Yzabelle Bostyn
A BRITISH expat and TikToker has shared her journey to house ownership in Spain-here’s what she wished she knew before taking the plunge.
The Spanish property market has become the centre of a nationwide debate recently, with rising prices and low wages that won’t budge.
Many young Spaniards find it hard to leave their parent’s homes, a situation aggravated by the lack of new builds and price regulation.
But not for one British expat.
Tourist accommodation business woman, Georgia, has bought her dream property in Nerja, Malaga.
Also known as ‘Geoinspain’, she has shared her journey to property ownership on TikTok, detailing the difficulties faced by many young people in Spain.
From getting the amount of money needed to purchase a property to dealing with bank bureaucracy.
In the video, which has gained more than 20,000 views, the 27-year-old reveals the process was ‘very stressful’.
She purchased her beach view property alongside her boyfriend and business partner, admitting ‘buying a house in Spain is very quick…but banks can be very slow and drive you crazy’.
In Spain, house ownership requires much documentation to ensure you can pay your mortgage.
Georgia, originally from northern England, states the downpayment is ‘much more than in the UK’.
To be able to buy a house in Spain, you need to pay 30% of the total cost of the property, compared to 10% in the UK.
However Spain does offer some discounts which can reduce this price by 5%.
The content creator also warned that ‘not all estate agents are professionals’ and can lack the necessary knowledge to do their job correctly.
She advised renting before buying to ‘get to know’ a place before committing to a property.
In an exclusive Olive Press interview, Georgia confessed she ‘fell in love’ with Malaga when working in the area five years ago.
“I love the feel of Malaga. Obviously I love Seville, but Malaga feels more authentic,” she said.
“I worked in Torrox Costa and because it was a small town, I really got to know the people, the food and the culture. I felt like I had really established a base there so I wanted to come back.”
Now, she lives and works in Nerja, where she runs holiday rental business, Solset Properties, with her Spanish boyfriend.
She says she would ‘never move back’ to the UK and experiences a ‘reverse culture shock’ when travelling home.
Georgia told the Olive Press: “I feel healthier here. I eat better because fruit, vegetables and fish are so much cheaper, especially because we’re on the coast.
“Not only that, the days are longer and we make the most of them. We don’t wait until the weekend to socialise. In the UK, people are tired, they go home after work, watch TV, eat and go to bed. Here, I finish work at six or seven and go out with friends.”
However, she has confessed that she finds it difficult to make friends as many Spaniards assume she doesn’t speak their language.
Instead, she has found friends online and uses her TikTok as a platform to show a different side of expat life.
