One step closer!

We heard over the weekend that the owner was happy to accept our offer, so now we have to wait for our solicitor to check the paperwork.

In Spain it is important to have all the necessary checks done, just as in the UK, to make sure the house is legal, the owner actually owns it, that there are no debts attached to it etc, etc. Because this property has been renovated we need to be sure all the work has been carried out with the correct licences etc, etc, etc.

So, we are one step closer to buying a house - but we are still waiting to find out if the paperwork throws up any unexpected surprises.

Hopefully not!

To offer, or not to offer - that is the question!

So, 2 properties, both good locations, both needing some work but not too much, both with lots of land, both 10 mins from town, both have good access roads - so, how to choose.

There are 2 properties we liked, there are 2 of us - we're bound to like different ones, right?

Wrong! Although we both liked both properties, we both had a preference for the same one, we could both see ourselves and the pups living there.

So, do we take the plunge? - in total we have seen about 20 properties (I've not bored you with every viewing, just a variety), we've known which ones we weren't interested in, which weren't right for us and why, and these 2 feel right. We have been giving each property we've seen a mark out of 10 and anything 8 or over was to be a consideration, as we accept we are unlikely to find the perfect property - but if it has potential to become the perfect property, then it will score high.

The 2 we like have both scored 9 out of 10 from both of us.

So, how to choose which to make an offer on.

And in the end, it came down to the view, who wouldn't want to open their front door and gaze out onto this each morning? No traffic, no houses, nothing but uninterrupted countryside!

The house is set in 3 hectares of land, that's 30,000 sq. mtrs - that's the whole valley.

So, we slept on it, we chatted some more and decided - we would make an offer and let fate decide. If the offer was accepted, we would be buying a house, if the offer wasn't accepted - then we still had the other property to consider.

We phoned the agent and gave him our offer, subject to all the paperwork being in order. He told us he would contact the owner and get back to us, probably the next day.

So, all we had to do now was wait!

Strange clouds overhead!

Recently we have started to see the ocassional cloud in the sky - normally they gather over the mountains in the distance in the late afternoon and are gone in the morning. They make for some interesting sunsets but today we had a spectacular cloud in the bright sunshine of the day.

In the distance there were huge, white, fluffy clouds forming, and then the wind seemed to get up and pick a whole section of cloud and string it out across the clear, blue sky - it looked amazing.

All too soon the wind had blown it too thin and scattered it across the sky - and it was gone.

More properties!

We were only meeting one agent today, with 4 properties to show us. We were meeting up with another guy, who is Spanish but had spent 20 years in the UK before moving back to Spain and getting involved in the building and property market and was working with our agent in seeling Spanish owned properties.

The first one was a reformed semi set in 3 hectares of land, so off we went.

We met the owner there who had inherited the property reformed it to live in but has now run out of money and so needs to sell it. The adjoining house belongs to his sister, and although she has chosen not to renovate her property, it is out of sight from the house we were viewing, and is predominantly unlived in, as many are here. The sister only visits odd weekends during the year, so wouldn't be popping in for coffee every morning! The house needs a kitchen fitting, the bathroom completing and then the outside landscaping......

...but the views from this place are stunning:

The second property was a new build villa, again in the country, but it didn't do anything for us - so we didn't even go inside.

We were calling off at a full renovation project, which was new on the market, on the way to our next property as our agent needed to take some photos, but first we were calling into town to pick up yet another guy who held the keys. He wasn't there when we arrived to we took the opportunity for a coffee and a break.

This was the renovation project, again, on a hill with fabulous views and was actually 3 properties and some outbuildings and a couple of cave rooms all being sold together - so would make a fantastic country house - but a seriously massive project, (and please note - agent taking photos!)

The last house (farthest away in piccy) was actually habitable but hadn't been lived in since January 1996 - the calendar was still on the wall!

As we set off to the next property I started to get a sense of 'deja-vu'. I know there is a lot of countryside and hundreds of properties, and I knew the next one on the list was a different price BUT....I just had a feeling we were on our way to see a property we had seen on the previous day, oh the joys of multiple agency! I mentioned my suspicions to the agent and as we approched they were confirmed, we had seen it the previous day - and rejected it.

