What to look for when buying a cave
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santamaria
La Mancha
pete_l
Ken
invicta
cuchillo
10 posters
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What to look for when buying a cave
by cuchillo Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:23 am
Hello all,
Yes, its me again!
Am going cross-eyed looking at all the possible caves that are out there for sale. Ranging from the "why so cheap?"
to the "how much?!" 
So what I would like to do is to put together a list of "must haves" and send them out to some of the estate agents that folks have listed on here and see what they have "in stock". Then whittle it down to a manageable list and pop over there for a couple of weeks to have a look around.
Based on what folks have said on here, so far I have:
1. Already connected to Water and Electric. (What about sewage?)
2. Already connected to Phone/Internet.
3. Must have a tarmacked/concrete road up to the property.
4. Ideally, not too far from a town/village. Max 15 min drive. Prefer to walk though.
5. Secure off street parking is a must.
6. Peace and quiet is important. However we do not want to be miles from civilisation.
7. All paperwork intact.
8. South Facing.
9. Thick walls and roof cover. No one "immediately" living above or below you.
And then I got stuck!
So am opening it up to the floor. What must haves must I have? What do you wish your place had when you got it? What jobs turn out to be a real pain if not alway there?
Many thanks
Cuch
Yes, its me again!
Am going cross-eyed looking at all the possible caves that are out there for sale. Ranging from the "why so cheap?"
to the "how much?!" So what I would like to do is to put together a list of "must haves" and send them out to some of the estate agents that folks have listed on here and see what they have "in stock". Then whittle it down to a manageable list and pop over there for a couple of weeks to have a look around.
Based on what folks have said on here, so far I have:
1. Already connected to Water and Electric. (What about sewage?)
2. Already connected to Phone/Internet.
3. Must have a tarmacked/concrete road up to the property.
4. Ideally, not too far from a town/village. Max 15 min drive. Prefer to walk though.
5. Secure off street parking is a must.
6. Peace and quiet is important. However we do not want to be miles from civilisation.
7. All paperwork intact.
8. South Facing.
9. Thick walls and roof cover. No one "immediately" living above or below you.
And then I got stuck!
So am opening it up to the floor. What must haves must I have? What do you wish your place had when you got it? What jobs turn out to be a real pain if not alway there?
Many thanks
Cuch
Last edited by cuchillo on Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:52 am; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : Adding to my list of "must haves" as this thread develops.)
cuchillo- Posts : 31
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Location : London
Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by invicta Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:24 pm
your personal circumstances will make a difference. do you have any disabilities, do you have 100% mobility, do you drive, do you need nearby parking, will you be working / what type of work etc do you have kids / pets, give us more details.
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by invicta Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:26 pm
do you want peace and quiet, do you want the hussle & bussle, do you want street lights?
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by cuchillo Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:37 pm
Hello 
Oh, had not considered those questions! So ....
No Kids
No Pets
No physical disabilities
We are mobile in that we can climb stairs and walk but would not be willing or able to run a marathon or the 100Ms!
Secure off street parking is a must.
Peace and quiet is important. However we do not want to be miles from civilisation.
[I will add these to the original post so as to collate a fuller picture]
Cuch
Oh, had not considered those questions! So ....
No Kids
No Pets
No physical disabilities
We are mobile in that we can climb stairs and walk but would not be willing or able to run a marathon or the 100Ms!
Secure off street parking is a must.
Peace and quiet is important. However we do not want to be miles from civilisation.
[I will add these to the original post so as to collate a fuller picture]
Cuch
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Ken- Posts : 650
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Location : Benamaurel
Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by pete_l Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:15 pm
Good luck with that.cuchillo wrote:So what I would like to do is to put together a list of "must haves" and send them out to some of the estate agents that folks have listed on here and see what they have "in stock
Personally I'd be surprised if many of the agents took much notice. They will take note of "high level" requirements such as how much you're willing to spend, whether you want a do-er-up-er or ready to move in to and possibly whether you've said you want land or not. But ultimately they'll still try to show you everything they have on the books, on the offchance that you (or someone else) falls in love with one of their properties.
