Casa Rosales

Casa Rosales

Sunday 29 April 2012

Rights or Wrongs?


For someone whose main occupation these days is scouring the properties pages of the internet, you may wonder why I am not posting anything about what we have been looking at recently.

Well the truth is that we have seen nothing since Christmas worth writing about. Worse than that, we've seen one or two that have been so awful that I have almost (not quite) reached the opinion that there is no house here in the vicinity that will do for us. I vowed I wouldn't write about the possibility of us leaving Alcala on my blog because it feels disloyal to a town that has welcomed us with open arms and which has provided us with more than a year's wonderful life in southern Spain. However, I need to raise the possibility, both in my own mind and those who know us, that there is one big drawback about the place. The houses here are not up to standard. The houses we can afford, that is. Granted, if money were no object, then there are plenty of big, rather grandiose properties to the back of the children's school that are out of this world. Not to my taste though, so I don't lose much sleep about not being able to afford one.

The historic centre of Alcalá la Real has offered one or two rather nice possibilities but always leaving us having to make too big a compromise on our requirements to make the commitment to buying. One, on the Calle Real, was lovely but teeny weeny and the cost of putting an extra floor on put it out of our price range. Even the garage was too small - our Volvo wouldn't fit! Otherwise, it was perfect....

Then we saw a huge place, right in the centre, with a big garage. If the owner had accepted a reasonable offer, we could have taken it on and reformed the property, which was laid out as two independent apartments on top of the garage and storage areas downstairs, and ended up with a very spacious family home. However, the 'patio' was a handkerchief square with high walls all around it and I doubt we could have all gone out onto it at the same time. We discussed, for a little while, the possibility of opening up part of the top floor and having a terrace up there, but in the end, we accepted that we really wanted a little more outside space than we'd ever have if we opted for this one.

We've seen others but it's not even worth describing them, so wrong they have been.

I am registered with several websites that bombard me daily about wonderful new properties that have dropped their prices so much that I need to act quickly or loose out on the sale of the century. Mostly I have a quick look only to be disappointed, but one caught my attention the other day. It was a property I'd liked the look of over 12 months ago in the north of Jaen - readvertised after quite a long break and at less money. It touched all the right chords again, despite the attachment I'd since developed for Alcalá. We decided we should go and look at it.

So we set off directly after dropping the children from school on Thursday morning to meet the owner in Andujar, about an hour and a half's drive away.

A nice, solid looking house - unpretentious; friendly.
We arrived in good time and phoned to say we'd arrived at the meeting point - FR's face dropped as he listened to the other side of the conversation then turned to me to say that the owner didn't have the keys and we might not be able to get in.

Turns out that the house is currently being rented out to an English family and has been for the past 12 months as they have been trying to raise a mortgage to buy the place - but can't.




The owner said they'd told him this morning that they would not be at home as a family member in Alicante was ill and they had to go there to see them. My first reaction was to say, let's go straight back home - forget it - but FR said we should go and look at the outside at least, having come all this way, so when the owner arrived we followed him to the property to look around.

The house was less than five minutes drive from the town centre in a small but pleasant hamlet with school buses, a shop, a tennis court and a little square. And as we pulled up outside, it looked very much as the pictures show it - a nice sized, square, sensible house with a similar property next door.
As we pulled up, five ragged dogs came barking to greet us, clearly all noise and not threatening but running quite wild and loose. We walked onto the patio and were met with a lot of mess, including that of the dogs! The owner looked around in dismay and muttered something about being glad his wife couldn't see it. He was an elderly man and after he'd tried knocking on the door, he began to explain the situation with his tenants. He had given them a year to try and raise the mortgage but when it was clear that they couldn't, he told them he would need to put the property back on the market. We could hear more dogs barking inside the house and from the state of everywhere, I began to feel a bit concerned - bad vibes were pouring out from the windows.

The neighbour came out - a sweet lady called Maria - pleased to see the owner again and hesitant to discuss her English neighbours but equally not keen on praising them. Ignoring the mess on the patio, we could see that the house was lovely and it was surrounded by a quarter of an acre of land/garden - sadly, left without water or care for the past year - where the owner told us he had kept roses as well as olives, figs and cherry trees - he was visibly upset at the state of the place.

Suddenly, the door flew open and a woman, brandishing a sweeping brush and aiming it at several of the dogs, appeared. The owner explained we'd come to see the house and could we come in. Most reluctantly she agreed and with some trepidation, I followed FR and the owner into the house. The woman, obviously English did not speak or look at us and was clearly very cross so I didn't attempt conversation. Then her phone rang and I heard her saying, " 'e's 'ere an' e's go' a load o' folk wi' 'im an' they're lookin' all over t' 'ouse" - the strong northern accent sounding so familiar that it had to have been close to my home town of Bradford - had to be! But so rough, unpleasant and harsh and spoken with such anxiety that my knees started to shake and all I wanted to do was to get out! Which I did, followed closely by FR and the owner.

The owner still wanted to show us the garden, so we walked around the perimetre, where I asked him if he had problems with the family before - he said no, not until recently. They'd always kept themselves to themselves but always paid. They had two sons and he always spoke to the younger one, who translated for his parents. As we looked at the dried up roses, a car whizzed round the corner and an angry Englishman jumped out, shouting 'No es bueno' - and meaning, 'this is not good.'  Either miscommunication or mistranslation or worse - but clearly the family were not in Alicante - equally clearly, they had not expected or wanted the owner to show anyone the property.

