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A New Life in the Sun - Season 11 - Episode 11
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00:01Every year, a new wave of dreamers pack up their lives and head for the sun.
00:05It just reminds me of the Wild West. It's just stunning.
00:08It's definitely very much different from a top-floor flat in Edinburgh.
00:11And we're joining them as their adventures begin across Europe.
00:15This is what we've been waiting for. It's beautiful.
00:18That's the Atlantic Ocean.
00:20This is where the work begins, mister.
00:22Playing the part...
00:24...of chateau owners in France...
00:27We've never done this before. We're making it up as we go along.
00:29...to launching fitness retreats in Bulgaria.
00:32Secret cards!
00:34But will their gamble pay off?
00:37Absolutely bonkers, but it's what we came for, yeah?
00:41Or will they fail to hit their target?
00:44Brexit has put the complications into overdrive.
00:48As they carve out...
00:50...their new lives in the sun.
00:52I just feel like I'm on holiday a little bit.
00:55It's not sunk in yet, but this is my actual home now.
00:58What a lovely place to live.
01:01Today, a family in France set out to turn a historic hotel
01:05into guest apartments.
01:07Yeah, it's nice to do something a bit different.
01:09Gives you some perspective.
01:11But can they save it before it comes crashing down?
01:14All new ceilings, all new plaster, all new windows,
01:17all new doors, new floors, completely re-wired, completely re-planned.
01:21In Spain...
01:22Today, it's fly by the seat of my pants.
01:24...it's make or break for one couple launching a new yoga retreat.
01:28We do need to start making money.
01:30We've given up our life, our home, our belongings, our family.
01:35Whilst another couple's Spanish dream comes to fruition...
01:39Pepe, las fruta!
01:41...but reality soon brings them back down to earth with a bump.
01:45We stood on the balcony and we thought, what have we done?
01:56The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in south-west France
01:59is a land of rolling vineyards and endless sunshine.
02:03A haven for those in search of the good life.
02:06And in the heart of the Dordogne,
02:08the town of Aimee has become so popular with some,
02:11it's earned the nickname Little Britain.
02:14Can I take another bag as well?
02:16Yeah, for the broccoli.
02:18And Craig and Emma from Hertfordshire are amongst these.
02:21Burn out from their jobs back in the UK,
02:24they felt something had to give.
02:27I was working in banking as a marketing director
02:30and Craig was managing big building projects.
02:33We were working really long hours
02:36and I was getting home at nine o'clock
02:39and subsequently got quite ill.
02:40I got rheumatoid arthritis
02:42and it really affected our lifestyle
02:44and we were looking for something
02:47that was going to be more relaxed,
02:49more of a work-life balance
02:51and somewhere great to bring the children up, really.
02:54For Craig, Emma and their two children,
02:57the medieval town of Aimee,
02:59with its thriving market and cafe culture,
03:01offers all that and much more.
03:04This now is one of my favourite things.
03:07A pop out, sit down, have a coffee.
03:09I really like it.
03:10We never did this in the UK.
03:12And when Craig and Emma are finished with their popping out,
03:15they have a huge project on the go to keep them occupied.
03:19Just a stone's throw from the town's bustling market square.
03:23We bought the property that we're living in now
03:26and on a kind of a whim,
03:28we were looking at a quite dilapidated building in Aimee
03:32that was for sale for not a lot of money.
03:34It was a hotel once upon a time,
03:37going back a long, long way
03:38and we were quite excited by the structure and the building
03:41and where it was.
03:42The condition of it, certainly not,
03:45but it kind of went from an idea,
03:47before we knew it,
03:48we were proud owners of the oldest hotel in Aimee.
03:52It's June 2024 in Aimee
03:55and having paid just €48,000 for their three-storey property,
04:00the couple have been working on converting it
04:03into a holiday rental for the last three months.
04:06As we've taken stuff away, there's a lot of water damage.
04:09The building's been allowed to fall into disrepair
04:11and once water gets in, of course, it's damaged very, very quickly.
04:16One area that suffered catastrophic damage was the back wall,
04:21leaving the entire structure in jeopardy.
04:25I actually had a phone call from the Pompiers one Friday night
04:29because a small section of it had fallen down that had shut the road.
04:32As we peel back all the layers, we find more problems,
04:35but with a couple more weeks maybe of demolition
04:37and then, yeah, the fun stuff starts.
04:39While Emma works remotely in marketing to keep the income flowing,
04:44Craig's 30 years as a joiner and carpenter
04:47means he's perfectly placed to pull off this gargantuan challenge.
04:51This is the ground floor,
04:53so this is what's going to be, hopefully, our two-bedroom apartment.
04:56We've stripped it all back and exposed all the beams
04:58to see if we've got any problems.
04:59We've got a few that are going to need some attention.
05:01They're quite old and tired, so we'll be replacing those.
05:04Obviously, all new ceilings, all new plaster, all new windows,
05:07all new doors, new floors, completely rewired, completely replammed.
05:13OK, so now we're on the first floor.
05:15This is going to be the living area and kitchen for this apartment,
05:20which would be the apartment would be two floors,
05:21and then leading out onto what will be a terrace area.
05:25Then we're going to have a bedroom with an en-suite
05:27and a small cloakroom for this floor.
