Recently Nathan and Alham Williams from Johannesburg made the decision to move away from South Africa, choosing Southern Spain for its similar climate and freedom to enjoy outdoor living without sophisticated security systems.

They asked Integrated Relocation Spain to handle their relocation. IRS selected a number of potential properties in various towns and villages in inland Andalucía. Each was selected with certain specific criteria in mind, including easy access to at least one city which would satisfy their wish for culture and entertainment and offering an international airport with good connections to other European destinations to enable Nathan to continue his work in the mining industry. Another priority was good access to medical facilities with a view to the future.

IRS found a selection of 25 properties that met the brief, and these were narrowed down to four. First there was a tumbledown and historic village house in Arcos de la Frontera with its little garden atop a cliff, with magnificent views to the old town, across the countryside and beyond to the mountains of Grazalema above Ronda. Second was a perfectly restored and spacious house in the village of Cuevas de San Marcos, just 20 minutes from Antequera and only five minutes from the Iznajar lake. This property, backing onto farmland and with wonderful views of the village and open countryside, was ready to move into.

Then there was a large two bedroom house in Villanueva del Rosario with numerous barns at the rear, plenty of land with a number of mature fruit trees on it and which could be made into a wonderful garden. This property had huge potential and the space available was tempting.  Last but by no means, a very old and lovingly refurbished house in the very picturesque village of Riogordo above Málaga, situated in one of the most emblematic streets in the village, with a little walled garden at the back with breathtaking views across the village rooftops to the rolling fields and rugged mountains beyond.

A decision would have to be made and quickly so that negotiations could start while Rhona took him to get on with the business of organizing Spanish documents, banks, powers of attorney, etc.  The property in Riogordo was considered perfect, and a decision was made to buy the village property, leaving two other propositions to fall back on as reserves, should Rhona’s due diligence on the property come up with any unforeseen snags.  In second place came Cuevas de San Marcos, offering all the instant security they could want, with plenty of inside space, but not quite enough outside.

In third place came the tumbledown house in Arcos de la Frontera, an exciting but slightly too large project to take on. The house at Villanueva del Rosario was ruled out as it held too many unknowns relating to the use of the barn and yard next door.  It was later that another hugely advantageous side to the service of Integrated Relocation Spain became obvious. In carrying out her due diligence for a subsequent client at the town hall, Rhona unearthed plans by the local council to compulsory purchase the second choice property in Arcos de la Frontera (and others nearby) to create a tranquil area for the local residents. This had gone unnoticed by the estate agent and demonstrated yet again how a properly managed relocation service can often be invaluable.

The choice having been made, Nathan dealt with tedious but essential matters of bureaucracy and all the paperwork which would be necessary for Rhona to progress matters through to their absolute conclusion once Nathan had returned to South Africa. By the middle of the following week Rhona had successfully negotiated a substantial discount on the asking price and everything was really starting to take shape.  Within the month all searches had been completed and the purchase was signed and sealed. Over the next three months of preparations for their big move, the Williams could now be secure in the knowledge they had the home of their choice, being securely looked after, waiting for them in Spain, where they could look forward to a new life confident in the knowledge that IRS had taken care of every detail.