by Helen | Apr 11, 2025 | Lifestyle |
Over the years we’ve been finding that, especially over the summer, our use of plastic water bottles increases significantly. We always recycle plastics, but we were creating our own small mountain of bottles and often our plastics bin (which was only collected every two months) would be full to the brim and we’d end up taking excess plastic to the municipal waste. We’ve used filter jugs in the past, which have helped – but when family and friends came over to visit, these jugs just weren’t enough, and the plastic waste increased. One thing that we did find very effective – although only when it was only the two of us – was a Black and Blum water bottle with activated (specifically Binchotan) charcoal filters, which purified tap water by absorbing contaminants and releasing minerals, and resulting in cleaner, better tasting, water. The charcoal was replaced every couple of months, and the carafe style bottle was a good size to keep in the fridge door, keeping it cool. To make sure we always had purified water, we’d decant the water from the carafe into another jug, making sure the Black & Blum bottle was always full.
However, this still wasn’t ideal as often we would forget to re-fill and so plastic bottles were usually still bought as a back up, meaning we weren’t really tackling the problem. Our tap water in Istria wasn’t great and even though we had a filter fitted on the tap, we rarely drank water this way.
Now that we have moved to Andalucia, we have decided once and for all, to resolve this issue. Summers will be hotter than in Istria, and we want to ensure that both us and our visitors, have a regular supply of good drinking water but without the plastic waste. We know we won’t be able to eliminate it all, but we’re definitely going to reduce it, now that we have bought a wonderful Ecofiltro Water Filter – the self proclaimed 100% biodegradable sustainable water solution…
Not only do these look quite beautiful – and come in four colours (pink, mustard, white and matte black) – they also come in two sizes, 5 litres and 20 litres. We did a bit of working out, and quickly realised that if we bit the bullet and bought the more expensive 20 litre option, it would still have paid for itself in less than three months, if we looked at the amount of bottled water we get through. We opted for the white unit, and also bought the wooden stand – an expensive purchase, but one that is already, two months later, paying dividends.
The filter unit, which sits inside the white chamber, looks like a big terracotta plant pot. This is constructed from a composite material comprising three natural elements: clay, sawdust, and colloidal silver. The pot is filled with tap water, and slowly it starts to seep through the walls of the pot, into the chamber – initially, the filtration process is quite slow due to the pores of the ceramic material opening, and this does result in a clay-like taste in the water. It is recommended that this initial water is discarded – we filled it three times, before the clay taste really dissipated and now, the water tastes great. We do drink a lot of water, and we do keep it topped up – but if we’ve been away for a few days, we will empty it (great for watering plants), just so that we can fill with fresh water. As it’s getting warmer, too, we’re finding that adding ice, makes a difference.
So, would we recommend an Ecofiltro unit?
Yes, without hesitation – and, we are NOT being paid or sponsored to write this post or recommend this product. A 5 litre unit would certainly be more than enough for a couple and at €144 is a whole lot more affordable, especially if you forgo the stand (which retails at €26 for the 5 litre model). But, living where we are now, and with hopefully lots of summer visitors, we decided that the 20 litre option, with stand, was better for us. It was a bit painful hitting the “pay” button, but it’s done now, and we’ve bought no bottled water since it arrived. And don’t anticipate buying very many going forward, so for us, it was ultimately a good decision. It’s definitely a style statement, too, with its slightly off white colour and pale wood stand. It’s a very simple design, so although it is quite large, it doesn’t look bulky and over-bearing. The initial taste of clay has indeed worn off, and the water does have a very different taste – cleaner and fresher, would be how I would describe it. It is recommended that the filter unit (which should always be kept wet to maintain its effectiveness) be replaced every two years – and when you do replace, as long as it’s not damaged, you have yourself a plant pot.