05:30Second floor, we're going to have two bedrooms here,
05:33so those bedrooms will have a nice outlook
05:35across to the trees in the distance.
05:37When it's finished, Craig and Emma plan to have
05:40two separate rental apartments,
05:42which will sleep up to 14 guests in total.
05:45A pair of shoes.
05:47It's got to be a couple of hundred years old, I would have thought.
05:50I'd like to say we would be renting it for next summer,
05:52but with all the problems that we've uncovered
05:55over the past few weeks, I think that's unrealistic.
05:57It's probably going to be 2025, our first rentals.
06:04Despite the mammoth task ahead,
06:06Craig is taking it all in his stride.
06:10I think a lot of people were scared off
06:12by the amount of work they needed doing,
06:13but I like a challenge,
06:15and it's going to be really exciting to put our own mark on it.
06:18We are feeling positive about it,
06:19and we are keen to get on with it.
06:25On the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains,
06:29the Al Pajara are known for quaint whitewashed villages,
06:33flanked by breathtaking scenery.
06:35An environment providing the perfect tonic for city dwellers
06:39looking to reconnect with the great outdoors,
06:42like Sharon and Bongo from Edinburgh.
06:45Lovely to walk up with the sound of the water,
06:47and it's so green at the moment.
06:50Who came here for a hiking holiday 18 years ago
06:53and fell in love with the region.
06:55Just the people, the place,
06:57everything was sucking us back every year.
06:59We were coming more and more often.
07:01So we thought swap Scotland with rain and wind
07:03for Spain with sunshine and fresh air.
07:06The pair put down roots in Lanharon,
07:09charmingly referred to as the spa town of Andalusia.
07:13I don't think so.
07:15With endless lush mountain greenery,
07:18it provides the kind of outdoor lifestyle
07:20Sharon and Bongo found impossible to achieve back home.
07:24Literally, we can just walk out from our front door.
07:27We can hike in these beautiful mountains.
07:30We can go biking.
07:32There's horse riding.
07:34There's just so many things that you can do here.
07:36It's definitely very much different from a top floor flat in Edinburgh,
07:39that's for sure.
07:40The couple spent €280,000 on this two-bedroom cortijo
07:46and have added a third bedroom to the space upstairs
07:49and also converted the lower floor into a two-bedroom rental apartment.
07:55That's where we live and the guest accommodation is just down below.
07:59But this year, they're hoping to attract more visitors.
08:02When we got here, we were so busy
08:04just getting the apartment ready for rental.
08:06Now, we've had a bit of a quieter time and we're like,
08:10right, that's it.
08:11Let's push it forward.
08:11Let's start to do what we actually really came out here to do.
08:14And this is build the retreat business,
08:17the bespoke holiday business,
08:19get people out to enjoy this beautiful area.
08:25Sharon, a trained yoga instructor, and Bongo, a skilled chef,
08:29have worked together before.
08:30But this will be their first time bringing their talents together
08:34to launch a series of all-inclusive yoga and outdoor retreats.
08:39We met when we were working in hospitality together.
08:42Eventually, Shaz became my boss.
08:43And she still is, to be honest.
08:45So, you know.
08:47Of course.
08:48The couple have already poured £20,000 into their renovations.
08:52But with their funds having run dry,
08:55they need some income to complete their all-important yoga platform
08:59and get their retreats up and running.
09:02We do need to start making money.
09:05We've given up everything in the UK.
09:06We've given up our life, our home, our belongings, our family,
09:12everything to move here and build this business in Spain.
09:16So, yeah, it's going to have to work.
09:24It's late March in the Al Pajara,
09:26and whilst work on their yoga platform is on hold,
09:30Sharon and Bongo are trialling their first day retreat
09:33at a friend's home nearby.
09:36We're doing yoga.
09:38Well, a mobility sort of yoga stretch practice
09:40to start off with at 10 o'clock in the morning.
09:42And then we've got a foraging walk and then some lunch
09:45and then we've also got a nice herbal workshop
09:48finishing off with the meditation.
09:51Today will be vital in helping them
09:53build their client base for the new business.
09:56OK.
09:58Let's get this show on the road, huh?
10:00As Sharon prepares her class,
10:03local botanist Belen is outside foraging
10:06and whatever she finds will soon appear
10:08on Chef Bongo's lunch menu.
10:11She's going to bring down loads of goodies
10:12and I'm just going to ready steady cook
10:14and see what I can make.
10:15It's going to be amazing.
10:16Can't wait.
10:16Today is, ooh, it's fly by the seat of my pants.
10:20It's, yeah, it's different.
10:22With Bongo standing by, it's Sharon's turn to get things started.
10:28Well, I just had a message, two cancellations, last minute.
10:31Never good, but hey, that's the way things go in the mountains.
10:34It gives everyone more space and everyone more food later on as well.
10:37It's not always good.
10:39Thankfully, Sharon is undeterred by the morning's disappointment.
10:43And with her final guests having now arrived...
10:46OK, let's get started then.
10:49..all that's left is to hope everything else falls into place today.
10:58Just 45 minutes south-east and tucked away in the sun-drenched hills of Andalusia,
11:04the village of Torvithcon is a peaceful pocket of rural life.
