“I bought a house that appeared on the show in 2019”
Artist and complementary therapist Penny from Staffordshire wants to run her business from a
traditional town in the Spanish sunshine. She took her friend Claire along to help look for a property
around Alora in the Malaga province. They went out to film with Laura Hamilton in May 2022 looking
for a three-bedroom property and seemed over the moon to have the vendor’s counteroffer of
£128,250 accepted on a property, but that is not where I find Penny when we catch up with her in
January 2023.
Penny, 63, tells us that although the property in Alora seemed perfect, when she got back home she
had a rethink. “I decided that it was too much of a project at my age – if I was 40 it might have been
perfect,” he says. “I also wanted more outside space. That and then a wrangle about buying the
furniture with the vendor and I decided to pull out.”
Yet being on the show had introduced Penny to the town of Alora, for which is very grateful, and set
her search in motion. “I kept going out to Alora and met some estate agents and I found the right
house a month later.”
The property is five minutes from the centre of Alora and just two minutes from the town square
which featured in Penny’s episode. The three-bedroom property has been fully modernised and
offers ‘two massive patios’. According to Penny it was shown by Jasmine to property hunters in an
episode of the show broadcast in 2019. It is lucky for her that they didn’t like it.
“It doesn’t need any work so is perfect for me, except there are some termites in the wooden beams,
and a small leak from the outside bathroom,” she says. “It also cost less: it was £108k, including
The purchase completed in late August and Penny has been travelling back and fro, managing her 90
days in 180 limit until she gets her self-employment visa through. She’s had he massage bench
shipped over, and a few bits, but the vendors left her some great furniture, white goods and more.
“I love it here as it feels like a real place, with traditional little shops and routines,” she says. “I’ve
been volunteering at a local English language school, signed up for Spanish lessons and also starting.
watercolour course on Saturdays. I am very happy to be part of this community. Public transport is
easy and very affordable – am managing fine without a car right now.”
She works a little when she heads back to the UK but is in the process of getting her business ready
to go when the paperwork is through. “I am going to be running training courses in holistic medicine
and also laser therapy,’ she says of her work, at ![]()
ascent-therapies.co.uk. “I will have space for people
to stay. I can’t wait to start work here.”
Find out more about moving to Spain