Help for Foreigners to Integrate into Spanish Life

The Provincial Institution (Alicante Diputación) want to help foreign citizens to understand and integrate more into local and national life here in Spain. Some 190,000 euros has been allocated to do this. And our region is involved.

Novelda Magdalena Church
Novelda Magdalena Church

The deputy of International Residents, Juan de Dios Navarro, has highlighted that the objective of these programs is to collaborate with the local entities of our province in the development of projects and activities that “contribute to help, advise and integrate the thousands of foreigners who they have chosen our province to live ”.

If you live here in Spain, you will know it can be different from life in Northern Europe, even quirky to foreigners! Many foreigners do not have the language skills or understanding to integrate or learn about the real day-to-day life here. Of course understanding the language, economy, culture and labour can enhance and facilitate a better lifestyle & happiness.

In this sense, the new initiatives such as Spanish courses, awareness and integration campaigns, care and advisory services, information campaigns on the municipal register, volunteer programs, intercultural participation days or sports activities will be subsidised. “The demand for this type of projects has increased significantly in recent years given the importance that, for their (foreign citizens) full integration in Alicante, have, for example, knowledge of Spanish or legal, legal or labour issues that concern them.” says Juan de Dios Navarro.

So look out for these initiatives in your local Town Hall or on local Facebook groups and get involved. Most will be free!

The benefited municipalities are Aspe, Elda, Hondón de las Nieves, Hondón de los Frailes and La Romana, in the Middle Vinalopó, Crevillent, in the Baix Vinalopó, and Salinas and Sax, in the Alto Vinalopó. Aigües, El Campello and Mutxamel, in L ‘Alacantí, and Albatera, Algorfa, Almoradí, Benferri, Benijófar, Bigastro, Catral, Cox, Daya Nueva, Daya Vieja, Dolores, Granja de Rocamora, Guardamar del Segura, Jacarilla, Los Montesinos, Pilar de la Horadada, Rafal, Redován, San Isidro, San Miguel de Salinas and Torrevieja.

In Vega Baja. Alcalalí, Benigembla, Benimeli, Calp, Dénia, Llíber, Murla, Castell de Castells, Ondara, Orba, Parcent, Pego, Benitachell, Els Poblets, Sanet y Negrals, Tormos and Xábia, in the Marina Alta, and L’Alfàs del Pi , Altea, Beniardá, Bolulla, Callosa d’En Sarrià, Finestrat, Polop, Relleu and Tárbena, in the Marina Baja. In the El Comtat region, aid will go to L’Alqueria d’Asnar, Cocentaina, Facheca, Muro de Alcoy, Lorcha and Planes, while L’ Alcoià will benefit Banyeres de Mariola, Onil and Tibi.

as report on Valley of the Vines

#959: Macisvenda Double Storey Villa

Exclusive Listing Priced to Sell – Guide Price : €164.950
Wonderful Views and Quiet Location
(video below)

Macisvenda Villa for Sale : Hondon Valley, Spain

Detached Villa • Private Pool • Lounge/dining Area • Kitchen • 3 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • Air Con • Superb Views • Log Burner • Mains Electric • Gas Available • TV Available • Internet Available • Phone Line • Solarium • Air Conditioning • Car Parking • Fitted Kitchen
Shower / Bathroom

Hondon Villas S.L. are delighted to bring another exclusive listing onto the market. This superb, spacious, double storey detached villa with stunning views must be seen to appreciate.

The villa offers an attached garage, open naya with super views of the Hondon Valley and a very good sized lounge and kitchen. There are two ground floor double bedrooms, a family bathroom and utility room.

A spiral staircase takes you up to the master bedroom which is exceptional in size and has the added benefit of a large dressing room. The master bedroom features double doors leading out onto a generous sized terrace which has superb views.There is also a second shower room of reasonable size on the 2nd floor.

Outside to the side of the property you will find a private kidney shaped pool. There is a short gated drive leading to an attached garage and personal gate leading to the outside naya which is perfect for ‘al fresco dining’ or simply relaxing and enjoying the panoramic views.

This property has a lot to offer and is priced to sell quickly..

Sellers. Something Good is Happening… ?!

What is the good news? In a nutshell IT HAS GOTTEN VERY BUSY in Spanish Real Estate very quickly post lock-down. And we can see it here in Hondon too. Whilst we could see that from our own website stat’s we got confirmation from a major International property portal today!

We’ll take that as at least a positive sign Spain is still a desired property hot spot. We already know Hondon is fantastic place, great value and popular with retiring Europeans.

Busy, Busy, Busy:
As we navigate the “new normal”, post Covid-19 Lockdown we are pleased to see how busy our Hondon Villas office in Hondon de los Frailes is now.

