&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;Retirement just got a whole lot more fun for Christine and Lawrence Hodges now that they own a second home in the Algarve, bought with the help of Ideal Homes Portugal.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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        &lt;img src=&quot;/media/s0zgxlso/hodges_2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;The Hodges raise a toast&quot; class=&quot; max-width-100&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;The East Yorkshire couple got the keys to their villa in Paderne, a pretty village 15 minutes off the coast in the Central Algarve, in early May 2023. They had viewed the property in March that year, when their Ideal Homes agent helped them successfully negotiate a purchase price of €415,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“We spotted the villa on the website initially and contacted Ideal Homes for more details,”&lt;/em&gt; said Christine, who worked in HR. &lt;em&gt;“Our agent Marc was very helpful and said he could arrange a viewing for us. So we flew over to see it and straightaway everything about it felt right. We looked at other properties, just to be sure, before going back three days later and making our offer. We got the price down from the advertised purchase price of €440,000.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;The Hodges returned to Portugal for completion, which was quick and painless thanks to the villa being empty. In fact, the vendor was an American lady who had owned the property for a year without ever visiting! Said Christine about the purchase: &lt;em&gt;“Ideal Homes Portugal were great throughout, especially Marc. We’d certainly recommend them to others.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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        &lt;img src=&quot;/media/b0okyjek/hodges_3.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Villa Paderne&quot; class=&quot; max-width-100&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Christine and Lawrence’s decision to buy in the Algarve wasn’t unexpected. They’ve had lots of holidays there and for the past 13 years have celebrated New Year with friends at their home in Vale do Lobo. As a keen golfer, Lawrence has also been attracted by the internationally acclaimed courses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“We began thinking about buying our own place five or six years ago,”&lt;/em&gt; continued Christine. &lt;em&gt;“But we wanted to wait until Lawrence had sold his engineering business and we were both retired properly. Not long after that we found our villa. We want to make it a proper second home, where we can spend long periods at a time, so we won’t be renting it out. It’ll also be there for our daughter and two grandsons to use!”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;The Hodges’ home is a fabulous detached villa on a gated community of just 17 properties. There is a friendly caf&#233; within walking distance, otherwise the centre of Paderne is just a five-minute drive. Over two storeys, the downstairs living space includes a separate kitchen, an open-plan living/dining area and shower room/toilet, while upstairs are three double-bedrooms (one with en-suite) and a family bathroom. It has a garage and parking space at the front while the rear garden is artificial grass.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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        &lt;img src=&quot;/media/2pglxb1a/hodges_4.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;villa view 2&quot; class=&quot; max-width-100&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br&gt;“It came part furnished but we’ve already replaced all the beds,”&lt;/em&gt; said Christine, who is looking forward to joining a local walking club. &lt;em&gt;“We just need to put our own stamp on it and make it ours. There is the potential to extend over the garage and add a bedroom, which we might look at in the future. The community set-up is ideal for us. There is a communal pool and it feels secure, which suits us as second homeowners. Other owners there are primarily British, as well as Dutch and German, and some live there all year. We’ve kept on the previous owner’s maintenance guy, a local British man who lives nearby and knows the property well.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-weight: 400;&quot;&gt;To reach the Algarve from their home in the UK, the Hodges fly to Faro from Leeds. Their transfer to the villa is around 35-40 minutes. Christine and Lawrence are next over in June this year and then plan to spend around three months there from December to the end of February there. In the meantime, requests are coming in from their daughter and two grandsons who want to take their respective partners over the summer – and who could blame them!&lt;/p&gt;

“Retired and ready to enjoy time in the Algarve!”

Christine and Lawrence Hodges from East Yorkshire, UK, bought a second home with Ideal Homes Portugal in May 2023. They got the keys to their villa in Paderne, a pretty village 15 minutes off the coast in the Central Algarve, in early May 2023.