by Helen | Mar 11, 2025 | Spain, Travel |
Before we started researching areas, as possible places to buy a property and relocate to, I don’t think we’d heard of Medina Sidonia before. However, the name resonated with us, creating visions of Moroccan medinas. Deep in the south west of Andalucia, the town is one of the region’s many pueblos blancos, where you can step back in time and immerse yourself in its history. Its Roman, Moorish and medieval heritage is palpable – walking the whitewashed and cobbled streets, the buildings transport you back to another world. It is thought to be one of the oldest cities in Europe, and certainly, its historical monuments, ancient walls and arches, its castle, and Roman remains such as sewers or the Roman road suggest a city which has survived the ages. Arab influence is strong, with narrow, cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, and picturesque squares, lined with orange trees. I’m not sure if we ever imagined ourselves so far south in Andalucia, in an area we didn’t know at all, but sometimes decisions are made for you…
(Map : Google Maps)
The first house we viewed when we arrived in Andalucia was in Medina Sidonia. It was pretty high up on our list and we booked ourselves into this hotel for a couple of nights to acquaint ourselves with the town. First impressions were great – high up on a hill, with views all the way down to the coast at Chiclana de la Frontera. It was a hot August morning when we arrived, and the white town, clinging to the hillside, did look incredibly pretty. First impressions of the house were also great – renovated to our taste and with commanding views across the countryside, as it was quite high up in the town. However, when we really drilled down into, for a variety of reasons, we decided not to pursue this house – land either side of it led us to think that one day, we could be living in quite a hemmed in location if properties were built to the side. It was just a little too far out of town, once we’d got our bearings. And although it was beautifully renovated, we realised that it was perhaps smaller than we wanted. So, a house down, but our first impressions of Medina Sidonia grew.
What we loved about Medina Sidonia, were the contrasting architectural style. The honey coloured city walls, with steps going up the side into the oldest part of the town, were just beautiful, especially in the late afternoon sunlight. Very Moorish/Arabic with their turrets and arches. And then the beautiful white washed houses, with their traditional black wrought ironwork at the windows and balconies, and big heavy doors. One house in particular had really caught our eye on the estate agent’s website, but we knew that this was a pipe dream, rather than anything realistic. It was huge, situated right on the corner of the magnificent Plaza de Espana, with orange trees right outside the front door, and ripe for an amazing renovation. But, it was just too big a dream and would have taken far more money than we had to turn it into a home,
However, we were very taken with the town, and some weeks later, we’d found ourselves an apartment where we based ourselves for just over a month. This enabled us to get to know Medina – and the surrounding countryside and coastline – a whole lot better. And, to realise that as beautiful it is, the town wasn’t quite right for us to make the big move to, and call it home. We felt that, after experiencing it, it was a little more isolated than we wanted and we knew that come summer time, it would be completely overrun with tourists. Unsurprisingly, because it is beautiful, and we had after all, visited as tourists ourselves, but we knew that such a seasonal influx of people would ultimately do our heads in. So, we enjoyed our time there as very temporary residents, glad to have made a decision.
But it is a pueblo blanco that has made a big impression on us. It will always make think of hot weather – we were there in October and it was still so, so warm. The orange trees were full of fruit, the sky was blue for most of the time we were there, and because we were high up, we saw some of the most beautiful sunsets. It was great to have a base after a couple of months on the road, and we feel really privileged that we were able to experience this lovely town on a bit of a more permanent basis.
by Helen | Mar 8, 2025 | Renovation |
The renovation – well, I say *renovation*, but what I really mean is demolition – started in earnest a few weeks ago. We are very lucky that we’ve bagged ourselves a gorgeous apartment to rent, in a lovely western coastal town called Sanlucar de Barrameda, meaning that we have somewhere comfortable and clean and cosy to live, whilst the house is being knocked to be pieces. To be fair, we knew that this stage would be pretty awful, and each time we’ve visited, it has been exciting and awful in equal measure.
Awful because the house is full of dirt and debris. Scaffolding is up in most of the rooms. All of the windows have been removed. Piles of cement bags and bricks are found in most corners. A couple of cement mixers seem to always be whirring away. Exposed wiring hangs from ceilings. Some ceilings have been removed. Most of the internal ground floor walls have been removed. It is absolutely filthy, in every room. It is, in fact, a building site.
