Cortijo Finito

It had been a frustrating few weeks for me in Cadiz province as the house had been finished just before the birth of Florence Lucia on September the 14th. The exhilaration of the birth of my daughter was overwhelming but so was the responsibility to mother and daughter as we adjusted to our new status in the flat in Vejer. A period of quiet and calm was necessary to acclimatise Florence to this brave new world and this meant of course I could not rush of to see the newly finished house and to pay Daniel some outstanding monies.

However, after two weeks of chill and contentment and the baby happily ensconced in her routine I felt I could grab a few days away to check on the Cortijo. I was somewhat nervous anticipating my feelings towards the house. Would I be elated or deflated? Would I see it as a burden due to the money tied up in it or a sound and profitable investment? I wouldn't know until I saw it and so off I trundled on my now familiar trek cross country passing by Arcos, Olvera, Antequera, Granada, Guadix and Baza before dipping down into Almeria through Oria to the Rambla and La Ermita. I needn't have been worried as the house more than lived up to my expectations, all the finishing work was up to the usual high standard, the kitchen finally done and the concreted patio with retaining walls looking stunning as the night shot here shows.

So I slept peacefully and awoke next day with a full list of snagging and finishing jobs to tackle. Firstly I stained the wooden backing to the kitchen island incorporating the oven before using the same stain to coat the beams in the upstairs bedroom. Next the remaining new doors needed treating with a pine wood stain. I called Jo the estate agent (Daniels girlfriend) to arrange for her to come round and see the house, take photos and put a valuation on the house. My new plan was to put the house on the market asap to test out the waters as I don't want to feel trapped within it knowing it could take a year to sell in this climate. With the birth of Florence my new responsibilty meant I wanted to realise some profit and move onto a new project nearer home base ideally. Of course the scenario that would most suit me would be to have the cortijo in Vejer where it would be worth at least 3 times as much as Almeria.....but that wasn't going to happen, unfortunately.

Off to Albox the next day, stocking up on plants, olive and a lemon tree for the patio plus lots of paint to tidy up the front patio area. A twelve hour work day saw me painting the stairwell a crisp white, and over two days giving two coats of lemon paint to the kitchen door and two coats of black to the dowdy front door, whilst also freshening up the patio with a stone colour touch up. I also purchased a wicker chair and table perfect for the bedroom to gaze out over the olive fields to the Ermita opposite. The house was now looking and smelling fresh and clean and furnished to my taste with a combination of Daves stuff with my slightly more classy pieces!

Jo turned up camera at the ready and we discussed the state of the market generally before I took her for a tour of the house. She hadnt been round since she sold it to me almost a year ago so she was most impressed, especially with the new 30sqm winter lounge and the patio leading off from it. Discussing the cost of the renovation and the sale price she said a fair market price of around 135,000 euros would be a good starting off point, which is what I had envisaged. Still lots of work to do for my next visit repainting both lounges, touching up outside walls, painting garage doors green, stripping some old interior doors and windows back to bare wood. Also need to bring the rest of my large Moroccan carpets and Moroccan prints down to the cortijo to finish the dressing up but for now......its all good. Will probably spend Xmas here with the family, roaring log fire, mulled wine, mince pies...can't wait.

Getting there

After only seven weeks of renovation work from the indominatable team of international amigos Daniel, Luis, Fernando.....and Dave we are entering the final stretch. This work has been interesting in that I have orchestrated it from 5ook away relying on the intuition of the team to follow through on my ideas. It has been relatively stress free with my frequent visits allowing me time to watch tradesmen in action working at full capacity with 11hour days the norm. I have also sent two vanloads of stuff from Vejer with, sinks, tables, taps, tiles, kitchen doors etc as the work demanded it. It all seemed to synchronise relatively sweetly and as I sit here typing the boys are finishing up the final week with Dave tidying up the last of the electrics and fitting kitchen doors whilst Daniel cleans up all rubble and rubish ready to concrete the back patio.

Its just as well they are nearly there as the bank valuer called to say he will be at the house at 9.30 tomorrow morning for a revalue of the house. I'm hoping he will be generous as I would like to pull out some equity to swell the ole bank balance in case the house takes a while to sell (its tricky in this current climate to know). One thing I have learnt is not to be greedy but to have a fair price. It has been enjoyable to renovate an old cortijo with beamed ceiling, old doors and a fireplace as well as buying all the bits and pieces for the bathroom and dressing up the place with furniture I had from Morocco and Spain.

It feels homely now but still needs the finishing touches, painting, stripping old doors and windows, planting for the patio etc but these can be accomplished on what I hope are monthly visits from Vejer. As well as this project of course there has been the other, my daughter Florence still residing in her Mums tum. I have been trying to get the house finished before the birth as I will obviously be seriously distracted then. So it has come to pass that the house will be finished on the 10th of September whilst Jane is booked in to be induced on the 12th, a close call!!

