before

 

 

after

The ruin before and after renovation - we now call it the cottage

  The purchasing process was surprisingly easy. The biggest problem was the time spent queuing at the various legal offices to get documents witnessed and local taxation issues dealt with. We had a good solicitor who spoke reasonable English who moved us through the process and set an early exchange date and then completion on 15 September 2008. 

   The ruin and Quinta Ventura with the ruin in the background.  Also the solar panel which supplied the electricity before it was replaced by the solar tracker.   This panel was moved to the swimming pool where it supplies the power for the pool pump.

 In July 2008 we visited QV, as we call it for short, for us to have training from the owner as to how all the solar systems worked and had our first swim in the pool which was wonderful.

Moving in day came on the due date and we arrived in the dark on a clear full moonlit evening. For the first night we slept on the floor on air mattresses as we were fully expecting the furniture we had ordered from the UK to arrive the next day so we settled down very happily completely satisfied with our purchase. Neither of us could believe that we had been so lucky to find such a beautiful place.

The next morning we walked around and reviewed everything. The ruin roof had completely fallen in and this was obviously the first major work we needed to do. 

 

 Before

After

 

It became increasingly obvious that the solar and well arrangements as they were did not supply the power and water pressure that we needed for three toilets, a bath, shower and fridge let alone other appliances that we may need along the way and we did not want to rely on the generator so the second project on the cards was the installation of extra solar panels. How this was achieved is detailed on the solar energy page.

The furniture had been ordered online in the UK from a firm who promised free delivery anywhere in Europe.  The prices had been reasonable and we liked what they were selling.   We had agreed with them some time before moving in date that they would deliver the furniture on our second day of occupancy and so we thought that it would be only one night on the air mattresses on the floor and no chairs to sit on. 

But we were wrong.  We were given all sorts of excuses why our furniture was delayed and eventually it was 10 nights on the floor!  We did buy some chairs and a table to keep us going.  Eventually we saw a truck coming up the track and on board was our furniture! 

 

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