July 2020 – RightMove says:
Searches for property in Spain are up 25% compared to June last year… For the last three consecutive months, searches to Rightmove Overseas have been higher than last year. On Sunday, there were over 1 million property searches on Rightmove Overseas for the first time ever – that’s 73% higher than the same Sunday last year. This resulted in the highest number of leads sent to overseas agents and developers in a single day : c/o RIGHTMOVE OVERSEAS

Maureen in the Hondon Villas Office

Let’s be honest, most of us are a little worried or uncertain of the future right now. International Real Estate is directly affected by lock-down/quarantine travel restrictions. Here in Hondon the property market demographic is mainly the northern Europeans buying /selling. And they need to travel. We need them to get here to see & snap up the Hondon Valley bargain prices.

Rising Online Browsing & Enquiries:
Thankfully, many buyers can research and browse online. Of course we have our own dedicated websites, social media, blogs and other portals to display our properties. They all report rising visitor numbers over the last 2/3 months after the lull of March, April and into May 2020.

That’s GREAT NEWS as it is proof that the appetite to buy Spanish property is still strong despite the pandemic we are still in. Our emails / telephones / Facebook / Whatsapp are teaming with enquiries. We have had to bring staff back early to cope!

As a long-term advertiser with the UK’s biggest Property Portal “RightMove Overseas” we regularly get bulletins and today WHAM BAM! they confirmed that their portal has NEVER BEEN SO BUSY for overseas property enquiries.

… something good is happening and right now we need to smile.

WEBSITE: WWW.HONDONVILLAS.NET
OFFICE: +34 622 314 244
EMAIL: agent @ hondonvillas.net
WHATSAPP: +34 622 314 244
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/hondonvillas/

We Love Spanish Tapas !!

You can get Tapas in the Hondon area, but it’s not widely available or of great variety... least not in the league of Granada and the Andalucia region in general. A new Spanish run Tapas Bar has just opened calls “El Charro” in the Frailes Plaza (see Facebook El Charro)

Having just visited my favourite Spanish Language site “SpanishDict.Com” – they now have a blog and have written about Spanish Tapas

Tapas, those delicious little snacks you can get in any bar in Spain, have recently been making quite a splash in the United States. In the past 3 years, I have seen 4 tapas bars pop up in my neighbourhood alone. And people are crazy about them! The thing is, other than serving tiny bits of expensive food and over-priced drinks, these trendy American tapas bars have almost nothing in common with your traditional Spanish tapas bar.

Spanish Tapas

In many places in Spain, dinner is not served until 9 or 10 o’clock at night. So many people like to “tapear” or go out and eat tapas at a few different bars to meet up with friends, discuss the day, and in general just relax in a fun social atmosphere. In a lot of the major cities and in most parts of Adalucía, when you order a drink, often you get a tapa for free. Or sometimes it is the other way around; if you order a tapa, you get a free drink.

Now, how this tradition came about is debated among a few popular theories. First, it is important to know what “la tapa” means. Literally, it means “cover” or “top,” so it is important to keep this in mind when thinking about its history.

Some say that some sneaky tavern owners from Castilla-La Mancha found that a strong smelling and tasting cheese could “cover” the flavor of cheap wine. This way, they could sell the not so great wine for a higher price by including a free piece of cheese.

Others say that when King Alfonso XII was visiting Cádiz on the south west coast, he ordered a cup of sherry, which is famous in this region. In order to protect the wine from the blowing beach sands, the waiter covered the wine glass with a slice of cured ham. King Alfonso apparently enjoyed it and asked for another glass of sherry with a “tapa” just like the first.

Less legendary is the thought that since you are most likely standing when you are out having drinks with friends, you would need to cover your drink with your plate in order to have a free hand to eat. Or that you would need to top your sherry, a very sweet wine, with bread or ham to keep the curious flies away.

Now what kind of tapa you get with your drink widely depends on the region, but the staples are olives, of which there can be many different varieties, bread with aioli, and some kind of fried seafood. It is also very common to see small slices of bread topped with Spain’s famous jamón serrano or slices of cheese. My favourite is tortilla Española, which is very similar to an omelette with pieces of fried potato and onion inside instead of cheese.

There are thousands of tapa recipes out there and I encourage you to try a few on your own. Being all the fad right now, your friends would definitely be impressed if you invited them all over for an early evening of tapas at your house. ¡Salud! and ¡Buen provecho!

