Leave one day, without return. There are those who sing it, and those who live it. This is the case of Kevin Centorame. In 2015, this Thulinois decided to set sail with his partner Sarah and their two boys to try their luck in Torrevieja, on the Costa Blanca in southeastern Spain. Seven years later, they have no regrets. He has his own real estate agency. She created her company which accompanies foreigners in their administrative procedures – and there are many of them in the area. As for the children, perfectly integrated, they speak in Spanish when they play together. One is a fan of Barça, the other of Real.
But it was not on a whim that the Centorame decided to pack up in 2015. “My in-laws already had a second home in Torrevieja. We went there often, and each return to Belgium was more and more painful. Sarah and I were no longer fulfilled in our respective jobs and we wanted the sun”, says Kevin Centorame. “But we were in our early thirties. Still too young to think regarding taking a golden retirement. We had to find a job to settle there.”
Fate has come to bring the necessary little boost. “A friend in Belgium wanted to buy an apartment in Torrevieja. As I used to go there often, he put me in touch with his real estate agent and he asked me to look for him”continues the ex-Thulinois. “One thing leading to another, I had the opportunity to work in real estate. So we left to settle down and following a few years, I was even able to found my own agency, Torrevieja Immo.”
It should be noted that the region has experienced a real boom in real estate. “We experienced the boom from 2016 to 2020. It is a region where a lot has been built and where we are still building, because it is very attractive. Torrevieja is located between two airports well served by Belgium with flights every day. There are beautiful beaches, a large shopping center and real estate prices remain accessible. They have increased a little, like everywhere. But Torrevieja remains more accessible than other regions such as Andalusia or the Costa Brava. Here, for 120,000 euros, you can still find an apartment with two bedrooms and a swimming pool. This is not possible elsewhere.”
A very attractive region. Or too much? “A lot of Belgians came to settle. At first, it was mainly young pensioners. But we also have active people who are trying their luck. We thought we would have a cooler life by coming here, but in the end, we work more than in Belgium. We’re not going to complain regarding that. When I make a sale, I’m often contacted by someone close to the client in the months that follow. But this real estate boom has attracted many people. Some years , there were 3 to 4,000 transactions. For my part, and I am one of the few, I obtained my aggregation from the IPI. The Professional Institute of Real Estate Agents considers that from the moment we sells to Belgians, even abroad, this recognition is necessary. It is not so bad. Torrevieja had become a new Eldorado, it attracted pirates who did everything and anything. The IPI made it possible to to do the housework.”
Glancing in the rear view mirror, the Centorame don’t regret the choice they made seven years ago. “Even if the idea had been in our heads for a while, things finally decided quickly in 2015. I had made my first professional contacts in winter. Then in January, we saw the notary to put our house up for sale. Some had advised us to keep it just in case. But we did not want this possibility of going back. We left to settle in August, just before the start of the school year for our children who were 2 and 5 years old. They are fell into a great school where there are regarding forty nationalities and specific support for foreigners who arrive. They quickly made new friends. We too quickly expanded our network. It must be said that life there bas promotes meetings and moments of relaxation with friends. Seven years ago, we took a one-way ticket. And we don’t regret it. We mightn’t imagine living anywhere else than here.”