11:09With its maze of narrow streets and traditional whitewashed houses,
11:14the village remains unspoilt by mass tourism.
11:17Pick your vista, any one you like.
11:20It does lower your blood pressure, though, doesn't it, really, to be fair?
11:23Yeah, absolutely.
11:24Soon to be the latest additions to this laid-back hillside community
11:28at Ian and Bev from Lancashire.
11:31We drove up here one day last year along the road,
11:35saw the village and just fell in love with the village,
11:37completely fell in love with it, didn't we?
11:38We then came up to look at the house and the house ticked all the boxes
11:43and so we thought about it for a couple of hours...
11:46..and then put an offer in and decided we're selling up in the UK
11:51and just moving lock, stock and barrel over to Spain.
11:58So we'll take you inside.
11:59Ian, an electrician, and Bev, who worked in child services back in the UK,
12:04found this five-bedroom property for just €56,500.
12:09We wouldn't have the finances to get anywhere close to this in the UK.
12:13I doubt we could even find a place in the UK, irrespective of cost.
12:17That was as beautiful as this.
12:22Having been vacant for a while, the house is in some need of attention.
12:26But once it becomes theirs, Ian and Bev are ready to roll up their sleeves
12:30and start building a home, one floor at a time.
12:34This is our bedroom.
12:36With the bottom two floors becoming a space to live and host visiting family,
12:40the top floor will be a two-bedroom, one-bathroom holiday rental.
12:44We had a list of definites that we had to have.
12:47We needed to have a rental opportunity.
12:49Another key element was it had to have an outstanding view.
12:53We stood on this terrace for the first time.
12:56We didn't even have to speak to one another.
12:58We just looked at one another.
12:59We just knew, yeah, this was the house we were going to go for.
13:03Ian and Bev plan to do most of the renovations themselves
13:06and aim to open their apartment for guests in just four months' time.
13:11You know, it won't tick everyone's boxes, but it's ticked ours.
13:14Yeah.
13:15And that's all it needed to tick.
13:17Yeah.
13:18It's late May and while Ian and Bev wait for the purchase
13:22of their dream property in Spain to complete,
13:24they're back in Lancashire packing up the contents
13:28of the two-bedroom terrace they've called home for the past nine years.
13:32All the grandkids.
13:34Oh, I didn't want to take them down cos it makes everything look dead plain.
13:38Yeah, it makes the house look bare.
13:40No.
13:42I get excited and then I get, like, a sick feeling.
13:46Yeah, it's a mixture of anticipation and a little bit of anxiety too,
13:51just waiting for the green light to get over there.
13:55Although their old life may be packed away in boxes,
13:58they can't start their new one just yet.
14:01Just, at the minute, we're in limbo because there's just so many plates
14:05being spun at the same time.
14:06There's a lot of moving parts.
14:08There's the sale of this property, purchase of the other property,
14:11and right in amongst all of it is the visa application.
14:15Like many others, the couple are trying to navigate the increase
14:18in red tape since Brexit.
14:21I've even got the visa numbers ready.
14:24Look.
14:24I've got it on my phone and I just, like, I want it every day.
14:28Ian and Bev have applied for a non-lucrative residence visa,
14:33which allows them to live in Spain and receive an income
14:36from their apartment.
14:37But they don't know when or even if the visa will arrive.
14:43Worst-case scenario is, for some reason,
14:47the sale of this property fall suit,
14:50but we're at the final stages of that.
14:52Now, I didn't really want to voice that.
14:54Oh, I didn't say that out loud!
14:56But, because we really don't envisage that,
14:59that would leave us in real limbo,
15:01because we may well get a visa
15:02and not be able to buy the property in Spain,
15:06because it's all dependent on the sale of this property.
15:10And there are potential pitfalls at every turn.
15:14If this sale of the house goes through
15:16and we've not yet got our visa and our passport to return,
15:19we'll potentially be homeless.
15:21Until they have some answers,
15:23all Ian and Bev can do is plough on,
15:26hoping all their loose ends get neatly wrapped up in time.
15:33Coming up...
15:34Get a little pinch and just try it.
15:37Can Chef Bongo pull off his foraged feast?
15:40Normally I just get to make a menu
15:41and please people with whatever I'm going to cook,
15:43but today's different, yeah.
15:44And Ian and Bev's Spanish adventure stalls...
15:47We had 24 hours to leave our property.
15:50..when their journey takes an unexpected detour.
15:53I had to phone and say,
15:54can we come up,
15:55because we've got nowhere else to go.
16:05In the Spanish hills at Sharon and Bongo's day retreat...
16:09Just the last few circles on the right-hand side.
16:12..Sharon is easing her clients into the day
16:15with a relaxing mobility class.
16:17Really, really nice.
16:18I was quite tired
16:19and I wasn't sure what the yoga class was going to be,
16:22what kind of level of strength,
16:25and it was really chilled and lovely
16:27and I feel really nice now, just what I needed.
16:29The group's next activity is foraging
16:32and with over 12 years of experience,
16:35local botanist Belen is leading the group
16:38looking for ingredients to put to good use in Bongo's kitchen.
16:43Normally I just get to make a menu
16:44and please people with whatever I'm going to cook,
16:46but today's different, yeah.