Apart from that, the thing about buying stuff (whether a house, a loaf of bread or a TV) in this area is that you can't buy what you want - you can only buy what the shops have to sell. There's little point asking for a 37inch LED 3D smart TV with 4 pairs of glasses, if there's only 1 telly shop and they only have a clapped out old "HD-ready" set that they've lost the remote control for.
So what I think I'm saying is, don't be too rigid - the agents certainly won't be.
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by cuchillo Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:29 pm
Thanks Ken. Will respond in a bitKen wrote:I have pm'd you
cuchillo- Posts : 31
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by cuchillo Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:41 pm
Hello,
headed enough to vote with my feet! 
Quite possibly. However am hoping that I'll be able to "vet" the agents based on how well they, um, acquiesce to my requirements. At least I'll then be able to work more closely with a few of them rather than having to run around all of them. I ampete_l wrote:...They will take note of "high level" requirements such as how much you're willing to spend, whether you want a do-er-up-er or ready to move into and possibly whether you've said you want land or not. But ultimately they'll still try to show you everything they have on the books, on the off chance that you (or someone else) falls in love with one of their properties.
headed enough to vote with my feet! Oh very true. However, one has to draw the line somewhere, and if I do go out for a TV, I have to ensure that I don't come home with a radio instead! SWMBO would give me the silent treatment if I did!pete_l wrote:...There's little point asking for a 37 inch LED 3D smart TV with 4 pairs of glasses, if there's only 1 telly shop and they only have a clapped out old "HD-ready" set that they've lost the remote control for.
cuchillo- Posts : 31
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by La Mancha Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:47 pm
I suspect many people will have a completely different set of must haves.
For instance when we bought we had no water/electric, no phone/internet, no tarmac road and about 5kms to the village but we just fell in love with the cave, the view and the possibilities and 7 years later we do have electric, phone and internet with water on its way and the cave and the views have fulfilled our expectations.
You can do quite a bit of research on the agents websites and other places like Kyero.com but nothing like seeing it in situ. We came out to see one that we had decided was perfect, had already done a floor plan and guess what, that wasn't the one we bought in the end. That one wasn't even on the website as they had just taken it on.
Nothing quite like getting out here and viewing some.
For instance when we bought we had no water/electric, no phone/internet, no tarmac road and about 5kms to the village but we just fell in love with the cave, the view and the possibilities and 7 years later we do have electric, phone and internet with water on its way and the cave and the views have fulfilled our expectations.
You can do quite a bit of research on the agents websites and other places like Kyero.com but nothing like seeing it in situ. We came out to see one that we had decided was perfect, had already done a floor plan and guess what, that wasn't the one we bought in the end. That one wasn't even on the website as they had just taken it on.
Nothing quite like getting out here and viewing some.
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by santamaria Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:59 pm
My must haves would relate to whether I would plan to use the cave as a holiday home or full time residence .
And what some can live without others cannot. As I know other cave dwellers, living very happily without some of my must haves.
......must haves if I was buying a cave, top must haves, would be good internet access, good road access (but does not need to be tarmac), electricity water & pref sewerage disposal system mains or non. South facing, not too much out-build. Thick walls and roof cover. Quiet location, but not too isolated , (hamlet). And with all paperwork in-situ. I can think of lots more but once you see the cave you want , then compromise may well take over...........
Good luck and like the list.
And what some can live without others cannot. As I know other cave dwellers, living very happily without some of my must haves.
......must haves if I was buying a cave, top must haves, would be good internet access, good road access (but does not need to be tarmac), electricity water & pref sewerage disposal system mains or non. South facing, not too much out-build. Thick walls and roof cover. Quiet location, but not too isolated , (hamlet). And with all paperwork in-situ. I can think of lots more but once you see the cave you want , then compromise may well take over...........
Good luck and like the list.
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by miron Thu Aug 29, 2013 5:13 pm
Interesting thread to think about! I agree that the agent's may not pay much attention to your list - top of ours was 'no immediate neighbours' - lost count of the times we were taken to view caves in between others. We'd both lived for decades in terrace houses with neighbours all around and really wanted something a bit quieter.
