by Maxine Hawthorn

In 2002 Maxine and her husband decided to invest in the Spanish property market and fulfil their dream of owning a holiday home in Spain. However, they soon realised that they loved the sunshine and relaxed way of life much more than they expected. In 2007 Maxine, her husband and their schnauzer dog, Lulu, made the permanent move from their home town of Glasgow, Scotland to begin a new life in Valencia, and have never looked back since. Here Maxine tells us her story, and how she became involved in setting up Valencia Homes.

"Having spent several holidays abroad in Spain we fell in love with the the climate and way of life and decided to buy a holiday home here. We began by looking on the internet / going to a property fair / buying books and magazines on proprty in Spain , and finally decided to go with one of the larger estate agents.

"Our first experience of buying a house in Torrevieja Spain was fraught with problems and stress from the start. We encountered several upsets along the way, including being told that we had the use of a communal pool with our property and after moving in finding out that we didn't - imagine my disappointment."

"However, we were not put off, and enjoyed our holiday home so much, we decided to move to Spain permanently. After a good friend recommended we visit his family who were living in Valencia we came for a visit and instantly knew that this was the place for us. I had always loved the Mediterranean way of life and thought that food and wine tasted better outdoors and were fed up of the constant rain and busy lifestyle in Scotland. "

"We bought our second Spanish home after searching on the internet and using a smaller estate agent and found the experience much more straightforward and personal. We moved to Valencia in October 2007, and can now enjoy the sun and the "mañana" lifestyle everyday if we want!"

It was through buying this house that I was introduced to lawyer Juan Torres. Fortunately Juan speaks excellent English and we soon became friends and together discussed the difficulties faced by English-speaking clients looking to buy property in Spain. We realised that we could make a difference, and there started the concept for Valencia Homes."

"Having twice been through the process of buying property in Spain myself with two quite different experiences, I realised that I could use this experience and knowledge to help others fulfil their dreams too. I want to ensure that anyone buying or renting a house with Valencia Homes has a personal and positive experience and that we take the hassle and stress away from people as much as possible."

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Contact www.valenciahomes.es to rent or buy property in Valencia or phone 003496373992