Why buy property in Mijas?
During a busy life bringing up three boys in the Cotswolds, Karmen Meredith never dreamt she would one day have her own holiday home in Spain.
But after her then husband was involved in a serious car accident, she was forced to rethink how she would cover the mortgage on her own.
"Married at 17, I was coasting along with life, as people do, busy with the routine each day, and I worked at a fire service college for some extra money. The accident changed everything," says Karmen, 73.
In her fifties, she started a new career at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, which then paved the way for a project manager role at Rolls-Royce.
"The mortgage was paid off, I was divorced and had a demanding job, so I wanted a place to recharge," says Karmen, who had moved to Derby.
She turned to A Place in the Sun in 2016 to help her find a home on the Costa del Sol.
How much does property cost in Mijas?
She appeared on the show with Danni Menzies and her son, Wayne, looking for an apartment in Mijas with a budget of £86k.
She stretched her budget to buy property number three, a duplex apartment in Mijas Pueblo, for €129,400, taking out a small mortgage which she paid off by renting it out through the estate agent she bought it from, Mark Rawlings at Your Dream Home.
She thinks it might have been fate that led her to the apartment.
"It is number 28, and I got it on my mother's birthday, 28th September. What's more, the previous owner was a film producer behind the TV series Father Brown, which had been filmed in Blockley, my old Cotswolds village."
Can a holiday home in Spain pay for itself?
But owning the apartment has been "a great tonic".
"I visit four or five times a year and just chill out," says Karmen. "I've met great friends and neighbours, and it gave me much-needed relaxation."
She jokes that when they filmed her again for A Place in the Sun: What Happened Next? in May last year, she couldn't really say she'd done a great deal.
"I just walk to the beach and potter around – maybe not the sort of things that make great television!"
The apartment was a popular rental in an area that's busy all year round and more than paid its way.
Is buying property in Mijas a good investment?
Ten years on, she admits she is getting older, with a couple of health niggles, and it's time to free herself of the responsibilities of ownership, so she's selling up. The apartment sale is due to complete in a month or so.
She returned to Your Dream Home to sell it for her.
"It sold within a couple of months. It needs a little makeover, but it's a great apartment and it sold for €245k."
It's a bittersweet moment to be saying goodbye to such a happy decade of her life.
"It's a bit like it's the end of a love affair – when I say, 'It's not you, it's me!'" she laughs.
But the apartment has proved to be a great investment.
"It's my pension now," says Karmen, who is still working. "I think it's key to know when it's the right time to sell and not leave it until a time when I have less control over things."
Thinking about buying your own place in Spain?
Whether you're looking for a holiday apartment, an investment property or somewhere to enjoy your retirement, Spain offers options for every budget and lifestyle.
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