The Home Straight

Only five weeks in and we can see the finishing line already. The winter lounge has the floor tiled, all electrics in and the fireplace installed and bricked in ready for plastering. This visit also saw the upstairs bathroom nearing completion, all tiled and plumbed in so I expect to be christening the plumbing next time round. The kitchen units and worktops are all assembled and awaiting the doors and drawers I am having made in Vejer by a local carpenter in solid pine.

We travelled up en masse, Jane, myself, Emily and Robin (Janes two kids) to spend a few days at the cortijo as Dave had taken a few days off to pick up his girlfriend. Also Daniel and his team were taking a well deserved two week break after slaving 10 hour days over the last month in the Almerian heat. The progress has been amazing to say the least. I knew it wasn't a major reform but even so there was quite a lot of renovation involved, plumbing, electrics, roofing, rendering, plastering and tiling and fitting a new bathroom and kitchen. All has been achieved without any major screwups or friction which is relatively unheard of in this line of work, and I think by the early part of Sept the work will be complete with the addition of the pergola lounging area and gravelled patio. Then I will get the bank in to revalue the house and pull out some equity.

Strolling and clambering around behind the house with Robin we checked out the trees and plants which was interesting. Above the house I have two almond trees and and some giant cacti, in the patio there is the orange tree and grapevine blooming whilst over the road from the house on a small piece of land I own there are three olive trees, a passionfruit plant and just outside my boundary a huge fig tree. Across the way is a communal allotment where you can help yourself to lemons, olives and oranges. It is a muccho tranquilo spot here with very friendly neighbours, peaceful and subdued with all your needs catered for in nearby Albox town or the very Spanish town of Oria 5 mins drive out of the hamlet. As I said to Jane it is very near perfect but a shame we couldnt uproot the house to the campo in Vejer....now that would be perfection. Also this area is populated by predominatley Spanish with the odd sprinkling of retired ex pats but not too many young, vibrant personalities..apart from Dave and Sue and their Rambla Social and Cinema Club. Of course there could be other people in and around here that I just havent met yet. We shall see. As an investment here it makes sense although the house wont make a fortune it has been good to click the old grey matter into gear to bring a neglected house back to its former glory..and then some!

The plan is to sit on the house till next Spring and after planting some flora and fauna it should look pretty as a picture for a prospective buyer, although at this stage with the kids running round enjoying the space and comfort it feels very homely. Still a good idea to find another property with a bit more land though to get in some creative gardening and reformation as the prices here are still very keen. We shall see...again.

Rambling Stories

One of my favourite things to do in Spain whether its Cadiz or Almeria is to find a cool relaxing spot for that first morning cafe con leche. In Vejer its a quick uphill stroll to the Plaza de Espana where you join builders. the local barber and the obligatory tourists to sit and reflect, ruminate and readjust to the already sultry heat and plan your day. In the Rambla I found a great little Venta just 500m up the old river bed from La Ermita, my village. There is no sign to it but a grape encrusted entrance with blooming bougainvilla beckons you in from the dusty slip road.

Once inside you are generally the only person there but then again there might be a local campo character slurping a drink at the bar or an ex pat or two. I will sit and savour the first cafe whilst smoking my morning Fortuna Azul and then onto a tostado and aceite and tomate (toasted crusty roll soaked in olive oil with fresh chopped tomato and salt). Recommended highly. Outside the bar and kicking up the dust one morning was a local goatherd with his muzzled dogs and a very well trained group of goats marching briskly head down along the Rambla.

In this bar one morning Dave and I met HiFi Dave and Glamourous Sue, a couple who had been out here for four years renovating their 200 year old Cortijo further up the Rambla. He had installed home entertainment systems in England in a previous life while Sue looked and dressed like an ex model, an incongorous sight in the wilds of the campo. They were trying to do their bit to create a social agenda so had recently organised a twice weekly meet up at their home for xpats plus also twice a week they had a film society showing movies on a big screen in their converted garage. Hi Fi Dave also went to Archery classes or raced his buggy up and down the river bed whilst also spending his day on renovation work. We agreed to see them at the wednesday social and he gave us directions to their house a few k up the Rambla, uncharted territory for me!

