Spain - Almeria Escape to the Continent

Now, it may look like the Wild West, but I'm not in America.

Somewhere a little bit closer to home.

Find out where I am in just a moment.

Today's hopeful house hunter is dreaming of a fresh start on the Continent

and he's bringing his daughter along for some helpful advice.

-It's got character, hasn't it?

-Yes, and it's got potential as well.

-I can see the potential already.

-I like this girl!

And he'll discover that perusing properties

can be an emotional experience.

I think this was always going to be tough.

-Yeah.

-I think you are very brave to be doing this.

Welcome to Escape To The Continent.

I am in Almeria in southern Spain and this is Fort Bravo,

one of the three Wild West film sets in the Tabernas Desert.

This area was made famous in the 1960s

by an Italian film director named Sergio Leone.

He made a few films here that you may have heard of.

A Fistful Of Dollars, The Man With No Name

and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly,

turning a young Clint Eastwood into a movie star.

But it's not just the glamour of Spain's Wild West that makes

this region such a popular place to escape to.

Almeria is the most easterly province

of the Andalusia region in southern Spain.

The name Almeria, which translates to mirror of the sea in Arabic,

was coined by the Islamic Moors who occupied Spain

from the eighth century.

The province's capital, also called Almeria, was one of the busiest

and wealthiest ports within the Moors' Spanish kingdom.

The region's 200km rugged coastline is home

to the Cabo de Gata National Park, where some of Spain's most beautiful

beaches share the shoreline with volcanic cliffs.

With dramatic scenery that encompasses an ancient city

and gorgeous beaches, it's perhaps not surprising that Almeria

has become a desirable continental destination.

So what is it about sunny Spain that has attracted our buyer?

Gary from Potters Bar in Hertfordshire is eager to

start a new life on the Continent and, out of his three children,

he has asked his youngest, Katie, to help him.

They have a special bond.

My father is one of my best friends as well.

We always sort of do things together.

Katie and I love to party.

We like to party and we don't care where it is because we make them!

Gary's Hertfordshire home has served as the perfect place

for him to host his infamous parties.

One of the brilliant things about this as a party home -

it's big enough for people not to be confined to any one space.

We've actually had as many as 200 people here, believe it or not.

I love every single thing about this house.

That to me will be a heartbreak when I leave it

because it is the perfect house.

But Gary's home now holds some painful memories after Stephen,

his partner for 13 years, tragically died three years ago.

So he's realising his and Stephen's shared dream

of opening a B&B on the south coast of Spain.

Stephen and I decided that maybe it would be a great idea

to look towards our retirement

and we'd started to look at property in Spain to set up a retreat

that wasn't just a B&B, it was something more than that.

And I've got to move into a new phase of my life

and what better place to do it than in an area that I know and love?

And the area that he loves is Vera Playa

in the Almeria province, which has a somewhat avant-garde appeal.

Vera Playa is the largest naturist village in Europe.

The perfect place that I have in mind could not be more

than 15 minutes away from the Playa or the beaches.

So Gary is clear about the location.

He's also particular about his property requirements

and he even has a look book.

So he's enlisted daughter Katie to give him a more impartial opinion.

I'm going to be his second eyes and rein him in a bit.

The voice of sense.

And he'll be hoping that he can find a welcoming Spanish property

with the budget that he has in mind.

The absolute maximum I could possibly afford for the property

would be £185,000.

Gary has stated that he would like to live close to the beaches around

Vera Playa, so that's where we'll will be concentrating our search.

But before we delve into our house-hunt,

we're meeting up beside Gary's famous seaside resort

to learn more about his expectations for this move to Spain.

Why do you want to move now in particular?

We had planned to move or to buy a place out here about five years ago.

Following the sudden death of my partner,

the whole thing had to go on ice because I wasn't ready.

I wasn't in a good place, really.

-I've got to start living my life again.

-You do.

-What will you do when you get here?

-Set up a sort of B&B retreat,

just to try and provide people with somewhere to get away.

Katie, daughter, what's your role in all of this?

I'm here to help him find somewhere that's sort of right for him

but also I'm here to rein him in a bit

and I'm just hoping he can see the bigger picture.

I am aware of being quite impulsive.

So let's talk about this property. What is it you are looking for?

I am looking for a property that has got three or maybe four bedrooms.

It's got to be within ten minutes of the coast,

and it ought to have a pool in it.

-And what's your budget?

-A maximum of 185,000.

