Country house with land, only ten minutes walk from town, Chella, Spain

LOCATION.

The property is in southern Valencia Province, on the edge of the small town of Chella, near to the larger towns of Xativa and Canals, and about 60km from the beach resort of Gandia. The countryside is hilly and green, with lakes and rivers. Agriculture is the main industry, mostly growing olives, oranges and persimmons. There are beauty spots and interesting geological, archaeological and historical places to visit. There are many opportunities for outdoor recreations such as walking, running, riding, hunting, cycling and even potholing.

The climate escapes the extreme high temperatures of southern Spain in summer, and extreme low temperatures of the central plateau in winter. The weather is generally sunny, with rainfall mostly occurring in the autumn.

CHELLA.

This is a typical small Spanish town, almost self-sufficient with a full range of facilities: health centre with 24 hour emergency service; pharmacy; school; town hall; police station; post office; auditorium; sports centre and football stadium; banks and insurance companies; bars and restaurants; two supermarkets; vegetable shops and bakeries; ironmongers, electricians and plumbers etc. There is a lively community life with a weekly street market and several fiestas a year with street parades, concerts, dances, street parties, entertainments for children, and fireworks.

THE ESTATE.

The estate is situated in a peaceful agricultural valley to the south-east of the town, which is out of sight but only 10 minutes walk away. There are views down the valley to Xativa castle and the mountains beyond. The estate totals 17000 square metres. The land is fertile and covered with wild flowers for much of the year. Most of the land is within a fence, with stone walls and a motor-driven gate at the entrance. Around the house there are fruit trees, almond trees, flowering shrubs and a kitchen garden. Other areas include: an olive grove with 50 trees in production; a series of south-facing terraces which would be ideal for a vineyard; and an area with a gate opening onto the road which could be a paddock with stables. In the rest of the land weeds are suppressed so that the land could be further developed, or allowed to become natural woodland.

THE HOUSE.

The house was built in 2008-9 in a contemporary rustic style. It has a reinforced concrete pillar and beam structure giving immense strength. The foundation is a 60cm steel-reinforced concrete slab. The double brick walls, partially clad with hand-cut local stone, have an interior foam layer and air gap for insulation, and can maintain a temperature difference of at least 10 degrees Celsius between inside and outside. Windows are of strong uPVC construction, double-glazed, and have roller blinds (persianas). Glazed doors have safety glass. The interior of the house makes use of natural materials, with oak woodwork and marble flooring. These are all important points: few Spanish houses are built to such a high standard.

The build area of the house is 220 sq.m, including 40 sq.m of covered terrace: there are further terraces at the front and rear of the house.

The central part of the house has a reception hall (15 sq.m); triple-aspect living room (29 sq.m) with patio doors opening on to the covered terrace; study/4th bedroom (9 sq.m); and kitchen-dining room (27 sq.m) with a large built-in larder cupboard; a range of base and wall units with granite work tops, plinths and end panels; integrated gas hob, fan-assisted gas oven, and dishwasher.

Between the living-room and the hall there is a large double-sided wood burning stove.

The master wing has a bedroom (20 sq.m including two large built-in wardrobes); en-suite bathroom with bath, WC, bidet, and wash-basin; a second bathroom with shower cubicle, WC and wash-basin; utility room with hot-water heater, washing machine, and storage space.

The guest/family wing has two bedrooms (18 sq.m and 11 sq.m), each with built-in wardrobes. There is also a bathroom with walk-in shower, wash-basin and WC.

Outside there is a store/workshop (40 sq.m) with water and power. This is also built to a high standard, and would be an easy conversion to a two-room guest house if required.

 POOL

The house was built without a pool as the owners do not swim. But there is an area at the rear of the house ideal for a pool, and the owners can introduce the buyer to an English-speaking architect who can design and project-manage a pool installation.

SERVICES.

Internet/tv is provided by Orange “4G in Casa” There is also a pre-installation for satellite tv.

The water supply is treated drinking water from the town (unusual in country properties). Hot water is solar heated, with boost from bottled gas in winter.

Sewage is to a septic tank. There is also a supply of water for irrigation.

There is an independent electricity supply from solar panels, wind turbine, battery storage, and gas-powered generator. The generator is needed for backup only when there is a run of cloudy days. The system is more reliable than mains electricity, which in rural areas is susceptible to storm damage and lightning strikes

IS THIS THE HOUSE FOR YOU?

If you are someone looking for a healthier and less stressful life in a better climate, this could be the house for you. If you are country lover, birdwatcher, horse rider, walker, cyclist, writer, eco-enthusiast, bee-keeper or gardener, this could be the house for you. If you want to take up self-sufficiency farming, this could be the house for you. If you want to develop a business in rural tourism, this could be the house for you.

This is a unique opportunity to buy a substantial country house and estate, only a few minutes walk from town, at a realistic price. Please act quickly and contact the owners with your questions. We will send you a brochure with more information and photos.