Case Study
A Family Holiday Home
Our clients were London-based, with two young boys, and looking for a holiday home somewhere on the Mediterranean coastline in Andalucía. The mother was a New Zealander, focused on a guaranteed-summer location with the best possible temperatures in winter as they planned multiple trips throughout the year. Their preference was for a detached villa with garden and pool but, from the outset, I warned them it would be tough to stay in budget if they excluded townhouses. A large semi-detached townhouse would almost certainly have a private garden and if there wasn’t already a pool, there would almost certainly be room for one.
the brief
- four bedroom detached villa
- some updating acceptable
- good outside space, private or communal
- private garden with a pool or space for one
the challenges
The clients had already done lots of online research and knew what they wanted in terms of the look of a property, but no idea where they wanted to be, other than on or very close to the coast and with good golf courses nearby. As soon as I know clients have spent hours looking at thumbnail images on estate agents’ websites I always suggest they send me a few sample links so I get a feel for the look they like. In this case I was sent twenty three, a record!
As well as the challenge of not really knowing the locations of all these properties, an additional challenge was the budget. They really wanted a detached house but I had to tell them that the only reason they were seeing detached houses for sale within their budget was due to the fact that they were outside the prime areas of the coast. In the best locations, I was sure they would struggle to find detached but there would be a really good townhouse in excellent locations.
the search
Two search areas identified, one west and one east of Málaga city
When clients don’t have a strong preference for a particular location I always suggest comparing and contrasting different areas. This also applies in cases where the clients don’t know an area very well and are perhaps basing their search on just a few family holidays in the same place. However, it’s a fact that what works for summer holidays when small children are involved may not be what’s needed later on. As some of the links I had been sent were on the Costa del Sol, others were on the Costa Tropical, so it was agreed that the initial search would include both areas, about 160kms apart. However, as the clients were keen to be near good golf courses, I did point out that, although there were courses on the Costa Tropical, they were few and far between and they would have many more to choose from if the area west of Marbella was the main focus.
Over the next few weeks, I did visit and assess multiple properties on both coasts, leading to an initial shortlist of seven for viewing. As I suspected, all were townhouses rather than detached villas but they were all within budget and in the heart of the Costa del Sol’s prime Golden Triangle area. We were ready for viewings
the result
Nearly detached, large, double-fronted house frontline to beach
As the shortlisted properties were located fairly close together, I estimated a two-day trip would be sufficient. However, because of childcare arrangements we prepared for two sessions, with the clients coming separately, one flying back as the other was flying out, and in fact, passing each other in the air. So I scheduled three days in total but then the plan unravelled. Unfortunately, when the client with the New Zealand passport arrived at the airport to fly out on an early-morning flight, the computer said no. With less than six months until renewal she was refused boarding and sent home. Flights changed, the UK passport-holding parent arrived the next morning and with viewings rescheduled, off we went, giving thanks for laptops and video.
A large, south-facing, semi-detached, double-fronted townhouse was the result, with 200m2 constructed and a private garden with room for a pool if they wanted. They did. Several features made this the stand-out property.
- Frontline beach position in one of the best golf urbanisations
- Gated community with private, underground garaging
- Communal gardens of 8,000m2, plenty of running-around space for the children
The property was 15 years old and, although it was in good condition, it was tired and so our clients decided to crack on with an immediate renovation. I introduced an architect from Seville who had done some great work for several former clients and he brought in builders he had used before. The result was a contemporary style interior, open-plan living space with a separate t.v. room for the children, plus four bedrooms and three bathrooms. A swimming pool was constructed and, with an outside summer kitchen as an extension of the main kitchen, a relatively small garden was turned into into a year-round outdoor space.
A few years later I was asked by estate agents selling an identical house in the same urbanisation for an introduction to the architect who had worked for my former clients. Their buyer wanted to see an example of what could be achieved and my clients were happy to oblige. The sale went through with instructions to the architect to do an exact repeat - not similar but the same. Quite a recommendation. And we never did get to do separate viewings for my clients - the first time she saw what she now owned was after completion.
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