Have copied some of your points below and added my thoughts, for what it's worth!
Based on what folks have said on here, so far I have:
1. Already connected to Water and Electric. (What about sewage?)
(Electric - if you want a mains supply, make sure it is already there cos if not it can take ages and lots of expense to get it connected. People manage well on solar and wind, but it's not for everyone. Water, same as electric. Sewage - if not on mains sewage, a septic tank works well, but make sure there is enough space to install one at a distance from the cave, and get someone to install it and the pipework correctly)
2. Ideally connected to Phone/Internet. Should this be a must have?
(Many caves are not currently connected, so just make sure it can be done - phone Habland for advice!)
3. Must have a tarmacked road up to the property.
(Good access is important, but a track could be hard-packed dirt or concrete, or you could consider getting it graded and surfaced yourself)
4. Ideally, not too far from a town/village. How far is too far though?
(Do you envisage driving everywhere? Otherwise, 30 - 40 mins walk is about far enough. Walking beats drink driving and keeps you fit! But does reduce the choice of properties.)
We stuck fairly strictly to our list, but I know other people who went for something completely different to their first idea. I'm not sure if this is your first visit? You might find it takes a while to decide so don't let agents rush you into a decision.
Have fun!
Have copied some of your points below and added my thoughts, for what it's worth!
Based on what folks have said on here, so far I have:
1. Already connected to Water and Electric. (What about sewage?)
(Electric - if you want a mains supply, make sure it is already there cos if not it can take ages and lots of expense to get it connected. People manage well on solar and wind, but it's not for everyone. Water, same as electric. Sewage - if not on mains sewage, a septic tank works well, but make sure there is enough space to install one at a distance from the cave, and get someone to install it and the pipework correctly)
2. Ideally connected to Phone/Internet. Should this be a must have?
(Many caves are not currently connected, so just make sure it can be done - phone Habland for advice!)
3. Must have a tarmacked road up to the property.
(Good access is important, but a track could be hard-packed dirt or concrete, or you could consider getting it graded and surfaced yourself)
4. Ideally, not too far from a town/village. How far is too far though?
(Do you envisage driving everywhere? Otherwise, 30 - 40 mins walk is about far enough. Walking beats drink driving and keeps you fit! But does reduce the choice of properties.)
We stuck fairly strictly to our list, but I know other people who went for something completely different to their first idea. I'm not sure if this is your first visit? You might find it takes a while to decide so don't let agents rush you into a decision.
Have fun!
miron- Posts : 1099
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by Rosie Thu Aug 29, 2013 6:50 pm
Try this lace for size cuchillo. Might be just what you are after.
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by miron Thu Aug 29, 2013 10:56 pm
Sounds idyllic! Los Olivos is a great little hamlet - quiet but friendly. Your advert doesn't mention the Pensionistas Bar - compact and bijou, or the weekly doctor's surgery, or the church with fortnightly mass for those of a religious persuasion!Rosie wrote:Try this lace for size cuchillo. Might be just what you are after.
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by cuchillo Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:29 am
Hi Rosie
However, a bit more than I am looking to spend
Looks niceRosie wrote:Try this lace for size cuchillo. Might be just what you are after.
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However, a bit more than I am looking to spend
cuchillo- Posts : 31
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by cuchillo Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:40 am
Hi Miron,
The wife and I have driven around Spain a fair bit over the years so thought maybe its time we looked at having a "base" there, with Andalusia calling out to us the most. Well, there and La Rioja 
However, the looking for "A place in the sun" will be a first for us.
Walking distance would be ideal. However is willing to be up to 15 mins away by car reasonable?miron wrote:...(Do you envisage driving everywhere? Otherwise, 30 - 40 mins walk is about far enough. Walking beats drink driving and keeps you fit! But does reduce the choice of properties.)
... I'm not sure if this is your first visit? You might find it takes a while to decide so don't let agents rush you into a decision....