But exciting, too, because with each visit we can see the house we bought disappearing, and our vision of our town house appearing. A lot of original features had been taken out by the previous owner, and over the time he had it, a lot of the house had fallen into disrepair. When we saw the house online, the listing featured imagery from a few years ago, so we were lured in – and, when we actually viewed, we realised exactly why new photographs had not been taken. The listing, with photographs, can be seen here. The scale of the potential project was not lost on us, but by then, we were in too deep, as we had already lost our hearts to this sorry looking Andalucian townhouse. I don’t think the estate agent could quite believe his luck when we rocked up and put in an offer on this very ugly duckling…
Yep, it really was a bit of a mess – and definitely in a much worse condition than the listed photos suggested. But, as soon as we stepped inside the house, we felt the bones of the house and they felt good. We knew that with a lot of work and a lot of thought, a lot of time and a not insubstantial amount of money, we could transform this dilapidated building back into an elegant townhouse. A builder came out to assess the house and we were immediately reassured – he lives in the town, is part of a family business which focuses on the renovation of these properties, has renovated the townhouse directly opposite which is now a stunning airbnb, gave us a comprehensive (and very good) quote for the works, and is now our project manager.
And work has started! Wow, has it started. We want to retain the integrity of the townhouse, and keep as much of the structure as possible, BUT we have had to make some quite big changes. The house is large, but felt quite small because there were a lot of rooms, which felt quite disconnected and which, if not changed, would be very under-used. It also felt quite dark – and having bought a dream house in the Andalucian sunshine, we wanted to capitalise on the beautiful light. So, work has started on re-configuring the living space and certainly on the ground floor, some quite key walls have been removed. Already, the house feels lighter and more spacious. And, we will have the space to live the open plan life we want. But, currently. we’re quite long way off living the dream…
There’s a long, long haul ahead, but it’s amazing how much work has been done in less than three months. And, in less than three months, we are out of of our rented apartment. To be continued…
by Helen | Feb 6, 2025 | Lifestyle |
“Three generations of a family on a mission to preserve the traditional grape varieties and the wine culture of Istria and Motovun…”
So says the website of the Benvenuti Winery, located about 20 minutes away from where we used to live in Istria. And, if there’s one thing that Istria is not short of, it’s wineries. Most that we have visited are excellent – the kind of wineries where you to go to buy a gift, or really treat yourself. Most of the others are great – producing good quality, drinkable wine, often sold as open wines, so you’re not restricted to bottles. You fill by the litre, or five litres or ten litres. These open wines are usually the local variety – as in not a speciality wine, but apart from one or two exceptions, they are really good value, if you like to have a stock of “every day” wines. The one or two exceptions, we visited and purchased from – and didn’t repeat the experience – shall remain nameless, however, as this may have just been down to our personal taste. Although I don’t think so…
So, Benvenuti. The winery has been producing wine in the family for a very long time, having vineyards, some of which were planted in the first decades of the last century – confirmed by the remains of a jug, now on display in a museum in Trieste, from the Roman period, which was found in one of the vineyards. Vineyards which produce three varieties – Malvazija Istria, Terana and Muscat.
The winery itself is located in the small town of Kaldir, across the valley from Motovun. In a commanding hilltop spot, it has stunning views of the northern Istrian countryside, taking in rolling hills, vineyards, small villages, abandoned houses, majestic villas and of course, the jewel in the crown – Motovun itself. Like many wineries, the operation is housed in a cluster of stone buildings, beautifully renovated and with a grand tasting room, where all of the magic happens. Barrels and barrels of wine are stored in other buildings in other parts of the grounds, which themselves are beautiful.
By a very strange twist of fate, when we sold our home in Istria in summer 2024, Benvenuti became a part of the memory of our time there. The new owners lived in Rijeka, on the eastern side of the peninsula, some 80kms away from our house. And as they were buying our home, one of them took on a new job – at the Benvenuti Winery. So, until we left, she was doing a round trip from Riejka to Kaldir every day. We didn’t know this until shortly before we left, so when we had friends to stay who were helping us to pack up the house, we decided to say hello at the winery.
A wine tasting was in full swing, but we ushered into the coolness of the tasting room – a welcome relief, as the middle of July in Istria can be hot, hot, hot! I think because we were the people who were selling the house, we were given a bit of special treatment and whilst the group tasting was going on, we were kind of invited to join in on the periphery. A good way to get to know the wines, with out the pressure of being part of the tasting group. It was nice to introduce our friends to the winery and especially nice to make a purchase of Benvenuti wines – which have now made their way, boxed up, all the way to Andalucia. To be opened when our friends who accompanied us, come out to visit us in our new home in Spain.
