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00:00I'm Maggie Malloy and I'm on a mission to help Irish house hunters discover the
00:05overlooked gems of affordable European property. We're on the hunt in Italy,
00:11Spain, Portugal and France for great bargains. You've definitely surprised us.
00:16Feels nicer in the sun for sure. Property experts in each country will help guide
00:21our search. Vanity and toilet you'll be like 3,000 euros. And our very own
00:26intrepid reporters Kevin McGahern and James Cavanagh will be getting to know
00:31the regions we visit. Can we give it a bit of welly? I suppose we could. Clubs are a
00:36great way to connect with people. They'll be giving our house hunters a
00:39head start on local complexities, customs and most importantly the crack.
00:45Chefe vive! Now what you just said is I want to live! It's wonderful! I want to live here! From
00:50forever homes in Portuguese villages
00:52Massive crack. Not in a good way. To sun-drenched Spanish cities. We need to
00:58talk about this price. You could throw anything at me. I'll help find the best
01:02homes a modest budget can buy. It's a cracker of a house. It's massive inside. So grab
01:07your passport, pack your bags and join us on the hunt as we go in search of cheap
01:13European homes. This time James is joining me in the southeast of Spain. We're
01:24beginning our adventure in the city of Murcia, capital of the Murcia region. It
01:30might not be as well known as its neighboring regions, Andalusia to the
01:34west and Valencia to the east, but this area has plenty to offer. It's one of
01:40Spain's smaller regions with about 250 kilometers of coastline known as the Costa
01:46Calida. Move inland and you'll find arid plains, forests, mountains and fertile
01:53valleys fed by the River Segura that also flows through the heart of Murcia City.
01:59I visited Murcia before but it was out on the coast so it's nice to be starting off
02:04this time inland and in a city for a change. Yeah and it is stunning but I'm not
02:09familiar with this part of Spain at all. Yeah I feel this little area is a bit
02:12maybe under-appreciated you know it just it doesn't get spoken about enough. Well
02:17I'm really curious to get going and to discover more about it.
02:20What we had? Yeah.
02:24This time I'm on a property search with 47 year old Carmel Carey and her 23 year old
02:30daughter Cuiva from Caritul East Cork. Carmel is a pharmacy assistant while Cuiva is a social
02:38media manager. Carmel and her husband Tony have been regular visitors to Spain since Cuiva
02:44was small and have a long-held dream of finding a home there. Now Cuiva's made it her mission
02:51to help her mum's dream become a reality.
02:54I love Spain. I love the community, the people. I like the food. It's just so relaxed over there.
03:02Any time of year that we go over there seems to be a fiesta which is lovely. It's like all
03:08the community
03:09get to know each other and they all meet out. It's even like when you go outside at any time
03:14of the day
03:15there's always people together doing something or even going for food or drinks at every hour.
03:21It's just a really nice positive feeling every day over there because there is so much things to do.
03:27Two of us usually would get in a car and just travel.
03:31You'll see the skinniest of roads like the smallest of Boreens and we go, will we?
03:37Yeah, we might as well. Getting lost is our main thing.
03:42We're definitely outside people because we've been road bowling all our lives.
03:47Mum was European champion in 2012 and has world record holder for the longest shot.
03:55You never know, we might bring it there.
03:57With the job that I'm at at the moment they're looking to expand over to Spain
04:02so I more than likely will end up living in Spain as well.
04:06The budget for our house in Spain is £150,000 and that's including renovations.
04:12Minimum a two-bedroomed house.
04:14It has to have some type of space outside. It doesn't have to be a huge garden.
04:19It doesn't have to be even a garden. It's just somewhere I can sit outside.
04:22Area, I don't mind. Mercia, anywhere around. I'm really open.
04:27It doesn't have to be coastal. I'm not really a water person.
04:30Countryside would be ideal.
04:33Renovation will be no problem because Tony being in construction, he'll be doing it all.
04:38I'm really hoping that Maggie will find, if not the house,
04:42but definitely the area that I will be happy to live the rest of my life.
04:53In the past, the Mercia region has been a bit overlooked by house hunters.
04:58But things are changing.
05:00Property values have climbed significantly in the last five years,
05:04with average prices up by around 37%.
05:07Though overall they remain lower than the national Spanish average.
05:11So there could be value to be had.
05:15Carmel and Cuiva are looking for a property with at least two bedrooms and some private outdoor space.
05:21They're pretty flexible about location and not bothered about being near the coast,
05:26which will definitely help to keep the price down.
05:29I'm focusing my search on an area inland west of the city of Mercia and as far down as the
05:36border with Andalusia.
05:37The average property price in this area can range from around €158,000 to €180,000.
05:46By casting my net wide, I'm hoping to land the right property for Carmel's €150,000 budget.
05:54So I know you've been to the Mercia region before, but have you ever been to Mercia City?
05:58No, we've only done the coast, so we've never been in right in the middle of the city.
06:02There's a lot of character and all in here, isn't there?
06:04It's stunning. It's so pretty.
06:06The architecture is just gorgeous.
06:08So my plan is to help you get to know the area a bit better and meet the people.
06:12Unreal.
06:13And of course, I get to show you houses.
06:14So I've cast the net really wide and I'm sticking inland as well because I want to get the really
06:20best value for you.
06:21I have so many cool houses to show you.
06:24Can't wait.
06:25So excited.
06:25Will you go have a look?
06:26Yes.
06:29For my first property, we've headed to the town of Las Palace.
06:33This three bed house sits on a quiet road within walking distance of shops, bars and restaurants.
06:41It's about 40 minutes from Mercia City, 20 minutes to the coast and comes with an asking price of €149
06:49,000.
06:50We've met up with architect Marta Woodward, an expert in Spanish building design and construction.
06:57She'll be helping us on this search.
07:00Would this feel rural enough?
07:01Like you don't have your city, you can't see your cities from here, so it is rural.
07:05So what are your first impressions?
07:07It's a really bright house anyways. It stands out from the rest.
07:10It's subtle.
07:10Yes.
07:11It looks a bit small from the outside, but obviously we haven't been inside yet.
