This article is supplied by Living Tenerife Magazine
Jane and Clive moved to Tenerife from West Yorkshire eight years ago. To make sure that they really wanted to settle permanently on the island, the couple wisely chose to rent out an apartment for six months before taking the plunge and buying a property. During those six months the couple scoured the island looking for a suitable place to live. The north was too damp, although the soil was clearly a lot better and would mean a lot less work in the gardening department. After weighing up the prons and cons, Jane and Clive eventually decided on the south.
One day, while on their discovery tour, they came across a dirt track. Curious to see where it led, the couple drove on to investigate and came upon a partly finished villa. After making a few inquiries, the pair found to their joy that the property was for sale. Unfortunately, soon after they also learned that a deposit had been put down; their hopes of a purchase were dashed.
The property pursuit continued but as the months went by Clive and Jane couldn’t stop thinking about their dream villa; they hadn’t found anywhere that compared to the ‘casa blanca’.
Destiny finally took matters into its own hands and the previous sale fell through. In 1997 Clive and Jane were able to purchase the home: a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom villa on a vast plot situated in Las Moraditas, perched on the mountain side overlooking Adeje's verdant golf course. The road leading up the mountain to Las Moraditas looks like it leads nowhere. These days it’s covered with tarmac but a few years ago you needed a 4-wheel drive after a heavy bout of rain if you didn’t want to get your tyres stuck in the muddy track.
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The house is in a quiet spot with wonderful views. There’s enough space between houses to ensure an atmosphere of privacy. The neighbours are from all nationalities (German, Spanish, Swedish, Austrian etc) so it definitely helps to be bilingual here.
Clive and Jane spent their first year in their new home perpetually covered in plaster and cement. Virtually every waking hour was given over to digging, weeding, planting or painting. Clive replaced the roof with terracotta tiles and the couple extended the kitchen - now a large family farmhouse kitchen, complete with a scrubbed solid pine table. Polished copper and brass curios, salvaged from a scrap yard in England, fill the room. A clocking-in device hangs from a wal,l serving as a unique ornament.
Jane happens to be a dab hand at sewing and made all the curtains herself, as well as stencilling boarders on walls, upholstering furniture and fitting wardrobes with old balcony doors.
“Whenever I’m bored, I repaint the walls and then sew curtains to match,” she says.
Past the kitchen is a spacious lounge. Huge glass doors lead onto the balcony that showcases a magnificent ocean vista, encompassing the islands of La Gomera and La Palma. The lounge has a log fireplace, giving the room an old England feel. Deep, comfy sofas surround a striking table that Clive made by covering an old wooden plough with glass.
Located on a slightly elevated spot is the dining area. From here the larger bedrooms lead off. The master bedroom is light and breezy, with pale walls and a white bedspread. The only ornate decorations are the two baroque cherubs that sit above the headboard.
The garden is bursting with indigenous plants; they sprout up between rocks and garden ornaments - including a fantastic rusty canon. There’s also a barbeque area, complete with fridge to keep the drinks cool. A swimming pool lies around a corner sheltered by masses of brightly coloured flowers; while a long winding driveway leads through a bewilderment of shrubs and trees to a huge fishpond.
After much hard work, the couple’s dream home is finished, leaving them stress free and with time on their hands to finally enjoy their home. But, relaxation is clearly a word not in Clive and Jane’s vocabulary. “We might sell the house, buy another and start all over again,” Jane tells me. This is a couple that’s driven to decorate!
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Article Theme : Through the keyhole
Property Owner : Jane and Clive
Property Locality : Las Moraditas
Magazine issue : April 2005
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