So, onto the final property for the day - this one didn't look much from the outside but inside had a fabulous lounge/dining kichen room - with a log burning fire at one end - it was a brilliant room for living in and entertaining in and was the entire length of the house. At the back of the house were the bedrooms and bathrooms and all really big rooms for a Spanish property. Again, the outside needed finishing off but the potential was all there and more views as before.

So, we had 2 properties to discuss when we got home, the first and the last. Both in the countryside, with good views, 3 bedrooms and some work still to do but not an excessive amount to get them upto a habitable standard. Both less than 10 minutes to the nearest town and both with lots of land for the dogs to roam and play - quite a good day then!

A day of viewings - Part 3.

Ok, by now it was getting late and we still had a 3rd agent to meet and see 2 properties - but while we were in the area it seemed sensible to see as many as we could.

So, we met up with Jo who was taking us to see a Farmhouse that needed a reasonable amount of work to do it up, as most of them do - but not a total renovation, some of the rooms needed a coat of paint and a bit of TLC.

For example - it needed a new kitchen!

But we have seen a farmhouse that has been fully renovated and they make fabulous traditional houses, with huge rooms unlike the new villas that they build which tend to have small rooms.

The bathroom also needed ripping out and replacing but it had a good view from the roof terrace over the almond trees to the mountains.

Unfortunately, at the back of the property was another farm that was a real mess, a total eyesore and not something we wanted to live next door to - so, onto the final property for the day.

And once again, we found ourselves heading for the Rambla. Now, the sides to the Rambla are very steep and there are properties dotted all along, and the quickest way to get to some of them is along the Rambla, which considering how long it is since we've had any rain, is not a problem at all. The property we were going to see was built high up on the Rambla hill, but it said it had good access.

Now, one lesson we've quickly learned is that what some consider good access, others would seriously struggle with - and this house turned out to be in the latter category! It was up a very steep lane that ran between 2 houses that we barely fit between, and then up some more. It was tarmac, I'll grant you that, but incredibly twisty and turning and at one point I'll warrant the tarmac was no more than 6 inches wider than our wheels, with a steep drop to the Rambla below. This house could have been perfect for us, but we wouldn't be buying it - there was no way I would be able to drive up and down this track! But the views were stunning!

As it happens, the property wasn't bad. It had been partly renovated by a couple who had run out of money, (not an unusual story over here) and so wanted rid of it. They were obviously descended from a family of mountain goat herders, not to be bothered by the drive up - but this one was definitely not for me!

So, a long day and not a property that was right for us - but we are getting a better idea of what we are looking for and more importantly, what we are NOT looking for!

We have another day out tomorrow.

A book launch.

Last night we went to the launch of a new book entitled 'Águilas and the English'. Águilas is the town nearest to us.

This is a book written by the author Antonio Hernandez and is about the influence of the British in Águilas in the mines and the railways across Southern Spain. He is predominantly interested in music and it was while he was researching the Russian Ballet in Spain for a book, that he was sent some unpublished documents about Águilas which he felt he couldn't ignore and so he put his work on the Russian Ballet to one side and began research into the impact of the British in the area of Águilas.

He acknowledges that there were many Scots, Welsh & Irish also, but he preferred the title to read Águilas and the English as locally 'English' is used as a term to cover all the nationalties. At the launch there were a couple of descendants from people who were key in the railway being built.

The book is written in both English & Spanish, on each page (so I understand) and there were many British people at the launch hoping to purchase the book.

The book retails at €25, so is not cheap but the author explained this is due to all the documentation and research that was necessary.

We were looking forward to getting a copy and reading about the local area as we have only been able to pick up bits of information since we have been here and we feel it must have a big history with all the ore mines around.

Unfortunately, the author told us his publisher had not got any books to him for sale at the launch and so we would have to go to the bookshop in Águilas to buy one, and this also meant it wouldn't be possible to get the authors signature in the book - although he did explain that he was due to publish another book next year so we could always take this one along for him to sign then, if we so wished.

So, as a book launch it fell a little flat because there were no books to look at or buy, but for anyone wanting to read about the impact the Brits have had in the area over the last few generations, this is possibly one to look for.