16:48A little bit more challenging,
16:48but I'm sure she'll come from the hills
16:50with some goodies that we need to use.
16:52Oh yeah, okay.
16:54This area is teeming with plenty of rich pickings for cooking,
16:58but it's vital that expert botanist Belen
17:00checks what's safe before eating.
17:03This is called Cardo Mariano, milk thistle.
17:06It's an edible plant.
17:07Okay, aha.
17:09So here we go with one of the beautiful leaves.
17:11It's very tender.
17:12You could cook the heads and drink this like a tea
17:14and get a little pinch each of you and just try it.
17:23It's good, yeah.
17:24I can feel it detoxing me already.
17:28While the group continues their foraging adventure,
17:31Sharon carries back a selection of goodies for Bongo.
17:34Everyone will be coming back soon.
17:38Awesome stuff.
17:39Fantastic.
17:40How are you getting on?
17:41Erm, I'm getting on.
17:43It's looking amazing so far.
17:46We're getting there.
17:46Well, that's cool.
17:47Always in good hands with Bongo.
17:49Sharon and Bongo are relying on events like today's
17:53to help build their following in Spain.
17:55So the pressure is on for Bongo's menu to deliver.
17:59Wow, look at the salads.
18:01They look amazing.
18:03So I think some of these salads seem to be with the,
18:06some of the foraged herbs that we have looked at today already.
18:09And with the hungry foragers and some final goodies from Berlin
18:14having just arrived.
18:16I'll try a little bit of the garden veg for salad
18:20or to decorate some plates.
18:23It's edible, of course.
18:24Yeah.
18:26It's delicious.
18:28Bongo's locally foraged vegetarian menu is served.
18:32I think everyone just start helping themselves.
18:37Absolutely beautiful.
18:38There are plants that I walk past every day on my own land
18:42and on walks with the dogs.
18:43I thought I knew one or two.
18:46I was wrong.
18:46So everything was new and exciting.
18:49They've sunk it in half an hour.
18:51It's like, how hungry are you lot?
18:57Following a hearty lunch,
18:58the group settled down to a balm-making masterclass with Belen.
19:03We're going to make today a balm made out of two plantas.
19:07One we have met in the world before,
19:10in the foraging world is Calendula.
19:11After heating all of the ingredients,
19:14the balms are poured into individual pots.
19:16And while they set,
19:18it's Sharon's turn to lead the group
19:20into their final activity of the day.
19:22I'll just give everyone a moment
19:23to get themselves into a position.
19:25But it's just a chance at the end of the day
19:27to just check in and breathe.
19:30After one final wind down,
19:32it's time to say goodbye to Sharon and Bongo's guests.
19:38We learned a lot.
19:39We enjoyed.
19:40We ate.
19:41We laughed.
19:41We walked.
19:43It was just a brilliant day.
19:45Everything was just great.
19:47Like, much, even better than I'd hoped.
19:49Really good.
19:50Really good.
19:50No catastrophes.
19:51Yes.
19:52It's all good.
19:56Today's trial run has served as a taste of what's to come
19:59when Sharon and Bongo finally get their yoga platform complete
20:03and start hosting regular retreats in their own home.
20:07Patata.
20:08Patata.
20:17It's late June,
20:18and while others are basking in the Mediterranean sun,
20:22Ian and Bev's Spanish dream has yet to take off,
20:25and the couple now find themselves even further away,
20:28living with Bev's parents on the southwest coast of Scotland.
20:33The best mum and dad fortunately put us up in our hour of need.
20:39Otherwise we'd be homeless.
20:41The sale of their Lancashire home has now gone through,
20:44but without the house or the visa to move to Spain,
20:47the couple found themselves in a difficult situation.
20:51We had 24 hours to leave our property once the property transferred.
20:57I had to phone and say, can we come up?
20:59Because we've got nowhere else to go.
21:01Hmm.
21:05That's probably the most beautiful place to be homeless, isn't it?
21:08They've moved bedrooms to accommodate us,
21:10so no matter how much they like us being here,
21:13we are slightly inconveniencing them.
21:16Not that they say that.
21:18No, they did not say that.
21:19But just as everything had stalled, Ian received some news.
21:24We completed on the property yesterday in Spain,
21:28got notification late on in the day,
21:30and then just a little time after,
21:31I received a text from the visa application company
21:36saying our passports are on the way to us.
21:40Now, further enquiries have led me to believe
21:43that the passport contains the visas.
21:46So...
21:46Eek!
21:48So, fingers crossed,
21:49within the next couple of days,
21:52the visas will arrive
21:53and we'll be free to get on the road
21:55and get over to Spain.
22:01It's just...
22:01I think it's just because it's the confirmation
22:04that we're doing what we've always been.
22:06But you're so proud of it for so long.
22:08The realisation that there's no going back.
22:10No going back.
22:11Yeah.
22:11There's no going back.
22:12I'm no good with goodbyes,
22:14so I just want to say to people,
22:15see you later and go.
22:17Yep.
22:17I don't like any fuss or anything like that.
22:20It'll have to be hasta luego.
22:25If their visa arrives as anticipated,
22:28Ian and Bev could be setting off to southern Spain
22:31in a couple of days' time.
22:33All our life's possessions are in here now.
