A British couple's dream of retiring to Spain has turned into a nightmare after they lost £200,000 due to a rogue builder and were forced to return to the UK. Phil and Anne Bulman, both 71, moved to the Costa Blanca in 2004 after Phil retired from the merchant navy, planning to build their dream home from scratch in Almoradi. Instead, they faced robberies, cowboy builders, and bureaucratic red tape.
The couple paid £230,000 for a plot of land in orange and lemon groves and spent an additional £18,500 on a pool and terraces. They also built a second property for their daughter. All work was done by the same building company, and Phil believed all paperwork was in order. However, years later, when inspectors visited a neighbouring property, they deemed the extra house and pool illegal, demanding £30,000 to avoid demolition.
Phil said: 'We'd trusted the builder and hadn't had the solicitor look over all the documents. We showed them all the paperwork from the builder and they said it was all twaddle.' The tax authorities emptied their account of £10,000, and the builder vanished. The couple spent heavily on solicitors to resolve water connection issues.
Forced to return to the UK for work, Phil became a vessel inspector. They rented out their Spanish home, but in 2015 the tenant stopped paying and left. Returning, they found the property stripped and filthy. They spent £7,000 restocking it, but in 2018, burglars broke in again, pulling off security gates and smashing patio doors.
Eventually, they sold the property in 2021 for €190,000, a significant loss. They are still waiting for a council tax bill they claim they were told they hadn't paid. Now back in England, Phil said: 'It was a dream that turned into a nightmare.'
