Thank you for that - and I’m sure i will if i ever get there, LOL! Its taking forever to settle here in Australia, but i hope to be there before christmas anyway!!

Will have a look at that site too! I thought Tumbit is really informative though…

You will almost certainly be able to get more for your money if you serach for property away from the Costa del Sol, and to a lesser extent the Costa Blanca. If you prefer a sea view ( and I will jump in with an assumption that you mean a Mediterranean sea view ! ) then you may wish to consider some of the areas of the Costa around Huelva or on the Costa del Azahar. They still have good transport networks and Infrastructure, with expat communities, but not quite as popular / over developed as other areas of Spain.
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Thanks for that!! I also want to be near a bowling club - thats the problem as most of them are in and around Orihuela, Denia, javea and Benitachell - with the exception of a couple in Mazarron..

Woody,

Other than the El Cid Bowling Club at Benidoleig, that we already discussed, I have come across a few other in the Costa Blanca North ( Marina Alta ) :

Paraiso Mar Bowling Club
Edf. Paraiso Mar, Levante Beach, 03710, Calpe, Alicante
Contact: Brian Coase, Tel.: 965 834804

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Princesa Bowling Club
Hotel Princesa, C/Mirador, Benidorm, Alicante
Contact: Jim McKenna, Tel.: 965 850822
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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Benitachell Bowling Club
Poligono 3, No 373, PTDA Benicambra 03726, Benitachell
Peter Griffiths at:- .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
telephone - 96 649 3151.
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Finca Guila Bowling Club
Finca Guila, Partida Almaira, Benidorm, Alicante
Owner - Dirk Mastbooms, 965 857743
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Javea Green Bowls Club
Inn on the Green
Cansalades 155
Javea 03739
Tel: 96 577 1553
Email:wynne@telefonica.net
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There are quite a few more to the South end of the Costa Blanca, but I understand that area isn’t of as much interest to you ?

Its important that you do as much travelling around the areas as possible. There are bargains to had at the moment, however you must establish where you want to be, then drill down into that market. There is little accurate data around when it comes to house prices in any area, so you really have to do as much ground work as you can before making any decisions.

At last - I am arriving in Spain 18th january! Yippee! Will be renting a house in San Fulgencio for 6 weeks while I concentrate my search around the Costa Blanca, and up to Oliva, with benidoleig, Orba, benitachell etc foremost in mind!!  Thank you to all of you for your advice and information , and let me also take the opportunity to wish all Forumites a very merry Xmas and all the best for 2011!

your idea is look like good.