22:35These are the sentimental things that are coming with us.
22:38Like the grandkids' pictures.
22:40And there are two other precious belongings
22:42that will be doing the 1,800-mile car journey with them.
22:46They're Bedlington Terriers Dottie and Stewie.
22:50We can't have them stuck in the car for too long,
22:52so I'll have to stop, give them a good walk,
22:54back in the car, sort of to eat and go.
22:56Yeah.
22:56Quite flexible because we don't have to be anywhere for a set time.
23:00And we're just going to drive until we feel tired through France.
23:03After six months, a house sale, two job resignations
23:07and a leap into the unknown,
23:09reality is beginning to sink in for Ian and Bev.
23:15I feel like I don't even know what the house looks like now.
23:17The old house, no.
23:18No, the new house.
23:19Oh, the new house, yeah.
23:20It's been so long. January was the last time we saw it.
23:23And it's taken so long for the process.
23:26I can't remember what it was we fell in love with,
23:28so we need to get back out there so we can remember
23:30why we've come to the part of the world that we've come to.
23:34With so much riding on their move to Spain,
23:37it's not surprising emotions are high.
23:41Trepidation.
23:41Yeah.
23:42Nervousness.
23:43Nervous, yeah.
23:44Excitement.
23:44Yeah, all of that.
23:45All of it, yeah.
23:47And, erm...
23:48Not the bottle of wine won't sort out.
23:50HE LAUGHS
23:59Coming up, yet more surprises at Craig and Emma's hotel.
24:04I mean, that's holding up the first floor.
24:06But can he fix their structural issues
24:08before the whole project comes tumbling down?
24:11You can see a crack has appeared here.
24:13It's nowhere near safe enough.
24:14Meanwhile, another fracture is threatening
24:17to shake things up for Sharon and Bongo.
24:19I think if we left this crack,
24:21then we could actually have serious leakage,
24:22which would mean that we couldn't rent the apartment any more.
24:34It's September, back in the town of Aimee.
24:37And whilst Emma holds down her day job,
24:40Craig has been working hard to transform their abandoned hotel
24:44into modern holiday apartments.
24:48The problem is, it looks like the floor is on that.
24:52Yeah.
24:53So there's...
24:54But do we really want to be putting concrete blocks
24:58when there's gaps like that?
25:01While the couple had hoped to have finished all the demolition by now,
25:05peeling back the layers of this centuries-old property
25:08has unearthed even more problems.
25:13Yeah.
25:13Let's see, cos it has to be bearing on that wall this time.
25:16I mean, that's holding up the floor, the first floor.
25:19There and there.
25:20Yeah.
25:20But that's not suitable.
25:22I mean, this wall's been here probably for about 800 years.
25:26All right, well, let's...
25:26Shall we cut the flooring up?
25:28Yeah, have a look.
25:28Have a look.
25:29And then...
25:30And then go from there.
25:33That's annoying.
25:34That's really annoying.
25:35The building from where we stand going up,
25:38I'd probably guess four or five hundred years old in parts.
25:42I would say that the foundations,
25:44according to the person we purchased it from,
25:46were put in beginning of the 13th century.
25:48So we've got to put some strength back into the building.
25:51There's a basement here, an ancient basement,
25:53but it's only for half of the building.
25:55This half is concreted with the dirt underneath it,
25:58but here, going from the back of the building to the front,
26:01is an old stone wall, I'd guess.
26:03I can't see, but I'd guess it's probably about half a metre wide.
26:06And that goes down.
26:07So that's nice and strong, been there forever.
26:09So we want to use that to help support up on this floor
26:12and then up through the building.
26:14So I want to try and make sure that everything's sound,
26:16putting a bit more new concrete in
26:17and maybe still could be the difference between the structure
26:19being really good or just being not great.
26:23Craig has plans in place to improve
26:26the structural integrity of the property.
26:28Through the middle of the building to the rear,
26:30where the wall has collapsed.
26:32This is not looking great.
26:34But yet again, structural issues have been revealed.
26:38We need to sort this out.
26:40You can see a crack has appeared here.
26:41This opening would not have originally been here.
26:43There was a wall there.
26:45These timbers are holding this.
26:47This wall's not doing anything.
26:48Nowhere near safe enough.
26:50I think it's going to be easier to support it temporarily, chop this out and build a new wall in,
26:55which will then also be going down onto the original foundations.
27:04Fortunately, Craig has amassed a team of experienced tradesmen to help bring the centuries-old hotel back to life.
27:12I'm really lucky with the guys I've got.
27:14They've all been doing it a long time.
27:16You can trust them.
27:17All you've got to do is point them at the job that needs doing and the job gets done.
27:21And it's not just skilled tradesmen working today.
27:24As it's the school summer holidays, Craig's daughter is also on site.
27:30Emily, yeah, she's here.
27:31She's got two days left before she goes to school.
27:34So she thought she'd come in today and help for the day, get a bit of pocket money and lots
27:38of free snacks.
27:40While Craig's team are busy demolishing the crumbling walls of an old extension to the rear of the property,
27:46Craig is concentrating on shoring up what remains of the back wall.
27:51We've decided that we need to support this beam.
27:54So we have put some steel props underneath going down to the ground floor.