07:16But yeah, can't judge a book by its cover.
07:18Is this too cramped? Like too built up?
07:20A little bit, yeah.
07:22I think the neighbour is a tiny bit too close.
07:23Too close, yeah.
07:24We both step out of the door at the same time, like you're right next to each other.
07:29Yeah, yeah.
07:29You're such a gulshie.
07:31That is great.
07:32Myself and Marta had a look around inside earlier.
07:35It is a solid house. It is probably built in the late 60s.
07:40It's well maintained and it's in good condition.
07:44And it seems small, but it's bigger than you'd expect.
07:49Okay.
07:49Yes.
07:49I promise it gets better when you get inside.
07:52Okay.
07:52Okay, you ready to have a look?
07:54Yes.
07:54Okay.
07:54Here's your notebook.
07:56Any questions you have for Marta, write them down and we will meet you out the back in
08:01a couple of minutes.
08:01Perfect.
08:07Yeah, there's a nice size room in there.
08:10Big enough room.
08:11Yeah.
08:12This room is lovely.
08:14I love the white walls, so you can add your own colours and touches to it.
08:18And it's a lot bigger than you'd think when looking outside.
08:21Yeah.
08:21It's a lot more modern, I think.
08:23And the finish is very good in here.
08:24Yeah.
08:25Yeah.
08:25There is a Wi-Fi box.
08:28So there's the service and everything.
08:29And I saw the air conditioning outside, so.
08:33Yeah.
08:33Yeah.
08:34No, I like it.
08:34I like this.
08:35So far, anyway.
08:37Oh, God.
08:38I was expecting just one more room, not a big long corridor.
08:43I love it.
08:44Nice, bright room.
08:45Yeah, it's a good size.
08:47So this is the second bedroom.
08:48And yeah, that's one thing, the house, every room seems very bright.
08:53I like the bathroom.
08:54The bathroom is lovely.
08:55Another room.
08:56So that's what?
08:57Three rooms.
08:57Three bedrooms.
08:58Yeah.
08:58That's unreal.
09:00Oh, the kitchen.
09:01Look at the kitchen.
09:02It's beautiful.
09:03Lovely and bright.
09:04It's very nice.
09:05I love cupboards.
09:07It looks very modern.
09:08Yeah, it is.
09:09The only thing I'll write with this kind of overcrowding the kitchen.
09:13Yeah, I think it's just too big.
09:15No, but it's lovely.
09:16It's lovely.
09:17It's very, very nice.
09:18It's really bright.
09:19You're getting the light in every room.
09:21Yeah.
09:22You wouldn't think it's this big from outside?
09:24No.
09:29Oh my God.
09:32Now this, I did not expect.
09:34That is class.
09:35This is unreal.
09:37That's perfect where the table is.
09:39Yeah.
09:40Don't need the kitchen table.
09:41Get rid of the kitchen table.
09:42Yeah.
09:42Handle.
09:43I'd have to have a handle.
09:45Yeah.
09:45It's so steep down.
09:46Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:46Do we have upstairs as well?
09:48Yeah, must be.
09:49Oh my God.
09:50This was not what I was expecting from outside.
09:53And it looks like there's steps as well or something down that direction.
09:57Yeah, so maybe that's something I'll ask Maggie.
09:59What is that?
10:00Yeah, that could be some parts connected to the house.
10:02Yeah.
10:02Yeah.
10:03But like, it's huge compared to what you would see outside.
10:07Yeah.
10:08I was not expecting this at all.
10:09No, not at all.
10:10There's no way this is in our budget.
10:12At all.
10:15Welcome to your roof terrace.
10:17Beautiful.
10:18So how'd you get on inside?
10:19There's a lot more going on than you think, isn't there?
10:21It is amazing.
10:22Yeah.
10:23It's incredible.
10:24It's way bigger than I actually thought it was going to be.
10:27Like I was expecting two rooms, kitchen.
10:30Yeah.
10:30That's it.
10:31That pool too.
10:32Oh my God.
10:33I actually, I nearly died when I saw the pool.
10:35It's not looking its best right now.
10:37You just need a little clean.
10:40That's all.
10:40Power hose.
10:41Yes.
10:41Dad would love that.
10:42Yeah.
10:43And there's like a steps down to a garage.
10:45It is.
10:45Great condition.
10:46Double garage doors at the back leading out onto a lane that you can drive a car in.
10:50And here.
10:51My God, you have such views from up here.
10:54Yeah.
10:54Do you have anything written down for Marta?
10:56Just the central heating.
10:58Is it gas or oil?
10:59Yes, it's gas for the heating and the splits for air condition.
11:04All right.
11:05I was just saying the only thing that I would do is maybe a railing just for the pool area.
11:09Yeah.
11:09I think it's easy to change it.
11:12Yeah.
11:13I think Tony would be happy potting around doing little jobs.
11:17Yeah.
11:17Definitely.
11:18The only thing we were kind of saying, it's definitely above our budget.
11:21Yeah.
11:22Are you ready then?
11:23Right.
11:24It's on the market for 149,000.
11:28So I'm scraping in.
11:30Yeah.
11:30I'm scraping in.
11:31No, I was expecting it to be well above our budget.
11:34They nearly even double.
11:35Yeah.
11:35Because you get so much space and so much things.
11:38So keep in mind as well that it's acceptable to offer underneath the asking price in Spain.
11:43So even if you went maybe 10%?
11:46Yes.
11:46Or you can ask for 20%.
11:48Ooh.
11:49Perfect.
11:49Sounds even better.
11:50Great.
11:50Yeah.
11:50Yeah.
11:51Yeah.
11:51I don't know how you're going to top this to be really honest.
11:55Yeah.
11:55If Carmel and Cuiva are looking for a home here, they'll want to know as much as possible
11:59about this area and its people.
12:01So I'm going to pick the brains of a local.
12:05Kathy McGeer moved to Spain from Dublin over 20 years ago and is now settled in Murcia
12:11with her Spanish husband and two sons.
12:14So Murcia, tell me everything.
12:16Yeah.
12:17Murcia.
12:18Murcia.
12:18Yeah.
12:19Murcia.
