Fatima & Mark(39)

Mark and I met in Rotterdam-West, where I grew up as the daughter of Moroccan parents. We always dreamed of our own business, but in Rotterdam rents were unaffordable. When we visited Córdoba — the city of the Mezquita, where Islamic and Christian culture literally come together in the same building — we felt an immediate connection.

We bought a dilapidated house in the Judería, the old Jewish quarter, for €110,000. Renovation cost another €85,000 — stripping walls, restoring the patio, fitting out five guest rooms. A Spanish architect helped us with the licencia de obra for the renovation. The whole process — from purchase to opening — took fourteen months.

Running a B&B in Spain requires a vivienda turística registration with the Junta de Andalucía. You must meet fire safety requirements, keep a complaints book (hojas de reclamaciones), and register every guest with the Policía Nacional through the SES system. Our gestoría in Córdoba guided the entire process. The annual license costs €180.

As autónomos we each pay the Seguridad Social contribution — now €330 per month per person after the tarifa plana period. The IBI on our property is €520 per year. We file our VAT return (modelo 303) quarterly. The accounting is more complex than expected because guests from different EU countries have different VAT rules.

Our biggest advantage: my Arabic background. Córdoba attracts many tourists from the Arab world who want to see the Mezquita and Moorish heritage. I speak Arabic, Dutch, Spanish and English. On Booking.com we have a 9.4 rating and our reviews specifically mention the cultural bridge we offer. In high season (March-June, September-November) we're 90% occupied.

Córdoba is the cheapest provincial capital in Andalusia. A menú del día costs €10, a beer €1.50, and summers are scorching but winters mild. The city is small enough to cycle everywhere and big enough to never get bored. The Feria de Córdoba in May is spectacular. Mark has started flamenco guitar lessons. We are home.