“Everything worked out beautifully. We know we made the right choice”
Retirees John and Debbie Parry from Pointon, Lincolnshire, want to move to Spain eventually but in the meantime decided to buy a holiday home. John has just retired from his job as a transport manager and Debbie volunteers at a charity shop but they are also busy with their four grandchildren – they have five children between and the youngest grandchild is two weeks old. They went out to film in Spain with Lucy Alexander (a guest presenter) in March 2022 looking for a two-bedroom property with outside space and despite the dreadful weather their ‘cheeky offer’ on number five was not far off what they ended up paying for the property in Santiago de la Ribera…
Wrapped up in coats, with umbrellas and filming the famous ‘orange juice’ scene indoors, it was not a great introduction to the Mar Menor in Murcia, when the couple visited for the first time in March. But the inclement weather aside ‘everything worked out beautifully’ summarised Debbie when I catch them on an equally grey January day in the UK. “The whole experience was amazing and we feel very adjusted to living between two places now,” says Debbie, 60.
“We have been passing property number two [the one they also really liked on the show] a couple of times and there’s not much going on around it. Because I don’t drive it would have been too restrictive in the future. Besides, where we are we have such great neighbours. We know we have made the right choice.”
The couple got the keys in July 2022 and spent three weeks getting the place sorted out. A brilliant ‘blank canvas’ it didn’t need much doing inside, and meeting a friendly neighbour has been incredibly useful, says Debbie. “Alan, who is also British, has shown us the ropes, helping us to sort our internet and find a handyman. We have even swapped furniture with him as he’s moved to a smaller place in [San Pedro del] Pinatar and it suited us all.”
Community charges at their development are a modest €21 a month, and they have ‘pay as you go’ internet. The swimming pool is only shared by around 20 houses so they’ve had it mostly to themselves.
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John has painted the gates and the grilles in royal blue, but the grubby exterior walls of the property will be done this spring. The terrace is brightened up in the meantime with Alan’s plants and they’ve had time to explore, take the ferry to La Manga, have a mudbath in the famously therapeutic ‘little sea’.
“Each time we go we discover new things,” says Debbie. “I’ve made another friend who lives a couple of streets away and she has shown me around. We also love visiting the city of Cartagena.”
They love their location, finding nearby Pinatar and Los Alcazares ‘too British’ – they preferred a slightly more Spanish feel as they will be living there full time, and not a tourist hot spot. The couple will look into how they apply for a visa and residency in good time. “We are finding nice bars, restaurants, bakeries and new beaches.” Sounds the perfect start to their new life in Spain.