12:20Very good.
12:20It's like kind of starting to be discovered, you know?
12:22It's still really authentically Spanish, I would say.
12:26So you're fully in the lingo and…
12:28Yeah.
12:28I speak Spanish and you'd need to.
12:30There's different accents, I guess, all over Spain.
12:32Yeah.
12:32What's this kind of accent?
12:33This is the strongest one.
12:35You know, I guess the strongest accent, maybe the most difficult one to understand.
12:38Okay.
12:39You just have to try.
12:40You just have to show them that you're trying to speak the language and they'll help you
12:44and they'll love you for trying as well.
12:45And what's it like to live here?
12:46Yeah, it's great.
12:47It's got a really nice, authentic feel, really family-orientated place, really laid-back lifestyle.
12:55It's really nice.
12:56I love it.
12:58So do you have any tips for settling in?
13:00Yeah.
13:01So the thing I usually say to people is to really think about what your life is going
13:04to be like once everything settles down.
13:07Concentrate on building your community, joining clubs, making friends.
13:11People forget about that.
13:12You want to know the locals.
13:14Exactly.
13:14Is there clubs or, you know, things you could join?
13:18Loads of clubs.
13:19Loads of clubs, yeah.
13:20I mean, between Spanish clubs, of course, but lots of the international people also create
13:24their own clubs.
13:25Walking clubs, running clubs, bowling clubs, all sorts.
13:29And what's the cost of living over here?
13:31What's the situation there?
13:32Spain in general is not like cheap, cheap like it used to be years ago.
13:36But Mercia itself is still one of the regions where it's more reasonable to live by comparison
13:41to other places in Spain.
13:43Certainly cheaper than Ireland probably.
13:44Certainly cheaper.
13:45Yeah.
13:45Certainly cheaper than Ireland, yeah.
13:49This is an interesting place.
13:50This is the Real Casino, founded in about the 1850s.
13:55It's not actually a casino, though.
13:57It's a social club.
13:58No slot machines?
13:59No.
13:59Okay.
13:59I don't think so.
14:00Let's go in.
14:01Let's have a look.
14:04So, here we are.
14:05There's a real mishmash of styles in here.
14:08You've got the Moorish style, of course.
14:10You've got the Roman style, Baroque style.
14:13This is the Arabic court.
14:15They say that there's 35,000 sheets of gold leaf in here.
14:19Is that all?
14:20Amazing.
14:2035,000.
14:26Oh, wow.
14:27Stunning, isn't it?
14:28This is a bit of me now.
14:29This is the ladies' powder room.
14:30Gorgeous.
14:31You can see the woman on fire.
14:33She's intense.
14:33On fire, yeah.
14:40Would you like to waltz with me?
14:41Let's do it.
14:42Yeah.
14:49So, this is the Saouda River.
14:51It's really important in the region of Murcia.
14:54It provides the water and irrigation for all the farmland.
14:57Because Murcia City has a really unique location.
15:00It's right in the middle of what's called La Huerta de Murcia.
15:03La Huerta de Murcia?
15:04Yeah.
15:05So, it literally translates to like the orchard or the garden of Murcia.
15:08I would love that.
15:09Yeah.
15:09In fact, it's even known as, this whole region is known as the garden of Spain because of all the
15:14product that's grown here.
15:15Ah.
15:15And you might even hear of people being referred to as Huertanos or Huertanas.
15:19So, it's like people who work the land.
15:22Ah.
15:22I love that.
15:23Yeah.
15:23So poetic.
15:24Yeah.
15:26So, this giant fish here is actually a sardine linked to the spring festivals in Murcia.
15:31called the Entierro de la Sardina.
15:34So, the burial of the sardine, it's called.
15:37Yeah.
15:37And how, how does this, do they just carry a fish through the streets?
15:41Or what is it?
15:42No, it's like, it like marks the end of Lent.
15:45Ah.
15:45Yeah.
15:46And so, they, they bring this huge, I guess it's like a paper mache, it's huge sardine.
15:50Like, it's colourful and sculpture and they bring it through the streets.
15:54Okay, I was picturing a tiny fish.
15:55No, it definitely isn't tiny.
15:57And then they burn it outside the, the town hall at the end of the...
16:01Why not?
16:02Yeah.
16:03It's really unusual.
16:04I love that.
16:05I think Riva and Carmel would, they be into that.
16:07Oh, yeah.
16:08Yeah, I'd be into that.
16:09Nobody knows about it and once they discover it, they just can't believe it.
16:12They're really cool.
16:13Yeah.
16:13Wow.
16:14Long live the sardine.
16:15Long live the sardine.
16:16Yeah.
16:17It's been a jam-packed first day.
16:19Time to take stock.
16:21I've brought Carmel and Cuiva for a quick catch up with James.
16:25Okay, so first impressions, 10 out of 10, you're going to love it.
16:28There's loads of things to do.
16:31Tourism, culture, history, the people are great.
16:33They're big on fiestas.
16:36Something I'm looking forward to.
16:37Yeah, I'm more siestas, but really good fiestas, yeah.
16:41And tomorrow, are you up for some exploring?
16:43Oh, yeah.
16:44I have a very good thing planned.
16:46I'm super excited.
16:47Get ready to get lost.
16:49Our favourite thing.
16:50Yeah.
16:50And I've got a really interesting property up my sleeve.
16:53I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of it.
16:55Can't wait.
16:55Yeah, I'm going to call it early.
16:56I think you're going to love this place.
16:58We'll see.
16:59We'll see.
16:59I think you might have a lodger.
17:01Three bedrooms we're up to now, yeah?
17:03Yes.
17:04This is the arrangement.
17:05Did you tell them that's what happens?
17:06Yeah, we share.
17:07We're fine with that.
17:08Yeah, bunk beds.
17:09Yeah, yeah.
17:09Okay, lovely.
17:10James and Maggie.
17:11Yeah, you can just put that on the door.
17:12Yeah.
17:13Don't go in.
17:16Keep out.
17:18It's been a really positive start.
17:21Property one ticked a lot of boxes for my house hunters.
17:24But for my second, I'm going to change things up.