Work at the house was coming on nicely and Dave and I felt we both deserved a few beers at the end of a busy day. With HiFis directions we headed up the Rambla missing all the signposts he had given us and within only 3k we were in a different environment totally with majestic craggy mountains flanking both sides of the Rambla and quite deserted apart from a secluded farmhouse here and there skulking in the scrubland. We looked out of the car window half expecting to see a troupe of Apaches or Navajo in the heights above, it was that kind of Wild West vibe. Realising we had overshot our destination we doubled back and found Hi Fi's cortijo, perched on a high ledge with sweeping views of the mountains in the distance. Lots of English voices confirmed we were in the right place. There was my taciturn neighbour Jack chatting with a disparate bunch of expats, some Northern, some old, some interesting and then again some not. The usual. The beers and nuts flowed courtesy of our glamourous host Sue and the conversation turned a bit wacky. After maybe his third beer Dave was into his stride and regaling the table with tales of life in Valencia. Apparently they like their pigeons up there but unlike in England where they race them passionately in Valencia there is a slightly different slant on things. Apparently they let a female pigeon on heat out first and after an appropriate amount of time they let out all the male pigeons. With all the owners squinting through their high powered binoculars they have to ascertain the winning pigeon ie the male who first gets to the female and does the dirty business, if you get my drift. This being Spain of course lots of alcohol, laughter and heated discussion is involved in confirming the winner!

Another expat went into a very detailed and thorough story about an artist who created works of art in minature, for instance on a grain of rice. He said that to get the requisite composure to do the work he had to go into a Zen like state for 40 second bursts of work so that he effectively stopped breathing whilst concentrating so that his hand was steady enough. We were all paying rapt attention to the story until after a pregnant pause after this information was divulged Glamourous Sue piped up"My Daves like that in bed". Cue raucous laughter as Sue hadnt quite thought through what she had said and its possible implications. So welcome to campo life and expat experiences. Roll on Friday and the home cinema experience.

Life in the Campo (Rambla style)

Have you heard the one about a Bolivian, an Argentinian, a Romanian and an Englishman, well they all got together to form my creative building team. They also seem to have a bit of Trojan in them as they work like proverbial donkeys as I frantically try to capture their progress on the camera. What I've found is if I leave them for a few hours I come back to find them forging ahead either plastering, putting a door in here and there or recently I came back to find a room competely tiled in my absence. A nice problem after my last multi delayed project in Fes which ultimately took a year to finish. With the cortijo we are less than three weeks into the job and already we have broken the back of it. The new lounge has a new beamed roof and glorious old style roof tiles (as in picture), it is fully plastered wth an archway built leading down the stairs to the kitchen and old style granny pantry. The old doors that I bought in Vejer, and labouriously stripped on the terrace are now being framed ready to be put in place as the main lounge doors leading to the rockfaced patio.

Dave has been busy and thorough evaluating the whole electrical system and rewiring behind Daniel and his crew, whilst also buying the kitchen cabinets and setting out the layout with the cooker, and wash machine and double belfast sink. He very rapidly plumbed and wired in the kitchen so it is now operationable. He talked me out of buying the granite work tops which at 100 euros linear metre would end up costing 750 euros!! Instead I ended up buying granite laminate at 48 euros for 3.6 metre board so for whole kitchen worktop the cost was just over 100 euros a saving of over 600 euros. Thanks Dave. So all I need to do now is choose kitchen doors and kitchen is complete.

Project Progressing

Had to leave the house reluctantly after being involved in the first weeks work but left very impressed with Daniel, Luis and Ferdinands hard graft. In photos Ferdinand is plastering over the bamboo that runs between the old beams and then knocking through the thick walls to create space for the double balcony doors, which were literally in place only hours after his photo. They dont mess around. At this rate I estimate they will be done in under 2 months especially as Dave the builder has now turned up. He immediately turned his attention to the kitchen, measuring up for the cabinets and so when I leave I will have two teams cracking on, Daniel with major construction upstairs and Dave assimilating the kitchen cabinets and fitting appliances.

Cracking on

Daniel wastes no time in attacking the project from all angles. This in precis is what has been achieved in four days on the job. Rock face behind house levelled off, area for pergola cleared, building supplies arrive and lounge wall built, lintels in place for new doorways and windows, wall constructed in master bedroom, rendering of lounge walls, ordering of new doors and windows and beams for the lounge roof, plastering over the bamboo between beams in third bedroom, making doorways by drilling through metre thick walls as well as gouging out channels for electricity . Not bad for four days work really. Myself I have been out and around scouting the area and checking out stores. On Tuesday bought, fridge, stove top, oven and washing machine ready for Daves imminent arrival so that he can buld kitchen around them. Found a great Butler sink (double) to finish the kitchen buying. Also on a trip to Huercal Overa, the next major town after Albox and very Spanish, found a great granite and marble factory tucked awayin a side street and the father and son (who spoke broken English), with great patience, showed me the different types of granite and marble. They recommended the cheaper granito nacional as a counter top and explained it would cost 100 euros per linear metre with all cutouts, travelling costs and installation included in that price. Not bad.

