Caroline and Andy Burgess from Eastbourne turned to A Place in the Sun to help them find a villa in Florida ten years ago.
Those with very long memories might recall the couple, who once ran a popular fish and chip shop in the seaside town, appearing on the show with Ben Hillman in Davenport, searching for a four-bedroom home to share with their twin girls, Sophie and Rebecca.
They purchased a villa in Calabay Parc, a residential community near Champions Gate in the ever-popular Orlando area, ideal for easy access to all the theme parks. It cost them $198,000 at the time – around £170,000 at today’s exchange rate.
From TV dream to Florida success
“Our time on the show was informative and fun. The crew were extremely helpful in sourcing information for us with our many, many questions. Ben was a great presenter who made us feel at ease and made the whole experience enjoyable,” says Caroline, 52.
Now retired, with their girls having finished their GCSEs, the family are ready for a change after years of memorable trips to Disney and more.
They are selling their Florida home for $420,000 (£360,000) through their rentals management company (AAAluxvillas.com) and via their own website, orlandovillamagsden.com.
The immaculately presented villa is all on one level, with a covered pool and sun deck, and a garage converted into a spacious games room. The couple have upgraded everything since purchasing it.
They’ve rented out their villa steadily for 75% of each year, visiting for around a month themselves. “Aside from when the pandemic hit, we’ve always had a steady flow of bookings, from the UK and also North America. We’ve earnt enough to keep upgrading the property, to cover our costs and also to fund our annual trip there which is around £5,000 each time," says Caroline.
A new chapter in Spain
“We have loved our years in Florida, and the villa has been a total success. It’s rented well and we’ve holidayed there a lot. But the girls now want to spread their wings a bit and we are also ready for something new.”
So, why Spain? Proximity is key. A two-hour flight from nearby Gatwick to Alicante means they could be relaxing at their holiday home by lunchtime and enjoy spontaneous weekend getaways at their Spanish holiday home.
“We want somewhere to escape the British winters. Our Florida villa was great, but it was always booked up in the winter, so it was hard to go at short notice. The Alicante area seems much more practical,” says Andy, 55.
The couple are now on the hunt for a slightly smaller property – ideally around €200,000 – with three bedrooms and a shared pool. They've identified Orihuela Costa as the area where they may find this.
“It still has loads to offer – beaches, golf, shopping, traditional towns – and everything’s within easy reach,” says Caroline. “With the language difference, it might be a little trickier than Florida, but on the other hand there are a lot of positives, such as not having to drive everywhere and everything being on tap,” she adds.
Back to A Place in the Sun
The couple are heading to A Place in the Sun Live at Birmingham’s NEC next month to kick-start their property search and learn about the Spanish buying process. “We like to research everything properly, like taxes, legal costs etc,” says Caroline.
They will be able to meet Ben Hillman again who will be at the show, and as Caroline adds: “We might even do another screen test.”
Stand by for updates about take two.
Ready to start your own journey?
Join us at A Place in the Sun Live at Birmingham’s NEC next month and take the first step towards owning your dream home abroad.
Meet expert property advisors, attend seminars on buying overseas, and even meet the presenters from the TV show.