17:27Kind of has everything that you really need for a home.
17:30While James whisks Carmel and Cuiva off on a four-wheeled adventure.
17:40This week, myself and James are in the Murcia region of South-East Spain with Carmel Carey
17:46and her daughter Cuiva.
17:48Carmel has a long-held dream of buying a Spanish property where herself and husband Tony can
17:53settle down.
17:54And Cuiva is giving her that all-important push to finally make it happen.
18:00They're looking for a property with at least two bedrooms and some private outdoor space.
18:06They're not too worried about location.
18:08So I'm searching away from the coast where there's better value for money.
18:13Our first property was a three-bed house that had plenty to offer and an asking price
18:18of €149,000.
18:21It's way bigger than I actually thought it was going to be.
18:24For my next property, we've made our way to the quiet hamlet of Los Arroyos.
18:29It's a five-minute drive to the nearest village and around 25 minutes to the coast.
18:34This four-bedroom house needs a bit of attention but has plenty to offer, including just over
18:41six and a half acres of land and comes with a guide price of €139,000.
18:48I feel like this is like a little hamlet. Marta, what would you call this in Spanish?
18:52It's a aldea.
18:54Aldea.
18:54Aldea.
18:55So what do you think, guys?
18:56Yeah, there is a lot to take in in this one.
18:59It's definitely kind of more traditional.
19:01Bigger building as well.
19:02Yeah, I think a lot more stuff to be done.
19:04A lot of gardening for Dad to do.
19:06Or tiling to get rid of the gardening.
19:09Yeah.
19:09Yeah.
19:09You'd be nearly better just having a nice surface that fitted in with the style of the building.
19:14Yeah.
19:14Yeah.
19:14But it's robust.
19:15I mean, the roof looks good, Marta, doesn't it?
19:17Yes.
19:17I think it's renovated because the house is old.
19:21But as you can see, the roof is...
19:23It's newer.
19:24Yes.
19:24Yes.
19:25I feel like I could do with maybe a little bit of TLC on the front.
19:28What do you think?
19:28Yeah.
19:29Definitely a bit of plaster or paint or...
19:32I recommend to use a lime mortar.
19:34Lime mortar.
19:35Yes.
19:35As it will bring a unique, like, facade.
19:39And it also works very good for the character of the Murcia area.
19:45Okay.
19:45So that new coat of lime plaster would take care of all of the roughness, the little bits in and
19:50around the reveals of the windows.
19:52Do you know where you can see the bricks?
19:53Yeah.
19:53It would tidy up everything.
19:55Okay.
19:55But it would also make the building a lot more breathable and a lot more kind of in character of
20:00what should be.
20:00What should be.
20:01Yeah.
20:02Maybe it's 10, 20% more than the traditional painting.
20:07Okay.
20:07Yeah.
20:08Will we take a look inside?
20:09Yeah, we will.
20:09What?
20:13So we have a great size living room and kitchen back here.
20:16We have a bedroom up at the front door.
20:18Another two bedrooms down the corridor and a bathroom.
20:21So there's a lot down here.
20:23Yeah.
20:23It's definitely a bigger, bigger feel house.
20:26Yeah.
20:26And this living space is spacious too, isn't it?
20:29It is.
20:29Yeah.
20:29And it's grand laid out, tiles, everything.
20:31Kind of has everything that you really need for a home.
20:34Doesn't it?
20:34I mean, even the size of the kitchen.
20:35Definitely more like a cottage than your average kind of Spanish holiday home that you see.
20:41Yeah.
20:41Yeah.
20:42Any issues, Marta, that you can see?
20:43The only thing that I see is the rising down.
20:48But you can remove it and put the lime mortar the same as the outside.
20:54Okay.
20:54Because you probably wouldn't change much else, would you?
20:56No, it has the tiles, it has the kitchen is perfect as well.
21:00So it's a bit of, as you said, TLC.
21:02Yeah.
21:05So we're upstairs now in the bedroom slash study.
21:10It's got a nice view.
21:11It has a beautiful view.
21:13It's kind of a waste using it as an office.
21:15Yeah.
21:16What would you use it as?
21:18A closet, walk and wardrobe.
21:20100%.
21:21Wardrobe, walk out, open up, look in view.
21:25Yeah.
21:25I think dibs have been called.
21:28It's a bit fresh up here today, ladies, isn't it?
21:30Definitely, yeah.
21:31Well, the main reason I brought you out here is actually to show you the terrace area below.
21:36It's actually classed as urban.
21:38So Marta, do you want to explain what that means?
21:40Yes.
21:40You can do an extension or a pool or a garage so you can build in this building.
21:48Yes.
21:49So it's a bit like what the neighbors have done.
21:51Exactly.
21:52I mean, you have a substantial house here.
21:54You might need it.
21:55Obviously, the people who own it didn't need it.
21:56But you have the choice.
21:58Yes.
21:58I think that's probably the biggest thing.
21:59Well, I have one more thing to show you.
22:01Can we get down out of the wind?
22:02Yes.
22:04So from the edge of the road across from your front gate, you have six and a half acres that
22:12stretches right up to the top of that mountain and it is full of olive and almond trees.
22:18The land goes up to up here.
22:19Right over the top.
22:21Right over the top.
22:22Right over the top.
22:22Yeah, yeah.
22:23Wait, do you mean as in the mountain included?
22:25Yeah, yeah.
22:26What?
22:26Oh my God.
22:28Carey's Mountain.
22:29There you go.
22:30Carey's Mountain.
22:31We have our little farmyard with all our pigs and our chickens.
22:35Okay, let's talk about this price.
22:37All right.
22:37Okay.
22:38I'd forgotten about that.
22:39It's on at 139,000.
22:42Okay.
22:42And I'm thinking you could probably be a bit cheeky because there's a bit of work to be done here.
22:47Yeah.
22:47You know, go in under, account for all the jobs and maybe get a bargain.
22:52Yeah.
22:52So overall, what do you think?
22:53The area, absolutely beautiful.
22:55Yeah.
22:56If you could pick up house one and drop it here.
22:59Okay.
22:59Yeah.
22:59Would be ideal.