This visit is definitely a lovely memory and was a special way to bring to an end our time in Istria – wine tasting, in beautiful surroundings, on the top of a hill in Istria, with the new owner of our home.
by Helen | Feb 5, 2025 | Spain, Travel |
We’re now increasingly finding that we need to be a bit more hands on with the house renovation, and need to factor in time to get across to Jimena de la Frontera to meet with Jose, the project manager, more often. Or be in San Roque where all of the house administrative stuff happens – meetings with our solicitor, or bank trips, or visits to the Town Hall to sign forms. Sometimes we can do it in a day, but at the moment we’re living nearly 130kms away, on the western coast of Andalucia, in Sanlucar de Barrameda, so sometimes, especially if it’s been a long day, the drive back can be tiring. So we’ve been investigating hotels, where we can stay over and get to know new towns and villages. And, in Hotel Al Almoraima, we think we’ve found somewhere pretty special.
Located about twenty minutes from our house which is being renovated, it’s the perfect place to stay when we need to be in Jimena over two days. Originally a 17th century convent (built apparently, in 1603) it has been refurbished to a really high standard. With an imposing neo-Gothic tower, an internal courtyard framed with beautiful Andalucian arches and extensive gardens, it is a real country retreat. A long and winding drive way, with trees on each side, opens out into immaculately manicured gardens, with absolutely exquisite terracotta lanterns lining the final part of the sweeping drive, which ends at a huge circular, gravelled courtyard, with a fountain in the middle. Ahead of you, is the magnificent entrance, with a long walled balcony above – which it turns out, was where our room was located. It couldn’t have been in a better position.
Probably because we booked in low season (we stayed in November), we lucked out again on our room, and were allocated one of the large rooms, directly above the entrance, with a huge terrace. I think there are only four rooms of this category, and so we really were lucky, especially as the late afternoon was still warm and the terrace was in full sun, meaning we could bask in the early winter sunshine. Our room was large, with a big canopied double bed. The furniture is mostly dark wood and quite traditional – not to our taste, but absolutely fitting for this style of hotel and renovation. The en-suite bathroom was also sizeable, with a window directly onto the terrace and a whirlpool bath. This was a bit of a feature, but when initially switched on, was quite violent in terms of noise and splashing of the water. Not the most immediately relaxing experience, but once the controls were under control, it became a whole lot less noisy. Again, the style of the bathroom was not really to our taste, but it was in keeping with the whole renovation, and so definitely not something that spoiled our visit.
The hotel, although not deep in the countryside, is not in a town, and so you can’t just walk to a local bar or restaurant. However, there is an on-site restaurant – La Gañanía – and although quite expensive, is really worth visiting, as it’s a lovely experience. Since eating here, I have read up on this restaurant and it would appear that it is a very well regarded restaurant, with renowned chefs and plenty of plaudits. The menu may not be overly brilliant for strict vegetarians and vegans, but it unashamedly wears its colours. It is a restaurant which specialises in meat – unsurprising as it is situated in hunting territory, but we did manage to mix things up with a very good cheese platter and a fish dish. And, a very unusual shared cheesecake dessert – with a topping of shaved parmesan.
We are very lucky that we can experience hotels like La Almoraima, out of season. I’m not entirely sure if it would be a real go-to choice, in the peak season, when presumably it is a whole lot more expensive. As lovely as it is, I think that it would maybe attract more people who wanted to immerse themselves in an historical experience, or a gastronomic experience. Which is absolutely fine – we love both of these things, but I think that for the price you might pay in high season, we may be wouldn’t appreciate it quite as much, as some. However, in low season, it was the perfect choice – relaxing, comfortable. undeniably beautiful and with a restaurant where we experimented and tried some choices which we wouldn’t normally choose.
