A British couple have revealed how their bargain place in the sun now pays for itself during the summer months.
Rob and Roisin purchased a two-bedroom flat in Mojacar, Almeria, for just £112,000 in January 2024 (around €130,000 at the time).
The couple appeared on Channel 4’s A Place In The Sun after getting fed-up with hunting properties on their own and not getting results.
Rob, 61, an operations director for an engineering company, said: ‘We looked at about 20 properties. We would first look online, find a place that fit our criteria – two bedrooms, two bathrooms – but then when we went to see them, there was always some fatal flaw.
‘We soon learnt that it’s as much about telling an estate agent what you don’t want – in our case, a spiral staircase or a north-east facing balcony.’
The househunters had been registered with estate agents and would fly out to look at home, but said they were ‘often just shown what was on their books, rather than what suited us.’
They decided to look on the Almeria coast, where prices can be half that of nearby Malaga and the Costa del Sol.
They ended up putting an offer in on a property 10 minutes from the beach, with a balcony.
It’s situated in the Spirit of Mojacar, a gated complex on Mojacar Playa, known for its communal areas with large swimming pool, sun terraces and gardens.
The pair said they compromised by accepting having one bathroom instead of two. There’s also a ‘bit of a hill to walk up’, which is not ideal for Rob’s knees.
However, the couple have no regrets and say they have turned the home into a successful holiday rental when they are not there.
‘We go there for three months at a time,’ Rob explains, ‘I can remote work from there, but Roisin is retired.
‘We don’t go in peak summer, and it’s fully booked between July and the end of September.’
Rob takes care of the bookings himself and places it on Booking.com, charging from €137 per night.
Rob said they have a ‘lovely’ house manager who does the cleaning but also meets the guests.
‘We allow pets and give guests a very nice welcome pack with local wine and produce. I’m responsive and communicate with guests,’ he said.
Most of their guests are Spanish who stay for an average of eight nights in the summer.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
