New directions: Moving to Spain
Thursday 6th March 2008
Tempted by the idea of a home in Spain? One woman tells womanandhome.com how she made the fantasy come true
Jeanette Brown, 48, lives in Cumbria in a three-bedroom house with her husband Ian, 52. In 2006, they bought a townhouse in Andalucia, Spain for £300,000. They are both accountants.
Imagining a new life
At first I thought buying abroad was something only really rich people did, but Ian argued it was an investment. We went on an exploratory trip to Spain and I started imagining myself spending time in Marbella. It's buzzy with lots of restaurants and some serious shopping.
The house
It was through a UK estate agent that we found a two-story townhouse with two bedrooms, a balcony and a terrace behind Marbella that we really liked. It's in the hills, and a ten-minute drive from the beach.
The place had a fitted kitchen and bathroom, which were adequate but basic. We have a lovely house in England and I wanted our place abroad to be even better a treat to go and visit and I wanted a lovely open-plan living area. Neither of us speak Spanish, so I had reservations about using local builders.
Getting started
One night, sitting in a traffic jam, a van pulled up beside us that said 'Modern Homes Worthington Puerto Banus'. They were an English firm based out there. We contacted them the next day and asked them to do the house. It was helpful because I had quite unique ideas, such as a sink made from copper. And I haven't told Ian how much I spent on furnishings!
We won't ever live there full time but we won't sell it either we've made it our home.
Top tip: There were a lot of hidden costs, such as lawyer consultations and telephone connection. Do your research, but go in with an open mind. Things won't always go to plan.
Be inspired to try other countries:
France
Italy
Croatia
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