The attention to detail in the hotel itself and in the grounds, is very sharp. Lawns are manicured. Goundspeople were in evidence throughout our stay on mowers and buggies and working by hand. There is lots to see and absorb, around the grounds, and plenty of opportunity to walk and take in the fresh air. Communal areas are beautifully decorated and maintained to a very high standard – I particularly loved the cloistered internal courtyard, with its palms and orange trees. As a side line, the hotel also offers a selection of branded goodies that you can buy at reception – all very stylish – including their own olive oil. Which I can highly recommend, and which has already been added to our growing collection…
Olive Oil Image : https://cadiz.cosasdecome.es/la-almoraima-de-castellar-ya-cuenta-con-su-propio-aceite/
by Helen | Jan 22, 2025 | Lifestyle |
Since we bought our air fryer in the New Year, we’ve noticed that we are definitely using the conventional oven much less. It’s been used maybe three or four times, if that, and if we were in our home, I’m sure we’d noticed a reduction in energy consumption. However, we’re not, so it’s difficult to assess if cooking mostly with the air fryer, is more economical – but we are absolutely sure, it’s been a whole lot more fun. Certain things don’t necessarily cook more quickly, but they seem to cook a whole lot better. Eggs have been a revelation – boiled eggs are things of magic. You can time your preferred style of egg to perfection – in our air fryer, it’s about 7 minutes for a golden, runny egg or about 12 minutes for a beautifully hard boiled egg. For some reason, the shells seem to peel off a whole lot easier, too. We’ve done fried eggs too – gain, depending on how you like them, just adjust the time. Bacon is delicious – it holds the shape and size of the rasher, rather than them shrivelling, like they do when grilled. And the absence of fat is a massive plus. The last batch of smoked bacon was probably the best I’ve had. (And yes, I do like my fried eggs to have quite well done yolks, as I can’t be doing with runny yellows).
Padron peppers have also been a revelation. I’ve always just assumed that magic was employed to produce these charred beauties – I have to admit I hadn’t really given that much thought to how they might be cooked conventionally, but I’m not guessing a skillet, with hot olive oil, on the hob, might produce similar results? However, in the air fryer, they came out just perfecto. Washed and thoroughly dried, drizzled with olive oil, chilli flakes, ea salt and ground black pepper, with a sprinkle of lemon rind – don’t forget this as it makes ALL the difference – after about 12 minutes (turned halfway through) they were charred beautifully. And, oh my word, the taste. The salty, lemony flavour against the sharp flavour of the peppers was delicious.
But, it’s been fish which has been our biggest success so far. Frozen fillets of white fish have worked an absolute treat whenever we’ve done them, but I think our stand out meal was homemade chips (in the air fryer) and fillets, straight from the freezer, marinated in lemon butter with garlic and capers. The air fryer was heated to 200°C and the fish cooked for 20 minutes (turning half way through). The most perfectly cooked fillet – crispy around the edges and plump and juicy throughout. Way better than any filleted fish we’ve done in the oven or on the hob.
We’ve done crispy puffed butter beans, halloumi cheese, frozen oven chips, veggie meatballs, roasted potatoes – and we will continue to experiment. So far, nothing has been a disaster and I’m finding that whatever we fancy for dinner, a quick google search will usually reveal many air fryer recipe options.
Ours is quite a small machine – 3.5litre capacity and so we are actually considering buying another one, with a larger cooking basket, or with dual baskets. We think the initial expenditure will be worth it as we can then cook thing simultaneously – at the moment, sometimes we do need to keep things warm in the oven, as other things cook, therefore kind of defeating the object. It’ll also save on washing up, as rather than multiple baking trays, casserole dishes etc, the baskets can just be used. I can honestly say I’d never seriously considered an air fryer before, as I just assumed they were the latest fad. And they may well be, but it’s a fad that has ramped up our cooking in the kitchen and reduced the amount of time spent actually “cooking”. A really good purchase and one I would heartily recommend – if only for the frozen fillets of fish…
by Helen | Jan 21, 2025 | Spain, Travel |
The shifting dunes of the south western coast of Andalucia, really are a sight to behold, perhaps the most dramatic being those located at Punta Paloma, the headland just to the north of Tarifa, separating the expansive beaches of Tarifa from those of Bolonia. The dramatically high sand dunes rise up by more than 100m from the beach just to the north of Playa Valdevaqueros, as a result of the fine, golden sand being blown from the beach up the headland, burying all the vegetation and even the trees.
Behind the sand dunes, is a small road (the A-2325), which runs off the main road. We love this road, as it quite an exhilarating drive. Much like driving through the mountains, when snow is falling, this Andalucian road, is frequently covered in sand, which can become very deep, very quickly. Caution – and very slow driving – is really required, as you could find yourself sinking into the sand. The road would appear to be frequently cleared, as there are a few “snowplough” style vehicles often parked up, but I wouldn’t fancy experiencing being stuck in a sand-drift. We tend to follow other cars – or are at least glad if another vehicle is behind us – as we feel a bit safer in numbers!
If you are feeling very, very energetic, it is possible to climb the dunes, both from the road side and the beach side, and standing on the top, you will be rewarded with the most fantastic views of the beaches all the way down to Tarifa town, and then across the straits to Morocco.
