House hunters Jo and DP were searching Nerja on Spain’s Costa del Sol for their perfect home for a winter escape. They hoped to rent the property out during the summer months to support their retirement, and A Place in the Sun expert Ben Hillman was tasked with finding them a property that suited all their needs. However, Ben’s hopes were shut down after the pair placed three contenders on the table before taking them away in one fell swoop.
The two had visited Ben’s first three properties, and one and two were already in the contender list.
The first was a two-bed apartment in Nerja, which came with a covered balcony overlooking some pretty communal gardens and an impressive pool.
Inside, the open plan living, dining and kitchen space appealed to Jo and DP.
The two bedrooms were both doubles and looked onto the pool, and it was on the market for £226,050.
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The second property, a villa in Punta Lara, was initially another home given the green light by the couple.
Valued at £210,084, the semi-detached house boasted a communal pool and gardens, with a bar and shop on-site.
A roof terrace impressed Jo, while the traditional living and dining room was set beside a modern kitchen.
While viewing the third property, another two-bed in Punta Lara, Jo dropped a bombshell that they’d decided to drop all the contenders.
“The thing is, you go into Nerja, the prices go up, a property like this in Nerja is out of budget…” Ben tried to point out.
He added: “So, obviously you want something that is unaffordable, essentially.”
“Yes, story of my life,” Jo confessed. Ben had an idea and responded: “We’re going to go somewhere completely different now to give you all that Spanish charm of an old town.”
“And confuse us more,” Jo quipped as Ben remarked: “No, Jo! Come on.”
He later told viewers: “Gosh, I thought it was all going so well, but I think Jo just told me we’ve gone from potentially three contenders to zero!
“If they want more space and access to the buzz of the town on their budget, we’re going to have to leave Nerja.”
When decision time came, the couple sat down with Ben to explain what they’d chosen to do.
They explained they wanted to make an offer on the final house, a two-bed villa in La Noria.
It was valued at £222,689, but they asked to make an offer of £190,000.
Unfortunately, when Ben called the owner, they explained they would only budge to £217,000.
Jo and DP decided they’d like to do more of their own research and stayed in Spain to find their perfect home.
A Place in the Sun airs weekdays at 4pm on Channel 4.
