Cave houses

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Cave homes have been mankind's shelter since time immemorial and we all carry in our imagination that they are dark, wet, cold holes lived in by dirty, shivering, frightened families huddling around smoky fires afraid of the dark and frightened by real or imaginary predators skulking outside.

Modern cave homes are the complete opposite to those outdated imaginings; today, they are light, quiet, airy, spacious and comfortable, fitted with all the conveniences of modern life. Restored cave houses have an uncanny resemblance both inside and out to Devon country cottages. They are often situated on the outskirts of dreamy Spanish villages that epitomize all that is best in traditional Spain's way of life. With their own gardens and stunning views they are many a person's dream home.

Like conventional houses, cave homes come in all shapes and sizes and each one is uniquely different. The vast majority of modern cave homes have been restored from ancient dwellings dating back, in the main, one to five hundred years but some go way beyond that perhaps to prehistoric times. Hewn out of the rock by hand, often by the women of the family, they come in all shapes and sizes and in innumerably different layouts.

It is sometimes asked if cave houses are damp, the answer is the vast majority are not damp in any way. It should be remembered that the cave sites were selected, often many hundreds of years ago, because they were in a dry area and if when the cave was excavated it was found to be excessively damp it was abandoned and digging started elsewhere. Today, in a very few cases dampness can be sensed and I have seen one or two cases where the cave walls have visible damp patches. Use your common sense when visiting a cave home, if it feels damp to you that is all you need to know.

Cave homes are as sturdy and in many ways stronger than modern conventional homes. They have withstood the test of time and are highly likely to be still standing when conventional homes being built today are being demolished as no longer fit to live in.

What are the advantages of owning a cave house?

• Compared to an conventional house or flat of the same size, a cave house in Spain can be significantly cheaper. As examples, it is still possible to buy a three bedrooms cave house, requiring some work, for around 55,000€, and a four bedroom cave house for about 66,000€.

• Each cave home is uniquely different. Because almost all the modernized cave homes are made from much older dwellings, each hewn out by hand no two caves are alike. So there is no danger of ending up with a uniform box designed flat or house.

• Because the cave rooms are sunk into the rock they maintain roughly the same temperature summer and winter, between 16 and 19°C. There is absolutely no need for air conditioning in the summer and winter heating requirements are significantly lower than in conventionally built houses. As a result power consumption and costs are much lower.

• Recently renovated cave houses can come with double block cavity insulated external wall, double glazed windows and extra roof insulation making them beautifully cool in the summer and warm on those winter nights, providing comfort and economy.

• They have a quaintness and charm rarely found in so called "modern properties", yet they have all the facilities you expect from a new home. Electricity, mains water, mains sewerage, telephone, satellite TV and broadband Internet are all available enabling you to have the best of both worlds.

• Almost all cave homes are built on the outskirts of villages, free from the bustle and crime found in the "little England's" on the coast. These villages have small supermarkets, health clinics, schools, bars and restaurants and are easily able to meet all your day to day needs. The villagers, almost without exception are friendly and welcoming.

• Low maintenance is another benefit. With few external walls and often no roof to worry about, maintenance costs can be kept to a minimum.