We have visited Punta Paloma a few times and every time, the landscape is different because of the shifting sands. In the summer, the winds are hot and intense and there is no respite from the heat, as there is little vegetation cover. However, in the winter, the winds are biting and strong and the sand whips up into your face like shards of glass. But, we can’t resist this wild, wild part of the coast, because it is so dramatic.
by Helen | Jan 20, 2025 | Renovation |
Finally, work has started in the house. We visited last week and arrived to the sound of chiselling and hammering as years of plaster was starting to be removed from the walls of the rooms on the first floor. The downstairs rooms were filling up with scaffolding and tools. Guys, who we don’t currently know, were in and out of the house, up and down the stairs, carrying equipment. Wires trailed across the floors. The house was filled with the sound of demolition. And all of this made us so happy as it meant one thing – the renovation has started.
As I’ve explained previously, we are working with a family team of builders, and this includes the architect. First recommended to us by the estate agent we bought the house from, because we had to act quickly in getting in a builder before we put in our offer, to assess the house. We knew this could be risky – could the builder and estate agent be in cahoots? Could the builder be a cowboy? But, we had no choice – we were keen to progress if the house was viable, but we were in a new country and knew no-one, so had to take a leap of faith. We definitely would not recommend this approach if you have never renovated before (at home, and especially abroad) or are risk averse. However, we have a little bit of reno experience, and experience in working with builders in another country and we do take calculated risks from time to time, so we went with our gut reactions. Jose agreed to come and see the house and give us his opinion – he asked if we wanted a written report or if we were happy with him visiting the house with us, and talking us through it, as we walked around. We went for the second option as we didn’t want to fork out for a written report when we might have decided that the house wasn’t for us. And actually, walking around with Jose (€80 for his time and expertise), gave us a lot more information than I think we would have been able to garner from a written report. He actually spent over an hour with us, advising us and explaining things which were very particular to this style of house. He specialises in the renovation of traditional Andalucian townhouses – he has completed one across the road, and is about to begin working (or his team is) on the one next door, directly opposite what is now our house. He grew up and lives in the town, so is heavily invested in the restoration of these beautiful buildings. And, without any formal agreement or contract being signed, Jose became a real support to us as we went through the purchasing process, and is now our project manager. (We will be signing an agreement with him, detailing costings and the schedule of works and payments, but we feel in good hands and have been happy for him to begin the initial preparation works in the house).
So, if you are thinking about a renovation abroad, and not sure where to begin, we would suggest that first of all, you try find someone who will be on your side. That could a local builder, it could be the estate agent who will have lots of contacts in the area you are hoping to buy, and may be able to put you in touch with other people who have bought and started out on a similar journey. Choose wisely, and it could be the solicitor you appoint to deal with the purchase – I say “choose wisely” because this is where you do really need to do some due diligence. We searched online for solicitors in the area, who dealt with property purchases, specifically post Brexit. One firm, and the name of the solicitor, kept coming up in searches and reviews were fabulous. We made contact with some initial questions well before we came out to Spain, and these were answered fully and in a timely way, which impressed us. Without knowing we had made contact with the solicitor, the estate agent recommended him to us, and after our first meeting, we decided that he was the legal representation we needed. Through Power of Attorney – a very wise to do, especially if you don’t know the language sufficiently to discuss legalities – Sergio and his team have assisted us with the following, and these are things you would need to consider, if buying abroad :
- Securing our Spanish NIEs – these are like the UK National Insurance numbers and these are required for any kind of financial / legal situation. They are obtained from the police, but we didn’t have to attend, as we just provided copies of our passports to our solicitor, who sorted them on our behalf.
- The purchase of the house and the registration of the deeds in our name at the Land Registry. He also advised us on the tax implications, and steered us through the whole process in a very painless way – so much so, that we were very surprised to be handed the keys as everything had been conducted so seamlessly and quickly and almost without us knowing it had been concluded. The lovely round of applause from all present told us we now owned the house.
- Our residency applications are now in the hands of our solicitor – again, with POA, we only had to present ourselves to the Town Hall to register our digital signatures, and collate all of the documentation required. We now just wait for the system to do its thing, and hopefully we’ll end up with two shiny, new residency cards in the near future,
- Our solicitor recommended a bank and has assisted with the initial setting up of meetings etc to open new accounts and take out house and medical insurance (the latter definitely needed for residency status).
