Peter and Vickie Irving

We have travelled inland Spain for many years, always with a half resolved thought of buying a place of our own. We have seen and stayed in some fabulous towns and villages, but there was always something that gave us the excuse not to consider that particular place seriously. You know the sort of thing....  streets too narrow, no restaurant, smelly sewers, ‘the barman looked at me funny’, dogs with one less limb than you would hope to see in your neighbourhood. Anyway, there we were one Saturday in September 2006 pootling our way through the countryside from Osuna, heading for Ronda, when we came across Pruna. Well, we did our usual reconnaissance – not your well oiled military manoeuvre you understand, more your wander round the streets, going ‘oooh’ in the Church, and ending up in the bar! Well everyone was so friendly! All the locals greeted us with an ‘hola’ or ‘bueno dia’ the barman at Miramar didn’t look at us funny, and all the dogs appeared to have a full compliment of limbs, and ears! Anyway we headed of for Ronda, passing AlfiCasa in Olvera as we went.

Ten days later when we arrived back in England without any excuses for not seriously considering Pruna, or even Olvera as a place to buy…. except for that good old standby, that we had so far never had to resort to; ‘there’s no way we can afford it’. So, just to prove the point, we bung the word ‘Pruna’ in the search engine, and Bingo! AlfiCasa. Well, you’ve presumably seen the prices before getting this far! It began to dawn on us that our failsafe excuse may not bear up under the strain. A few quick sums and we were planning our return. We rented a house in Pruna for a week in November 2006, on the principle that if anywhere looks good to a couple of old cynics in the cold and rain of November then we’d be convinced.

Anyway, we didn’t contact AlfiCasa before leaving, I mean you wouldn’t would you! You imagine some slick, pinstriped smarm artist, probably with a fake Rolex, and company Seat Ibiza trying to line you up to see 27 inappropriate dumps in 3 days, and then pestering you for evermore to buy something you don’t want, at a price you can’t afford. ‘Didn’t you read the testimonials?’ I hear you cry. Oh stop it! Mr Smarm wrote those on a slack day.

So we walked into AlfiCasa one November morning, and tried out our dodgy Spanish on the cheery young man. No need to worry, he understood us, and his English was excellent, despite being a Geordie! (you can cut that bit out if you like Ian) Ian took a few details and then a mad woman with a handbag the size of a small car and a bunch of keys that would put a Prison Warder to shame breezed into the office. Fiona listened to what we were interested in, and just when we thought she was about to say ‘give me a few days to see what I can line up’, it was, ‘right let’s go then’, and we were off! Fiona showed us about 6 houses in Pruna straight off, and recommended other places to look, she helped us with a brilliant Abogado, helped us open a bank account, took us to Ronda to sort out an NIE, and answered every possible silly question. Within a day it was like looking round for a house with an old friend who just happened to know everyone who had a house for sale. She made us feel she was really on our side, and wanted the right thing for us however long it took. She was completely honest about the properties, there was no hard sell, and the off the cuff estimates about how much it would cost to do various things to house turned out to be pretty spot on as it turned out. Because of Fiona we didn’t end up buying the first house we put an offer on, but we returned in January 2007 and bought the house we now own, which as it turns out is twice the house for the same money as the first one we liked.

Five weeks after we first saw our house, it was ours. No hassle, no stress, and all down to what Fiona arranged and managed for us. What we imagined could turn out to be a long drawn out nightmare was in fact a fairy tale of Fiona’s making. Since then she has helped organise all the reformation work on the house, which is now completed, both quicker and to a higher standard than we could have hoped for. AlfiCasa continue to help us maintain our property and manage our rental business, as well as advertise our house for rent on their website.

So if you are thinking of looking for a property in a beautiful part of rural Spain, don’t do what we did, e-mail AlfiCasa now and arrange to come and have a look without fear of pressure or having to make any commitment. Whatever happens, you’ll have great fun, and you can rent our house while you are looking!

Yes and a wonderful house it is! The most perfectly equiped rental house in Spain!! Click here for information

Heather and Mike Denison - UK

What kind of property did you purchase?
We purchased a town house

How did you rate your viewing experience ie the suitability of properties we showed you?
Excellent. Looked at a lot of properties but El Gastor, fabulous!

What is our best point?
Customer Service from start to finish excellent

What is our worst point?
Couldn't fine one complaint except all the nice lunches with AlfiCasa put weight on me.

Did you feel you have received good 'after sales'?
After Sales Service, well it never stops even after we bought the House in April 2007

Sum up Alficasa in three words
BLOOD E BRILLIANT

Pauleen and Mike - Ireland

Outstanding customer service - that is what you get with Alficasa.

We had been looking for a property in Spain for some time before we discovered Alficasa. Immediately it was clear that Alficasa were very different than the other estate agents we had encountered in Spain. Refreshingly honest advice combined with an ability to source great properties at the most competitive of prices meant that Fiona and her team had found us a fantastic property in Olvera in a very short period of time. Fiona and her team then took us gently through each step of the buying process, making the whole transaction both transparent and remarkably stress-free. In fact, we remain friends with our Spanish vendors.

Since we bought our house in 2005 the after-sales service we have received from Alficasa has been outstanding. Their local knowledge, language skills, contacts and all-round helpfulness are extraordinary - nothing is too much trouble, no problem is insurmountable!

Alficasa is more than a mere estate agency, it is a social hub, a real contact point in the community of Olvera and the surrounding areas. If you are looking for a property in the "real" Spain, look no further. We simply can’t recommend AlfiCasa highly enough.

