British expat couple spend
nearly £80,000 to turn a
Spanish CAVE into a cosy
B&B
Mark and Shirley, from Edinburgh, set themselves an ambitious
project transforming a set of caves on their Spanish property
into a luxury bed and breakfast
project transforming a set of caves on their Spanish property
into a luxury bed and breakfast
In just ten weeks, the couple manage to makeover the caves
and turn the crumbling structure into a holiday haven
and turn the crumbling structure into a holiday haven
A British expat couple put their entire livelihoods on the line to turn
a set of caves into a
a set of caves into a
unique bed and breakfast.
Decorator Mark, 54, and his former sales rep wife Shirley,
from Edinburgh, bought a property for £21,707 (25,000 euros)
in Andalusia, on the southern coast of Spain, which is also
known as 'cave country'.
from Edinburgh, bought a property for £21,707 (25,000 euros)
in Andalusia, on the southern coast of Spain, which is also
known as 'cave country'.
They successfully built themselves a house after £43,392 (50,000 euros)
worth of renovations, before setting their sights on becoming hoteliers
by transforming the adjacent caves into a B&B in the hope that guests
would pay £104 (120 euros) a night for the experience - bringing
in a potential annual income of £17,363.
worth of renovations, before setting their sights on becoming hoteliers
by transforming the adjacent caves into a B&B in the hope that guests
would pay £104 (120 euros) a night for the experience - bringing
in a potential annual income of £17,363.
Ploughing £78,000 into renovating the caves, they were forced to
halt the project when they encountered major problems with Spanish
planning permission.
halt the project when they encountered major problems with Spanish
planning permission.
As their dream hotel literally began to crumble around them,
after an anxious wait, they were able to complete their ambitious
build in a short ten-week turnaround.
after an anxious wait, they were able to complete their ambitious
build in a short ten-week turnaround.
They bored into the caves to link several holes in the hillside into
a three-bed dream B&B. The couple hoped their new property
would allow them both to slow down and support them financially
in their later years.
a three-bed dream B&B. The couple hoped their new property
would allow them both to slow down and support them financially
in their later years.
But midway through, they discovered devastating news that forced
them to stop all building work.
them to stop all building work.
Discrepancies in the deeds and the land registry meant not only did
they not have planning permission, but the caves they were building
weren't actually theirs.
they not have planning permission, but the caves they were building
weren't actually theirs.
For three months, the property stood still with their dreams threatening
to collapse.
to collapse.
The cave walls began to crumble without any support from the
usual plaster that's applied to stop this from happening.
usual plaster that's applied to stop this from happening.
They spend £14,755 on a pool for their guests to cool down in the
hot and dry Spanish climate and £3,473 euros on landscaping
hot and dry Spanish climate and £3,473 euros on landscaping
The couple use white paint and mirrors to brighten the interior and small windows for natural light
They install a cosy kitchen with wooden surfaces and wooden beams that add a rustic finish to the rooms
Shirley was left in tears of frustration as she realised the Spanish local authorities had the right to force them to demolish all of their building work.
She said: 'No way would we have invested in this if we thought we were doing anything illegal.
'We're caught up in legal paperwork that is just so stressful.'
The local authorities eventually inform them that their architects are allowed to complete the build at the end of July, leaving them just ten weeks to finish.
Shirley ends up in tears as she discover their dreams of becoming hoteliers are nearly destroyed when they discover they need extra planning permission
The project was halted midway through due to problems with planning permission and the caves began to crumble
At the beginning of the build, the caves look like small driveways, but with some genius building work they are able to fix them up
The pair have spent the past eight years living and working on the southern coast of Spain, and were inspired by a weekend break in a traditional Spanish cave house.
The childhood sweethearts scraped together £21,707 (25,000 euros) to buy a plot of land on a hillside, two hours away in the remote region of Granada.
With room for a cave house of their own that cost them £43,392 (50,000 euros) to renovate, the plot also offered the potential to create another cave house right next door.
As well as master suites in the B&B, there's a twin room suitable for friends looking for an adventurous stay in a cave
Shirley introduces her first guests to the property and they are stunned at the transformation in such a short space of time
You would never know the southern Spanish property was once a set of caves looking at the sleek white front
After receiving a £50,000 inheritance lump sum, the couple felt that a business in the hospitality industry would be the next move in their lives.
They love their cave life so much that they believe others will too and pay up to £104 (120 euros) a night for the experience - bringing in a potential annual income of £17,363 (20,000 euros).
They invest in a luxury £14,755 (17,000 euro) pool and add £3,473 (4,000 euro) worth of plants and trees to landscape the garden.
By November 2016, Cuevas Helena is complete, eight months after they first began (and a few thousand euros over budget) - just in time to welcome their first paying guests.
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