Searching for winter sun in Fuerteventura
When looking for somewhere laid-back, with year-round sun but easy to reach from their choice of airports in the Midlands, David and Clara picked the island of Fuerteventura.
The couple from Derby had long dreamed of a holiday home for winter escapes, but it became more of a reality when Clara’s mum left them an inheritance.
“She loved holidaying in Fuerteventura, so it seemed fitting to buy a place there,” says Clara, 54, a counsellor for young people.
Why Corralejo stood out in their online search
For their budget of £150,000 to £160,000 at the end of 2023, they were looking for a one or two-bedroom apartment with a balcony on a complex. Their search was focused on the lively hub of the Canary Island, Corralejo — even though it’s one of the most expensive areas to buy.
David had already been doing some research online and spotted a complex he liked the look of – it was in a great location, close to supermarkets, restaurants and the beach, and part of a well-established community with lots of greenery and attractive swimming pools.
“I liked the look of Atlantic Garden and saw a nice apartment there, but was put off by the community charges of €200 a month – the highest we’d seen. I thought that with bills on top, that would be way too much – many others are more like €100.”
A visit to A Place in the Sun Live changed everything
But the couple visited A Place in the Sun Live at Birmingham’s NEC for some inspiration and to meet estate agents. Whilst doing one final walk-around at the end of the day, they laughed at the queues for the screen-tests — they were never going to go on TV.
But when one of the TV crew asked them if they’d be interested in flying out to the Canaries in November, they eventually agreed. “As we walked out of the NEC, we asked ourselves, what have we done?” says David, 52, a gas engineer.
Finding the perfect apartment on Atlantic Garden
Well, it turned out to be a good move. Three weeks later, they were flying out with Laura Hamilton — and lo and behold, saw a one-bedroom apartment with a beautiful balcony… on Atlantic Garden.
“It was explained to us that the €200 a month actually included electric and water bills as well as internet — plus security and upkeep of the grounds,” he adds.
The property was on at £155,500, and the couple were so anxious not to let it go again that they didn’t even ‘sleep on it’ — they got Laura to make the call that same evening and secured it for £152,720.
One-bedroom properties are now selling on the development for around €200,000, with two-bedroom apartments from €237,000.
Life in their new Fuerteventura home
The couple love the apartment and have been back around eight times, including over Christmas, when it’s warm enough to have a beer on the beach – around 24 degrees.
“We love it so much. Everyone is super helpful. We are in a WhatsApp group of residents – mostly British but also some Italians,” says Clara. “November is a lovely time to go, when the nights are getting longer. It’s so relaxed, and it’s cheap to hire a car.”
Sometimes they can get flights for as little as £19 each. “We have a choice from three airports, which helps, though there are not enough options to go Friday to Monday.”
Why viewing in person made all the difference
David says they learnt two key things from their search. “We were weighing up location vs space for our budget and realised that location was far more important for us. We could lose a bedroom but would benefit every visit from being conveniently located.”
Then he advises about the limitations of looking at property listings online, without getting the full context from an estate agent – or viewing it yourself. “Go out in person or you might lose out. We certainly wouldn’t have got our property without the TV show.”
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