When Scottish retirees the McLaughlans moved into their newly built home in the Costa Blanca, they became the first full-time residents on their development. Read on to find out about their experience buying off-plan!
Less than a year after choosing a plot and visiting a show home, in October 2019 Irene and William McLaughlan were handed the keys to a sparkling new townhouse in Orihuela Costa.
First to move in!
Already living with their daughter Stacey in temporary accommodation locally, the McLaughlans were delighted when
the time came to move into their modern townhouse, which is part of a boutique development on the edge of Rojales.
The family, who are from North Lanarkshire, became one of the first buyers at the development when in January 2019
they signed an off-plan contract for their property.
“We sat down with the builder Tomás to confirm our preferred plot, run through costs and any extras, sign the contract and pay a deposit,” said Irene.
“Our payment package included a number of €25,000 stage payments with the final balance due on completion. In total, the purchase cost in the region of €280,000, including all extras and buying costs.”
The McLaughlans didn’t set out to buy a new-build when they began their search for a home in Spain. But they were attracted to the off-plan option when they discovered the benefits of being able to create their perfect home, adapting the design and fittings of their builder’s plans to suit their individual requirements. The suitability of Rojales and neighbouring Benijófar added to the appeal too.
Choosing our extras!
The end product is an end-of-terrace house with four-bedrooms – two on the first floor, one on the ground floor and one in the under-build, and four-bathrooms. Thanks to guidance from the project’s architect and ideas the couple got from visiting show homes at the builder’s other developments, they were able to tweak the final design and incorporate special features.
As extras, they opted for upgraded gate entry, extra heating downstairs, a kitchen area on the roof terrace, a larger pool, two individual bathrooms on the first floor (rather than one Jack and Jill), upgraded wardrobes, an extra window and an island in the kitchen. Unusually, they consciously chose a north-facing property, as less sun suits Irene for medical reasons.
“Originally, we set out wanting a detached property but we’ve ended up with a semi-detached house built exactly how we want it,” added Irene. “When we started looking at property online, we considered all types, including more Spanish-style houses. I always had in mind a traditional villa or bungalow, and somewhere a bit more rural. It was only when we came out to Rojales for the first time, we realised how suitable the area and a new property here would be for us.”
The journey of moving to Spain, where Irene and William could enjoy their retirement years after careers with their local authorities, ended well but
it didn’t get off to a good start. The family nearly had to ditch their plans, when soon after retiring
in 2018, Irene was diagnosed with cancer and had
to start treatment immediately. Deciding to press ahead, the process of hunting for a Spanish home fell to Stacey, who is
in her early 40s.
Swapping Rojales for Lanarkshire
After trips out to the Costa Blanca, where their estate agency looked after her and introduced her to Rojales and adjoining Benijófar, Stacey recommended the area and the idea of a new-build property to her parents. By November 2018, Irene was able to travel out with William and both were equally wowed by what they found. They wasted no time meeting with the builder Tomás and working out what their options were, before returning in January to firm everything up.
Whilst waiting for their future home to be built, the McLaughlans sold their home in North Lanarkshire and moved to
a rented property in Spain. They had to return to Scotland though, when their accommodation was hit by flooding, but returned to Spain soon after. They were renting a flat in Benijófar for the final build stage of their townhouse, which meant they were able to visit the site, follow the progress and start buying furniture in time for handover day.
And when they did move in, they became the first residents on the development. “It does mean we’re living on a bit of a building site at the moment so it can be noisy, which is something you should think about when buying off-plan,” advised Irene in early 2020. “But most of the plots are sold now and the owners are very multicultural. We’ve met others, including Belgians and French. And one of our neighbours is a Welshman.”
The McLaughlans also featured on A Place in the Sun