23:01Okay, all good information to know.
23:06Carmel and Cuiva have said they love adventure and exploring.
23:10So, I've taken them at their word and brought them to one of Murcia's many national parks.
23:17So you guys love exploring, taking a spin when you're in a new place, don't you?
23:21Yes.
23:21We just go down a road, see where it will take us.
23:25Kind of our way of discovering the area.
23:26Mmm.
23:27We call it getting lost.
23:28Okay.
23:29Well, you could definitely get lost here at Sierra Espuna Regional Park because it's 178 square
23:35kilometers.
23:36Wow.
23:37Yes.
23:37And I have the perfect activity so we can see everything.
23:41Unreal.
23:42Ready?
23:43Yes.
23:43Sounds great.
23:44This is Mark Langton, originally from Devon in the UK.
23:48He's been running adventure tours here for over 22 years.
23:52And today, he's going to show us around on these bad boys.
23:57We're going to go on a gentle quad bike tour today.
24:00We're going to go on to the Brancas de Hebas, which is a protected park area.
24:05It's a moonscape type landscape, phenomenal views.
24:08So are we good to go?
24:10Yep.
24:10We were born ready.
24:12Let's do it.
24:14we話 at more?
24:15Yeah.
24:34Yes, it's a junturn, right?
24:34All right.
24:34Oh, me it's a noisy man.
24:35You can do it.
24:36The rest of I know that he knows.
24:37I know that's been a hole.
24:41So put down by my head okay,
24:42It's a property and over a beautiful area.
24:56This is magnificent. I feel like I'm on the moon or something.
24:59Yeah, yeah. Could you see yourselves coming up here for a walk?
25:02Oh, yeah. Definitely, yeah. I think Dad would like this as well, definitely.
25:07How has the landscape formed?
25:09It's basically mineralised clay. Heavy rains can change the format of the whole thing.
25:15Is this park open to the public?
25:17Yes, yes, it's open to the public.
25:19Are there any like vineyards or do people grow food here or anything like that?
25:23Well, Murthier is Europe's salad bowl.
25:25Oh.
25:25So you get obviously oranges, lettuces, tomatoes, all the citrus fruits are grown here.
25:31Olives, of course, then all your nuts.
25:34So you could come on a hike and get your bits for a picnic on the way?
25:37On the way, yeah. I love it here.
25:40I'm not sure that would be legal.
26:02Mark, I can see why you love it. That view is incredible.
26:06I'm in awe of it every day and yet I see it every day.
26:08Yeah. So it's just a fantastic place to live.
26:12Guys, what do you think?
26:13Yeah, I could definitely see myself here. It's lovely. Views definitely are amazing.
26:18Yeah. Absolutely amazing.
26:19And do you have any tips for people thinking of moving over here?
26:23Just don't take too long before you do it because property prices in Murthier are rising.
26:29It's always been a little bit forgotten because it's the least commercialised area along the costas,
26:34but not anymore. It's starting to rise. So if you're going to do it, do it quick.
26:41It's time to hit the trail in search of my next property for Carmel and Cuiva.
26:46For house number three, I'm taking them just over the border from Murcia into the Andalusia region,
26:53but for very good reason. I think this five bed, four bathroom house is a great find.
26:59It sits in a rural location close to the town of Veles Rubio and is on the market for just
27:0699,950 euro.
27:10This house has five bedrooms, four bathrooms. It feels rural, but we're still only about 15 minutes
27:18away from a very large town. All right. Yeah.
27:21So what do you think? Yeah, the house, it looks big. Can't wait to see what's inside.
27:27It is an old house, but it is in a good condition. As you can see, the roof is new,
27:33but let's see inside how it is.
27:38So we've come in through a lovely covered porch with a barbecue, seating area, great kitchen here.
27:45We have a double bedroom to the left, bathroom and a great size lounge as well over there.
27:51Whoa. That room looks very nice. Yeah. Were you expecting this? No.
27:56And it's bright too. It's nice. Honestly, the decor in here is really nice. I think they've done a good
28:01job.
28:01Mm-hmm. Love the table. Love the table. I mean, I'm not seeing anything even that needs to be done.
28:06What about you, Marta? No, it seems like someone lives here, so it's in a good condition inside.
28:13Okay. It looks more modern than you would think from the outside looking in. But yeah, no,
28:18it's nice and kind of spacious. Everything's kind of where it needs to be. It's lovely.
28:23So we've just come through your lovely lounge. The sitting room area is amazing. It's lovely.
28:29And this then, the dining area is good as well. I love the ceiling. It just adds such character to
28:34the
28:34house. Marta, is it original? Yes. And they cover with a lime mortar. Lovely. Are you still seeing good
28:41condition? It is in a good condition. There's no humidity or cracks. You feel very good inside.
28:49Yeah, because you can't see any dampness or anything. No. Which is good. Do you think you
28:53keep this as a dining room? It's a bit of a trek from the kitchen. I don't know. I don't
28:57know what
28:57else you could do with it, you know? Craft room. Okay. Yeah. Done. Yeah. We call it first. Okay,
29:07myself and Marta will meet back up with you in a little while. Oh, another lounge area here.
29:13That's lovely. Double bedroom, bathroom. There's loads of space. And it looks like there's another
29:20two bedrooms down there. Yep. And the size, it's really big in here. Yeah, it's actually huge.
29:25Yeah. In fairness. Different type of beams here. They've left them exposed. I do like the walls.
29:30Yeah. It adds more character. It's very nice. And then there's an outside area. That's a good
29:37sized terrace. Yeah. Nice view as well. This is extra. Yeah. A third floor we have. Not used to it
29:45living in a bungalow for your whole life. I wasn't really expecting this. I thought it was just a sun
29:49terrace. Yeah. It's like a self-contained studio. Mad. It does still have the character of the watch. Yeah.
29:55And it's still in very good condition. Yeah. It could be like a guest house though. Kind of fish.
30:02Airbnb type thing. But I think it's a lot since we already have three or four rooms below. Yeah.
30:08Yeah. A bit overwhelming, really. Yeah. It is a lot. How'd you get on? Good. Yeah. Big. A lot of
30:17house.