-OK.

The first property is waiting for us, so let's go.

-Let's do it.

-Come on.

Our buyer is looking to spend up to £185,000 on a dream home

which should accommodate a B&B business.

He's hoping for three to four bedrooms, good outdoor space,

a swimming pool and to be located

no more than 15 minutes' drive to the beach.

And he's not afraid of taking on some restoration work.

We've line dup three charming houses to tempt our buyer with,

but he won't know what they're worth until the end of each viewing.

And we'll be rounding off our property hunt at the Mystery House

where Gary may discover that man's home really is his castle.

We're kicking off the hunt exactly where Gary has said he wants to be, in Vera Playa.

The north-east town is Vera,

which is just over 80km to the north of Almeria airport.

As Gary has told us he would like to be close to the resort,

the first property we have lined up is just a two-minute walk away from the beach.

So, Gary and Katie, property number one.

-First impression is very good.

-The location is brilliant.

-I like the style of it.

-It's got character, hasn't it?

Yes, and it's got potential as well. I can see the potential already.

I like this girl! Well, I know you are dying to get inside so this way.

Let's do it.

This house is part of an urbanisation of villas and apartments

which comes with security, well maintained communal gardens and a large pool.

As the British owner of this property has moved back to the UK, it's currently part-furnished,

so Gary will need to use his imagination.

In you come.

A nice big space here.

I like the counter.

It's kind of perfect for the B&B environment.

The kitchen I'm not so keen on, but you can change it.

That is not going to limit my decision making.

-Perfect.

-This, so far, is looking good. Really good.

On the ground floor, there are also two double bedrooms

and a large shower room.

On the roof, there is a separate annexe,

accessed by outside stairs, with another bedroom

and its own entrance, making it well suited for B&B clientele.

This is the self-contained third bedroom.

It's an opportunity for a nice, little studio apartment. Possibly.

Or I could live up here and they could do what they want downstairs!

Exactly. Either way. And you've got your own little shower room up here.

There are certainly plenty of opportunities.

So that's a bit of the interior but the exterior has got so much to offer.

-Come on.

-Let's do it.

So far the accommodation seems to have gone down well

and outside there is enough space for Gary to install a feature

that would make this home even more appealing.

This brilliant space up here, which you can do whatever you want with,

but I want you to have a quick glance down there.

Now, to our eyes that might not look like much,

but come and see what the neighbours have done.

Swimming pool. What do you think about that? I know you want a pool.

-Promising.

-Very promising.

But what about the money?

Gary, how much do you think it's on for?

-210.

-£210,000.

-Katie?

-I'm going to go with £195,000.

Well, you are both wrong.

In the wrong direction, you are both too high.

-It's actually on...

-That's good.

-Yes. £170,000.

And there would be enough left in the budget for a pool.

On the market at £170,000, this villa is in a community

located just two minutes from Gary's favoured beach.

It comes with a kitchen, dining room,

and three bedrooms, one of which has its own separate

entrance on the rooftop terrace that could be used for paying B&B guests.

-What a start!

-Absolutely.

-Gosh, that has set the bar really high.

That is no bad thing. Can I prize you away from this property?

OK. All right.

When Gary completes his continental move to Almeria,

it will be the start of a new chapter in his life

and he will be keeping himself busy by running a bed and breakfast.

This will provide an income and help him meet new people.

But as Gary lacks experience in the hospitality business,

we are taking him and Katie to meet Chris Walton,

who has been running B&Bs in Almeria for seven years.

-Hello, Chris.

-Hello.

-Meet Gary. Gary, meet Chris.

Chris is going to show you some of the ropes of running a B&B.

So I'm going to leave you in very capable hands and you and me, Katie, are going this way.

-Would you like to come and have a look?

-Thanks very much.

Chris runs her guesthouse on her own, which is what Gary also intends to do.

So he's getting acquainted with some of the daily routines he would need

to carry out himself in the future, starting with changing the beds.

I try to do it while guests are having breakfast

because if you are not careful, it can eat into the whole of the day.

The sooner you've got it done,

the sooner you've got some time to yourself.

So how does it work when people are checking out?

We don't have any hard and fast rules here.

Some people do but I don't like it.

This has given Gary an appreciation of the hard work that

goes into running a B&B and it doesn't get any easier

when it comes to the next chore, preparing the breakfast.

What choice do you lay on?

Well, we do freshly squeezed orange juice always

and then we do fresh fruit, which changes all the time

because fruit is very seasonal here.

