Our Building Experience with AMAY Properties – What We Learned
When we decided to build our home in Ciudad Quesada, we chose to work with AMAY Properties, a well-known local developer in the area.
We entered the process with optimism, clear expectations, and the belief that building would allow us to create a home suited exactly to our needs.
What followed was a far more complex journey than we anticipated.
Throughout the project, we experienced delays, communication challenges, and administrative complications that we had not fully prepared for. Some of these issues may be typical within the Spanish building environment. Others were specific to our own circumstances and expectations.
This section reflects our personal experience only. We cannot speak for other clients’ experiences.
What Surprised Us Most
1. Timelines, responsibility and blame shifted more than expected.
Building schedules in Spain can be fluid. What appears clear at contract stage may evolve into something else or simply be ignored over time.
2. Independent advice is essential.
Having a truly independent lawyer and technical advisor reviewing contracts and progress is not optional — it is fundamental.
3. Communication expectations differ.
Cultural differences in business communication can lead to frustration if not understood early. What we perceive as rudeness, can simply be a cultural norm.
4. Emotional resilience matters.
Building abroad carries additional stress. Distance from your home country amplifies uncertainty. The rules are different.
What We Would Do Differently if starting again, we would:
- Request greater written specificity in early-stage documents
- Insist on Architects drawings specific to our project
- Build in wider contingency for time and cost
- Insist on Architects Inspection
- Clarify escalation procedures in advance
- Separate emotion from negotiation more consciously
- Walk away when the feeling of incongruence became a reality
A Balanced Perspective
It is also fair to say that the Costa Blanca has many professional and honourable builders, architects, and tradespeople. Since our initial challenges, we have worked with excellent professionals in Spain.
Our experience with AMAY Properties became a difficult chapter in our relocation journey — but it also became an education and a platform for my new book.
We share this not to discourage building in Spain, nor to single out one company for criticism, but to highlight a broader truth:
Building in a foreign country requires heightened diligence, independent oversight, and clear contractual protection.
If you are considering building in Quesada or elsewhere on the Costa Blanca, our strongest advice is this:
Do your due diligence slowly.
Chronologically Document everything.
Assume nothing.
Trust nobody.
Prepare for timeline flexibility.
Protect your peace as carefully as your investment.
Relocation is exciting.
Construction is complex.
Preparation makes the difference.
Read our Story
Moving to Spain and Building a Home: Our Story with AMAY Properties