FOUR OTHER BRILLIANT BUDGET BOLTHOLES

IN THE programme, Julia meets other Brits who’ve also bought property for £10,000 or under and transformed them into fabulous homes.

UNDERGROUND HAVEN Amboise, Dordogne

Alexis and Lottie paid just €1 for their three troglodyte caves carved into a limestone cliff but had to pledge to reinforce the roof, at a more substantial €10,000 per cave. The couple sold their vintage Citroen car to cover the cost of the first cave and then funded the work on the second (now their home) and third by renting it out. Today, Cave Number One is warm, whitewashed and elegantly tiled with a smart kitchen and stunning bathroom whose roll-top freestanding bath was salvaged from a field for free. The couple, with no DIY experience, have done everything themselves. ‘We didn’t have much choice,’ says Lottie. ‘In the end, doing something like this forces you to do stuff you’re not comfortable with, or are even scared to do!’ PRICE €1 REFURB €10,000 per cave (€30,000 for three caves) TOTAL COST €30,001

CITY CHIC Almeria, Spain

Ivan, right with Julia, bought this onebedroom apartment for €9,000 and paid €3,100 on basic renovations. He furnished the property with an inspired use of second-hand furniture and salvaged material, including a lamp made from an old bicycle. PRICE €9,000 REFURB €3,100 TOTAL COST €12,100

RURAL IDYLL Aljezur, Portugal

Surfer Richard, above, originally from the UK, loves Portugal’s windswept beaches and big waves. He found two hectares of land with a pair of shepherds’ huts for sale, paying €8,000 for the land and then €4,000 to refurbish the two huts back in 2003. They are now the epitome of rustic luxury – stone-built, well-timbered and red-tile roofed. Additionally, Richard has built a self-contained treehouse fully equipped and solar-powered with its own kitchen and an outside bathroom, which he rents out as a third property. PRICE €8,000 REFURB €4,000 TOTAL COST €12,000