And then we do home-made jam and marmalade,

home-made granary bread and tea or coffee.

I always ask, would you like something hot?

But not a full English breakfast.

People don't want it in the heat anyway.

Now that Gary has got a taste of the routines, we are sitting down

with Chris, who has got further tips on managing a guesthouse in Almeria.

What do you think of this picture that Chris is painting?

Doing this day in, day out.

-Is that you?

-I'm really excited.

For the first time in some years, I'm really excited about it.

Let's get some pros. The good stuff about living here.

The biggest pro for me is that doing bed and breakfast allows me

to live in a very nice house.

And if I didn't do it, I wouldn't be able to live here.

The second one is meeting lots of nice people.

I've had several return guests this year.

And what are the cons?

Being on call probably. You are...

I think people expect you to be around.

If they are staying here, they expect you to be here.

Although I think I'm quite shy, I am really a people person

and I like having people around me.

Well, I do. I love meeting people.

And you've got to like people or you just couldn't do this job.

-I'm up for giving it a go.

-Brilliant!

And your orange juice, if that's anything to go by, good job.

Well squeezed!

So it seems Gary is still set on making his Almeria home a rentable retreat.

But before he commits to any property purchase

there are a few practical considerations to bear in mind.

Unlike the UK, in Spain a small deposit is paid to take

the property off the market while the contracts are drawn up.

If you pull out before completion, you forfeit the deposit.

If you are buying off-plan or a new-build you must make sure

the licence of first occupation has been granted before completing the purchase.

This gives the building its legal status and is only granted

once the developer has fulfilled their obligations.

It's our second day in Almeria, Spain, where Katie has been helping

her father, Gary, to realise his and his late partner's dream of setting up a B&B.

But today, it looks like he might be house-hunting on his own.

The first bit of news to report is that unfortunately,

Katie's not feeling very well which means today Gary is viewing solo.

Now, the first property got a solid nine out of ten,

but that's because he knew the area, he knew the lay of the land.

Today, I'm going to push him out of his comfort zone.

The next destination for our house-hunt is Antas

which is just over a 30-minute drive inland

from Gary's chosen area of Vera.

And our next property is situated on the outskirts of this small town.

This, Gary, is an old mill...

-a converted flour mill that's 200 years old.

-I'm intrigued.

-Is that a positive intrigued?

-That's a very neutral intrigued.

-Do you like the look of it?

-I think so, yes.

I need to see the whole package before I can make up my mind.

But I...

-I'm warming to it.

-All right.

Well, let's take you inside and see how your opinion changes.

Well, Gary's not giving anything away just yet.

This 200-year-old mill was left derelict for 50 years

until the current owners spent ten years restoring it.

With four bedrooms, it's arranged over three floors

with the main living area found on the ground floor.

Wow.

Wow is a good reaction.

Part of me is thinking, "My goodness, what a fantastic room."

And another bit's saying, "How much work would it cost to maintain it,

"do any necessary repairs?" But first of all, it's fantastic.

-It's great, isn't it?

-First and foremost.

It's a really sympathetic kitchen conversion of the original mill.

-It's beautifully done.

-The floor is the original floor.

You've got the beams which they've kept and over there

there's a chute which is where

-the corn would have come down.

-Oh, of course.

Great, huh? Nice little touch.

Also down here, you've got a fantastic double bedroom over here,

a small toilet and another bedroom around the corner.

So, you've got two bedrooms down here.

You like a party, you've got a big social network of friends.

-It's a good place for one.

-It is, isn't it?

It's certainly a good place for one, yes. This is making me think.

This is making me think positively. Positively.

You didn't have anything like this in mind before, did you?

A place that Steve and I looked at a few years ago

was similar to this.

-That's good. Shall we go on up?

-Let's do it.

'I think memories of house-hunting with Steven are turning this tour

'into an emotional experience for Gary.

'On the first floor, there's a family bathroom and a third bedroom

'and on the second floor is the largest bedroom

'which we've saved for him.'

Come on right in.

Hmmmm?

-Nicely done.

-Do you like it?

-This is a lovely room.

Absolutely lovely room.

It's got a huge bathroom suite attached to it.

-This could be your domain. Surprising?

-Yes.

-Is this house growing on you?

-It is, I think. I think it is, yes.

But there's so much more I want to show you.

-Looking forward to it.

-Come on. This way.

