This is the most human stage of the whole process, and the most dangerous. You set sensible criteria, then a property with a crumbling roof terrace and a view to die for makes you forget every one of them. Falling in love is fine. Falling in love and forgetting your budget, your brief and your common sense is how people end up with a beautiful problem.
The trick isn't to stop feeling it. It's to let the head catch up before the heart signs anything.
The classic trap is the cheap old building that just needs a little work. They can be bought remarkably cheaply, because Spanish buyers often prefer newer homes, and the fantasy of restoring one is powerful. But proceed with clear eyes. The price a renovated property fetches afterwards often doesn't reflect the time and money poured in, costs and timescales routinely overrun, and external alterations need planning permission and the right building licence from the town hall.
If you do have your heart set on a project, the guide's advice is sound: get estimates before you buy, add a contingency of at least 10% to whatever figure you're quoted, and if you won't be there to supervise, pay for someone who will, because an unsupervised renovation abroad is how projects stall for years.
Erik, from Holland, bought a chalet in Jávea, Alicante, that needed plenty of work. The hardest part of his whole move, by his own account, was getting that work done: tradespeople not turning up on time, materials not arriving, a process that taught him the local saying that in Spain "mañana is never mañana." He got there, but his story is the gentle warning every romantic buyer should hear. It's on episode 6 of the Kyero Spanish Property Podcast.
Keep your must-haves written down and visible, and when a property makes your pulse race, check it against the list before you do anything else. If it fails on the things you swore were non-negotiable, that's not a reason to bin the feeling, but it is a reason to slow down and ask why. Sometimes the answer is that your real priorities have changed, which is useful to know. Sometimes it's that the sunshine got to you.
The free Spain Buying Guide covers investing in property and renovation, including the costs and licences involved.
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Or carry on reading. The next post is action time: "I'm ready to make some enquiries."
Written by
Nick StoreyNick Storey is the Operations Director at Kyero.com, where he leads platform operations, product delivery, and commercial strategy.
Having lived and worked in Spain for 14 years, Nick began his career as an estate agent on the south coast of Granada and brings first-hand market experience to his work.
He joined Kyero in 2007 and has since played a central role in scaling the business, shaping its product direction, and strengthening how international buyers connect with agents across Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy
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