Couple buy Spanish village for same price as average UK house

A couple has managed to snag an entire Spanish village for less than the average house price back home, spending just £288,000 on a settlement boasting 62 properties. Elvira Fafián, head of Aldeas Abandonadas Real, said: "They contacted us because they were looking for something big like this, with lots of houses and land, far from the big cities."

However, there was one significant drawback; all the buildings in the village were in ruins.

Dutch natives Maaike Geurts and Tibor Strausz have embarked on an ambitious project to rejuvenate Bárcena de Bureba, purchased in 2022 for €350,000 (£288k), envisioning it as an eco-community.

While progress is being made with the first four families expected to join soon, the couple still consider Amsterdam their main base until the village can be transformed into a fully habitable and self-sustaining place.

Maaike, aged 46, shared with El Periódico de España: "We recently had a meeting in Amsterdam with four families interested in coming and two have told us that they are sure to come in 2025."

It's no small endeavour – upon arrival, Maaike and Tibor discovered the village in complete disarray, stripped of its essentials by thieves.

Together with their daughters Trisa and Riva, the family dedicates substantial time to the restoration efforts, although there's still a considerable road ahead.

The couple have equipped the houses with solar panels, as the village lacks both electricity and running water. Bárcena de Bureba has been deserted since the 1970s.

However, the pair are resolute in their vision to transform the dilapidated village into a self-sustaining, eco-friendly community. Maaike said: "We want to inspire people."

She explained: "We believe it is a solution to the problems we have now with the soil; it is depleted because there are no organic materials and all the carbon dioxide in the soil is disappearing. That's why the soil retains less water, which causes drought."

One of the most captivating features of Bárcena de Bureba for potential new residents is its Romanesque church.

Despite its current semi-ruined state, there is hope for its restoration. "Many people in Holland are interested in rebuilding it, but I don't know if it will be possible; maybe it can be a centre for young people, for the elderly," Maaikee suggested.

Aldeas Abandonadas lists approximately 40 other villages and hamlets for sale across Spain on its website, with many located in the Galicia region.