A day of viewings - Part 2.

We'd asked to see 2 properties with our second agent, a rural casita (that's a little house) which again was set in the midst of an almond farm. We quite like the idea of having some trees to harvest and have checked out how to do it. More of that another time if we do end up looking after a set of almond trees.

So, we met the agent and owner at a nearby bar. The owner's family owned the land and house and all lived locally. His sister is currently harvesting the almonds and there are a lot of trees, as again, this property had a hectare of land.

This was a fabulous area and the views were stunning, across all the almond fields to the mountains but the house was just too small. There was a living kitchen with a bathroom off to one side, which we found an odd place for the bathroom and off the other side were 2 bedrooms - and that was it. Now, I know I've downsized since we left England, but I was really going to be struggling to get the basics in here. We worked it out that we would need to build the same amount of space again and that would be another long-term project. But it was one we discussed in length before deciding it wasn't for us.

The agent then said she wanted to take us to a fully reformed country house about 15 minutes away, not one we had seen on the website but we had by now decided the other property we had planned to view was probably not right for us so we were happy to change our plans.

One of the things we have to keep in mind is how quickly we can drive to the main road to get to our golf club. Well, this next property was down a fantastic road through the countryside, steep hills covered in almond, olive and pine trees and when we reached the property it was in a cluster of 3 houses set on the side of the hill with views down the vally.

It was a beautiful house BUT off a very steep, dirt track from the top of the hill or up the Rambla from the bottom of the hill and just a little too remote to make golf within a driving distance.

And so, off to meet the last agent and see the last 2 properties of the day.

A day of viewings - Part1.

We had 3 agents to meet spaced out at 12 noon, 3.30 and 6.00pm. We were seeing a variety of properties from reformed properties that were builder finished but needed all the internal fittings, floorings and bathroom and kitchens putting in, to run-down farmhouses that needed renovating to fully finished properties.

We had arranged to meet the first agent at their office as the first property was only 10 minutes away. It was a small property off the Rambla.

A Rambla, here in Spain, is the term used for a dry river bed, of which there are many locally due to the lack of rain. The bottom of the river bed is used to access the properties built along the Rambla. For the majority of the year these are very dry and very dusty but in the wet season when we have the torrential rain they will channel the rainwater along the Rambla and off to wherever it goes. So, depending in where they are on the Rambla this may mean it's ok ..... or not.

As well as cars using the Rambla to get from A to B, so do the local goatherders (sorry for the poor quality photo - taken through the car windscreen as we hurtled down the Ramble behind our agent - white car on the right of the picture - I think she fnacied herself as a rally driver in her Audi A4).

The house itself was very nice, it needs finishing off but that's not a problem. It had lovely views and land with some olive trees and would have been lovely for the dogs BUT too close to the bottom of the Rambla with no other access and I was concerned about how wet and muddy it would be when it does rain, I don't want to be wading through water to get to my front door. Shame, but that's one down and one off the list.

Property 2 was an old farmhouse on a hill standing in a hectare of land planted with almond trees. This was in need of full renovation and about half an hour drive away from the first.

On the way we called off to see a new built villa that the agent had on the market. It was a lovely villa but the internal plan of rooms didn't work for me and it was above our budget, although the agent said they would take an offer (as we are finding on many new builds out here).

Having left town we drove out into the countryside. Now, a lot of the old farm houses are along unmade roads so we are getting used to a bit of off-roading, it's a good job we have a 4x4 to get to some of them.

Anyway, 10 minutes later we were driving along a dirt track at the side of a ravine to a large farmhouse set in a hectare of land. This was in need of total reform and would make a lovely
house when done.

The views were stunning from here across the plains onto the mountains,

but we think it would be a 6-12 month renovation project and we want to have somewhere that has part habitable within 3 months, so on that basis we decided this wasn't the one for us.

This should be the lounge but is

currently used for storing potatoes.

And this would make a lovely

indoor pool area.

By now we were running late for our next agent and we still had 4 properties to see - it was going to be a long day.

Time to select some properties to view.

It should be simple. You ring an agent, you tell them which properties you want to view and when, they arrange it and take you round. Simples!