The Hondón Valley… Percy’s View

The Hondon Valley, Spain

The Hondón Valley… A refuge! This quiet sanctuary is away from the pace, hassle and bustle of the world. The Hondon Valley is a beautiful Spanish neighbourhood nestling in between the mountains and less than one hour’s drive from the golden beaches of the Costa Blanca beaches.

It is a region which can trace it’s roots back to Roman Times, the stone terracing still surviving, although unused and overgrown on the mountain side give presence to that period. The small stone huts dotted around the landscape shows evidence of a later period, when men toiled the fields and these stone constructions were places to rest from their labour, or they were for the shepherd to shelter and to take a break whilst looking after the flock.

Most of this has now disappeared as the community has engaged on a different more relaxed way of life from its previous one of farming and horticulture, morphing into a holiday paradise. This has taken place since the turn of the century, when in the year two thousand, development started with the construction of detached houses on parcels of the urban area.

It was in 1840 that self independence of the valley began to develop when the controlling authority, at that time the Dominican Friars of Orihuela, granted self governing powers to the two Hondon villages of Frailes and further to the north Nieves, with the latter being the controlling one of the pair. This changed in 1926 when the two parted company and the smaller of the two with 12.6 square kilometres of land obtained self autonomy, and the two villages developed in their own way. Today the valley is a quaint mixture of farming, residential and holiday makers living side by side.

Visit Hondon de los Frailes in Spring

In January the blossom on the almond trees will extend across the valley spreading a vista of various colours of pink proliferating around the fertile land between the Spanish style detached properties, giving the general feeling of Spring, although it has not quite arrived, it gives the impression it is on the way.

Hondon in Bloom! As the early months of the year progress then other plants will follow suit when the early buds that have formed will turn into a blanket of foliage hiding the developing fruit of the vines which will be harvested, starting in September and on to the end of the year. In between this period, the fields of olive trees their crop will have matured and would have been gathered.

This valley, this refuge from the madness of the outside world, it is where the quiet relaxed pace of time is paramount to everyday living. The mixture of different people mainly north Europeans who have found the delights of this place in the clean air of the mountains making it their home, mixing in as one, creating a contented community with its self governing bodies controlling the smooth running of events. The street parties and the fiesta in July and August… not to be missed as people come from far and wide to see the spectacles and to enjoy the cuisine offered by its restaurants.

La Montanosa in the Hondon Valley

From their humble beginnings the two communities of the valley with their grand old Churches to the centre of each built and named by the Dominican Friars all that time ago. As the bells of these structures mark each hour the surroundings progress into the new age well equipped to welcome all who wish to live or holiday in its peaceful environment.

Copyright 2020. This article was kindly written for Hondon Villas and the Hondón Community Percy W. Chattey, a member of the Hondon Writing Circle.

Percy W. Chattey is a local author of award winning thrillers and the “Story Telling” series. You can purchase Percy Chattey’s books in paperback or Kindle via Amazon… just search Percy Chattey.

Post Covid. Brits still want to buy property abroad

Good news! A recent survey of 5000 property hunters by the respected “A Place in the Sun” (APITS) company has shown that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Brits are still keen and plan to buy property abroad. APITS have recorded nearly double the number of hits to their popular property portal over the Lockdown period, compared to the same period last year 2019.

“UK residents are largely undeterred by coronavirus, and still plan to buy properties abroad once restrictions have been lifted. ” Source APITS, 2020

In fact, 38% of those surveyed reported that their plans to purchase a property abroad were unaffected by the pandemic, and a further 20 per cent stated that they were more motivated to buy a holiday home or permanent residence overseas than ever.

That is not to say that buyer’s plans are on track, of course the lack of travel, work shutdowns and quarantine rules have made progress near impossible and slower for a while. But the survey indicates 58% are not deterred where 22% are delaying their house hunting for a year. Only 3% said they had stopped their plans to but abroad.

Whilst APITS have a vested interest in pushing this message they are saying “As the world starts to reopen, it seems as though the overseas property market will resume in full force, and demand for property will remain high as British buyers remain as motivated as ever.

Other surveys and data we read does seem to back this summary. The Spanish Gov stats, the UK market is seeing a surge, other portals like Kyero has said similar too. Other agents are also saying the last month has surprised them in terms of enquiries. There are many reports and social media posts saying houses are getting offers on the strength of video and emails (subject to getting over to see). In deed a few villas here have been sold “blind”.

We are reading the various news channels for travel, tourism and of course property during the Covid-19 pandemic 2020. All these major European industries of course and so from Governments to corporate businesses to small independent traders like us are wondering what the future of our businesses will look like.

As a result the many news portals and commentators are falling over themselves to pass journalistic judgement and analysis on the current market trends and predictions.

