Hi Finn,You know there are sometimes when you wonder what the hell are you doing…it’s all a mistake…STOP!!!
The thing is that Tazi has always been problematic, she’s never been easy either by choice or progress. We bought her as very much a last resort and through frustration at losing out on other options. She has never been a “love” buy/project, but then she has always been much more of a pragmatic buy. Ultimately she had everything that we were looking for and were failing to get in any other place we looked at.
She was located in a “good” area, close to tourist routes and the so called “Golden Triangle”, she had a good entrance, 6 sizeable bedrooms, a beautiful fountain, great detail in a number of the rooms, space for a kitchen and a most amazing view. As a guest house she shone through and has continued to shine through when we’ve been looking again and again at and for other alternatives.
And that in part is the thing, we have simply failed to find an alternative to her, despite months spent trying. Again, when we bought her prices were just rocketing and when you went to buy, they doubled in front of you…no I’m not joking. So when it came to choosing Tazi, we were both exasperated, but also felt that at the very least we could buy her and, if we found something better, sell her. And in some respects this has potentially worked. We’ve had offers for her, at 70 – 100% of her original value. But then we’ve failed to find anything else to but instead.
In part the issue that raises itself with her is that there is a whole part of the house that is missing. You feel this, or at least I feel this whenever I enter her, and of course this is the neighbours house that is not only the amputated part of Tazi, but has grown in to a deformity that now over shadows some of Tazis’ prize features. Notably this includes the basement, which should be a huge kitchen, and the lawyers room, which should have a wonderful individual terrace.
This is what is causing us sleepless nights..what a heep!Thus we are left needing to buy the neighbours and this has been a bone of contention for months. A running sore that has prevented us from going ahead with the project.
Ironically, when we first started looking it was summer and I felt that we “had to have” space for some sort of pool. I still feel this is the case and the neighbours place would provide this, as well as space for a small walled garden, another access/entrance and opening up and rebuilding the rest of the house. The problem is that the neighbours want and have always wanted more than we are willing to pay, and that this additional cost is likely to make Tazi far more expensive than we had considered paying for her in the first place. But if there is a quantifiable figure to put on the benefits of what we can do with that space, it could only add both value and quality to Tazi as a whole.
In addition, I am sure that she would be so very different from anything that we have seen anywhere else. Thus by implementing the changes that we would be wanting to add, by having a pool, using eco technology where possible and promoting responsible/cultural tourism, we would have a project that is highly marketable and I am sure would be well used through out the tourist year.
Perhaps if you look at it this way it'll make sense?
Would the costs of purchase pay for themselves? I think so. But how difficult is it to get this deal done. Three separate owners, three sets of negotiations, three groups of people, complicated, poor, desperate for money, people. And trying to get that completed has proved a nightmare.
Ironically, when we first started looking it was summer and I felt that we “had to have” space for some sort of pool. I still feel this is the case and the neighbours place would provide this, as well as space for a small walled garden, another access/entrance and opening up and rebuilding the rest of the house. The problem is that the neighbours want and have always wanted more than we are willing to pay, and that this additional cost is likely to make Tazi far more expensive than we had considered paying for her in the first place. But if there is a quantifiable figure to put on the benefits of what we can do with that space, it could only add both value and quality to Tazi as a whole.
In addition, I am sure that she would be so very different from anything that we have seen anywhere else. Thus by implementing the changes that we would be wanting to add, by having a pool, using eco technology where possible and promoting responsible/cultural tourism, we would have a project that is highly marketable and I am sure would be well used through out the tourist year.
Perhaps if you look at it this way it'll make sense?Would the costs of purchase pay for themselves? I think so. But how difficult is it to get this deal done. Three separate owners, three sets of negotiations, three groups of people, complicated, poor, desperate for money, people. And trying to get that completed has proved a nightmare.
We’ve managed to meet with them all. Managed to get prices from two of them, one reasonable, one far less so, and then the bottom owner, an old lady with son and daughter, who want as much money as possible. Their price is exorbitant and to be honest I feel mugged by the whole affair.
But, if we get the deal done, then we vastly improve our own property. The feeling of amputation will end and we will be able to put in place the garden, balconies and pool……at least we hope so, because you never know!!!
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