No, no, no - now don't be silly!


Having worked in the house selling business for over 20 years I suppose I think I know a little about how these things are done but here you need to wind the clock back to 20 years ago, and then muddle into it multiple agency on a major scale and you're starting to get there.



We have decided we want a house in the country with space for the dogs to run around and bark if they want to. We would like somewhere with a little land which has some almond & olive trees and fruit trees. We would like to be on the outskirts of a small town with predominantly Spanish residents and with a central square at the heart of the town. We are happy to take on a renovation property in the right place, but not a total ruin - the minimum it must have is 4 outer walls and a roof! Believe you me, out here they sell some real runis for restoration - most need knocking down and starting again - not a task for us.



We have narrowed it down to an area about an hour inland from Terreros and so, with the map laid out fully, I trawled through website after website, trying to identify properties which fit our budget, our tick list and in the right areas. I made a list. I rang the agents to make appointments. Job done.



Or so you would think.

First, they have to check whether the property is still available or if it's been sold by another agent and not been told, one of our choices has been sold we discovered later. Then there is the issue of keys, if the owner lives abroad they don't always leave the keys with the agent so they have to request them to be sent through in order to show us around - but we can have a look at it from the outside and look through the windows, if we want to. Well, at least we would be able to say whether it was worth getting the keys or not, from it's location and external appearance! But it's not how we would do things in Sheffield.

So, we have appointments to view about 6 properties tomorrow which, according to the website details all fit our outline requirements. I feel it's going to be an interesting day.

Spanish Property Websites.

The area of Spain we are looking in does not have one Agent that dominates the market, there are lots of little ones handling a variety of properties from apartments to villas, country houses to new builds and ruins and land.

So, finding the names of the agents and their websites is quite laborious. There is one very good site to start this process - www.kyero.com the Spanish equivalent of Rightmove for houses for sale in Spain. The problem is, from what I understand, that the agents have to pay for each property they advertise on there so they only put a selection on, which means if you are seriously looking you need to search for the properties in the area you are interested in and then from the list, access all the websites for all the agents who are in those areas.

Then you have to make copious notes about what property you have seen with which agents. Also, properties can be marketed by several agents so sometimes you will find the same property listed on Kyero more than once, and often at different prices as the owners don't always tell all the agents when they have reduced the price. So we are now finding that agents will say to us that they need to check with the owners to see whether there has been any change to the price.

It's a good job I have plenty of time on my hands - I'm in for a long time on the internet.

And the hunt is on......!

We have finally decided the time has come to stop being on holiday and find a place to live. After deciding not to go ahead with the property here in San Juan for a variety of reasons, we have enjoyed a leisurely lifestyle. Renting takes away a lot of the work around a property of routine maintenance and upkeep other than keeping the house clean and the garden tidy, but we can't go on like this forever and now the search is on.

So, having lived in Spain for over a year what have we learnt about where we want to live?

Well, not by the sea.

It's very nice to visit, and of course is lovely for anyone visiting us but in reality we don't go to the beach, we don't swim in the sea and for 2 months of the year in summer it's chaos with tourists and for 2 months of the year during winter - it's closed. Whilst it's definitely warmer here which is good for my arthritis, I find that the air is very damp from the sea, especially in winter which is not so good.

Back to the tick list from 2 years ago to see which items on it are still relevant. Of the items on there the top one is still important and that's GOLF. We are members at a very nice club with a fabulous course. We have a lot of friends at the golf course and so it's a pin in the map where the golf course is and a circle around it that's gives us an hour or under to drive to golf.

This opens up a whole area of inland Almería. So, it's off for a drive to do some research on the areas, to find out which towns and villages we would like to be near, to find out what property prices are like a little further inland and to see if we can find somewhere we want to live.

Living in Spain is very different to thinking about living in Spain and we are so pleased to have spent a year here to find out how we live, what we do, where we go, who we socialise with etc, it makes finding the right property so much easier than trying to do it while still living in Sheffield and coming out on holidays.

One thing is for definite, it's a really good idea to rent for 6 -12 months before buying, just to be sure you ahave really chosen the right place.