30:17A lot of house. There's a lot going on. There is. You have to almost filter it back a little
30:22bit. I think it
30:23goes against everything we believe in to pair stuff back. We always feel like as Irish people,
30:27we need to improve stuff. But this has a lot going on. Yeah. Yeah. And I think you could
30:32probably simplify it. Like it is very, very comfortable, especially the like the ceilings
30:36and just the character. Yeah. They've kept it. Yeah. They've kept the tradition, you know,
30:39Spanish tradition and that and the roof and everything. I've just given you too much house space.
30:44You have. Yeah. Yeah. This is an age old problem. So what about the outside space? Because we don't
30:52technically have a garden here. No. How are you feeling about what you have? I have no problem.
30:56I'm not green fingers. So the top part, because it's covered, I wouldn't be able to kind of use it
31:02as my sun terrace. You can remove the beans and the cover and have an open terrace. Yeah. That would
31:10be
31:10something that we'd like. Okay. So what are you thinking about the price on this one? I'm going to
31:15put it around in our second house. So I'm going to say the the 139. Okay. I think it's a
31:21little bit
31:21over our 150 budget. Okay. It's on the market at the moment for 99,950. Oh, wow. And apart from
31:29a
31:30couple of personal possessions, everything is included. Oh, God. The table in the kitchen.
31:36The table in the kitchen. That's all you needed. Oh, my God. What? No, I was not expecting that at
31:44all.
31:44Yeah. No. You get a lot of value once you come out into the countryside though, don't you?
31:49Yeah, definitely. Definitely. You've definitely surprised us. Again.
31:54It's been quite a day for Carmel and Cuiva. They ventured further afield and made some great
32:01discoveries, but there's still plenty to look forward to. So you're happy Cuiva's given you
32:06that push to come over and see somewhere like this? Yeah, I think I needed it. So is she kind
32:10of good at encouraging you to maybe broaden your horizons? Yeah. I think because we do so much together,
32:15she actually knows me so well that she knew that it was time to give me the extra push. Gentle
32:22parenting in a way from your daughter. Exactly. Yeah. Gentle daughtering. Yes. Yeah. So I think we
32:29should focus more on community and the locals now. Would you be up for something tomorrow that's
32:33very much focused on that? All right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sounds important. Yeah. Yeah.
32:39They've been talking about coming over here for so long, but now that we're kind of over here,
32:44we've seen the areas. I can definitely see Dad walking around doing his long trekking like he normally does,
32:50and Mom just traveling out and getting lost along the views and the mountains. Like it's definitely
32:55a second home to them at this stage. Yeah. It definitely gives you a lot more color and a lot
33:00more perspective when you're outside of the kind of the coastal area, doesn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Like
33:04we're very country people at heart. So we like the valleys and kind of the mountains and stuff. So
33:10it does feel like home, especially kind of what we've seen so far. Well, it's been a great search so
33:16far,
33:16but we've still got lots more to do. Yes. Yes. Can we drink to that? Cheers. Cheers.
33:22We've got just one more property for Carmel and Cuiva to see. First thing I noticed was the fireplace.
33:28It's just, I love that. And Carmel is bringing her champion skills to a local sport.
33:41I'm house hunting in the Murcia region of Southeast Spain with Carmel Carey and her daughter Cuiva.
33:47With a budget of €150,000, they're looking for a home with a minimum of two bedrooms and some private
33:55outdoor space. So far, I think I've delivered. We've seen three great properties. First,
34:02a three bed home in Las Palas for €149,000. Second, a four bed house in need of some TLC
34:11for €139,000
34:14in Las Arroyas. And third, a five bed, four bath property near Veles Rubio for just €99,950.
34:25While James takes Carmel and Cuiva on his final escapade, I've seized the chance to visit a 200-year-old
34:32farmhouse nestling in the hills above Murcia that's being restored by Sharon Wyler and Andy Theaker.
34:40Well, this is a gorgeous area. When did you buy here?
34:432019.
34:44Great. What kind of condition was it in?
34:47Well, you'd have four walls and a roof, basically. Yeah, they had no windows, no electric, no water,
34:53no waste, no sewage.
34:55And you thought, this is my dream house? He did.
34:58So, I was up for the challenge, yeah. We spent the first, was it two years or so,
35:04travelling back from where we used to live to convert the haylof there into a self-contained apartment.
35:09I just would not move in until I'd got a bathroom and a clean bed to sleep in.
35:13You're like camping, do you? No.
35:15Well, I'm dying to see this little apartment. Can we have a look?
35:18Of course.
35:18Go.
35:25This is a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be.
35:27Really?
35:28I think you undersold it.
35:29Yeah, it's only three rooms.
35:31Yeah, but they're good rooms. I love the character. I love how much like a hayloft it still is.
35:37And I love how kind of all the different levels and the quirky shapes.
35:41Not a square wall in here.
35:42This used to be a door where they used to bring the goats in.
35:45There's an animal trough there. See the ring?
35:49Oh, yeah, yeah.
35:50And that used to be a separate part of the building. That wall was a solid wall.
35:55And then that was just full of hay with a chute that went down into the corral below.
36:01Yeah.
36:01So, we had to knock that through.
36:03Stoned this door up and made a proper door there.
36:06The rebuilding is seamless. The pointing is beautiful.
36:10Like, you're really embracing the building.
36:14Yeah, we wanted an old house, so why make it modern?
36:18Okay, I'm definitely ready to see the rest of the house now. Will we have a look?
36:21Let's go.
36:21Okay.
36:23Wow. Another big size room.
36:25You have a great size utility as well.
36:27Yes.
36:27Off to the side.
36:28Yeah, that was the old corral that we were talking about upstairs.
36:31So, talk to me about your kitchen and things like that.
36:34The back wall where the cooker is now, that's underground. It's a bit strange.
36:39Oh.
36:39But that wall is all underground and it was so damp because it was plastered.
36:44There was just soil on the floor. There was no glass in the window.
36:48No window, yeah. We rebuilt all the walls, but it took a year.
36:52Yeah.
36:52Really?
