“Just go for it”: How A Place in the Sun Currency helped Dave buy a home in Murcia

Q&A: Why Dave chose A Place in the Sun Currency after visiting A Place in the Sun Live

After researching currency providers on Money Saving Expert and speaking to experts at the A Place in the Sun Live exhibition in Manchester, Dave chose A Place in the Sun Currency to support his overseas purchase.

With detailed budgeting, exchange-rate planning, and a viewing trip to Murcia, Dave secured a bungalow at the new El Alba resort near Roldán – funded through the sale of his UK home. In this Q&A, Dave shares what he learned about navigating stage payments, choosing the right location, planning finances around exchange rates, and why – despite the paperwork and processes – his advice to others is simple: just go for it!

Did you compare A Place in the Sun Currency with your bank?

“I researched currency providers on the Money Saving Expert website, then visited the stands at A Place in the Sun Live in Manchester in 2025. After chatting with representatives about timing and browsing the options available, I chose A Place in the Sun Currency as the provider to move forward with.”

Tell us about the service – did you feel that you, and your money, were looked after well?

“Everything is working out well, with just one instalment remaining in September 2026. The online processes were straightforward once I had studied it sufficiently. Some of the staging of transfers baffled me and the agents, the lawyer and the site representative. But between us all everyone was happy with the stage payments to date. Now I have done it a few times, I can understand the Spanish purchase contract and VAT elements properly, so my final payment should be a doddle!”

Where is the property you’ve bought, and how did you choose it?

“I have purchased what is called locally “a bungalow” on the new EL Alba resort near Roldan, Torre Pacheco in Murcia. We chose the property after a viewing trip accompanied by my daughter and son-in-law, organised by the estate agent Buying in Spain – one of the exhibiting firms at the A Place in the Sun Live Manchester exhibition in 2025. A couple of months later after my house was sold STC, we viewed 5 or 6 properties over a few days in locations which we favoured, after extensive research at home and in Spain. The actual ‘resort’ that we chose is like a modern up to date version, in a better location of El Alcasar near Moraira, where some of my acquaintances lived who we had visited a number of times.”

How did you fund the purchase? Have you sold up in the UK and moved, or is this a holiday home for now?

“We sold a larger property in the UK and bought the bungalow in Murcia, plus the another smaller new build in the UK (which should be ready this March/April). It will be a holiday home certainly to start off with, for me, my daughter and her family to use. I might consider a permanent move in a couple of years.”

What made you choose A Place in the Sun Currency, and are you pleased that you did?

“As mentioned above, I have received expert help and guidance which I greatly appreciate, an no attempts at cross marketing or upselling!”

If you could give 3 tips to help other people when buying overseas, what would they be?

1. ”“Do as much research as you can in advance, explore different resorts and provinces in Spain, and visit in different seasons.”
2. “Learn some Spanish before you go if possible.”
3. “Get advice from agents in Spain on the ground, from people who live there including Spanish local – try not to get too swayed by social media!”

Is there anything in the overseas buying process, generally, that you would change if you could?

“Reverse Brexit!”

How much planning did you do in terms of budget and exchange rates, when it came to putting offers in?

“I did calculations from when contracts were exchanged on my sale property, taking into account savings income and expenditure to calculate my budget, then I knew on the viewing trip what I could afford. On the day before we returned from the viewing trip, we settled on our ideal property in our ideal location and I paid a deposit on it to secure my reservation.”