Issue #3 Still No House, But Several Good Stories
The one where we nearly bought an old cinema
Magic Habitat is a Substack documenting our gloriously overthought and occasionally unhinged journey to find a house to buy in Spain. A compendium of all the bizarre places we have viewed across the country in our pursuit of Something Different™️. Written by me, a Creative Strategist who naively thought that it wouldn’t be this complicated.
December 2023
Mallorca, Spain
Our three-month lease at the beach house came to an end, and we found ourselves scrambling, again - for somewhere to live. Why? A combination of poor planning (on our part) and the never-ending circus that is the visa process.
We didn’t want to commit to a long-term rental without ‘official’ approval, which seemed sensible at the time. Spoiler: it wasn’t. But unpacking that particular trauma would require a newsletter the length of War and Peace, and I lack the emotional bandwidth.
We found a short-term rental in Puigpunyent -a mountain town about 20 minutes from Palma and far more low-key than Sòller or Valldemossa. The house itself was okay but the town itself had a great energy™️ and a lovely community.
It also happens to be home to Hotel Son Net -imagine if Wes Anderson had a Mallorcan cousin with a thing for velvet and fabric wallpaper. We booked in for their Christmas Eve feast to celebrate our first Spanish Christmas. Feliz Navidad and all that.
While we were living there, Mercat Tramuntana opened -a stylish café-slash-wine-bar that quickly became a destination spot. Proof that even sleepy mountain towns are one cool playlist and a smash burger away from becoming the next big thing.
Son Net Vibes
House Viewings: Chapter Two
Now, let’s talk houses.
Having just spent three years in the UK renovating an old stable, we weren’t exactly enticed by the idea of another gut job -let alone one in a language we didn’t speak fluently. Dealing with tradespeople in English was traumatic enough.
That said, I cannot. help. myself. when it comes to old houses. The worse the condition, the more unliveable, the more likely I’m going to say, “This could be incredible.” No roof? No problem. Just adds to the charm if you ask me.
One day, we arrived early in Felanitx, a southeastern town with exactly the kind of faded grandeur that gets me irrationally excited. Mallorca has been heavily gentrified, especially near the coast, but Felanitx still feels like a proper town -one with history, grit, and (relatively) realistic prices.
It’s full of once-glorious townhouses crying out for restoration and has quietly become abit of a hub for artists and creative exiles priced out of Palma. If you don’t have generational wealth or an IPO under your belt, it’s one of the few places on the island that still feels almost affordable.
Just be warned: renovation costs here run from €1,500 to €2,000 per square metre. A figure we either didn’t know, chose to ignore, or wilfully forgot.
Which brings us to: The Cinema.
A 1,000m² building in the centre of town. Total gut job. Absolutely stunning. Double-height spaces, huge rooms, and it still had the original cinema room.
The energy, though? A bit off. Turns out it was once a pro-Franco radio station HQ. Nothing like house hunting in a potential fascist shrine to give you the heebie jeebies. The graffiti, which can best be described as ‘historically loaded’ didn’t help either.
But if you had the money (or a few investors), it could be something spectacular. A gallery. A cultural space. Apartments. All of the above. The property allowed one room to scheme - a term we coined on that viewing and have since kept as a central requirement for every house we visit (which might be why it’s taking so long). A space to plot, plan, build the empire. Or just avoid other people.
For us though? It was too big. Too expensive. Too complicated. Too haunted (politically, if not literally). But if for someone else - it’s amazing (and still for sale).
So, all things considered -no bueno. But if you’re a masochist with vision and very deep pockets, the cinema’s still on the market.
Felanitx, or more specifically the outskirts, also happened to be home to my all-time favourite property listing in Mallorca. I screen-grabbed the photos like I was saving evidence.
Here are a few of them. And for the especially nosey among you, a few more.
A snip at €3.9 million, wouldn’t you say? It’s sold now anyway *to someone incredibly, incredibly lucky.
Next Time…
I’ll fast forward a few months and take you on two whistle-stop tours of Catalonia, where we very nearly bought a Belgian antique dealer’s house that, minor detail, had no windows. Oh and if you’re enjoying this, feel free to hit ‘like’ or drop me a message. Otherwise, hitting send feels a bit like lobbing a pebble into the ocean and waiting for an echo. Is anyonnnnne really there? Either way, I am finding this quite fun/cathartic.