The wife and I have driven around Spain a fair bit over the years so thought maybe its time we looked at having a "base" there, with Andalusia calling out to us the most. Well, there and La Rioja
However, the looking for "A place in the sun" will be a first for us.
cuchillo- Posts : 31
Join date : 2013-08-15
Location : London
Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by cuchillo Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:48 am
The place will (to start with) be for holiday use. Either as a rental or for us to stay in it. As time goes on we would look to spend more time in it.santamaria wrote:My must haves would relate to whether I would plan to use the cave as a holiday home or full time residence .
......must haves if I was buying a cave, top must haves, would be good internet access, good road access (but does not need to be tarmac), electricity water & pref sewerage disposal system mains or non. South facing, not too much out-build. Thick walls and roof cover. Quiet location, but not too isolated , (hamlet). And with all paperwork in-situ. I can think of lots more but once you see the cave you want , then compromise may well take over...........
Good luck and like the list.
I don't mind starting with a "small" place just to "get my feet wet", and as things/life progress look for something bigger/better.
I do like your list! Will combine it with mine
TTFN
cuchillo- Posts : 31
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by cuchillo Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:56 am
Yes, fully agree.La Mancha wrote:...You can do quite a bit of research on the agents websites and other places like Kyero.com but nothing like seeing it in situ. We came out to see one that we had decided was perfect, had already done a floor plan and guess what, that wasn't the one we bought in the end. That one wasn't even on the website as they had just taken it on.
Nothing quite like getting out here and viewing some.
So will be looking to come out as soon as work/life allows. Most likely towards the end of the year.
cuchillo- Posts : 31
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by Dave Fri Aug 30, 2013 1:18 pm
Theres a couple of nice places up for sale at bargain prices in Fuente Nueva. Nothing to do with me, I just know about them 
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by miron Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:24 pm
"Walking distance would be ideal. However is willing to be up to 15 mins away by car reasonable?"
It might be for a lot of people! Too far for me tho!
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by Ponderosa Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:07 am
My wife and I still think we chose the best cave home possible we don’t even need a bus if we both cannot drive any more, we can use a taxi to Baza for less than the cost of the car insurance in a year, No petrol on parking cost no car service cost etc. etc.
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by invicta Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:09 am
bin the car then Pondy. it makes sense let someone else drive
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by invicta Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:10 am
dont forget about services for kids, schools, entertainment, if they aint happy your life will be hell. also ask residents what they think. is it a well run town, is the mayor a goodun or badun. weve been lookin for ages but still not decided where yet. gonna make sure
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by santamaria Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:14 pm
I agree is where you are going to live well run by the local townhall and does the local mayor take an interest in his local community? No where is perfect at it will always be influenced by available funds but will the Mayor listen when you wish to raise a point.
For example when our hamlet was recently without water, (the main pipe had calcified) our local Mayor came out personally to check on things and reassure the community of Fuente Nueva water would be back soon and all was being done that could be done. He is seen at nearly all the community events and gives a speech, which is no easy achievement as there are sooooo many events.
For example when our hamlet was recently without water, (the main pipe had calcified) our local Mayor came out personally to check on things and reassure the community of Fuente Nueva water would be back soon and all was being done that could be done. He is seen at nearly all the community events and gives a speech, which is no easy achievement as there are sooooo many events.
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Car or Taxi
by Ponderosa Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:48 pm
Why would I want to do that I have no problems with driving I even get deplorers from Linea Directa for my good driving and no clams and most important likes to have a car available we both are good drivers.invicta wrote:bin the car then Pondy. it makes sense let someone else drive
Linea Directa asked us if we would like to change our car insurance from fully comp. to third party which we might do this year as our car is now 10 years old.
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Re: What to look for when buying a cave
by invicta Tue Sep 03, 2013 5:08 pm
didnt you just say
Ponderosa wrote:we can use a taxi to Baza for less than the cost of the car insurance in a year, No petrol on parking cost no car service cost etc. etc.
Last edited by invicta on Tue Sep 03, 2013 9:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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