We first visited the Axarquía in 2015. The memories of the pink-tinged mountains we saw on that first drive from Vélez-Málaga towards Viñuela in the late afternoon stayed with us, and we always tried to make a detour to visit the area whenever we were in Spain. We love the beach and the sea, but the mountains and pueblo blancos of the Sierra de Tejeda always drew us back.

In early 2021, following a health scare and a year of covid lockdowns, we decided it was time to realise our dream of owning a home in Spain. But where should we start? We had an idea of what we liked, and where we wanted to be, but the thought of trying to liaise with multiple estate agents was overwhelming, especially when everything had to be discussed remotely because covid restrictions prevented us from travelling to Spain for viewings. So, on a cold, wet Sunday in February we were busy searching and bookmarking interesting properties when we came across Second Home Andalusia. There were not many properties on the website but the service offered seemed to be exactly what we wanted – searching out suitable properties in the local area which matched our criteria, and helping us to understand and navigate the complexities of buying property in Spain. We filled in the wish list, pressed send and went about getting on with our day, expecting it would be sometime before we heard any more, however later that afternoon we received a message from Malcolm and we agreed a time to speak later in the day.

Malcolm listened carefully to what we wanted, and a day or so later Caroline sent through an initial list of properties for us to consider. It was late June before we were finally able to travel to Spain for viewings and by then the market was starting to move again and many of the homes we initially identified were being snapped up. Malcolm and Caroline worked with us to build a new list of properties to view in different areas, and accompanied us on every viewing over the course of the week, providing advice and guidance whilst displaying endless patience and even finding us a great campo house near Canillas to stay in.

Because of the lack of available properties, we did extend our search into Cádiz province, and a little further north into the Subbetica, around Iznajar, but neither the areas, nor the properties we viewed were what we wanted, so we knew we needed to concentrate our search in the Axarquía, and the areas around Canillas, Sedella, and Salares. Our first visit was unsuccessful, but it helped us to narrow down the areas we liked and recognise that we really did want to be in the countryside, close to, but not in a village.

We returned to view a second batch of properties with Malcolm and Caroline in September 2021 and on our last day, we took a drive out to revisit one of the houses we viewed in June. We liked the house when we saw it the first time but didn’t pursue as we were a little daunted by the idea of refurbishing the garden, pool and terrace. During that second visit we stood at the gate looking at the fabulous view and listening to the sound of silence. We realised then that the house was the perfect antidote to our busy work lives. It was exactly where we wanted to be, and even though it needed some refreshing, we had found our Spanish home, we just needed to make it ours! Then we remembered that when the house first came on the market, Caroline messaged us to say she had just seen the perfect place for us – she knew what we wanted better than we did even before we had viewed any properties!

Malcolm and Caroline guided us through making the offer, helped us identify a good English-speaking abogado and introduced us to an excellent local builder who over the last year, has created a fantastic outside space for us. In February 2022 the house was finally ours, and we picked up the keys to Las Cinco Palmeras a few weeks later. Malcolm and Caroline’s help did not stop following completion. Malcolm has worked with us to project manage the terrace and pool refurbishment when we’ve not been able to get to Spain. Caroline makes sure the house is spotless for every visit, and now that we have our rental license in place, Malcolm and Caroline will manage the house and pool, and look after our guests.

Thanks to Second Home Andalusia, we have realised our dream of owning a home in this beautiful, authentic part of Southern Spain. When we retire in a few years we will be spending as much time as we can in our lovely Spanish casa. Until then we will share it with guests who want to spend their holiday in our little piece of paradise. We hope they will love it as much as we do. 

If you are looking to buy a home in the Axarquia don’t hesitate, get in touch with Second Home Andalusia, you won’t regret it.

Deborah and Patrick