november-2011

PROPERTY LANZAROTE
and they live in a traditional Canarian house that
they renovated themselves.
“The old farmhouses make good family
homes, they’re often large and in places where
new properties can’t be built, so they are usually
more peaceful and secluded,” says Atkinson.
“They’re also designed to be cool in summer
and warm in winter.”
Atkinson has completed several renovations
and always starts by gutting the properties, leaving
any interesting or original features. He then
re-renders and re-roofs the building and adds all
the necessary utilities before redecorating. “It’s
effectively a new-build in an old style,” he explains.
Atkinson says you can still find larger
farmhouses with land for renovation, though
they are becoming rare. These tend to cost from
£350,000, but you’ll need to add on the cost of
renovation work, which can amount to £175,000.
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‘You can buy a 1,000 square metre
plot for around £130,000, and
a bespoke villa for £220,000’
He also advises using a lawyer when purchasing
land, as ownership in rural areas can be split
between numerous family members, and it may not
be possible to establish clear title to the property.
The Atkinsons love the easy-going pace of life
in Lanzarote and have worked hard to establish
themselves here. They recently bought a farmhouse
to renovate into a small hotel for outdoor-pursuits
enthusiasts, and last year they took over La Cantina
(+34 928 845 536), a characterful restaurant in
the centre of a village called Teguise. The building
is a 400-year-old house that has been partially
restored by Atkinson.
“We’re very happy in Lanzarote,” says Atkinson,
“We’d never go back to the UK. I did think
I might like to move somewhere else but I never
found anywhere I loved as much.”
Above: the Atkinson family’s
self-renovated villa is effectively
‘a new-build in an old style’