Enjoying Christmas Day on the beach(The apartments may be seen in the background)
Enough of the banging on about the terrible service we received from our agent and the uncertainty of dealing with Spanish builders (see previous blog). On to happier times..........
In December 2006 we eventually received news that the builder had relinquished control of his Company to his daughter, and that we could finally move in to the property. We travelled to Spain, collected our keys, and were living there within 24 hours. Atlas had as part of our purchase package installed the furniture and cleaned the apartment (after a fashion) so things were more or less ready for us.
Now the enjoyable part of buying a home in Spain could begin. Trips were made to the stores where we had been previously only window-shopping, and this time we were able to buy the things we wanted. We filled up the car with crockery, cutlery, glasses, patio furniture, and other household items. We visited a store where we had previously ordered a quality bed and twice had to cancel it and this time we actually took delivery of it.
It felt so strange to be driving in the same areas where we had been previously wishing and hoping for good news and now to realise that we had a home to return to each day.
We were asked to examine the apartment and report any faults and we were happy to be able to report that no faults were to be found. The one thing we did find however was that, in the winter, the sun, being fairly low in the sky, reflects off the sea whilst we are eating breakfast on the balcony. This can be quite dazzling! Such is life however, J and somebody has to do it!
We met and became good friends with some of the other tenants and that first Christmas was spent visiting and comparing homes, swapping horror stories, and inviting one another for drinks and meals,
We were now able to begin planning properly and the future was often discussed during long walks along the cliff paths. The path which we like best runs some 10Km from the beach at the bottom of our road, going north towards Torrevieja. It was on one of these walks, whilst stopping at a convenient bar for cocktails, that we decided that we would both retire at the same time when Kathie reached her 60th birthday in 2010. That would mean a shortfall in pension but it was decided that we would manage one way or another and before long the date was agreed upon and plans were set accordingly.
Roll on February 2010!!