Finca/Country House for sale in Montoro, Córdoba

A truly stunning off-grid recently built eco, low energy, low carbon property with a separate annex totaling 430 m2. Built within its own productive olive grove of 8.5 hectares, located on the border of the Natural Park of Sierra de Montoro and Cardena, and approximately 5 kilometers from the historic town of Montoro in the province of Córdoba.

House running costs are minimal due to the property being off-grid. Estimated annual cost between €500 and €800, including diesel cost for the generator, if and when required, local tax for the property, etc.

Olive grove production varies due to rainfall and market value of olive oil at the time of sale. The weight of olives harvested does not necessarily correlate with the volume of oil yield. An historic average harvest would be 20,000 kg. Oil yield depends on time of harvest: later harvests generally have higher oil yield but lower quality of oil. Price of oil varies throughout the year; producers track the market and sell their oil when prices are high.

An average income of €16,000 less production cost would yield approximately €10,000 per year.

The main house is south facing and consists of 4 bedrooms, an open plan dining, kitchen and living area with a wood burner, a mezzanine level, plus storage area, and two bathrooms on the ground floor. To the rear of the property there is a walled garden consisting of a large sun canopy and an integral seating area facing the easily maintained 6 m x 3 m swimming pool. At the front of the building there is an extensive south facing terrace providing views of the Guadalquivir river and surrounding countryside. There is also a large integral garage for two cars and a large workshop.

The property was designed and built in 2014, and all documentation is available. In 2017 a separate annex was added below the terrace area of the main building, consisting of combined living/dining area, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. All rooms are centrally heated with a wood burner in the living room. The annex also has an enclosed garden with access from the living room.

Both properties have independent 3 kW solar power systems consisting of two 10-panel fixed arrays and batteries. Each property has a battery monitor installed showing charging rate and battery percentage. The main building domestic hot water is provided via a roof-mounted solar hot water panel that heats a 300 litre storage tank. The annex has a butane gas boiler for central heating and domestic hot water supply. There is also an 8 kW diesel generator in the garage should backup power be needed. Fresh water is supplied via a borehole, pumped to a 2,000 litre storage tank, then filtered and treated to supply both properties. There are also two separate 2,000 litre below-ground septic tanks installed.

Reliable WiFi is supplied via a local provider from Montoro.

The specialist construction products provide very high insulation: exterior walls (Beco wallform) W/m2 0.14, warm roof construction using 2 layers of 50 mm Kingspan insulation boards and a condensation barrier, with internal floors and terrace using 1 layer of 50 mm Kingspan insulation board. Windows are double glazed with heat reflective glass, and the main terrace window is triple glazed.

The off-grid nature and the construction materials used result in extremely low running costs, which can be offset by income from the olive production.

The olive grove has 1,200 well maintained olive trees capable of yielding 20,000 kg of olives (providing income to offset operating costs). Currently the trees are maintained by a local farmer; this arrangement can be continued or maintained by the new owners (firewood is provided free). There is also a small number of fruit trees located on the vegetable garden. The boundary of the land is securely fenced and gated.

Montoro has typical Spanish bars, restaurants and a full range of shops, with numerous festivals throughout the year. The town has an outdoor Olympic-size swimming pool and an indoor pool for the cooler months, with numerous rural walks and nature trails. There is also a 24/7 medical center, a range of good schools and banks, and frequent local bus service including hourly services to Córdoba.

Córdoba is 38 kilometers away and is home to the Mezquita and other heritage sites, with beautiful restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. There is a national bus and train station with frequent train services to Sevilla, Granada and Málaga (approximately a 1 hour journey by train).