I’m not going to bang on too much more about ‘Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Job’, as we are now well into their new, 4th series on the gorgeous island of Corfu.

However, we are still on the receiving end of a lot of interest in Moclín on the strength of the third series of the programme, and the festive Christmas special, so this post is dedicated to all those people who fancy finding a doer-upper in Moclín and creating their own Casa Alamanda.

I’ll start by saying that if anyone is considering a restoration project in one of Andalucia’s rural inland villages, just have courage and go for it. We have bought and restored two old houses and we are in the process of acquiring a third. Restoring a property is not without its challenges, but the end result can be so exciting, as we have discovered. We have the house of our dreams, designed to suit perfectly our way of life, and a second property that earns us a living. We’re very lucky in that Andrew and I both agree on design decisions and have very similar taste, so it is easy to nip into a tile shop, find the first style we love and walk out with a couple of boxes for the bathroom! We don’t spend months agonising over the finer details, as we have a clear overall vision of what we want, which is very useful.

Last year, our PR machinery was working overtime in the wake of the transmission of ‘Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Job’ and we managed to get a good piece in the Mail Online featuring 5 of the doer-uppers we, as Granada Village and Country, are marketing.

We thought it might be useful to go through some of the properties we have for sale in the municipality that need a little tender care, and that are in various states of disrepair. We should emphasise that we are happy to help with any project management; we put together the building teams for Alan and Amanda’s project and we have good knowledge of the planning requirements in the area. These properties represent the best opportunities to create incredible homes for either permanent residence, holidays or for generating rental income. All you need is a little courage and the financial wherewithal to do what you want with the property.

How much does it cost to restore a house?

Typically, we would suggest a budget of €1,000 per square metre of build when it comes to considering the costs of restoration. However, if you are prepared to do a lot of the work yourself, then the overall costs can be slashed. As an example, we sold a house that needed quite a lot of work, and in ordinary circumstances, the property restoration should have cost in the region of €110,000 - €120,000; the property is around 116 m2. The new owner did a lot of the work himself and the overall cost came in at half that amount.

Seven properties in need of restoration:

Calle Amargura 9, Moclín. €54,000. There is something about this house that we really like. It is modest and unassuming from the outside, but it opens up like a tardis inside. The garden is a hidden delight and there are options for a roof terrace and a separate studio/garden room at the rear, all concealed from prying eyes. You could get 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in here, with some judicious reshuffling, and a lovely kitchen with separate dining room and cosy living room.

Barrio Yesares Alto 7, Los Yesares. €25,000. Tucked away in a hamlet within the municipality of Moclín, this is a fabulous project. It is rich in character with lots of old features, such as the abundant timber beams. This property has enormous potential with options for a lovely patio garden, a roof terrace over the old garage that would give views towards the Sierra Nevada, and so much more. 3 or 4 bedrooms would be feasible and you could be very imaginative with the ground floor living areas - open plan living with a lovely kitchen. With this property and the right budget you could create something really exciting and unique.

Calle Padre Manjón 12 and 14, Moclín. €63,000. Two houses for the price of one, but you can’t be timid with this property. Number 12 is just about habitable but Number 14 needs a complete rebuild. Often, if the building has deteriorated too much, it is cheaper to knock down the bulk of it and rebuild. That said, if you do that you have complete control of the new-build as you are not limited by the constraints of the original layout, apart from the footprint. Imagination is key here, but the end result could be amazing; we love projects like this, where there are few limits to what you could do. There is also an adjacent plot of land (with another ruin) that could be available to buy, and you could add a guest cottage, parking and swimming pool. The property sits just around the corner from Casa Alamanda!

Calle Amargura 5, Moclín. €20,000. On the face of it, this is a gated parking space! Do not be put off!! We bought a garage with a mud floor that had latterly been used to shell almonds; it used to be the village blacksmith. With our garage, we used the shell to create Esperanza 9, and you could so something similar here. There is a ruin on the plot - an old 2 bedroom house - and you could use the footprint to build a charming cottage with a garden and even a plunge pool. Really worth considering if you are looking for a smaller project but want to create something unique.

Cortijo Buenavista, Moclín. €77,000. Majestic views, a plot of land that is fenced and gated and a detached and characterful cortijo. Structurally, this cottage has been worked on so you could continue with what already exists to create a 2 bedroom house with lovely open-plan living area/kitchen. The property has an old aljibe (water tank) that could be used as a pool, and the land is planted with olive trees. The views are breathtaking, and almost worth the asking price alone!

Callejon Real 19, Tózar. €98,000. If full-scale building work fills you full of fear, but you still fancy exercising your interior design skills, then this solid village home would fit the bill. As it sits at the end of a terrace, there are windows on three sides of the property, allowing a lot of natural light to penetrate the interior spaces. The proportions are good and there is flexibility here in how you might configure the accommodation. There is a lovely, large patio garden with plenty of space to create a Spanish oasis for relaxing beside a plunge pool or cooking up something delicious on a barbecue.

Calle Aguilera 4, Tózar. €95,000. Another property for the interior designers and this one comes with glorious views from almost every room. The bedrooms take full advantage of these views, across towards Moclín Castle. The gated and walled garden is equally delightful, set out on three tiers with two patios and a small garden; there’s space to add a plunge pool.

A selection of great village homes waiting for a creative touch, and all under €100,000 (around £87,000). If Amanda and Alan have inspired you to tackle a building project in Andalucia, then these houses should suit, depending on how dirty you like your hands to get! The bonus is that you can tap in to our very own creative skills and experience and we can help you realise the Andalucian home of your dreams!