Diggers, Dave and Demolition

The diggers here, the diggers here!! Yes I know calm down Louis but eight months after buying Cortijo Mercedes, sorting out finance, hiring architects, making plans, appling for permission, waiting for permission.........and then waiting some more, the happy day is here cos the digger can start demolishing. This has to be one of my favourite parts of the renovation process clear out the old ready for the new. In one picture the digger has cleared the rockface and levelled the upstairs lounge and roof leaving a lovely blank canvas for a new improved lounge (bigger) with new roof and private secluded patio are leading off it. In the other picture Digger is resting in the driveway after his labours and in the foreground you see the blossoming grapevine, ready to eat grapes in a few weeks. As I write I am listening to the happy sound of the cement mixer churning and Daniel and his labourers Luis and Ferdinand already laying bricks and foundations for the new wall, and its only the first day at it, go on my son(s).

But anyway I am getting ahead of myself in my excitement lets just backtrack a bit....

Things are coming together nicely methinks. Went to see my friendly bank manager Christian Kampfe of Cam Bank who somehow wangled me a mortgage even though I have no proof of income. He had on his desk a large pile of banknotes I had ordered for the renovation, so I now have hidden several thousand readies, cant tell you where, but its in an old sock....somewhere. Also arriving this week was Dodgy Dave my builder friend. He had dumped another vanload of his furniture plus tools at the cortijo and then driven over to Vejer with his partner Heather to check out property on the coast armed with his profit from his house sale in Valencia.

Meanwhile Daniel my Argentinian builder friend in Almeria was finishing up his last job before tackling mine. He promised to call when he was available and would have digger and labourers ready yippee. The call came and the start date was Monday 12 July whew which meant I could watch the World Cup Final with my Costa mates before heading east to Almeria. Dave turned up on the Friday so was able to give him a whistlestop tour of the coast, Vejer and hot surf beaches and cool funky restaurants. On the Sunday after Grand Prix picked him and Heather up from their campsite in trendy Canos de Meca and with my lovely plumptious ( two months to go) gal Jane in tow we headed off to watch the Final of the World Cup. We had chosen Las Dunas a huge Flintstone type beach bar on the Cabo Trafalgar to watch it. Alongside sweaty, nervous, face painted, flagwaving Spanish cool cats we had a royally good time exploding into happiness as Spain won in the dying minutes. The road back and through the old town of Vejer was a maelstrom of mirth and mayhem with the main Plaza awash with fountain jumpers, horns were blaring and whole families joining in on this momentous occasion. It was a fitting end to a superb day but I had to sleep as I had a six o'clock start to drive to Almeria because it was Digger Day.

Next morning after five hours drive nourished by Janes Cheddar and Pickle sarnies en route I turned off the main road onto the winding sliproad that led to the Rambla de Oria and my little hamlet of La Ermita. My mind was racing, would Daniel have started, would there be some unfortunate delay on proceedings. I hope not. I want to see a Digger I want to see a Digger! I want to see a Digger digging. And there it was demolishing the back part of the house. Its definitely a boys thing, watching heavy machinery demolish stuff. I was paying for this so I gave directions, demolish this, demolish that, hit that rockface hard, clear that area for a pergola and off it went, bish bash and most definitely BOSH. I was a happy boy.

Moving Ahead

The grapevine in bloom along the front patio fence was a sight to behold as it threatened to thread its way around the house. Across the olive fields you can see the Ermita or Hermitage sitting proudly above the little pueblo. It is this that gives the village its name, La Ermita, nestled on the banks of the dried up river bed or Rambla of Oria province. Each hour its bell chimes sonourously, ringing out across the valley to the numerous campo communities.

I had made another trip cross -country, 500k along traffic and bollard free motorways (England take note) to the cortijo in Almeria. The reason this time was to meet and greet Dave the builder who with a van load of furniture from his house in Valencia was preparing to set up base in Almeria prior to the renovation. As his house was now sold he was between homes and his initial idea of renting a villa for the duration of the work had been dismissed as unsuitable for a variety of reasons (cost mainly). Instead he suggested moving into the house while the renovations took place using the garage as a storage facility whilst also basically furnishing the property with his old furniture which I could possibly buy at the end of the work. This way we would both win out which suits me perfectly. His plan is to buy another property with his house profits but is not particular about any specific region in Spain. As I told him, nor was I, when researching properties I just wanted best value for money and after long internet searches it just happened to be Almeria, where there is also a strong British presence. They could be potential purchasers of the Cortijo when finished.

