If your dream is a bucolic village townhouse that is cheap as chips but still connected to the city of Valencia, look no further! Valencia Life has found a private sale well below the market rate that is almost too good to be true. By Eugene Costello
This huge double-fronted, two-storey townhouse is in the village square of a charming pueblecito in Ribera Alta. It overlooks the square in Massalavés. This is a part of the Valencian community that tourism scarcely touches. Surrounding it are orange groves supplying Valencia and beyond. The house overlooks the village square and the village has a population of just 1,739 people. But what it lacks in population size it more than makes up for in charm.
Traditional village on the Metro
If your dream is a bucolic village townhouse that is cheap as chips but still connected to the city of Valencia but not to be in the hustle and bustle of a town or touristy area , look no further. Following an unfortunate family loss, the owners are looking for a quick sale, and you have a chance to make their loss your great fortune.
Opposite the house and overlooking the village square is the Iglesia Parroquial de San Miguel Arcángel y Santa María Magdalena. This beautiful gothic church started construction in the 12th century, built on top of an ancient Moorish mosque.
The town has a public primary school and a swimming pool for children and adults. Nearby is a football pitch with a bar, showers and changing rooms, perfect for youngsters to keep fit and healthy. There is a large Mercadona in the next village, Alberic. It is on Valencia Metro Line 1, and takes about an hour to reach Plaza de España in the city centre. Or nearby Alzira is a 14-minute drive, from where you can take the 40-minute cercanía, go shopping at an enormous Carrefour – or go to the cinema to watch movies in English or Spanish. It would be perfect for a young family looking to live the real Spanish life.
Charming and traditional small town
Massalavés is a charming small town that spends its Augusts with festivities honouring local saints. These are patron saint festivities in honour of Santísimo Cristo Salvador, San Miguel and Santa María Magdalena. It celebrates with festivities, meaning live concerts by music bands, parades, gunpowder explosions – think mascletás – sports and religious events among others. A lively little town that punches above its weight.
As to the house itself, it was built in 1922 and consists of 244 sq m of living space. And 122 sq m of those are made up of the huge room on the first floor and two street-facing balconies. So it would be very easy to convert this space into two additional bedrooms or one huge master bedroom.
A lot of house for a bargain price
Downstairs, you’ll find three bedrooms, two of which have street-facing windows. Add in a sala de estar – living room – a kitchen, dining-room and a bathroom and you have a lot bang for your buck. Or a lot of house for your money. The bathroom might benefit from updating, but with such a low price, you’ll have plenty left in the budget, should you want to. The same goes for the huge loft room upstairs that has floorboards already. Here, you have a door leading to the roof terrace and three balconies at the front overlooking the church and village square. You’ll find street parking freely available.
Nearby, you’ll find the British School of Alzira, whether for your children or for employment. And on the outskirts of Massalavés is a family-run restaurant, El Rio Verde. It’s named after the local tributary of El Río Júcar that supplies all the local orange groves with water for irrigation.
Massive potential for una pequeña reforma
There is enough space to convert it into a huge master bedroom or a couple of bedrooms, but if you want another bathroom you will need to install your own plumbing. Or a huge reception room with spectacular views. You’re limited only by your imagination and budget, but it would be a relatively straightforward job.
The greatest appeal here are the floors, tiling and timbered beam ceilings. The whole floor has traditional azulejos – Valencian tiles – up to picture-rail level with typical characteristic wall tiles of blue, yellow and white.
As if all that were not enough, there is a roof terrace upstairs that is a perfect place for sitting in the evening sun with a book and a glass of wine. It’s a home that will give a budget-conscious family many happy years of enjoyment.
• On the market for just €62,000. The owners do not speak English but the Spanish-teaching daughter Maria speaks English fluently. You can WhatsApp her with any questions or to arrange a viewing on +34644970603
