Hello Friends,
I have a lot to tell, but first I wish to apologize for being offline last couple of weeks. It was a very hectic time. Since a year we're living in Spain and we really love it. At the moment we're in a long term rental apartment and it's time for the next step.
The good thing about living in a rental apartment is that you experience the "real" life. It's a huge difference between going on a holiday or really live somewhere. Now we have a good idea about the surroundings, the climate, the inconvenience of touristic places etc. Don't get me wrong, we liked our place, but we want something more quiet.
So we could start the hunt for our own place! First we had to choose a location. We want to stay in the Murcia region near the Mar Menor. But the prices are skyrocking high! With our budget we could only find very tiny apartments, which are okay for holiday rentals, but not for living permanently. No problem, I always said I don't want to live on the boulevard in the touristic places. So now we were looking for places a bit further away from the coast. A lot of research had to be done and I spend days (and nights) looking on internet and contacting real estate agents.
We found a very spacious resort at a 20 min drive from our place. Sounds perfect! The resort is build on 227 acres of rugged Spanish countryside at the flank of mountains of Sierra Espuña. Only 12% of the plot is used for buildings. So it's a very spacious and green area. It all looked promising ... But we all know you can't always trust pictures. So we arranged a viewing with our real estate agent. She had 4 apartments to show us. The first 3 ones where in the first section with very modern and sleek style. The last one was in another section and was also modern, but more with terracotta colors outside.
The first one was the one I really loved (from the pictures), but the terrace was tiny. So that was a no go. In Spain you live mostly outside so this was not an option. The next one was the same apartment, but on the ground floor with a bigger terrace. This was much better and we had a little chat with the people that already lived there. Our neighbour would be the former mayor of the town, a friendly man, but with a noisy dog! The view was stunning so that was one to remember. The third one was the same as the second one, but a bit cheaper. The view was not appealing (that was the reason for the lower price) so that was also a no go for us.
And then we went to another section in the resort. This is another style with different colors. My hubby felt in love immediately. So we entered the apartment and although it was already getting dark I knew it: This is it! We had a quick view around with our flashlights of the mobile phones to get a first impression. The agent asked if we wanted to see it again the next day in daylight. Yeeeeessssssss please!!! This place was just 2 days on the market. It was sold, but the people had to cancel it because of financial issues. This was a real opportunity. So we had a lot to talk about. The next day we would first go to the notary and the advocate to sign papers in case we want to make a reservation. We only had a couple of days left in Spain before returning back to Belgium for a few weeks. In case things needs to be done in the meantime, our advocate would have the power to sign in our name. After all the paperwork was done we could see the place in daylight...
Oh Yes! I want this place! It's a dream and a change we cannot let pass by. We had to hurry because we had to return the key to the next person for a viewing. So it was all going quickly. This was the only apartment at that price. There are 5 exactly the same, but they're 35.000 euro more expensive! The only thing that we could do was to pay a small amount to make a reservation. That would give us some time to think about it and arrange all the paperwork. In case we decide not to take it, we can have the deposit back. So we're not risking anything, but we are sure no one else can view it and buy it.
First step is taken! Now I'm very busy looking up so much. Looking for furniture (I love it!), making moodboards for the style, finding handymen, ...
So the next couple of weeks I will spend a lot of time behind my computer. Today I finished the drawing of the complete apartment in a 3D program to give my hubby a better impression.
It's a whole new chapter and we're looking forward to move to this place. We still need to do a lot of things, and the best case scenario is that we can celebrate New Year in our own place. Worst case scenario is spring next year. Fingers crossed and I keep you updated!