Funnily enough Dave had been doing his research on his next property purchase and it turned out one house that had turned up was in Chiclana de la Frontera, only 15 min drive from my home in Vejer de la Frontera in Cadiz province. Strange. So Daves plan was to drive over to check it out which could mean I could surrepticiously load up his van with some of my belongings here including some antique doors I had been stripping for use in the cortijo. So again everyone wins. It is always a surprise to me when a synchronicity of events occur so that everything drops into place at the right time but then again as I have always said things happen when they are supposed to happen.

So anyway, Dave turns up at the house in Ermita with a huge van full of sofa, dresser, kitchen table and chairs, bedding, garden furniture etc etc which we unload in minutes. A quick tour of the house reiterating the work schedule and Dave was back in the van and off back to Valencia. He had been at the house for approximately ten minutes. He doesn't mess around. His plan is to come back the following week from Valencia (300k) with his last load of furniture plus tools, drop them at the house, then next day drive straight across country 500k to check out the Chiclana property!! As I said he doesnt mess around. A man after my own heart. After all he is an ex yachtie like me and we relish being on the move. Onwards and upwards.

Daves work mission in the cortijo is to create a country style kitchen around the log burning stove but also to put some funky features within the walls such as lintels, bookshelves also rewiring and plumbing. Upstairs I also want him to create a modern, swish ensuite bathroom alongside the massive, beamed master bedroom. Working with Dave will be Daniel, an Argentinian builder, who has diligently organised the architect, plans and permissions successfully. He will be in charge of the upper floors, bulldozing the rockface to create a patio area behind the house and also renovating and re-roofing the winter lounge with massive fireplace and another bedroom. When finished we should have 3/4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, 2 lounges, 2 terraces and front and upper patio areas and parking for 3 cars. There is also a large garage and room off it that could in future be a self contained apartment alongside the house. Daniel is a busy cortijo renovator and will be ready to start after he has finished his latest project, should be 2 weeks. So the puzzle pieces fall into place. Now I have permissions, Dave moving in and onto the job, Daniel almost ready, monies in place at the bank, I am ready also eager to finish the renovation before my next big project materialises......the birth of my daughter in September.

Permission Granted

This is the land behind the house, rocky and rugged with king cactus, olive and plum trees and wildflowers, needs landscaping....any takers??

As I write a wry smile is on my lips. After emailing Daniel my project manager about my frustration about the tardy permission approval and whether we can just carry on regardless with the rebuild, he replied to say the town hall has today granted full approval. Yabba Dabba Doo!!! We can begin. Anyone involved in renovations will know the sometimes lengthy process involved with plans being revised and resubmitted especially in England where it can take years. It has actually taken about 5 months here in Almeria, Spain since the architects plans were first submitted and its been relatively painless albeit slightly frustrating as I have Dave ready and waiting to help in Valencia as well as Daniel here in Albox.

But first rule of Renovation Club is if you are going to do it, do it LEGAL as in Almeria there are the worst examples of fleeced expats who thought they were all legalled up till finding their new villa was built on rustico land and not urban. Buildings and land should be on urbanised land with a full escritura recognised by the land registry. Then for renovations get full architects plans authorised by town hall and pay all TAXES. This is what prospective buyers will want to see. Even after doing all this you should feel reasonably safe and certain but there is always a small element of doubt as we all know how corrupt some of the town halls are, it goes all the way to the top. But as Albox has had a bad reputation my theory is that now they will be more transparent in their transactions as they have drawn so much attention to themselves.

The story of Dave in relation to his helping me on the cortijo has been getting increasingly complex and convoluted. He is helping an Irish couple near him him renovate their flat while at the same time he is in the process of selling his house. The house is now sold with Dave having to offload his furniture to the Irish couple and some to me whilst also trying to decide his next move. With his girlfriend in the process of moving from Mexico to Valencia to see him she could find him (and her) homeless. Does he move to Almeria in readiness for my forthcoming work, no not yet I said, as permissions arent ready (well they are now) or does in hang on in Valencia to finish off his house move and help the Irish and greet the girlfriend? With me so far? As always in life things come together when they are supposed to not when you want them to. So its looking like the pieces are falling into place starting today. Daves house is now sold, hes out in two weeks then he can truck a vanload of furniture down to me in Oria and look for a place to rent for a few months near the cortijo so we can crack on. He is in charge of rewiring and plumbing and kitchen fitting downstairs whilst upstairs Daniel is doing some creative demolishing and rebuilding a large winter lounge with fireplace, outside patio area and spacious bathroom. As for me I will be stripping old wooden doors and windows and co-ordinating proceedings. It all sounds good in theory and shouldnt be too drastic especially compared to the Fes mission which involved 5 stories, 5 bathrooms 2 kitchens and endless stress but thats another story, refer to http://www.louis-fes.blogspot.com/ for 150 pages of fun and games.