On the other side of this floor is a comfortable living room

with exposed beams.

Despite Antas being only 20km away from Vera Playa,

Gary hadn't considered it before, so I'm taking him out to the balcony

to give him a sense of the location.

-Now, I just love this little area, Gary.

-It's cute, isn't it?

It feels like a retreat here, doesn't it?

Especially because they've got the day bed out. And over there is...

-Pueblo.

-Very good. Get a lay of the land.

-And you can look into the hills.

-Good. Yes. I do like it.

-This isn't even the best bit.

-There's more?

-There is more.

Come on.

'Underneath the balcony is a workshop that with

'the right planning permission

'could be turned into even more living space,

'giving Gary the sort of project that he's not afraid to take on.'

-Come through.

-My goodness.

-I know.

-My goodness.

This also comes with the property. It's very obvious what it's being

used for at the minute, but I know you're really good at visualising

and thinking of potential, so I was dying to show you this bit

because those windows are spectacular and this room...

I mean, where do you even begin?

-You could do whatever you wanted, really.

-Absolutely.

What to use the room for? What things would need doing to it?

But it's a massive space. There are so many possibilities for this room.

-Yeah.

-Could easily turn it into an apartment.

-We haven't finished yet.

-There's something else I want to show you.

-Go on, then.

There's no shortage of outside space with this property

which sits on a plot of almost one and a half acres.

On one side, there's a large patch of flat land that used to be

an orange grove. But I'm taking him to the more manicured part

where there's a pool, a large gazebo and a sunbathing area.

-Well, I never!

-Well, I never indeed.

Now, THIS is an oasis.

This is lovely. This is really nice.

So, let's talk money.

What price do you put on this?

Now you've got me.

I really don't know.

I'll pick a figure, a mad figure. 200.

-200,000?

-Yep.

-OK.

-It's more. So, it is over your budget.

-Doesn't surprise me.

-Yeah.

-It's actually on the market for 225,000.

-Really?

However, the owners are aware of your budget

and they're prepared to negotiate.

It's a beautiful property, really lovely.

Although this rustic farmhouse is over budget at £225,000,

the owners are open to offers.

The package includes a large kitchen, living room

and up to five bedrooms.

And with a workshop that could be converted into even more

bedroom accommodation, it has the potential to become

a substantial B&B.

It also has a generous garden with an elevated pool.

There's a lot to think about. It's a lovely house.

-So, Steven would have liked this?

-Very, very much. Yes.

-So, if he was here, he'd have said, what?

-"Let's go for it."

So, that's basically what I'm sensing, isn't it?

That if he was here, you would have snapped...

-This would have been it.

-Absolutely. Absolutely.

I know it's really difficult for you. I can sense it.

-But you're here for the two of you.

-Yep.

-And we'll help you.

-Thank you.

-All right? I think this was always going to be tough.

-Yeah.

I think you're very brave to be doing this.

-But my new life has to start.

-It has to.

It's been quite emotional, this house, hasn't it?

-Yes, it certainly has.

-Shall we go and clear our heads?

-Yeah, probably a good idea.

-Come on then.

It's our last day of house-hunting in Almeria in southern Spain

and I'm glad to say that Katie has made a full recovery

and has rejoined us just in time for the mystery property,

which is a rather regal prospect.

We're travelling north to Los Lobos, which translates as "the wolves".

and lying on its outskirts is our Mystery House.

A sizeable six-bedroom property

which sits on a plot of two-and-a-half acres.

Katie, it's nice to have you with us today

in time for the mystery property, which is that.

-Ooh!

-Goodness me.

That IS different.

It's a lot bigger.

So this is the mystery because it's a renovation project, OK?

Because it's a retreat and a B&B that you want to do,

I think this is the perfect mystery for you.

I can't wait to get inside and look at it. I really can't.

Come on then, let's go.

'This replica Moorish castle was built from scratch

'by a French couple in the early 1980s

'and the decor still reflects the style of that era,

'so I'm hoping Gary can see the potential as we make our way

'into the open plan kitchen and living area.'

You've got this big, old space, through kitchen/lounge-diner.

And then through that door you've got a double bedroom,

-a bathroom, a little office room...

-Oh, right.

-..and a really interesting atrium space.

-Lovely. Love it.

I must be mad but I think it's brilliant.

What a place for people to be welcomed into.

Yeah, I can definitely see you living here.

Obviously it needs a bit of work.

-Check out the staircase. It's marble.

