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The first job is to restore the roof, and unsurprisingly, given the age of the house, they discover rotten beams. Over the months, Jenny and Jonathan need to learn about traditional materials and techniques, and the difference in culture makes fairly simple tasks like researching prices for building materials slow and difficult. They also discover that the narrow streets make it difficult to dispose of waste – and the mules used to cart it away aren’t cheap.
In February 2006, seven months into the project, father Jim comes over to inspect the work and research the sale market. The nearest similar situation is in Marrakech, which has been booming for some years, and he meets a Marrakech agent who thinks that Fez’s direct flights to Europe could lead to Fez becoming similar.
However another expert confirms that there is no market for restored houses like theirs in Fez. But if they can leave the money tied up here for a few years, they could see the return they want. It’s a familiar story for other foreign investors in Morocco.
Nevertheless, Jim decides to invest in a second property, and he, Jenny and Jonathan decide to establish a company restoring houses in Morocco. Buying property here is complex, especially because it is common for a single property to be jointly owned by several members of a family – or even several different families. Eventually they find a spacious two-bedroom house for around £14,000 including fees.
Meanwhile, a year after they began the project, the house is nearly finished. The renovation has gone wonderfully smoothly for two novices like Jenny and Jonathan. They have established a good network of friends, suppliers and builders, and despite the initial fantastically steep learning curve, they now feel comfortable living and working in Fez.
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