Ooh, er, it was 'orrible!! I'm a big softie at heart and felt for both sides, and whilst I was repelled by the attitude and behaviour of the English family, clearly they had terrible problems - as we left, we could hear them shouting at each other - and who knows what plans for their future. The owner was such a sweetie and obviously didn't want trouble. He really wanted them to leave if they weren't going to buy - but he hadn't made a formal contract with them. A very awkward situation as, like in many countries, the rights of renters are powerful and this family, after twelve months will certainly have rights as tenants...they could be there for a while longer. Maybe even as long as they want.

I do know that if we'd been to see the house when I'd first seen it, I am sure we'd have been living there now. It is what we have been looking for - a large, practical house with a patio, some land and within very easy reach of schools for the children and the town for our own convenience. We have told the owner that we will have another look when the current occupiers have left.

I'm not holding my breath. But having seen at least one house that we do like, my faith has been restored in the hope that there is something out there for us - I just hope there is more than just the one!




20 comments:

  1. Annie, I can really appreciate your dilemma. Just as you were gearing up to look further afield you've seen a house you like in the area within your budget, and I can quite see why you like it. Sorry though I am for the family with problems, it would be so nice for the elderly owner, for the neighbour and for you, if the house could be sold before it is further damaged. Isn't life complicated?

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    1. Perpetua, about life...I like to think it's not complicated - and most of the time, it isn't very - but when it is, boy, is it!! Axxx

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  2. Hello Annie:
    We can so well imagine your feelings of disappointment combined with those of frustration. The house, judging from your picture, is attractive in a simple but purposeful manner and we can readily see its appeal. Additionally, it has a garden which, on balance, you probably do need with the children. Besides an outside space is always good to have.

    However, we do think that beyond expressing a genuine interest to the owner, it would be very unwise to make any kind of commitment until the tenants are well and truly gone and you can see for yourselves that there would be vacant possession. But then we are sure that you know this.

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    1. Ah yes, Jane and Lance, you are quite right to see the potential problems here. I think if it were in Alcala la Real itself and not at some distance, I may well start a rather sneaky plan to get the tenants out - but as it is, we'll just have to wait and see.
      Axx

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  3. What a disappointment! And what a bad advertisement for the English! No-one should behave like that, whatever the problems they have!

    And can I say, speaking as the owner of 7 dogs and a small courtyard garden (open fields stretch for miles across the road so they don't go short on exercise) that there is simply no excuse for mess of any kind. You pick 'it' up when it's deposited and you have a watering can full of diluted disinfectant to hand to swill the area down with. Someone needs to give these people a lesson in responsible dog ownership it seems to me. But meanwhile wouldn't the mess give the owner a right to act?

    Good luck in the hunt m'dear, wherever it takes you x

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    1. Annie - if we'd been in the UK, I'd have been on to the RSPCA immediately as the place was in a dreadful state and my own dog came back full of ticks...but in Spain, it's expected that dogs live outside, though I'm sure most of my Spanish acquaintances would never leave such mess around - most of them are compulsive cleaners and sweepers. I don't know what will happen but I'm trying not to think about it too much.
      Axxx

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  4. Oh Annie, my heart goes out to you, this must be so hard. I think I agree with Jane and Lance.....you just know that something without obvious clear cut vacant possession could be so stressful. However....having reached a view that if this was straightforward, it could be "the one" does that mean that you will now be more open to looking more in this area ? Perhaps there are other similar homes in the area...it does look and sound lovely....Take care, and I will continue to keep everything crossed, hoping that a home with the potential for perfection appears on your radar very very soon. xxx

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    1. Hi Janice - just read your lovely neighbours post. Well, I can't complain about ours here so until we find the right house, I shall just be glad we are comfortable and happy (to an extent). We are widening out 'viewing circle' - another English owned one tomorrow....hope it's not as bad as this one! Axxx

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  5. Good luck. The right one could be just around the corner
    Ps It would be great if you turned off the word verification stuff!

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    1. Thanks Carole - will go now and try and turn it off, though I confess I didn't really know it was on...sorry!

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  6. A really difficult situation for the owner to be in and also fairly menacing. My advice would be to steer clear until such time that the house is vacant - more like a nest of vipers than a can of worms!

    I can understand that the experience would leave you rattled. Hope the viewing tomorrow is more fruitful.

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    1. Nest of vipers is what it felt like. I'm not too worried for us - we're not going to do anything but I do feel for poor Ignacio. He was upset to see his house in such a mess.
      Ax

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  7. What a horrible chain of events! I feel for you and the owner of the house; less for the couple renting it.

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    1. Thanks Jen. By the way, how are YOU?? Congratulations - what news? Axxx

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  8. you poor thing - that house sounds like it could be so good for you but I agree that you can only think about it once the English family have gone. It makes me so cross when English people behave badly in another country. Good luck x

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    1. Thanks Karen - my husband is the one who feels we've been scuppered by events and their timing. I was just so glad to run away - the family were dreadful. I hope they leave for the sake of the owner. It doesn't feel right as it is.
      We will have good luck soon, I know it! But do keep sending it our way. Axxx

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  9. Positive vibes on their way to you in the house hunting stakes. All will be well and who knows what will be round the corner!
    Celia x

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  10. Thank you Celia - all vibes, as long as they're positive, are very welcome. I've looked round a lot of corners, believe me, but not given up. Axxx

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  11. I do hope you find something you like soon...and I sympathise with the owner...we had tenants from hell despite doing all the correct paperwork and had to 'starve' them out before they would leave.

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    1. Thank you, fly (can I call you that?) The owner was so lovely and I suspect he's taken this lot on trust so no paperwork. I don't hold out much hope that they will go quickly or smoothly. Axx

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