Maaike Geurts and Tibor Strausz purchased the village of Bárcena de Bureba in the north of Spain in 2022 for €350,000 – and they now have four families who are set to join them
One adventurous pair acquired an entire Spanish village for a sum just shy of the UK’s average house price tag of more than £280,000. Elvira Fafián from Aldeas Abandonadas Real, specialists in deserted settlements, revealed: “They contacted us because they were looking for something big like this, with lots of houses and land, far from the big cities.”
The Dutch duo, Maaike Geurts and Tibor Strausz, have grand plans to transform the ghost village, which includes 62 homes purchased at €350,000 (£288k) last year, into a sustainable living space.
Their vision moves a step closer as they announce the imminent arrival of the first four families. Despite dedicating themselves to renovate the neglected Bárcena de Bureba, their main residence remains in Amsterdam until the village is fully liveable and self-sustaining.
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Maaike, 46, shared with El Periódico de España: “We recently had a meeting in Amsterdam with four families interested in coming and two have told us that they are sure to come in 2025.”
When they took over the village, they discovered houses stripped bare by looters, missing even their window frames.
The family of four, including daughters Trisa and Riva, aged nine and seven, have been spending extended periods in the village, where they’ve begun renovating homes and installing solar panels, as the village lacks electricity and running water. Bárcena de Bureba has been uninhabited since the 1970s.
However, the couple is determined to transform the neglected village into a thriving, eco-friendly community. They stated: “We want to inspire people. We believe it is a solution to the problems we have now with the soil; it is depleted because there are no organic materials and all the carbon dioxide in the soil is disappearing. That’s why the soil retains less water, which causes drought.”
One of the village’s most captivating features is the Romanesque church, which, although currently in disrepair, holds promise for restoration.
“Many people in Holland are interested in rebuilding it, but I don’t know if it will be possible; maybe it can be a centre for young people, for the elderly,” Maaikee remarks.
Aldeas Abandonadas has approximately 40 other villages and hamlets across Spain listed for sale on its website, with many located in the Galicia region.