La Montanosa Villa for Sale

Hondon Villas have read enough these last few weeks to be cautiously optimistic about the Spanish Property market. We have seen activity on our portals, websites and other communications to support the general “feel good” factor coming from the “experts” with the data to back themselves up. We are not sure how it will affect house prices but they are expected to fall over the remaining year according to some reports and predictions as people look to change their location / lifestyle amid the inevitable job losses across Europe.

But, of course the pandemic is not over and with talk of a 2nd wave, these predictions may not turn into reality. All we can do is try our best, make some safety and marketing adjustments and play a waiting game. But you can be sure we have not lost our passion to find ken buyers their dream home in the Hondon Valley. Take a look at these luxury value villas on the Urb. La Montanosa …. absolute bargains.

Muy Tranquilo in Hondón

If you know the Hondón area you’ll soon realise it has one stubborn but very quaint foot in it’s agricultural past and the other slow marching into the 21 first century. The valley has a long fertile farming history, particularly grapes, olives and almond groves. But over the last 20 years it has seen masses of foreign investment in property sales. Times they are a changing! Well, local expat’ Richard Seal, a teacher and writer, observes the traditional of Hondón village life…

Counting Sheep!
The Spanish shepherd nods at the sauntering expat who has stopped in front of his flock on the mountain path in the Hondon Valley. Goats sit, staring back in defiance at the intruder, whilst the sheep set themselves to square up to the fluffy dog rounding them up. As the man runs the gauntlet, the group stands together calling the human back – if he thinks he is hard enough.

Nuts!
Further down the road the expat watches a farmer, moving slowly in the sun, leather-faced, dog pant-wagging at his side. Suddenly a mobile phone becomes a foreign object, not working or welcome here – decades melt away with each drip on his sweat streak-striped shirt. Silence shimmers in the heat, disturbed only by almonds dropping, shaken down from his trees.

Village Folk
Arriving in the village of Hondon de los Frailes, expat tips his hat to the aged couple, sitting on rickety chairs outside their house, listening to a crackly radio, with shutters closed against the August afternoon heat. On a low wall near the English bar, clear of the waves of Geordie and Cockney tones, sits a group of old Spanish men. Hewn from rock, faces carved in granite, they say nothing … their brown eyes are sharp, darting, sparkling over small cigars. An elderly lady stands beside a tree, leaf framed, small and proud, in timeless silhouette.

Speaking of Spanish
The expat eschews the English bar in search of paella while the locals enjoy their lunch at home. Lingering in the cafe, he luxuriates in the Senora’s sensual smile and mellifluous voice. He would love to share her song, fancying flamenco. His shaky grasp of the language falters further to broken words barely held together by a ‘bueno’. Watching the man struggle, searching for Spanish, the waitress hovers and flashes him a smile. A giggle sneaks out, brown eyes twinkle at his stuttered words. Returning with the bill, his ‘muchas gracias’ is met by a breezy ‘de nada’.

Strands, written by Richard Seal. Available via Amazon.

©2020. This article was kindly written for Hondon Villas and the Hondón Community by Richard Seal, a member of the local Hondon Writing Circle and has published “Strands” and many other stories / poems inspired by his Spanish & Hondón life.

Percy Chattey Books publish ‘Story Telling®, a series of Short Stories and Poems in both digital eBooks & paperback formats available online via Amazon and Kindle.

Q. Are you buying property in the Hondon Valley? Check out our Exclusive Hondon Villas for sale. We are a local family run business in this area for 15 years. We know Hondón well!

The 10 most asked for Spanish Dream Home Features

According to Kyero (one of Europe’s largest international property portals) the following property features are high on most buyer’s tick lists. Do you agree. We think it is there or there abouts depending on the location & budget. But Kyero have the data to prove it so we’ll go with it in general.

A big part of a real estate agent’s job like Hondon Villas, is to match properties to buyer’s criteria. That can sometimes be easy but often discerning clients might be hard to please. It’s a skill and one we take pride in through the hand-holding and Q&A we do with new buyer’s of course knowing our property portfolio and local market is essential too. When we get that match right.. it’s an offer and hopefully a sale to completion. Job done and all parties are happy!

Before we reveal the Top 10 property features for a Dream Home in the sun, it’s worth noting that there is a big difference between what locals buy and the affluent foreigner looking for a holiday or retirement home. hat is especially true in the Hondon Valley where we mainly operate. Knowing the key features that buyers want helps us to source desirable properties and market them with carefully crafted property descriptions for our target audience.

So without further ado here are 10 top features that are attractive to the international buyers browsing Spanish properties through Kyero: ( source )not necessarily in this order of course!