36:53But now that we've pointed it with lime, mortar, we've not had any problem with that.
36:57See, it's absolutely bone dry.
36:59Yeah.
37:00Like, the building still works. It still functions. It's, a lot of the time,
37:03it's just what people have put on it in maybe the 70s or the 80s.
37:07Yeah, we reckon we're about halfway through. We've been five years.
37:11Five.
37:12Just over five years now. Using lime and stone and traditional things, it's so time consuming.
37:17It is.
37:17And if you can't do it yourself, as a result, massively expensive as well.
37:23This is so cosy.
37:25It's lovely, isn't it?
37:26Yeah.
37:26We think this was the original house. The shepherd's, little shepherd's hut
37:31with the fireplace and the sleeping loft up there. And then the rest of the building's kind of
37:36organically grown as families got bigger.
37:40This canopy is completely original.
37:42That's original, yeah.
37:43Oh, that's so cool, isn't it?
37:45Yeah.
37:45And you could never remake that to look that good.
37:48Like, you just couldn't.
37:49No, no.
37:49It's stunning.
37:51Okay, so what did you buy the place for?
37:5430,000 euros.
37:5530,000. That's so cheap.
37:57Yeah.
37:57So how much do you think you've spent on it so far?
38:0050,000 euros.
38:01We think about 50,000 so far.
38:03Okay, so far.
38:04We've still got a lot.
38:05Bearing in mind, we can pick up a lot of the raw materials from just by walking around and that.
38:10Yes.
38:1180,000 euro for what you have here at the moment.
38:13Yeah, I would say we have actually looked into it.
38:16And if we'd have had to pay somebody to do the work, we'd be up to about 200,000 now.
38:23Well, thank you so much for showing me around.
38:25You're very welcome.
38:25Thank you for coming.
38:26It's an absolutely stunning house.
38:29Hats off to Sharon and Andy.
38:31They've poured all their know-how experience and time into this renovation.
38:35And what they've achieved is all down to them.
38:38What a beautiful job.
38:42Mercians are very proud of their region and a history rooted in agriculture.
38:47Erthano or Erthana was the traditional inhabitant of the Huerta de Mercia,
38:53the agricultural areas surrounding the city.
38:56Today, it's a term for people who participate in the regional traditions like this unique form of bowling.
39:03With Carmel's road bowling experience back home in Ireland, this could be an ideal opportunity
39:10to mix with the locals and to get to know them a bit better.
39:24It's a traditional game here in Murcia.
39:27This starts in the fields, you know.
39:30Okay.
39:30Like the farmers start playing this game and now we are trying to keep alive.
39:36Why you don't try?
39:37I would love to try.
39:38I actually, I have two friends, Carmel and Cuiva, and I think they would like to play.
39:42Do we have a match or night?
39:44A match?
39:45Okay.
39:45Yeah, later.
39:46Lock us in.
39:47Yeah, of course.
39:48Love to.
39:48Of course.
39:48I love it.
39:49Yeah.
39:50Yeah.
39:50The chance to bowl with the locals is too good to turn down.
39:54I think Carmel and Cuiva will really benefit from it.
39:57And I've brought along my new friend, Cathy, to help us with any translation.
40:03Now Carmel, I know you're pretty good at bowels.
40:06We are going to try some traditional Murthian bowling.
40:10Are you up for it?
40:11I'm definitely up for it.
40:12I've done German lofting and I've done Dutch.
40:15So I've never tried the Murthian, so we'll give it a try.
40:19What do you think she'll be like?
40:20She'll be a pro.
40:21A pro.
40:22I think so.
40:23Cathy has been getting the lowdown, so she can fill us in.
40:26Okay.
40:26This is the ball.
40:29I've worked that much out.
40:31And it has these grooves in it.
40:33That's to aid the spin on the ball when they throw it.
40:35It's made from tropical hardwood.
40:37There's nine pins, and the aim of the game is to knock down as many pins as you can.
40:42Okay.
40:43Oh, it's heavy.
40:43Heavy enough.
40:43Want to have a go?
40:44What's that in comparison to your ones?
40:46Yeah, it's bigger.
40:48It's definitely bigger, but it's not as heavy as the Irish one.
40:51So that's a bit lighter.
40:52It's lighter.
40:52Oh, okay.
40:53You should be better then.
40:54Don't worry about that, James.
40:55Let's go.
40:57Yep.
41:07Fire.
41:11Fire.
41:13Oh, come on.
41:15Oh, come on.
41:22Oh!
41:29Cueva and Carmel are totally like making friends here without even communicating through Spanish.
41:41Now I have to go after them to follow.
41:45These kind of clubs are a great way to connect with people even if you don't really speak the language
41:49that well.
41:50There's still a sort of...
41:58So I think if you move somewhere like this, join a club, join a sports club, join bowls and you
42:04can make friends without even speaking.
42:07How did you find that? I know it's not totally the same but did you get similarities?
42:11Yeah, it's definitely because they were asking to twist, so to pull the bowl say left or pull the bowl
42:18right.
42:19So that would be similar but still totally different.
42:22Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you're only here what like two minutes, five minutes and they've already kind of, you're a
42:27part of the community.
42:28Like they're totally wrapped up.
42:29Yeah, they were like, they were telling us exactly what we were doing wrong or what if we got something
42:33right.
42:34Yeah. And they were cheering us on as well and like giving us high fives and being like, yes!
42:49I wasn't great at that stuff now but I'm great at that. It's eating and drinking and having the crack.
42:55That seems to be what it's mainly about, isn't it?
42:57Yeah, it's community, the family, the friends all gathered together. It's great and I think that's why we like Spain
43:03so much.
43:04It's so community first, that seems. Yes, it's a relaxed pace of living.
43:09The stress levels are low because fun is high on the agenda.
43:13Yeah, thank you so much for all your help. It has been great.
43:16You're welcome. Yeah, it's been unreal.
43:17Yeah, well cheers! Cheers!
43:22For my last property, I'm taking Carmel and Cuiva to the hilltop village of Tapares,
43:27situated on the border between Murcia and Andalusia.
43:32This five-bedroom, two-bathroom house sits in the centre of the village.