Ok, now to checking out house prices - I wonder where to find the Spanish equivalent of Rightmove?

Even the rain has a mañana attitude!

The rain we were forecast for yesterday has arrived in typical Spanish manner - a day late!

The clouds have darkened over the mountains, there is thunder echoing across the hills and there is heavy rain.

But it won't be here for long, even now over Terreros there are sunny patches showing through the grey.

It's cooler now, and there is a lovely breeze through the open villa doors - but it will be short lived. The forecast is for no more rain and temperatures to start to rise up into the the low 30's by next week.

A brief but welcome respite from the heat of summer. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted.

They've forecast rain for Monday - Yippee!!!!!

I've checked the weather forecast today for the next week and there's a 100% chance of rain on Monday, 50% chance of rain on Tuesday and then back to dry but cloudy for the rest of the week with temperature dropping 5c to 27/28c

For the holiday makers due out this weekend I apologise, but for me - I'm looking forward to it.

The last couple of days I have been feeling unwell. Can't put my finger on what's wrong but generally feeling odd, my only way to explain it that I feel 'wobbly'

But I may have sussed out what it is. I recently gave up drinking Fanta Orange by the litre because of the number of calories I saw it contained. No problem, I'll drink fizzy water. Only I've never been a big water drinker and I think this has caused the problem. Headaches, shakiness, not sleeping - well, I decided it would be better not to play golf this morning and have spent the morning drinking isotonic drinks. And now I am definitely feeling better than I was. I don't feel as shaking and 'wobbly', my headaches gone after being there for 3 days and I actually feel as if I have some energy.

So, how many calories are there in these drinks? 250 per litre - so that's what I'll be drinking in future.

How to make a trip to the dentist - fun!

Now this post will surprise a few people who know how much a dislike going to the dentist but - this morning I had to go for a filling. Lucy had asked if I would get her an appointment as well as she hadn't been to see a dentist for a couple of years.

So, of we toddled this morning like a couple of kids on a day out. When we got to the dentist they called us both into the consulting room together - what?

So, we carried on chatting until the dentist came in when Lucy sat in the big chair for her check up and I sat on the little chair by the door. Neither of us could quite believe that they were happy for us both to be in there at the same time. But it made it so relaxed. We could continue to chat inbetween treatment and when we left, it didn't feel like a trip to the dentist at all. Well, not for me at least. My filling didn't need an injection so I could skip down the steps to the square for a coffee without any problems. Lucy wasn't as lucky. She needed a filling, which needed an injection - so today we learnt the Spanish word for straw - pajita!

Needless to say future trips to the dentist will involve a friend - what a new sharing experience for us.

It's official - it was the hottest July for 40 years!

Well, following on from what we were told was the longest, coldest, wettest winter in this part of Spain for several years we have just had the hottest July in 40 years.

No wonder we've been struggling to cope with the heat! Pass me a cold beer, quickly!

Bougainvillea!

This was how I first saw Bougainvillea, on a Greek Island (I think it was Crete, but I've been to many - so could be any). The flower typified summer holidays, clear blue skies and lots and lots of sun. 20 years ago I always dreamed of living somewhere that I could grow this beautiful, vibrant flower. Sheffield was never going to right.

Strange how those dreams become reality, and the reality doesn't always live up to the dream. Now, don't get me wrong - we love living in Spain, we love the clear blue skies and the everyday sunshine.

No, the reality check is all to do with the Bougainvillea!

It grows like wildfire, it has thorns the size of darning needles and it makes a real mess when the flowers fall because there are so many of them bloom at the same time and therefore, fall off at the same time. If the wind blows, they all fall off anyway!

It is very resilient. It doesn't need watering, the humidity in the air each morning seems to release enough moiture for it. The more you hack it back, sorry, prune it - the better it grows and the fuller the flowers - but it is a lot of work.

But who can deny the beauty of the flowers in full bloom against a white wall with the sunshine & blue skies around them - worth the effort?

In my opinion - a resounding YES!

(These photos are from our garden today)

At the beach......

For all my friends who fancy a day at the beach, but can't go for one reason or another.....

....... here's a photo for you to enjoy!