28:00And then from there, we have more steel props in the basement coming from a concrete floor up.
28:07We've then put this in.
28:08This is to allow us to knock the wall out underneath and this beam will stay where it is.
28:13And then we can build up a new wall and then that will support this once we've done that.
28:18So this is a temporary structure to hold the roof in place while we do the work underneath it.
28:25Craig and Emma have a healthy £200,000 budget for their renovations.
28:31But unexpected structural problems are already testing this.
28:35As costs mount and the structure is laid bare, the couple have little choice but to press on
28:41if they have any chance of seeing a return on their investment.
28:46It's obviously been a hodgepodge over the years. The building's been messed around with.
28:51You don't have structural engineers in the same way that you do in England.
28:54It's very much the reliant on the builder.
28:56I have to, in theory, if I sell the property within ten years,
28:59I have to stand by the structure of the property myself.
29:03We don't intend to sell it. If we do, we need to make sure I can sleep at night if
29:07I've sold it.
29:14It's late March in the Alpajara, and after a promising start trialling their new yoga retreats,
29:22a heavy downfall has pulled Sharon and Bongo's energies in another direction.
29:27The plan for today is to try and fill in the cracks in the terrace so that we can make
29:32it waterproof,
29:33because we painted it all in the summer because we had rain last year and we got some leakage into
29:38the apartment below.
29:39Thought we'd waterproofed it and then the mountain moves as it does.
29:43We got more cracks in the terrace and now we have to do it all over again.
29:46Sharon and Bongo's downstairs accommodation is a vital source of income
29:50and also a key part of their retreat plans.
29:54So to prevent any further damage and keep repair costs to a minimum,
29:59Chef Bongo is rolling up his sleeves.
30:03I don't know anything.
30:05I'm a chef from a fifth floor flat in Edinburgh, I've got no clue what I'm doing.
30:10I think if we left this crack then we could actually have serious leakage,
30:13which would mean that we couldn't rent the apartment anymore.
30:15So hopefully doing the small repair will make everything okay.
30:19Thankfully, friendly neighbour Sean has dropped in to set Bongo off with his repairs.
30:28So you know it's got a consistency of toothpaste?
30:32Yeah, that's good.
30:33But it's not only the mortar's consistency that brings toothpaste to mind.
30:38So we just went to the almacen and our pigeon Spanish went and said,
30:42Oh, we're looking for the thing that our neighbour used to fill the alberca that we need for our terrace.
30:46And I think they kind of understood us and gave us the right stuff, but it seems to be white.
30:50So I think we might have a big white stripe on our terrace, but at least it'll be waterproof.
30:54So maybe we can make it a feature, you never know.
30:57With the mixture ready, Bongo uses a trowel to work it into the problem area.
31:02It looks like Bongo's doing a very good job there.
31:05I think he's a natural.
31:07I think it's quite like pastry work.
31:08Yeah!
31:09You know, putting the icing on cake.
31:12But with Sharon now moving behind tracing the crack, it soon becomes apparent it's much bigger than they thought.
31:20I think it seems to go up here, and then it goes along here.
31:22You just want me to work harder, eh?
31:24And then down here, and then we need to go up here, and then down here a little bit.
31:29We're going to disappear into the sea at this, right?
31:31Ah!
31:34Whilst Sharon and Bongo wait for the mortar to set upstairs,
31:37they head out to take a look at another casualty from the recent bout of bad weather.
31:42So we had a lot of rain, obviously it leaked into the pool pump room,
31:46and now we find that when we switch on the pump,
31:49it kind of makes this really funny err noise, and I think it's gone a bit rusty.
31:54They're all on, so we're ready to go.
31:56Look at this. He knows what he's doing now.
32:00Yeah, we're on.
32:01There's a salt pool.
32:03The isotopes there gently mix with the salt and the water to produce a very natural chlorine.
32:09And when the pH is too high, this releases an acid into it, which reduces the pH,
32:17so you don't poison your customers, which is always a good thing.
32:20There you go.
32:22The little kind of black wheel there is meant to go round, but at the moment it doesn't.
32:26We really need to get this fixed as soon as possible.
32:29It says in all our bookings that the pool is open by May,
32:32and realistically we had the pool open by the end of April last year,
32:35because the weather was so good.
32:37We've got a month maximum, because it's April tomorrow.
32:40Realistically, I would say we have a couple of weeks,
32:42because if we have clients coming and the weather starts to get good,
32:46they're going to want to use the pool.
32:48Calling out a specialist to fix the pump is another unexpected cost and delay for Sharon and Bongo.
32:56But there is some good news today.
32:59We've made the Nile.
33:01It's ginormous.
33:03We need to build some sort of 3D Egypt off it with some pyramids.
33:08It may have left an unsightly mark, but the couple are now confident the leak on the terrace is sealed.
33:15The apartment is the most important thing for us, really, because, you know, that's our rental, that's our income.
33:21So if everything's slightly less than perfect for our own terrace, then that's how we have to live just now.
33:27I think we just have to go with this and then just see what we can do.
33:30Maybe we make it into a feature.
33:31Maybe I find some grey paint.
33:34We'll see what happens.
33:36Apartment secure, there's just time for a quick tidy up before downing tools after another busy day.