- Again, through POA, our solicitor dealt with the transfer of the energy and water accounts into our names, and set up the direct debits.
We feel very comfortable – and confident – with the relationship we have established with our solicitor. It is a small firm, and we deal directly with the owner and his assistant. We are not put through a switchboard, we don’t deal with different people each time. We deal every time with Sergio or Nieves, and already we have very friendly relations with them. Quick questions are answered efficiently and at no extra charge – for instance, we know exactly where to go and how to change the plates on our car from Istrian to Spanish, without having to spend hours searching online, hoping to find the right answer.
With Jose and Sergio having our backs, we feel that we have moved much more quickly in terms of getting to grips with Andalucian bureaucracy and life style. We know that if we need Sergio, he is there for us – and as much as we like him, we hope that we won’t need too many of his services. It’s different with Jose – we now communicate most days. Everything we discuss in person, is followed up by an email, so that any confusions or misunderstandings can be ironed out quickly and smoothly. Most important when sometimes language can present a difficulty. We both keep detailed records and all important information – especially relating to costings, is translated and double checked. We established at a very early stage that we both need to be clear and concise and that good and accurate records of meetings/discussions/decisions be kept. He is also our middle man for dealings with the authorities. In Istria, things were a little looser and our builder would generally just do things. But here, we’re doing it by the book. So, with his help, we have submitted, and paid for, our building licence to the Town Hall and paid for the licence to have a skip on the road outside the house. We’d eventually have worked this out, through research, but it’s so much quicker when you have a native speaker, who knows the rules and regulations, on your side.
So, moving abroad and mad enough to embark on the renovation of a listed townhouse? Get a great builder and a super solicitor and you’re off to a head-start. And, if you do want to pick my brains – within reason – submit a comment below, or drop me an email to helen@wearelife.co.uk…
by Helen | Jan 11, 2025 | Renovation |
Although we have renovated houses before, this seems a very different renovation. In our very first house, we did change it a lot, but we did nothing structural. Mostly, it seemed to be constant decorating and moving things around, which we did ourselves. When we sold this house, we moved into a massive flat on Burton Road in West Didsbury, above one of the shops. It was the perfect rental at the perfect time, in the most perfect location. Opposite what would become Folk Cafe Bar, we moved in as the area started to develop and so we benefited from all of the fabulous bars and restaurants and shops being on our doorstep. It also meant that we could keep an eye on properties for sale in the area, as this was definitely where we wanted to buy. We eventually spent two years in the flat. The letting agency were awful – didn’t care at all about their properties, but this did work to our advantage, as we had freedom to decorate it. We probably shouldn’t have done anywhere near as much as we did, because we were only renting, but we wanted to live somewhere lovely, and by the time we left, it was pretty smart. Again, only decorating, but we did do the whole flat – stripping all rooms of wallpaper, painting, sanding and varnishing floors and generally turning a dilapidated flat into a bright, cheery, clean and well decorated home.
We then bought our house on Arley Avenue, just around the corner from the flat and we were here for sixteen years – and this was our first serious renovation, the first phase done between us and various builders, electricians and plumbers. We put in French doors, a new kitchen and a new bathroom and did most of the decorating and floor sanding ourselves, as well as turning a dump at the rear of the house onto a really lovely enclosed garden. Then in 2014, we embarked on the biggest renovation yet – and this time, we turned to the professionals, as we wanted to create a completely open plan living space, in our three bedroom terraced house. And this involved weeks and weeks of horrendous demolition work, as we watched our home literally being smashed apart…
The project grew and grew as walls came down, and this is when we started to learn a very, very valuable renovation lesson. It seems blatantly obvious, but find people you can TRUST and who understand your vision. We did strike largely lucky with this project, as it started off with a trusted friend working with us, and as it grew, he brought in his trusted circle of workers. I say we were “largely” lucky, because one of the guys, who started off well, seemed to go off the boil and things deteriorated with him. He was a very key part of the renovation – the electrician – and unfortunately when started things started to unravel with him, we ran into quite big issues. He would go AWOL, not turning up when he said he would. He always had an excuse for no-shows, but when he did turn up, we felt he was there under sufferance and work seemed to be not done to the standard it had been. So trust became a big issue – and eventually, the inevitable happened. He just disappeared, leaving work unfinished. And, we had stupidly made payments to him to try and ensure that he would complete jobs. He was very difficult to get hold of – only contacting us when we levelled with him about our disappointment and listed the jobs which had not been completed. He refuted this aggressively and was clearly not happy with being held to account – and in the end, we decided to draw a line under everything and got in another electrician to finish off the job. An expensive lesson to learn.
