Your First 90 Days in Your New Murcia Home

Your first 90 days in a new Murcia home are about making it yours. Sort internet and insurance before you collect the keys, get utilities and the community administrator in week one, then furnish at your own pace. Choose air conditioning that heats as well as cools, and in most cases buy your car in Spain.

Collecting the keys to a brand-new home on a golf resort is a great day. What comes next is the fun part, and a little planning makes it easy. This is the order I'd tackle things in, based on the questions buyers ask me most once the purchase is done.

What should I sort out before I collect the keys?

Three things are worth doing while your home is still being finished.

Internet. Ask what's available at your exact address: which provider, what type of connection and what speed. Spain has one of the best fibre networks in Europe, and most new-build resorts are well served, but provision can differ from one phase to the next. The quickest route to a real answer is to ask owners already living on the resort what they use. If you work from home or stream a lot of TV, book the installation early so it's live the week you arrive.

Insurance. Have a home policy ready to start on the day of completion. More on what to look for below.

Furniture. Decide whether you'll take a furniture package from the developer or furnish yourself. Deciding now means you aren't sleeping on an airbed in week one.

Should I take a furniture pack or furnish it myself?

Both work, and it comes down to how far away you live and how much you enjoy shopping.

A furniture package is the easy option if you're flying in from Manchester or Dublin and want the house usable from the first night. Ask for a full itemised list, and check whether it's the same specification you saw in the show home.

Furnishing yourself lets you choose every piece and take your time. There's plenty of choice within reach of the resorts. IKEA Murcia is an easy drive from Corvera and Omala, the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre sits just over the border in Alicante province, and Murcia and Cartagena both have large retail parks and independent furniture showrooms.

Many owners do a bit of both: essentials from a package, then the pieces that make it feel like home added over the first few trips.

What air conditioning do I need, and does it heat too?

Yes, it heats. Most split air-conditioning units sold in Spain are heat pumps (bomba de calor), so the same unit that keeps a bedroom cool in August warms it on a January evening. For UK and Irish buyers used to radiators, that surprises people, and it means one system covers the whole year.

A few practical tips:

• Check your specification. Many new builds come with air conditioning pre-installed or with the ducting and wiring in place (preinstalación), which makes fitting units quicker and cheaper.
• Get two or three quotes. Prices vary between installers and brands, so compare like for like, including installation.
• Think room by room. Most owners start with the living area and the main bedroom, then add more later.

Murcia winters are mild, with daytime highs of around 16-18°C from December to February, so a short blast of heat morning and evening is usually all you need.

Which insurance do I need for a Spanish home?

A standard home policy (seguro de hogar) covering the building and contents. If you have a mortgage, the lender will require building cover, and your community already insures the shared areas.

When comparing policies, look beyond the premium:

• Claims service. Ask neighbours on your resort which insurers have handled claims quickly and well. Their experience is worth more than any comparison site.
• Time away. If the home will stand empty between visits, check the policy allows that and for how long.
• The Consorcio surcharge. Spanish home policies carry a small surcharge for the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, the state-backed body that covers extraordinary events such as floods. It comes with the policy, so the key thing is simply to keep your policy active.

Should I bring my UK car to Spain?

For most owners, it's simpler to buy a car here.

As a non-resident you can drive a UK-registered car in Spain for up to six months a year. If you become resident, a UK car needs to go onto Spanish plates, which means paperwork, an ITV inspection (the Spanish MOT) and usually changes such as the headlights to suit driving on the right. Most owners find it easier to sell at home and buy a left-hand-drive car locally.

Having a car here is well worth it. The resorts sit a few kilometres outside their host towns, which is what gives you the space and the fairway views, and a car puts the beach, the supermarket and Murcia city within easy reach.

What does the first 90 days look like, step by step?

The itemised cost breakdown we give you for any home before you reserve includes the community fee and IBI figures, so month three should hold no surprises.

Who can help with pools, gardens and keyholding?

This is where living on a resort really helps. Your community administrator (administrador de fincas) looks after the shared gardens, pools and security, and knows who other owners use for private pools, gardening, cleaning and keyholding.

Three simple habits make life easy:

1. Ask neighbours for recommendations. Resort communities are friendly, and word of mouth is how most owners find good tradespeople. 2. Get a couple of quotes for bigger jobs, especially anything over a few hundred euros. 3. Keep every receipt for improvements. Documented improvements can be taken into account when you eventually sell, so file them from day one.

If you'll be away for weeks at a time, set up keyholding before you fly home. A weekly check, a flush of the taps and someone to let the air-con engineer in give you peace of mind while you're back in the UK or Ireland.

Frequently asked questions

Does air conditioning in Spain heat as well as cool?

Usually, yes. Most split units in Spain are heat pumps (bomba de calor), so the same unit cools the house in summer and warms it in winter.

Should I check internet before buying a property in Murcia?

Yes. Ask what is available at your specific address and what existing owners on the resort actually use, then book installation early so it's ready when you arrive.

Are developer furniture packages worth it?

They are a convenient choice if you live far away and want the home ready from day one. Ask for an itemised list and compare it with furnishing yourself from shops such as IKEA Murcia.

Can I drive my UK car in Spain?

Non-residents can drive a UK-registered car in Spain for up to six months a year. If you become resident it must be re-registered on Spanish plates, so most owners buy a car locally.

What should Spanish home insurance include?

Building and contents cover, permission for the home to be empty between visits if you need it, and the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros surcharge that comes with Spanish home policies.

Come and see it for yourself

We guide you through each step from reservation to completion and handover, and introduce you to independent, English-speaking lawyers, mortgage brokers and currency specialists along the way (you're always free to choose your own).

If you'd like to see the resorts for yourself, I'd love to show you round. Message me on WhatsApp on +44 7424 864 684 or send an enquiry and I'll get straight back to you.

About the author — Lee Doherty is the founder of MedSol Real Estate. He spent two years researching the region before buying here himself, and now helps UK and international buyers find golf-resort homes across the Region of Murcia.