33:42We're done.
33:44First stage done.
33:49Coming up...
33:56Ian and Bev battle with a language barrier.
33:59Did you get any of that?
34:01Yeah, yeah.
34:01It's amazing what hand gestures and nods get you.
34:06While Craig and Emma go head-to-head with the elements...
34:09This is the first time we've had a lot of water.
34:11I think I've got a full-time job here.
34:13..to keep their centuries-old hotel still standing.
34:17It's proving near impossible.
34:19We're getting absolutely soaked.
34:30It's late September back over in France at Craig and Emma's property.
34:35What I would do is notch it round.
34:37Yeah, a bit.
34:38Just by five mil or whatever.
34:40When you fill up, it'll naturally just sink a little bit.
34:42With structural work to this former hotel ongoing,
34:45today Emma is spending a day off work,
34:49lending a hand with the demolition clear-up.
34:51Oh!
34:52Hopefully this isn't overloaded.
34:54And also taking the opportunity to check up on the progress of their project,
35:00transforming the building into two holiday rental apartments.
35:04I haven't been over that much.
35:06I've been really busy with work.
35:07It's great to see it already taking shape
35:09and getting some ideas about what it's going to look like.
35:11Exciting times, really.
35:12Over the last couple of weeks, Craig and his team have worked
35:16on improving the building's structural integrity.
35:21We're putting a steel through from the front to the back of the building
35:25to take the bounce out of the floor.
35:27When you stand on the second floor, there's a bit of movement in the floor.
35:30It's not ideal.
35:31We want it to be more solid.
35:33The main issue that we had was the structure on the back of the building.
35:38There wasn't much of it.
35:40We put quite a lot of concrete in, reinforcement, tied everything in,
35:43and put some very substantial timbers in.
35:46So, the majority of the structure on the back is actually timber frame now.
35:50We've put in about €2,500 worth of timber.
35:55On the list over the next couple of weeks is to get the structure complete.
36:00So, finish the outside wall and get a membrane on it to keep the rain out.
36:06Sadly, the rain's come a little bit sooner than we'd like.
36:10Despite the conditions, Craig pushes on in an attempt to finish the new frame.
36:17But eventually, he's forced to admit defeat.
36:21It's getting too much rain here.
36:23We're trying to build the wall, but, as you can see,
36:26it's proving near impossible.
36:28We're getting absolutely soaked.
36:31The pub sounded like a good idea at the moment.
36:33It's too early.
36:36And with the rain turning heavy,
36:39water also starts to become a problem downstairs.
36:42This is the first time we've had a lot of water,
36:45and we can see now there's a slight slope and it's coming straight down.
36:49I've got a full-time job here.
36:54The building is still a long way from welcoming guests,
36:57but Emma already has plenty of ideas on how to finish the space.
37:02We've got to put all the character back in.
37:04There was nothing here.
37:06It was ripped out.
37:06You can see all the 1970s wallpaper.
37:09There was a lovely original staircase, but it was so rotten,
37:12and by the time we bought the property,
37:14it had completely collapsed and it was just not salvageable at all.
37:19So we've got to put that character back into it.
37:22We've just got to get it done and start earning some income from it, really.
37:30You have to be so careful not to overload the trailer,
37:33especially as these are quite heavy.
37:38It's nice to do something a bit different.
37:40It gives you some perspective.
37:43At least it's not cold.
37:46It's wet, but you'll soon dry off.
37:49Despite Emma's optimistic outlook, Craig eventually decides to call it a day.
37:56Rain stopped play today.
37:58All the materials we had were to do the external wall,
38:00and it's still raining and all the rain is pouring down off the roof,
38:04all over the scaffold, and we're just getting absolutely soaked.
38:07Once we get the back closed in, we will be starting on stud work.
38:12Internal walls will be going in.
38:14We're going to be knocking out holes in the floors
38:15for where the staircase is going to come up through.
38:18So we'll be a busy week next week.
38:20The demolition and structural work may be slow and painstaking,
38:25but there's no way around it.
38:26With so much already invested
38:29and the internal refit finally in sight,
38:32pushing through this stage is vital
38:34if the property's ever to become a viable source of income.
38:38It's nice to see the project develop.
38:40It's exciting times.
38:41It's really starting to take shape now.
38:47It's July in the small mountainside town of Tovithcon.
38:53Just like that.
38:55All go.
38:57And six long months after first setting eyes
38:59on this five-bedroom traditional Spanish townhouse,
39:03Ian and Bev can finally call it home.
39:06Since we got here, the wife won't let me stop for five minutes,
39:10so we've been here seven days and we've already got builders in,
39:13knocking things down, so...
39:15With their visa now approved,
39:17the couple have wasted no time getting to work
39:20after the initial shock of saying goodbye to their life back home.
39:27We got into the house, we looked at each other,
39:29and then we both saw us and we wanted to cry.
39:32Even the dogs looked upset.
39:34And we stood on the balcony and we thought,
39:36what have we done?
39:37I kept saying, I think I want to go home.
39:40Yeah.
39:40And you were saying, don't say, don't say that now.
39:42Don't say that.
39:43But I was feeling the same.
39:44And I thought, I don't want to confirm Bev's fears.
39:47I say, I want to go home too.