Plans and Vans

So a big trip was planned to Valencia, a round trip of nearly 2000k, to get my project a little furthur along the renovation road. I had been in contact with an old yachtie mate Dave Lightowler who over the past few years had been renovating and selling houses in Spain. He wanted me to come over to check out his home in Manuel, south of Valencia city, to see features he had incorporated in his house that might provide ideas for my cortijo. After seeing his place we would drive 300k in tandem southwards to Albox and then see if my ideas gelled with his as regards the cortijo renovation.

On the way to Dave I wanted to spend one night in the cortijo on the Sunday night as Daniel, my Argentinian builder and project manager, wanted to meet up on the monday morning to present final paperwork to the local town hall in Oria for permissions to renovate. Hopefully this last piece of paperwork, my original paperwork for my NIE, along with the full architects plans should satisy the demanding paper pushers in Oria. I spent a cosy although rustic night on an inflatable mattress in the kitchen -to- be before waking up early for a coffee and tostado in Oria and then hooking up with Daniel.

My NIE paperwork seemed to be the final piece in the paper trail.....but no. After scrutinising the architects estimates for the renovation which came in at a respectable 16000 euros the town hall scribe then scribbled some figures on a scrap of paper. Daniel explained this was the tax I now had to pay even though my plans had not been approved. Cheeky I thought as we marched to the bank to pay 600 euros to the town hall in punitive charges. Hopefully though this might speed up the whole planning process with taxes paid in advance...we shall see.

We left the town hall after depositing a receipt for the taxes and assured by the scribe that all my paperwork was now in order and would be presented to another architect in Velez Rubio town for approval. So God knows how long this will take a day, a week, a month but after living in Morocco one thing it had taught me was the art of patience in such matters. Daniel left me a copy of the architects plans and proposals which although not exactly the ideas I provided were basically along the right lines and looked very impressive indeed and so they should for the 3000 euros they had cost me!

So feeling lighter in my bank balance but happy that we seemed to be making progress I jumped into Sadie the trusty Mercedes for a quick pit stop in Albox to the Cornish Pasty shop for my travelling lunch. Then it was motorway all the way E7, A31,A35 Valencia bound to arrive 3 hours later in Daves village, Manuel, by late afternoon. He popped out to meet me and as we strolled to his house couldnt help but notice the massive For Sale signs plastered over his front windows. Yes after 5 years of renovating he was selling, times were hard and the mortgage was biting. So it was crunch time for Dave but luckily for me he was divesting himself of the furniture and fittings, which could be handy for the new house after renovating.

Cortijo ho ho and hole!

My whistle stop tour to Almeria was a success, after viewing the old Cortijo twice I had plonked a deposit of 2000 euros down for an agreed price of 60000 euros and promptly driven straight back to Vejer. Arrived home at 2.30 am elated at once again being a property owner after over a year of searching and analysing various markets and countries. The old cortijo filled my objectives admirably. It was 2/3rds renovated with several rooms attached to the established building ripe for renovation as extra bedrooms, lounge bathroom etc. The price was most definitely right having been heavily reduced for quick sale down from 170000 to 135000 and then very drastically to 60000!

Now I could get my teeth into a winter project utilising those dormant creative urges. Jane, my other half, was surprised at the speed of the operation as when I left I had suggested I was just going for a look around but had come back after two days with a fait accompli. Now I needed to get a mortgage in place before the signing date which needed to be asap to satisfy the owner, based in England who was going through a divorce. Off I went to see friendly Bank Manager Christian in Chiclana who looked over the deeds and applied for a 38000 mortgage promptly. The answer came back from that within days and computer said No. Gulp. No problem said Christian we will apply personally to Seville office and as I was such a good client he was sure it would be no problem.

With the signing date arranged for the 3rd of Nov it left little time for the mortgage to be approved but I was determined to get the house so decided I would pay cash if necessary and then remortgage later. A slightly risky policy perhaps as if the mortgage failed to materialise I would be buying and renovating in cash and maybe leaving myself a bit short. Oh well in for a penny in for a pound. And so it was that after only a few weeks the next trip to Almeria was planned with Jane and I and Sadie the trusty Mercedes plus a big fat cheque in my pocket for the outstanding balance.