Air conditioning

When moving to a country with a warmer climate, the first thing on many searchers’ lists will be to make sure that their new property can keep them comfortable, even in the height of summer. In the Hondón area most people opt for the “inverter” types that can blow hot or cold air as it can be chilly in the winter.

Balcony / terrace

The MUST HAVE for northern Europeans used to wet and windy weather! So easy access to alfresco dining is always a tick-in-the-box for buyers are emigrating to a warm country like Spain. Hondon is mainly a sprawling landscape and affords large villas with large terraced plots so dining outside is no problem. Many envisage a life of breakfasting on the terrace in the morning sun.

Garden / outdoor space

And as well as a terrace many home buyers will be looking for more outdoor space. In Hondon the villas can have plots from 350 SqrM to 10,000 so again there will be something to fit this criteria. They want space to wander and breathe in the warmth of the air and feel the sunshine on their skin. Many would also enjoy the space to plant some flowers, or grow fresh produce perhaps that they could not have grown in their own country.

BBQ / outdoor grill / pizza oven

Can you see a theme emerging? Eating, socialising and spending time outdoors are huge motivating factors for international buyers coming from colder climates. As such, ready-made outdoor cooking facilities will always be a big plus. The larger villas often afford full size fitted kitchens outdoors… literally you’d never need to use the indoor one!

Spanish Villa with a Pool

Swimming pool

Whether for the kids or for fitness, a pool is often high on the list of priorities for international buyers looking to emigrate to sunnier shores. It’s the kind of luxury they might not have been able to justify at home, but will be a big attraction in their new life in Spain. The majority of villas in Hondon have a private pool. Luxury and a god-send in summer when it’s great to cool down, even at midnight!

Parking

International buyers will most likely want to make sure they have somewhere to park their car safely within easy reach of their property. Again, villas in the Hondon Valley area ar so large you can get several cars on the drive or plot. many have double garages or large carports to protect their car from the harmful heat and sun rays.

Large windows / stunning views

Even when they’re not outside, your international buyers will want to be able to see the outside space. A beautiful view, whether across the hills, a city-scape or the sea, will be a huge selling point. Even better if it comes with huge windows through which to view it.

Villas in Hondon are know for the large patios / nayas and conservatories with views of the Sierras… watch the sunset with a G&T from your lounge or naya is part of the dream tranquil life.

Walking distance to the beach

Not applicable to the Hondon Valley… If a buyer is looking for properties in a coastal location, one of the biggest questions on their lips will be, “How long will it take me to walk to the beach?” However, in Hondon they do want to know how long it takes to drive to a beach. Thankfully there are several from 35 to 50 minutes drive. So often they go out for the day with some town shopping or lunch.

Internet access

More so than ever… we all need to be connected these days. So it can be vital for keeping in touch with family and friends back home, or for running a business from their new home. So it’s not surprising that international buyers prize a reasonable internet connection speed above many other things. Hondon has a few providers to help there and in general is very reliable but you may not get speeds as fast as your home country, Hondon is rural after all. But most manage and many people do work from home successfully.

Wine fridge / cellar

While probably not a deal breaker, a wine fridge or cellar can be a real bonus for international buyers looking forward to a new, relaxing and sociable lifestyle. It sells a vision of sitting on a sunny terrace sipping a chilled white rioja, and that dream is what will secure the deal.

Well? Do you agree? They are quite generic and not too surprising for us here in Hondon to be honest. Apart from 2 (Beach/Wine Cellar) they are often asked for in the Hondon Valley property market we serve. At home valuation time we note these and they will form part of our online property write-up.

CONTACT US: If you want to buy or sell your home in the Hondon Valley then Hondon Villas is a premium family agent for the area located in the Hondon de los Frailes high street. We have 15 years in the valley and Maureen Cook, the Director has 30+ years in real estate. We are AIPP registered for Pro’ standards and were voted Business of the Year 2015 by the Costa Blanca News.

View our Exclusive Hondon Properties and Homes here >

Business Hours / Horas de Trabajo
OFFICE HOURS: Monday to Friday 10.00 ~ 17.00
Lunas – Viernes 10.00 – 17.00
WEEKENDS & EVENINGS by Appointment
Sábado y domingo con cita previa

WEEKDAY TELEPHONES:
OFFICE +34 622 314 244

Local Office / Dirección Oficina
Hondon Villas S.L. [ NIF B42662981 ]
Calle Juan Carlos I #24,
Plaza Central
Hondon de los Frailes.
Alicante Region GOOGLE MAP
03689, España (Spain)

EMAIL
property [@] hondonvillas.net

Article Source / Copyright: Based on a report by Kyero.com