-Yes, absolutely.

-That would cost a bomb...

-Yeah.

..and it's already here, so it's little things like that.

Look beyond the wallpaper, OK, if that's even possible.

-I think I can do that.

-Come on, let's go.

I'm delighted that Gary doesn't seem fazed by the size

or the amount of work he might need to take on.

We're going straight to the roof so I can unveil

the show-stopping vista from the top of this quirky property.

-My goodness!

-Yeah.

-Right to the top of the house.

-Goodness.

-The top turret.

You can really imagine yourself being king of your castle,

swanning around in a kaftan, Gary.

Take it all in. The view is...

It's amazing. The view is amazing.

It's incredible.

You can really get a sense of how big this plot of land is, as well.

-Wow.

-Yes.

-Could you see yourself living here, Katie?

Yeah, I mean, it does need a lot of work.

-It would be such an amazing project to take on.

-It's mad, isn't it?

It is quite a silly place in some respects,

-but it's incredible in others.

-It's brilliant.

I want to show you this bit over here as well.

There is the rooftop of your underground garage.

You can get planning permission and build on there

and get another big bedroom or another two bedrooms easily

if you really wanted to extend this whole B&B thing.

-There's so many options here.

-Yeah.

-It's super.

-It is. It really is.

Now my mind is really messed up!

-Good.

-But that's a good thing.

-Yeah, good.

'At the back of the landscaped garden,

'there are outbuildings with another two bedrooms, a bathroom

'and kitchen, which could be rented out as a self-contained apartment.

'There's also a south-facing pool and outdoor bar and barbecue area.'

-What do you think about this little patch?

-This is fabulous.

-Absolutely fabulous.

-It is amazing.

-Can you see how you could make this work?

-Oh, yes.

It's got so many of the features that you put in that book.

And they're here already.

Cos that inspiration book is sort of your ideal dream rental B&B?

Absolutely, yes.

When I compiled that, I went to the most extreme things I would ever

really, really like, thinking I could never do it, and then work back.

Within that, this has done most of it already.

So all we need to know now is how much they're asking for it.

Um, 230,000.

I would have thought possibly even higher. 250?

This is on the market for...

£180,000.

-What?

-What?

-You're joking?

-Goodness.

-Get it now!

On the market for £180,000, £5,000 under budget,

it could provide a sizeable B&B, as it has four bedrooms

in the main house and an additional two bedrooms in separate outhouses.

There's also a large open-plan living and kitchen area,

split level roof terraces and a swimming pool.

-Shall we go?

-Yep, if we must.

We must.

Now that all our viewings are over,

I'm keen to find out whether Gary is ready to take the plunge

and invest in a property in Almeria.

Right, well, you've seen a selection of properties.

They've all been quite different, haven't they?

They have been very different.

It's been a fantastic experience, it really has.

So which is your favourite?

It's been a tough call but I think if I'm refining it down to the final

two to choose from then it's going to either be the one in Vera Playa.

Practical, needs some work,

but doable, and then the castle.

I've already said and you've seen my reaction to that.

It's fabulous.

It is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

-It's going to come down to how much of a project can I take on?

-Exactly.

-The castle is a no-brainer. Got to go for it.

-Really?

But...

Gah, come on, Gary!

If I go for the castle, I'm going to have to call in so many favours.

You've got a daughter sitting right next to you.

-Will you be up for helping Dad with the castle?

-Oh, definitely.

What do you think, Katie?

My head's saying Vera but my heart is saying the castle.

Katie, how important is it for your dad to start his new life,

-as he says?

-I think it's probably the most important thing for him.

It's been three years.

It's been hard but I think now is the best time for him

to have something to focus on.

Well, close your eyes.

Imagine you're in a house in Spain.

-Where are you?

-I'm in the castle.

-I think it's a done deal, really.

-I think is probably is.

I'm just really happy that, you know, you found the place.

-It's good.

-Don't cry. It's happy time.

Yeah, but we understand, but, yeah, it is wonderful.

-Good luck, Gary. Good luck.

-Thank you.

It's been a really tough and emotional week for Gary

and that's because moving to Spain isn't about property for him.

It's about starting a new lease of life.

Here he's surrounded by happy memories and if he moves

into that castle it will be the beginning of a new, happier chapter.

Join us next time for another Escape To The Continent.

Gary is planning another trip to Almeria.

Both the castle and the house in Vera Playa are still contenders.

We wish him well.

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