39:49Because we might have got in the car and just gone home
39:51and we had nothing to go home to.
39:54So we got through the first 24 hours.
39:56We bumped into the neighbours.
39:57We bumped into the neighbours who were English
39:59and they were lovely.
40:00And they reassured us that it's completely normal
40:02to feel anxious and worried and concerned
40:05about the enormity of the thing that you've done.
40:09Turning this tired home into two self-contained apartments
40:12is no small task.
40:15And despite a few wobbles early on,
40:17Ian and Bev have found their stride.
40:19I've been up at five o'clock every morning.
40:22So just potting around, getting stuff done.
40:25You've been up at six, haven't you?
40:27Or half six, haven't you?
40:28Yeah, I get up a little later and then she kicks me out of bed
40:31and says you've got to go home.
40:32I get up, yeah.
40:32Because you can only get stuff done in the morning
40:34because it's that warm.
40:37While the couple plan to complete most of the work themselves,
40:41they've called in local builders to deal with one big job,
40:44removing an old fireplace from the kitchen
40:47and the chimney above it.
40:50Salida del pueblo.
40:51Ah, yes, yes.
40:53Hotel.
40:54Después otro bar.
40:55Esto.
40:56Enfrente.
40:57Excelente.
40:58Gracias.
41:00Did you get any of that?
41:01Yeah, yeah.
41:02He was telling us it at the builder's yard at the bottom.
41:04Oh, right, OK.
41:05It's amazing what hand gestures and nod them get you.
41:11We are going to learn Spanish because you feel stupid, really,
41:14because they're trying their best to communicate with you
41:16and you're trying your best to communicate with them,
41:18so that is on my list of things to do sooner rather than later.
41:24With most of Torvitcon's 620 residents being Spanish,
41:29learning the language will be essential.
41:32But for now, it hasn't got in the way of making a few friends nearby.
41:36Pepe, las fruta.
41:41Muchas gracias.
41:43Yesterday, our neighbours from next door have a little farm
41:47and they just knocked on and brought us a full box
41:52of freshly picked vegetables and fruit from their farm
41:56and just handed them to us.
41:57It reminds me of when we were kids in the 70s
42:00when everyone knew the neighbours.
42:02And the dogs roamed the streets.
42:03Everyone kicked the dogs out of a day.
42:05Yeah.
42:08With their building work well underway,
42:10Ian and Bev are currently staying in the upper level of the house.
42:15So, this is the lounge, or I think they call it a salon in Spain,
42:19which doesn't need an awful lot of work doing.
42:22We've already painted it.
42:23Under the terms of Ian and Bev's NLV, or non-lucrative visa,
42:29they aren't allowed to get paid jobs in Spain.
42:32This is the second of the two bedrooms.
42:34However, they are allowed to turn the top floor of their house
42:38into a self-catering apartment to bring in some income.
42:42We've got the kitchen, which is going to be updated,
42:48but I am going to keep it old-style Spanish.
42:52Yeah.
42:53This is the bathroom, which is really basic.
42:56We've got no hot water.
42:57With summer in full swing, Ian and Bev are managing for now,
43:01but as the heat peaks, the builders down tools.
43:04Are you finito now or?
43:07Mañana.
43:08Mañana, tomorrow.
43:09Mañana.
43:09Mañana.
43:10Mañana.
43:10Bye-bye.
43:11Bev and Ian have set aside a budget of £18,000
43:15in order to create their two apartments.
43:18Do you want to check the work out, Stu?
43:20And that includes replacing bathrooms, kitchens and redecorating.
43:25Let's have a look.
43:26That looks...
43:27Oh, that looks...
43:28I've got extra space now.
43:30Look.
43:31Oh, yes.
43:32They have cut out for me
43:33and put the flexible conduit in for me cabling,
43:37so that's a job I don't have to do.
43:39Oh, isn't that good?
43:40Yeah, that's brilliant.
43:41With downstairs taking shape,
43:43there's still plenty to do upstairs
43:45to get their holiday let guest ready.
43:48And with plans to open for business in just two months' time,
43:52Ian and Bev are quietly confident.
43:55So, as long as you do something every day,
43:56I feel I can relax in the evening
43:59and then have a little drink on the terrace.
44:02Which is what we come for.
44:04Which is what we come for, yeah.
44:06We've never done this in England, have we?
44:07No, never did in 25 years.
44:10Never just sat out and relaxed
44:11and not worried about tomorrow, had we?
44:13No.
44:19Next time...
44:20Mmm!
44:21Sharon and Bongo add some spice to the Spanish mountains
44:25with their new takeaway business.
44:27These arrived without the lids.
44:29So I've got to make a cardboard cutout of lids.
44:32Fantastic!
44:33Craig and Emma can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
44:37Good to see the view, finally,
44:39because it's been covered up for so long.
44:40And the race is on for Ian and Bev to clear out their rundown townhouse
44:45ready for the summer season.
44:47We've got an old oven that doesn't work
44:49and I've forgot to load it up.
44:51That was the one thing we needed gone.
44:53To be fair, you...
44:54Ah, don't be blaming me!
44:56Ah, don't be blaming me!
44:58What makes me wonder...
44:59Haå•Š!
45:26Alright...
45:26See you all in here!
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