43:36It comes with a large courtyard to the rear plus a private garage and is priced at €135,000.
43:45So another big one? Yes.
43:47Do you like the look of it? Oh, I do.
43:48The little balconies? Yes.
43:50The door, the door. I like the door.
43:52Yeah, the door is lovely.
43:54Marta, does it get your seal of approval?
43:56Yes, for sure.
43:58This is a traditional village house, late 1800s.
44:02It is in a good condition.
44:04The roof is new and it's double glazed windows.
44:10And it's very pretty.
44:12Yes, it is.
44:13Yes.
44:17It's lovely.
44:18This is lovely.
44:19It's stunning.
44:20It's a bit nice, isn't it?
44:21It is.
44:22First thing I noticed was the fireplace.
44:24I love that way that you can see the shape of the chimney and everything in.
44:27I love the open-plan space.
44:30So you have your dining, living area kind of as one.
44:33It's great, yeah.
44:34When you walk in through the front door, you have the first of those five bedrooms downstairs
44:39here.
44:40Then you've got living room, dining room combined, like you said, which is so handy.
44:44Yeah.
44:45And I don't know, the finish is just everything, isn't it?
44:47Yeah, I love the ceiling.
44:49And the light coming in from both directions is beautiful.
44:52Yes, I really like it.
44:53And also it has a patio in this side.
44:57It brings a light, privacy, secure and cross ventilation also.
45:04Yes.
45:05The only thing I can see is it needs just a lick of paint.
45:08That's all.
45:08Yeah.
45:09Yeah.
45:11So we have a great kitchen in here.
45:13Then down the corridor, we have a good size utility room.
45:16Then we have a double bedroom and two nice bathrooms as well.
45:20Lovely.
45:21Very good.
45:21And this is a lovely kitchen, grand and bright again.
45:24Plenty light coming in.
45:28So we have three very good sized bedrooms up here.
45:32One double bedroom, two double bedrooms.
45:35This is by far the biggest one.
45:38It's huge.
45:38It's huge.
45:39It's lovely.
45:40Yeah, you can have the other bedroom.
45:41Yeah.
45:42I want that bedroom.
45:44Maybe you can have a bathroom here because you don't have in the second floor,
45:50but you still have a big, big bedroom.
45:53And again, you still have those two lovely doors.
45:56Yeah.
45:56Your balconies.
45:57Yeah.
45:58Go in my room.
45:59Stop.
46:00No, you chose the other one.
46:04So now we have a really big private terrace out here.
46:08We have a beautiful garage to the side that links out onto the street.
46:12Lovely barbecue area.
46:14You could do so much out here.
46:16So much.
46:17My only recommendation maybe is to plant a tree or something to bring more life to the courtyard.
46:26Yes.
46:27What a great to-do list for your husband.
46:29Yeah.
46:29It's grand.
46:30So this house is on the market for $135,000.
46:34Okay.
46:34And that includes the furniture.
46:37Wow.
46:38No, it's stunning.
46:39Yeah.
46:39For what you're getting, there's so much you're getting.
46:42Marta, do you feel like this is good value for Spain?
46:45Yes, it is.
46:46You can ask for less price.
46:48Okay.
46:49Yes.
46:49Even better.
46:51Yeah.
46:51Marta's a hard negotiator.
46:54Right.
46:55Well, we've seen all four houses.
46:57You have a lot to think about.
46:58So why don't you go off and have a chat and I'll catch up with you later.
47:01Great.
47:02Perfect.
47:02Yeah.
47:04We've had a packed few days in Spain and viewed four great properties.
47:10First was this three-bed house in Las Palas for €149,000.
47:16Next was this four-bedder for €139,000.
47:22Third was a five-bed, four-bath property near Veles Rubio for €99,950.
47:31And finally, this five-bed village house in Tapares for €135,000.
47:38Let's see if any of them have proved a hit with Carmel and Cuiva.
47:43So, four great houses, but was there a favourite?
47:47Yeah, I think definitely.
47:48We fell in love with House One.
47:50I'm not too surprised with that now.
47:52Was it the pool?
47:53No, it wasn't.
47:54I think it was just, it was everything.
47:56Like we were saying that there were so many boxes that were ticked that we didn't even know existed.
48:00Yeah.
48:01I think it was just the fact that you could just walk in and you're at home.
48:05Great.
48:05So we have a house.
48:06What's the plan?
48:07So I've spoken to Tony.
48:09We're going to come back within the next couple of weeks.
48:11If he loves it as much as I love it, we're going to make an offer.
48:14Sounds like you have everything worked out.
48:16Hopefully.
48:17Yeah.
48:17Hopefully.
48:18Well, I'm delighted.
48:18Best of luck with it.
48:20And I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed that Tony loves it as much as we all did.
48:24Come on, we hit the road.
48:29What I really enjoyed about this house hunt was that I didn't feel shackled by a huge wishlist
48:35and exact locations.
48:37And that gave me the ability to go find some great value homes.
48:41On top of that, Carmel and Cuiva's positivity shone through.
48:45And if they manage to secure house one, I think they'll make a great go of it.
48:55Well, James, this has been such a great trip.
48:57It has.
48:58I have been so impressed by the value of the houses.
49:00And it takes a lot for me to say that now.
49:02You know, my bar is set quite high or low.
49:06Low in a good way.
49:06Yeah, exactly.
49:07Exactly.
49:08But it just shows that if you're willing to move in from the coast, you can get so much.
49:12Yeah, you can.
49:12And for me, it's been the people.
49:14I've loved meeting all sorts of people over here.
49:17They love their traditions, culture.
49:19I love the landscape, you know.
49:21It's like the moon in parts.
49:23It's a really beautiful place.
49:25I think not a bad place to live.
49:26Have I convinced you to buy a house?
49:28100%.
49:28Will I go find you one?
49:29Yeah, let's go.
49:46The challenge of turning a dream into reality.
49:49The Great House Revival is at 9.30 tonight here on RTE 1 and RTE Player.
49:54And if you missed it, you can stream all episodes of Turbulence.
49:59The story of Ryanair on RTE Player now.
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