In hindsight, as soon as problems became apparent we should have taken action immediately and addressed the situation. Looking back, we let it go on for too long, hoping that things would just right themselves – but these things don’t. We’d demonstrated that we weren’t forceful enough and we believe that the electrician took advantage of this, especially when he admitted he’d been busy doing other jobs, having also pocketed our money. We knew what we should have done – listened to our inner, nagging thoughts – and taken action earlier. Ultimately though, the trust had gone and we weren’t going to get it back, so we had to move on if we were to get the project finished.
But it did teach us a valuable lesson, and our eyes were a whole lot more open, when we took on our next renovation. In a different country. But that’s for a new blog…
by Helen | Jan 10, 2025 | Renovation |
Although it still feels as if we are on a very extended holiday here in Andalucia, and will be returning to Istria and our stone house, we’re going to soon realise that this is not the case. We actually completed on the Spanish house in October, but have only visited it three or four times since. So much work needs doing to it, to make it habitable, that we’ve been renting a lovely apartment in a coastal town called Sanlucar de Barrameda, some 130kms to the west. We’ve become very fond of this apartment and with the introduction of some of our furnishings and accessories from storage, it has really started to feel like home. So much so, that our “real” home, seems like something that really belongs to someone else, and we just imagine what it could be like if it was ours.
Well, we need to get our heads around the fact that it is ours. No-one elses. Ours. And, we need to do that pretty quickly, as the plans have been drawn up and we have a meeting with the builders next week to sign everything off and get the work started! It seems like no time since we were packing up in Istria, but here we are, ready to throw ourselves back into another renovation. This one will be very different to the last one. We did use builders in Istria, but due to the nature of the way things work out there, we relied largely on locals who were able to work with us when they were available and so up until the last guy we worked with, who was super reliable, things tended to drift and most jobs took ages to complete. This time, we are working with a family firm, who live very near to our house and who are a professional outfit, not talented odd-jobbers. Their work is renovation, from the drawing up of plans to the final fittings and finishes. We’ve spent the last couple of months meeting up, emailing, sending ideas and suggestions backwards and forwards and finally having plans drawn up and an very comprehensive quote and detailed schedule of works delivered. It really, really does feel very real now!
A lot of the initial work will involve the removal of internal plaster on walls, demolishing a number of walls, leveling floors, applying damp proof membranes, re-plastering, installing a whole new electrical system, plumbing etc etc. The only work which will be outsourced will be the doors and windows, and the removal of the roof terrace cover which has traces of asbestos. So, we are delighted that we have been able to extend our stay in Sanlucar, in the apartment, to the beginning of April, with the possibility of extending further if needed. This gives us real peace of mind, as we’ll have somewhere comfortable to live and work in, whilst the dirty demolition work is progressing.
the plans
Currently, the house has a very traditional Spanish townhouse layout. It is double-fronted – although currently, looking very tired and worn, and not at all elegant – with what will eventually be a very majestic double, wooden front doors, with elaborate panels and carvings. Once through these doors, there is a small porch, then through another set of double doors, two living rooms, one to the right and one to the left. Beyond this, through a beautiful arch, is what was once a dining room, then through to a kitchen, and off the dining room, the stairs to one side and to the other, two further rooms. It’s all quite disjointed and the current layout would just not suit how we want to live, as rooms would be underused. So, the decision has been made to take out key internal walls, to create a big open plan space – but keeping one of the living rooms to the front of the intact, so that we will still have the option of a cosy, closed off room, when we want it. For posterity, as it will be interesting to see how these plans work in reality, these are our initial ideas for the ground and first floor…
Already, things have changed, since we submitted our initial ideas to the builder, but we guess that’s how this renovation will go. We’ll have an overview of how we see things, but will be flexible and be prepared to reconsider decisions. We’ll ultimately do whatever it takes, to realise our dream Andalucian town house. And with the initial plans in place, we are step closer…