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On the Road again

And so it came to pass that Sadie, the trusty Mercedes, and myself set off across country to the land of Almeria someways distant in the West. I had only days previously been researching, as was my daily wont, properties in that district and a few on certain sites sparked a small flurry of interest somewhere in that grey murky matter called my brain. One in particular stood out, a century old cortijo or country house, detached with garage 217 sq m build with a garden and mainly renovated with scope for improvement. Due to divorce, it had said on the blurb, it was now drasically reduced from 135,000 to 60,000! That by any means is a bargain, if all legal and correct and so I contacted the agent at Almeria Homes, a lady called Jo. I would be travelling post haste setting off at 7am I told her, to arrive in Albox, a small town near the property, some 6 hours later for a viewing. She confirmed she would be available but later that night emailed me to say an offer had been made on the property although no deposit had been put down. The ball was most definitely in my court. Or was this sly agents spiel. I would soon know.

So Sadie, my trusty Mercedes, and I set off on our latest adventure with money in the pocket and a light heart. What fortune or disappointment would the next few days bring? Who knows? Eating up the motorway miles or should I say kilometres it was about 7 hours later that we parked on the bridge leading into Albox. I walked across looking out over the Rambla (dried river bed) that I vaguely remembered from my last visit here in 2004 when I was researching mainly the Granada and Baza area some 100k north of Albox. I had not been that impressed then as Albox had the feel of a Wild West frontier town with estate agents of dubious repute springing up all over the place to help part gullible Brits from there lovely equity withdrawals. To this end they succeeded and lots of illegal builds had been sold, rustic land passed of as urban and fleecing had been practised on quite a large scale. Not that different from Cadiz province where in Chiclana the Brit invasion had resulted in thousands of illegal builds. All that being said the furore over these duplicitous acts in Albox forced the area to clean up its act, becoming more transparent in its transactions, so Jo told me later.

I parked my rather aching buttocks ( twas a long drive) onto a cafe seat outside on the sunny terrace and called Jo the agent to let her know of my location. A message came back that she could see me as she was in the next pavement cafe. However she did not know what I looked like until I picked up the phone to read the message. Opposite me was a large and sweaty Brit with tattoos. vest and for some unknown reason a tennis sweatband around his fulsome bald head. It was with some relief Jo said later that it was I who was her client and not old Baldy but she didnt know that until I picked up the phone and looked her way. Her relief was palpable.

We wasted no time, there had been a serious offer Jo said from a New Ager lady who had seen the house a few days previously and had measured all around taken out her compass to work out sun and moon settings as she wanted to turn the cortijo into a Transcendental Meditation Retreat. Apparently the house had met all her critical criteria and she had offered below asking price and been refused by the owner. Her latest offer was 60,000 euros which had been accepted but no money had been put down so as Jo said it was up to me. We set off in Jo's car and the quick way to the property which lay north of Albox by 10 mins was along the Rambla, the long dried up river bed. As we chatted and got to know each other a strange sense of Deja Vu crept up on me. The car kicking up dust, the wide dried up river bed, the conversation all seemed familiar and slightly unnerving but strangely comforting. Was this Fate's hand leading me this way?

We took a tarmac turning off the Rambla after passing small pockets of houses each side of the old rivers banks, slightly isolated but in a peaceful setting. Parts of the area were quite lush with olive, lemon and orange trees and in the distance arid mountains framed the horizon. Turning into the small hamlet of La Ermita we parked alongside the house. I had a good feeling about the location. A short driveway lead to big black iron gates beyond which was a large flat marbled patio. Along one fence bordering the property was a mature grapevine its fruits untended and some had fallen, squished onto the marble, whilst the vines continued trailing up and over the garage doors. By the front door a large orange tree stood proud its fruits dropping onto the nearby roof terrace. Looking out from the terrace across the hamlet there was an olive plantation belonging to a nearby farmer Jo said, immediately in front of the house and across from that on the far side stood the Hermitage. Quite a view. The air was still and clean, it was quiet and peaceful, serene even and we turned to enter the house. I can always tell what I feel about a house before I have entered the front door and so far the signs were positive.

We entered a long lounge leading on to a modern bathroom and bedroom, coming back we took steps into a large analucian kitchen bare apart from a large log burning stove and down a long corridor there was an old pantry, just like my Grans. Winding wide stairs led to a huge bedroom with timbered ceiling with windows overlooking the terrace with fallen oranges and the olive fields and Hermitage beyond.....ummmm. Another bedroom led off from this and I started to envisage this as a huge ensuite bathroom with freestanding bath with similar views out of the window. Then things got really interesting as backing on to the bedrooms were four half finished outhouses one having a huge fireplace cum bread oven ideal for a winterlounge room. Alongside these rooms and trailing along the back of the house was a small garden area which backed onto a granite type rock face ( water feature here I thought). Above the rocks was a steep parcel of land that also belonged to the house with wild cactus plants and the odd olive and plum tree. I was excited but said not too much.

