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If you prefer the middle ground between an apartment and a detached villa, then maybe a spacious townhouse is the answer.
Normally consisting of a ground floor with a first floor and usually a second floor. Townhouses in Javea often include a garden area, and those that form part of a complex provide the benefits of a community and its services.
Until recent years, Spanish style villas or apartments were the top property type choices among newcomers to the Costa Blanca. But since the revival of the property market in 2015, as prominent Javea estate agents, we have seen increased interest in old pueblo casas in the old town of Javea, and modern townhouses.
Traditional village houses are usually part of a terrace with direct access to the street. The ground floor will have a kitchen, living room, and dining room. Bedrooms and bathrooms are typically located on the upper floors. Depending on the plot size, they may have a small garden or yard at the back of the house. Many of these properties can be found at a relatively low price because they need extensive work to bring them up to today’s standards. Unfortunately, renovations sometimes turn out to be more expensive than buying a new or resale home.
In the old town centre dilapidated terraced houses, you can almost guarantee the kitchen and bathrooms will need ripping out entirely. The remaining rooms in the house will often be oddly distributed, with small, high windows and inadequate natural light.
Having said that, it is worth looking into if you have your heart set on such a project. This type of property is typically very centrally located. It has the same advantage of a central apartment within walking distance to many amenities, without the lack of privacy that sometimes comes with apartment block living.
The other type of townhouse you will find in Spain’s resorts and towns is a modern, purpose-built house within a complex. Based on the traditional architectural Mediterranean style, this is where the similarities end, as these new communities are frequently constructed with large, airy rooms and offer all mod cons. They are often inside a gated community with a swimming pool and communal gardens, and a small private garden for each owner’s personal use. In Xabia, you’ll find these types of communities in the Arenal area, and in some, they will have fabulous sea views.
These communities are a perfect solution for those who like the communal aspect of apartment life while also having some outdoor space and greenery to enjoy.
Other than the previously mentioned possible high costs for renovating a derelict townhouse, just as when buying an apartment, plot, or villa, there are some extra fees and taxes you will have to pay on top of the purchase price when you buy a townhouse. What you must pay will depend on whether you buy a brand-new home in a complex from a developer or a resale property from a private individual.
When buying a newly built property in Alicante or the Valencia Community, you will be charged VAT, stamp duty, and a transfer tax in the case of a resale property. There are additionally notary fees, lawyer fees, and, where necessary, expenses associated with obtaining a mortgage to budget for. Every real estate sale is different, but to be on the safe side, you should add between 12% and 15% of the purchase price to get a realistic idea of extra costs and then factor in renovation costs on top of that where appropriate.
As with buying a villa, which is part of an urbanisation, or buying an apartment in a block of flats, when purchasing a townhouse that forms part of a complex, you’ll become a member of the community of owners or comunidad de propietarios . Each community has a president and is controlled by an “administración de fincas” or a building management company. The admin firm supervises the running of the complex and collects annual or monthly fees from each owner.
Each complex or urbanisation has rules which, as an owner, you will be expected to stick to. In a townhouse, you have more freedom with what you can do to your home’s exterior decor than if you live in an apartment block, but there may be rules on the colour of paint permitted for gates, window bars, etc., and what you may or may not be allowed to display on a balcony. If there is a communal pool or a children’s play area, there are likely to be some regulations concerning their use.
To change or introduce a rule or new community feature, owners can make proposals at the community’s AGM, and the other owners will vote on the issue.
Owners on complexes must pay community fees, which are spent on maintenance. It is important to make your payments in a timely fashion as when it comes to selling, you need a certificate declaring your fees are paid to date. Furthermore, if fees remain outstanding for various years, the home can be auctioned without your agreement to settle the debt. Generally speaking, well-kept complexes such as those near the Arenal Beach with shared facilities or security staff will have higher fees than complexes or urbanisations without communal areas. Before committing to buying a townhouse, make sure you know how much the community fees are, so you budget accordingly.
With an older pueblo townhouse, there are unlikely to be community fees as the house is not part of a building, complex or urbanisation. The upside of this is you can make your own choices when it comes to maintenance, but you will have to meet all costs yourself. You will still be liable to pay the IBI, a municipal annual tax for all residential and commercial properties.
One of the main advantages of living in a townhouse, whether you opt for an old traditional house or a property on a complex, is it is likely to be close to all local facilities and amenities. Another advantage is that a townhouse offers more space than an apartment, as it usually has a small garden. Because they comprise several floors, they usually have more than one balcony. If the property has a flat roof, that’s all yours, too.
Modern townhouses have few disadvantages other than they aren’t as private as a detached villa, and you might have more communal restrictions than if you buy a luxury villa on an urbanisation. If you are interested in an old pueblo-style house, possible disadvantages include expensive renovations, and convenient nearby parking could be an issue.
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If you have any questions or are interested in a Javea townhouse listed here, don’t hesitate to contact us.
