Areas do not get popular for nothing. This is Andalusia, Spain’s southernmost province, a land of spectacular natural beauty, home to all those things we think of as Spanish: flamenco, bullfights, sherry, sunshine. Oh, and Picasso. He was born in Málaga, but never came back.

Minutes inland from Málaga lies the unchanged countryside of old Spain with its white townships on the hillsides. Further inland are the historic cities of Seville, the capital of Andalusia; Granada, with its famous Alhambra palace; Córdoba, and the huge, ornate Mezquita mosque; and Ronda, perched spectacularly on the sides of a river gorge.

Along the coast in both directions lie some of Europe’s finest beaches: at Costa de la Luz, the trendy surfers’ paradise near Cádiz, and at Costa de Almería. The province stretches from the snow-capped Sierra Nevada to the parched landscape and clear, blue skies of the Almería desert.Foreigners are settling all over the place, out on a limb on the hillsides, or in hassle-free, managed developments on the coast.

Such is the proliferation of golf courses that Costa del Sol has been dubbed Costa del Golf. And it was golf that first brought Lynn and Harry Morgan to the area, where they have now bought a two-bed apartment in a small development between Marbella and Estepona. Lynn, a retired college lecturer, and Harry, who managed leisure centres in the North West, became so taken with the new lifestyle that they sold their large house in Blundellsands, a smart suburb of Liverpool, and bought a flat by the sea between Liverpool and Southport. They flit between their two apartments, spending winter in Spain and summers back home, where they have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Harry takes up the story: “Five years ago an opportunity came along to retire early; I was 54 and went for it. Lynn had retired at 50 the year before, when she opted for voluntary redundancy. We had never really thought of buying in Spain. We went by chance to play golf with some friends. I had been only once before — 30-odd years ago — and hadn’t liked it much then. But we had a fabulous time and were very impressed. We went back the next year, to play golf again, and found ourselves looking at property prices. We were just window-shopping; it all seemed like a pipe dream having a place out there.

“We didn’t think we would have the courage to buy here. You hear so many grim stories of people paying money up front and coming unstuck. We really did our homework first. We bought loads of books on owning a place in Spain, and we asked around and made sure we had a really good Spanish solicitor.”

Lynn says: “We didn’t want to buy off plan in a new development. You can never be sure when it will be completed or what else will spring up to block your view. We bought a two-bed apartment in an established small development of about 50 flats in gardens with their own pool. We could see exactly what was around us, and also how well managed it was.”

Harry adds: “It pays to ask around. Once we had narrowed the search down to a particular development, we sought the opinions of people living there, as well as people just staying for a holiday. Go back at different times of the year, if you can, to see it in all seasons. Our block is 22 years old, and there are people there who have owned the same apartment from the start.

“Buying in Spain is fraught with dangers because planning controls are so lax. There is development springing up on every green space between Málaga and Gibraltar. You might buy somewhere with, say, a tiny villa in front and someone will come along and knock it down to build a whacking great thing blocking your view.”

He continues: “Golf first took us to Spain. Then I discovered the weather was good for my arthritis. We spend about four months a year here, usually in breaks of up to four weeks at a time. We were here for nine weeks once, but it was too much, you start to miss friends and family back home.”

The Morgans belong to golf clubs in both places and have also joined the local petanca (boules) club, where they play about three times a week. They believe in making an effort in the community and plan on taking classes to improve their Spanish. “Some of the English who have been here for years and years make no effort at all, and expect everyone to speak English,” says Harry. “Frankly, that’s rude.”

In fact, their biggest problem has arisen from dealings with a fellow Brit. “We paid an English builder based out here to re-do our kitchen. Basically, he went off with our money,” says Harry. “I would recommend anyone with a place out here to use Spanish companies. They do a good job, and in our experience local firms are completely trustworthy.”

The Morgans paid £51,000 for their Spanish apartment four years ago. Similar ones are now fetching £130,000. With an eye on spending more time in Spain, they sold their house in Blundellsands three years ago and bought an apartment on the coast near by for £120,000. It is now worth more than £200,000.

“In Liverpool our council tax is £1,400 a year, then we pay £50 a month which covers all the maintenance,” says Harry. “Other bills, like heating, are small, as we are away for the coldest months. In Spain, paying the bills is easy. We have a £1,250 a year community charge, which includes everything — local taxes and all the maintenance for the apartment, the gardens and the pool. The only other bills are for electricity and the telephone, which you have to pay by direct debit.”

Cheap flights from Liverpool’s John Lennon airport to Málaga were a big factor in their decision. “Some flights are only £50 return if we book well ahead,” says Lynn. “We usually take our own car out on our first trip in autumn, and leave it there to use over the winter.”

So, why did they choose the Costa del Sol and not Devon or Cornwall for the easy life? “Simple,” says Harry. “Spain’s cheaper to buy, cheaper to live, and you can rely on really hot weather for months. And it’s easier to get to. I can go door to door, Liverpool to Málaga, in just over five hours. Devon would take me at least seven, and I’d be doing the driving every time.

“The beauty of both places is that they are just lock and leave. You can come and go as you like, with no real worries. I can’t see us living in Spain full time, not at the moment. But nor can I see us selling. We’ve only small pensions, but we have the best of both worlds,” Harry says.

Lynn adds: “This is a great bolt-hole for us. I love the warmth and the blue skies. It’s the feelgood factor. The biggest pleasure is being able to just up and go. It is a change of scenery. It’s a change of lifestyle. Then we get to look forward to coming back to England and seeing all the family and our grandchildren.”

Home and away

Don’t hand over all your money to the vendor. You pay 5 per cent of the purchase price to the tax office to cover the seller’s potential tax liabilities: the balance goes to the seller. And watch out for any other debts being passed on in your contract.

If you stay for less than 183 days in a year you are classed as a non-resident but can still be liable for some taxes. These include capital gains tax (35 per cent, but indexed for inflation) and tax on income from rentals. Seek advice if you plan to retire and live full-time in Spain. You can be liable for tax in both countries if you are not careful. You also need to check on insurance and healthcare provision.

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