It started with Corona, well. when I think back on it now, this period has been one of the most exciting and fun turns in our lives, we wouldn't have walked this path if it wasn't for corona (I think). So as strange as it sounds, Thank you Corona!!!
Who are we really in this story, we are Thessa and René. I'm so and so old we don't do that! Haha well not that old either! No, apparently we are adventurers (we didn't know it ourselves) who take action, who don't just shout something but DO IT! We also slow down and take our time to see where we are going with our plans and how our daughters feel about it and how they deal with it. I have a daughter Shannon and Rene has a daughter Eline. We are, as they say, a blended family, but the girls also make their own plans. I (Thessa) write this Blog so my name is mentioned first haha!!! René finds this a tad irritating, more hey, there must be a difference! In this blog, I want to take you on a light-hearted journey through our Spanish adventure!
We wanted to get away during corona, got all crazy at home, we wanted to get away so badly, but well everyone wanted to and of course we couldn't ☹. Spain was very strict and in 2021 the rules were relaxed slightly and we found out that if we went to a doctor and got back a negative corona test, so you could fly, YEAHH!!!! What a digression, but once familiar with all the procedures, such as;
1 Making an appointment with the doctor in the Netherlands, for a Corona (COVID) test
2 Spanish health form completed via the app
3. On arrival at the airport, every passenger was checked to make sure you didn't have an elevation with some kind of laser (very unusual all together) and that you had filled in the Spanish health form and had a negative test.
If everything was OK you were allowed to continue!!!! At the airport it was very quiet, we did have the risk that if it locked again well then we were stuck in Spain. Scenario luckily never happened!!! And after all this, we were finally outside, in the ZONNNN!!! What a relief and how wonderful to also feel a bit of freedom again.
There were very few tourists in the city this period, you saw a lot of police. You had to wear your face mask while walking and when you sat down it was allowed to come off. They checked this very strictly.
We ended up choosing Málaga every time, the procedures were familiar so that made it easier for us and we knew what to expect at the airport.
Dreaming of a house in Spain
A good friend of ours was orientating to buy a house in Málaga during this period. He enthusiastically took us through his plans, and like him, we also got hugely excited. And then you start dreaming: What if... we had a house here? The plans soon became serious. In December 2021, we decided to contact an estate agent in Málaga. Our plan? Just have a look and see what comes our way. We didn't have a plan at all.
We got in touch with a Spanish estate agent, and she showed us a house which we thought from the pictures was a really nice house, But it was really seriously disappointing. It was immediately a big NO. A mega dark house in the middle of a flat with no daylight... totally not for us. “This really isn't it,” we said “I really can't see myself living here either,” “Don't you have something with more daylight, a garden or a terrace, and maybe a bit closer to the city centre?” We had no demands but secretly we did!
The estate agent picked up her phone, and after a lot of Spanish and a lot of smiling at us, she had actually found a house we could go and look at that same afternoon. I'm curious!!! The photos weren't anything that made me think Woowww! Very cool, no not at all! But anyway, we went looking.
Once inside, we were welcomed by the owner. The conversation was mostly in Spanish, but with my hands and feet work in terms of sign language, we came a long way! René walked around, looked around, and immediately said, “This is it, hooray, Thess!” I was less convinced. Ehh... I don't really know.
Once at home... yet to and we had to start formulating a plan!
The next day we flew back to the Netherlands. Now I was starting to get the itch as well. René was already completely converted, it took a while but eventually I was too, you have to see through it! That was easier said than done. We wanted more certainty, we weren't going to buy a house with sign language alone, and we engaged a Dutch real estate agent who helped us steer the process in the right direction. Still a lot of stress! What did we get ourselves into.
The real estate agent went to look at the house for us and made an offer and yes while running (8 January 2022, it's in the diary every year 😊) I got a call that our offer was accepted! What a milestone. Pfff carry me away hear! Exciting!!! And now.....
From stress to keys
The buying process was incredibly exciting. Whereas most people logically sell their house first before buying something new, we did it exactly the other way around. Some people declared us crazy and got (get me😊) stressed out about us! I got stressed with myself too!!! Despite all the deadlines and time pressure, we managed to get everything done on time. Farewell to my lovely home, which was another end to another adventure.
The day of the handover was one with immense emotions. At the notary, we finally got the keys to our house. The old owners were there too, and as they congratulated us, they chuckled constantly. Why? No idea! (Only later did I understand, they knew about the surprise)
We handed over the cheque for the purchase of the house across the table to the sellers, also so strange! Nothing is transferred, but it goes through a cheque, well that was all just weird in my experience, but that's how it goes here. Once the cheque was handed over, I was like, it's not my responsibility anymore if you get robbed on the way to the bank or something, but that doesn't seem to be possible, I didn't like it anyway!
Once outside, we first took a photo for the home front. The keys are in Whoop Whoop!!! 1 bin of stress left there 😊, runs a lot lighter anyway haha!
René wanted to go straight to our new house, picking things up later.
An unforgettable moment
Upon arrival, fortunately all the keys worked. Once inside, we saw that all the furniture ánd all the previous owners' junk was just still there. Apparently, in Spain you buy everything as is, including all the furniture.
When we arrived on the patio, I noticed something: a couple of ropes that weren't there before. René walked over, pulled on them, and to my amazement, a banner rolled out, saying: Thessa, will you marry me?
I was amazed, how did you arrange all this. I really didn't notice any of this at all! At that moment all the tension of the past months also came out, tears so bad was the proposal (just kidding) haha!!! Definitely: YAAAA! René had wanted to film the whole moment, but none of it worked out. What an amazing proposal.
In the months that followed, we remodelled the house with the help of Jos, my parents, our Ad and my dear niece Maureen, and transformed our place into our very own Spanish spot. So proud!!!
And so we are getting to know more and more people here in Malaga, how fun is that!
Part 2 follows...
Dutch 
English 
German 
Spanish