Spanish Property Testimonials

For better or for worse, journalists can often be influential people.

While idly flicking through an overseas property magazine in the sitting room of my Victorian house in the north of Scotland, I was intrigued by an article on holidays in cave houses in the south of Spain. Having visited troglodyte villages in France without ever actually going inside one of the houses, I rather fancied the idea of spending a few days as a cave-woman.

With my husband Mike happy to indulge in my whim, a booking was made and the long drive from the north of Scotland to the South of Spain undertaken. Unlike most towns and villages in Scotland which have been planted on the ground on which they stand, Galera is an integral part of the landscape. It is very much an organic settlement with the cave sections of it literally in the in the earth. Although very different from our house in Scotland with its large windows, high ceilings and straight lines everywhere, we were impressed by the comfort, space and downright quirkiness of our rented cueva.

The next day we met with Les and Craig at Spanish Inland Properties and spent the next few days being shown the area around Galera and a selection of the cave houses for sale. Cave houses come in such a variety of sizes and shapes â€�€� no two are exactly the same â€�€� that making a choice was quite difficult. By the end of three intensive days of viewing, though, we had found the cave that suited. One telling factor in our decision to buy was the eco-friendliness of caves. “Like the earth-houses we saw in New Mexico”, observed my husband, “cave houses use fewer resources to construct than conventional ones and are more environmentally friendly to run.”

Although not totally derelict our cueva did need complete reformation. Builders would have to be found; the notoriously complex Spanish bureaucracy negotiated; the proper legal processes undertaken â€�€� a daunting task with approximately ten words of Spanish between us. We need not have worried. Spanish Inland, well experienced in all aspects of property purchase and renovation, guided us through the whole process from finding a skilled and reliable builder and a good lawyer to final completion and even furnishing.

Generically, estate agents have a poor public perception. If that perception is the rule, then Spanish Inland are the exception to it. They were painstaking in their efforts to make sure that everything was done properly. Indeed, the purchase of our cueva took longer than we expected because Craig and Les tackled the task so conscientiously, crossing all the regulatory 't's and dotting all the legal 'i's.   I felt safer having it all done properly even if it meant waiting a little longer.   All through the whole process the staff at Spanish Inland were never less than helpful and efficient. Sharon's help (Les’s wife) was indispensable in the acquisition of white goods, and, most essential of all, a good bed, and office supremo, Sally, always had a helpful answer to any question thrown at her. Even now, after the work has been completed Les and his gang keep in touch with us to see that all's going well with practical advice to help newcomers through those uncertain early days in a foreign land.