Location Scouting the Costa Dorada: One American Couple’s Story
After a year of researching online and multiple trips to Spain, Steve and Meli were clear about relocating to the Costa Dorada but looking for help to find the right beach town.
Steve & Meli's Problem
This American couple had already visited Ibiza, Barcelona, and Sitges using their Marriott and SkyTeam points. They asked questions in different Facebook groups, tried to get a feel for different towns from YouTube travel vloggers and even tested out their wish list with ChatGPT.
When access to world class health care became a #1 priority, they narrowed in on the Costa Dorada due to it's beach lifestyle and proximity to Barcelona's world class medical services. Meli, a seasoned Realtor herself, knew if they were going to make their next trip count, they needed structure, local insight and someone to help them understand real life beyond the houses shown on portals.
When she tried reaching out to local real estate agents they all said the same thing: “Wait until you're already here on the ground with your visa's.” So she tried one more Facebook post to get the support she desperately needed and Nicola at Homesmith came to the rescue!
Homesmith's Solution
After a 1:1 video consult to prioritise their wishlist, Nicola recommended visiting the two towns either side of Sitges — Castelldefels and Vilanova — and mapped out a tailored route to show the areas of each town with properties that would fit their budget.
This wasn’t a sight seeing tour. It was an orientation built around their future reality with an objective point of view and the honest answers they needed to make an important life decision.
Steve & Meli's Outcome
By the end of the day, Steve and Meli weren’t just clearer on where they wanted to live they had completely rethought how they were going to buy.
After spending a day with Nicola talking through all their options and hearing about how other Americans had relocated to the Costa Dorada, they decided to skip renting, focus on increasing their savings, and start preparing for a mortgage.
Visiting the two other beach towns gave them the much needed on the ground perspective they needed to validate that Sitges was actually the beach town that felt like the right choice and long-term fit.
Our Location Scouting Tour gave them the much needed clarity on their location and a the added bonus of a realistic plan to make it happen.