Robert and Sue Firth - UK

We began our search for a new home a few years ago, looking at various areas of Spain. Nothing really felt like ‘home’ until we turned our attention inland.
One year later we came across the town of Olvera and its surrounding countryside, which is stunningly beautiful.

Our first visit to the town was in the depths of winter. It was cold and raining, but this didn’t stop us from falling in love with the town and its people.

Fiona and Alfi Casa were recommended to us and with her unfailing help, we finally found ‘the one’, a lovely residencia on the main street.

The purchase was made stress free for us, although probably not for Fiona! and so unlike the home buying experience in the UK.

We are now in the midst of a major refurb and can’t wait to finally move in and call it ‘home’.

We think that we received and excellent service from Alfi Casa. The local knowledge that Fiona and her team has is second to none.
If you are looking for property in this area, be sure to make Alfi Casa your first port of call.

Kevin and Helen Brady - Spain

We came to live in Spain in 1999 and have been living and working on the costa del bloody tourist since then. We both have very busy work lives and early this year, decided to look for a property “inland” that we could use as a holiday retreat from the coast. We came across Olvera whilst researching the area and fell in love with the place from day one. Having met some other expats in a bar (where else?) we were recommended to go and see Fiona at Alfi Casa.

After viewing several properties over the course of the next few weeks, we settled on a pueblo house in Calle Fuente Vieja. Fiona and the team at Alfi Casa have been fantastic to deal with. From our initial enquiry right through the days spent taking us around viewing, to the purchase and now refurbishment of our holiday home we couldn't have asked for a better service. Perhaps we will meet you in one of Olveras' many bars some time, we will have no hesitation in recommending that you call in to see Fiona and her team if you are looking for a property here in this area of Spain.

NB. Helen Brady runs a very successful hair salon in Marbella. Since having my first cut in Spain by Helen after 12 years with the same hairdresser, I would not let anyone else cut my hair! She is fabulous! If you are in the area look up the salon!

http://www.spanishgolfvacations.com/the_salon.htm

Eric & Eira Cookney - UK

What kind of property did you purchase?
Village House

What were your first impressions of Olvera?
It was early December 2004, We breasted the hill & were stunned by our first view, The twin towers of the Church sitting next to the Arab tower with the white village lying beneath, all clinging to the top of a hill across a green lush valley. We could not believe we would find a house we could afford in such a beautiful place

How did you rate your viewing experience ie the suitability of properties we showed you?
We were shown 9 properties which fitted the criteria we had requested, all would have been an acceptable purchase, we are extremely happy with the house we eventually purchased & inside 4 weeks!

What is our best point?
Local knowledge of the area, the village & the people.

What is our worst point?
Keeping me out till all hours of the night

Did you feel you have received good 'after sales'?
Over & above the duty of any agent

Sum up Alficasa in three words
Hospitable, Genuine, Professional

Harry Timmerman & Family of 5 (soon to be six) - The Netherlands

What kind of property did you purchase?
Village house in Olvera with spectacular mountain views and great location right under the cathedral.

What were your first impressions of Olvera?
No other White Village has such a landmark skyline. We like Olvera because of its immediate proximity to the Alcornocales and Grazalema nature reserve with the Embalse of Zahara de la Sierra and bizarre landscapes around cueva de la Pileta. Olvera is located on the crossroads between beautiful Cadiz, Sevilla, Granada and Malaga, ensuring easy access to 4 international Airports as well as the spectacular ski resorts of the Sierra Nevada in less then 2 hours travelling. And don't forget the Cota Doñana, Europe largest Nature Reserve, considered a piece of Africa in Europe. And off course Ronda, Tarifa, Sentenil, Via Verde, daytrips to Morocco, Gibraltar, whale watching (usually in the water but during summer also pink-red and often drunk on the beach) and the double-parked Ferrari's in Marbella.

How did you rate your viewing experience ie the suitability of properties we showed you?
We ended up buying the first house that was shown to us.

What is our best point?
Very customized and even personalised service.

What is our worst point?
Fiona takes on too much work

Did you feel you have received good 'after sales'?
Yes, very much so. But we are not yet really "after" the complete sale yet as we had to purchase the house in two parts as the vendors lawyer had not done his job properly even though this was only two years ago!! The great thing is however that we were able to gain possession paying a deposit on this part and just awaiting the paperwork so this made life easier.

Sum up Alficasa in three words
Personal, responsible, inventive.

Graham, Tetricia and Family - UK

What kind of property did you purchase?
Village house in Olvera

What were your first impressions of Olvera?
A beautiful village, wonderful views, a friendly atmosphere, a dream come true.

How did you rate your viewing experience ie the suitability of properties we showed you?
We were shown a great number of properties, which all met are criteria. It was a pleasant experience.

What is our best point?
From the initial travel arrangements to visit Olvera, to the buying our house was completely hassle free.

What is our worst point?
None to report

Did you feel you have received good 'after sales'?
The after care service is first class, nothing is too much trouble.

Sum up Alficasa in three words
Above & beyond expectations

Additional Comments
Buying a property in Andalusia has always been a dream for our family. With thanks to Fiona and her staff the dream has been realised.
The process from start to finish went very smoothly, due to Fiona’s excellent Spanish and her knowledge of Spanish law. The solicitor Fiona recommended was very reassuring; he speaks great English, and was very professional throughout the buying process.

Finally, to all at Aficasa

Mucho Gracias

Graham, Tetricia and the boys