Hi all,
I saw a property programme on UK tele the other week. It featured the Teruel area as being the next hot spot for foreign investment. Aparently there's going to be a new highway laid down to improve the region's communications, plus a new airport is going to be built north of Valencia.
Since this is 1 of the few places you can still get a 2 bedroom house for 40,000 Euros the presenters were saying this would be an ideal investment opp.
I placing this here as I'm in no place to buy a house, even at that low price. However people may need to be warned of any disadvantages of the area. I can think of just 1 - the place gets very cold in winter. Having said that it is a very beautiful part of Spain. Any feedback from others who know the area?

Yes mark, I know about that too, and the programme you watched was a repeat!!!! Teruel was featured last year as being the cheapest place in Spain to live! Not surprised really.........there is no airport, no beach, no nothing really........for an expat!! That is rather like offering a Spaniard a place in UK to live in, that no-one else would ever dream of living, and saying, but there will be roads, and airports......but did they say when!!!!!!!!!!

Hi there Sue. I take your point about the lack of fast roads and an airport. So far as I know the new airport is definitely being built (there are new leisure complexes being developed at Castellon mainly because of this fact). Obviously anyone investing in Teruel would need to check what is going to happen with the road situation.
As for other attractions - I think the prospect of a country retreat in "real Spain" (I don't like this expression - is urban Madrid not real?) for only 40,000 euros would appeal to a lot of expats. It is rugged harsh countryside there, but there are lots of historic towns and villages to explore and the region is beautiful precisely because of the lack of modern development. It certainly would be a lot cheaper than an equivalent property on the coast (add 150000 Euros?)
In the end I think the 2 major drawbacks are the difficulty in driving to the beach (it's actually not too far as the crow flies, so maybe the predicted new road will help) and few opportunities to earn money from the local businesses.
For someone retiring on a limited budget who can speak a bit of Spanish this would be a potential option methinks.

Just as an FYI - Teruel is known for being one of the coldest, if not the coldest, spot in Spain - dismal winters ....
Thou for those of you from the UK - maybe it would feel a bit like home

Hi there, Puna, you're right about Teruel I believe, although I understand it still gets quite warm in summer ( similar effect to madrid which also swelters in summer).
The thing is most UK people (and potential buyers) are only aware of the Mediterranean resort climate. Even when they're told about icey snowy winters inland they fail to comprehend what this means and normally think you're lying to them. Which means that if you're showing/selling property to them from May to September they're not going to take into account the winter weather (actually sitting in your log-fired house contemplating the snow outside has its appeals to some of us).
As for cold weather in the UK; we don't normally get much cold weather in the winter - our problem is it doesn't warm up until the last week of July and then it starts cooling off again soon afterwards....
Hope it's sunny and warm where you are...

Mark,

Yes I saw the program too (about 3 months ago - not the repeat!). One couple looked at a pretty old watermill. The house prices also caught my eye, especially somewhere up in the north-west of Teruel. Good location if you can work from home, and don't need to rely on any form of public transport!

And FYI, Teruel is cold, but I think Soria takes the prize of being the coldest place in Spain!...

Cheers.