(A series of "Pierre, what do they not have" posts)
Here is another Spanish mill that was restored by an English owner. Only mad dogs and Englishman stay on the beach in the full sun, and the same is true for restoring old buildings. This one is done very nicely and sympathetic.
200-year-old, in production till around half 20th century, then abandoned 50 years, then restored as a (beautiful) house.
It is located at the end of a rambla, near it's water source. The source is an aquifer that is tapped about 300 meters from the house, and collected in an olympic size swimming pool, right behind the house. The trapezium shaped aqueduct then channels the water to the mill, where it drops down some 10 meters.
This house does have tap drinking water, but it is right on the edge of the electric power grid. The owners decided that they would use solar panels and batteries instead of connecting up to the grid. I'm an engineer, I like that.
As for the buts: a few things. First of all, you both need to fall in like with a place if you're two people. One of us was not as charmed as the other. That makes it difficult to proceed.
Two: we had hoped the water source that ran the mill in the past would be available to the owner of the mill as well. Not to run the mill as a mill, but for irrigation of the garden, trees, etc. Perhaps to just fill the reservoir and use it as that olympic size swimming pool. Alas. The water still runs through the mill, although it's more a trickle than a stream at the time we visited (January), but the owner of the mill has no rights to the water at all. It's owned by the community. As is the big reservoir. The reservoir is not really maintained, it's just full of reeds. I would have loved to take care of it, but that requires careful communication with the people there. And if you get there as a foreigner it will take a while till they trust you, and know that you will not waste (their) water.
The power situation is okay for daily life. The batteries will allow you to run computers, refrigerator, lights, television etc as you are used to. The only things you need to compromise on are high power devices like boilers, electric ovens, washing machines and the like. You cannot run a big 3kW oven on a battery system, or heat water electrically in a washing machine. You will need a hot-fill washing machine, and use a solar boiler for hot water.
Perhaps the number of solar panels can be increased, and the number of batteries, although that requires a new converter too, here.
No garage. Can be built, but an existing one would have been nice.
As for the buts: a few things. First of all, you both need to fall in like with a place if you're two people. One of us was not as charmed as the other. That makes it difficult to proceed.
Two: we had hoped the water source that ran the mill in the past would be available to the owner of the mill as well. Not to run the mill as a mill, but for irrigation of the garden, trees, etc. Perhaps to just fill the reservoir and use it as that olympic size swimming pool. Alas. The water still runs through the mill, although it's more a trickle than a stream at the time we visited (January), but the owner of the mill has no rights to the water at all. It's owned by the community. As is the big reservoir. The reservoir is not really maintained, it's just full of reeds. I would have loved to take care of it, but that requires careful communication with the people there. And if you get there as a foreigner it will take a while till they trust you, and know that you will not waste (their) water.
The power situation is okay for daily life. The batteries will allow you to run computers, refrigerator, lights, television etc as you are used to. The only things you need to compromise on are high power devices like boilers, electric ovens, washing machines and the like. You cannot run a big 3kW oven on a battery system, or heat water electrically in a washing machine. You will need a hot-fill washing machine, and use a solar boiler for hot water.
Perhaps the number of solar panels can be increased, and the number of batteries, although that requires a new converter too, here.
No garage. Can be built, but an existing one would have been nice.
We planned to get back here for a second viewing, but an "off" prawn prevented that, and we were already leaning towards the house we now have.
The mill is still for sale, here. Do pick it up, it is a beautiful place. I don't know why they stress the "B&B", it's simply a great house for a family. And located in the Cabo de Gata nature reserve.
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