Then we walked down and into the garage which was large and unfinished but had a room that led off the back so these could be converted into separate accomodation. All in all I was impressed but knew I would have to make a decision by the next day to fend of the New Age lady. It had a warm cosy feel and my imagination was starting to envisage the finished product (always a good sign). We left the house and Jo dropped me off at Sadie arranging to meet the next day. I drove around exploring the are and took the highway to the coast to check out the beaches at Garrucha and Mojacar. Mojacar is a gorgeous Moorish town high on a hill overlooking the twinkling lights of the countryside at one end and the full moon over the Atlantic casting a silver sheen over the sea at the other side, quite stunning. A good place to spend the night and gather my thoughts.

Brick Addiction (pt 4)

Its been a while (as Sleeping Beauty might have said upon awakening) since my last blogging journal to be found at http://www.louis-fes.blogspot.com/ finished. And why might that be I can sense you thinking? Well good question and it deserves a good answer, doesn't it? It would easy to blame it on the Crisis of 2007 so lets do that then, its all the fault of that pesky, uninvited, unwanted and unloved Crisis. It put doubt and fear into the hearts of intrepid gung ho investors and houseowners everywhere and I was no exception. Before the actual Crash I was reclining on the terrace of my 5 storey manse in the heart of the Fes medina ( thats in Morocco for all you failed Geography buffs) surveying the vast expanse of crumbling rooftops with perky satellite dishes and listening to the raucous call to prayer that interrupted my train of thought (five times a day).

My train of thought stopped at stations called Worry, Doubt and Nervous before derailing at Despair. I had spent two fulsome years in Morocco buying into the frenzy of excitement that Fes offered as a unreal alternative to the real world. A strange vibrant culture, seductive and scintillating smells and intoxicating history were only three of the things that had lured me to this juncture. The main other was a cheap crumbling palatial building in the heart of the Medina that had my name on it. Not literally you understand but you get my drift. It called to me on first viewing, or so it seemed, Save me, Save me and so it was that I saved that crumbling artefact and in return was rewarded after a year of renovation with a quite marvellous home. Friends and family visited, interesting guests turned up to all marvel at the house and its environs but for myself doubts were creeping in.

There had been a shift in sentiment in Fes. The hordes of cash rich Brits had dried up. Ryanair had cut the flights. House prices had spiralled out of control. The locals had started getting greedy. Estate agents sales dipped alarmingly. Donkeys dropped even more doo-doo in the maze of alleyways. The natives were getting restless..as I sat on the terrace and pondered the situation. It was April 2008.

The Crash had not happened but I felt its imminent arrival. It was a chill wind that got under my skin. It felt uncomfortable in many ways. My intuition said get out of the situation, you are not happy so SELL. All my money plus some from an old friend had been invested in the house, Dar Mernissi, and one wrong move I felt could leave me trapped here in this quixotic, mad world. To cut a long story short I did sell, realising a more than adequate return on my original investment and flush with euros returned to my old stomping grounds in Spain. Cash rich but asset poor I hunkered down for the winter in the beautiful hilltop Moorish town of Vejer de la Frontera on the Costa da Luz in Cadiz province. With access to Sky TV I watched with increasing alarm as the events of Sept 2007 evolved. Crash, Bang, Wallop, Panic, Collapse. But then we had a new black President suely he could save us. He couldn't. It got worse.

I determined to sit out the winter and wait for normalcy to return. It didnt. Everything had changed in large, small, subtle and unsubtle ways. I waited. I waited some more. I wanted to buy property, after all I still had my brick addiction it would not go away, but where in the world was safe to buy. Could it be Portugal, off I went on numerous scouting trips, no not yet my sixth sense said. Could it be America, I googled and researched Rochester NY, Detroit, Florida all cheap and cheeful but could be even more so at a future date. And what about England, now dont get me started. That greedy little island full of liar loans and frenzied consumers and rapacious bankers had got itself into one enormous pickle and I didnt relish (sorry) the thought of getting myself trapped in NE territory in the near future.

I looked closer to home, Spain, and for all its problems with unemployment and the overbuild on the Costas the bargains were just starting to trickle through. More research was needed. Much more. I became addicted to the internet searching daily for areas that seemed viable after all I had my hard earned euros in place here, a good bank and a more than friendly bank manager ( he was a good friend) so most of the formula was in place. I just needed to find an up and coming area at the right price that ticked all investment boxes. It needed to be inland with not-too-developed coast, potential for improvement. Huelva seemed interesting and a couple of trips there up and down the Guadiana river and around Ayamonte were promising but no bargains presented themselves. Then one area started ticking boxes as regards location and price.....Almeria. I vaguely knew the area but it warranted further inspection....to the internet, Batman!!