning and indeed what it is you are looking for.

Sensara obtained its original licences based on the fact they would build an assisted living block and enticed people to buy on that basis.

Of course Grupo Suite had no intention of building it, have not built it to date and will never build it. This is typical of how business is done in Spain. What you have to remember in Spain is developers will always lie and they have no issue even putting such lies into brochures or contracts because they know it's impossible to enforce.

But that said Sensara is right beside 2 excellent hospitals. One is public and the other private. Xanit Hospital is highly rated. So you have one of the best hospitals in Europe on your doorstep.

http://www.xanit.net/index_en.php

But if you are interested in Sensara you will need to obtain a lawyer with local knowledge to assist you or tap into that knowledge on this site but whatever you do do not deal with Grupo Suite. In any event even if you rent from Grupo Suite you will be banned from all facilites. The President of the community (Ramon Guerrero Peramos) also a Spanish lawyer has taken extreme measures to deal with non-payment of community fees by developer as developer rents units but refuses to pay community fees. The developer owes over EUR400,000 in unpaid community fees.

If this type of development interests you it's definitely worth looking at Sensara to guage standard and compare to other similar facilities.

Hi Tom,

I can't recommend a specific retirement village on the Costa Del Sol but there are urbanisations just a few minutes drive away from the Beach areas that may offer much of what you are looking for plus lots of peace and quiet?

For instance we live on a complex not far from Marbella where many of the owners are 50+ and share the full use of a Community Club House that includes a Gym. 9 hole Golf Course, Tennis Courts and Spa etc plus a Restaurant. The Property Owners control this facility so there is a real sense of Community involvement with organised Quiz nights, Music, Dance and special dining evenings and there are plenty of local Walking routes to keep you active too! Some residents are members of a local Bowling Club that arranges competitions with different clubs along the Coast.

There are many owners and residents who are aged between 55 and 80 and they are not just Ex Pats. We have people from many parts of the world that adds to the special environment where we live.

Certainly, where we live there is a strong sense of Community where you will find like minded people who are enjoying retirement away from the noisy parts of the Coast but around the corner from many facilities!

I would strongly recommend that you check out as many areas as possible and definately Rent before you Buy?

My recommendation would have to be Torre de la Horadada, located at the southernmost end of the Alicante Province, where Costa Blanca meets Costa Calida, in the Murcia Province. We've been visiting this beautiful part of Spain for 10 years and like it more every time we go. Our most recent visit was just last week (memories of gorgeous sunshine, lovely food and relaxing bike rides are still very fresh).

The area is very popular with Spanish and Northern European holiday makers and older couples seeking to retire or shelter from the cold winter months. At least 70% of home owners in the area are Spanish.

 Here are the main reasons why we love Torre de la Horadada:

-It boasts some of the best blue-flag beaches in the area.

- While having a very strong Spanish feel to it (always a plus if you enjoy exploring the native culture), it has a mix of expat communities, particularly -albeit not exclusively-  during the winter months.

- It has several restaurants, bars and supermarkets, a marina and beautiful promenades.

- There is  a top-class sports centre on the outskirts of the village –but still within a walking distance-  with a heated swimming pool, ideal for keeping fit during the time when your community pool is too cold to use.

- The area is very flat and has excellent cycle paths tha can take you a long way up and down the coast. This also makes it extremely safe for wheel chair and mobile scooter users.

- It has good transport links with the beautiful cities of Alicante, Murcia and Cartagena.

- There is an ample choice of golf courses within a half an hour’s drive, including La Manga, Mosa Trajectum, Rhoda Golf and hacienda de Alamo.

- Murcia airport is only 15 minutes down the motorway.

Definitely worthwhile an exploratory visit as part of your research!

 Any small village in Spain just furnished with a company to assist English speaking people will fit... and I see that much more natural and authentic than an specific development just for retirees.

You can think of something like Arcos de la Frontera?

Hello everyone. If anyone is still following this thread and still interested to share their views on anything to do with it, I would like to find out a litttle more about the eco village someone mentioned and also the complex just outside Marbella (Where abouts please?)

There is a specialist company called kei Homes who have a web site that deals with retirement developments up and down Spain and I see they are interested to talk to individuals or corporate companies or groups of people who may wish to join forces and form a co-operative or similar thing.

It's not so much about where these retirement villages are, but whether any but the very rich will be able to afford them-I've seen horrendous prices quoted, which for anyone on a state pension and perhaps another pension would be unaffordable. Retirement villages will be the growth area in the future, with ex pats not wanting or not being  able to return to the UK in their frail years. I would wait and see what will happen about the question of Britain leaving Europe. If it does there will bw huge implications for healthcare and pensions.

Hi Camposol.

I would wait and see what will happen about the question of Britain leaving Europe. If it does there will bw huge implications for healthcare and pensions.

Quote 

                            "England and the rest of the UK joined the European Union on 1 November 1993 when the Treaty on European Union (otherwise known as the Treaty of Maastricht) came into force. No country could have joined before November 1993 as the European Union did not exist till the Treaty on European Union came into force."

I came to live in Spain in 1987.

There were no problems with my UK pension nor with my health cover.

I do not believe (that’s an opinion ! )  that the UK will ever leave the EU,  but even if it did,  I see no reasons (again an opinion) why that would affect UK pensions, health cover etc.

Hi Johnzx and campasol,

I was just about to ask the same question about the pensions etc through campasol but was beaten to it by John. These threads always seem to go off on a tangent before long, going away from the original comment. Although some things can still be still relavent, I was going to mention, was Tom looking for retirement villages or retirement complexes as I dont see any retirement villages active in Spain at the moment. Portugal yes.

It is a shame that the established retirement complexes in Spain are so expensive to get into and I believe the developers have gone a bit to far in what they have installed on the sites where half seems not neccessary and only means excesive communal fees therefore making it out of reach for the average mature person looking for such a place.