Flashback - Flat-hunting

Captain's Inn, El Gouna

Was the driver really telling the truth? Were properties affordable in Egypt? Those were my first two questions.

I really cannot remember how I came to switch my search from Sharm El Sheikh to Hurghada. I mean, I'd never even ever been to Hurghada before, so it was a pretty strange decision.

Maybe it was because property prices were cheaper in Hurghada? Although my initial searches confirmed what the driver had said of property in Sharm El Sheikh, I found that the more things I wanted the property to have, the higher the prices naturally became (this is also my experience elsewhere, of course!). Alternatively, I may have been put off Sharm El Sheikh when I read about the new laws not allowing businesses unless they had an Egyptian majority stake and stories on the internet that the area was not so safe for foreigners with the Bedouins taking more control. I may also have decided that I would prefer to be by a larger city where there would be more to do and more going on. I'm really not sure whether it was for all or any of these reasons, but somehow, in the end, I settled my property search on Hurghada.

Two or three months later, after quite a bit of research, I went to Hurghada on a scouting mission. I stayed in Captain's Inn in El Gouna. I was curious to see El Gouna as I'd heard many good things about it, even though I knew that property-wise it would be out of my price range.

It was an emotional journey. My first day (with Agent 1 and Agent 2) was spent looking at properties that were not yet completed in an upcoming area (El Ahyaa). I felt completely out of my depth. I had no way of judging whether the ongoing builds were good or not (I'm not a builder, in case you don't know!), I couldn't really picture what the flats would be like when finished and furnished, I had promises that the whole area would be completed in a few years' time, but a promise is not a guarantee. My emotions went from enthusiasm at its location near the sea, the proximity of a local bus stop and small local shops, to feeling overwhelmed by my own lack of knowledge, feeling a bit depressed at the unfinished nature of everything around me, and realising just how much I would have to adapt. I began to wonder whether this new life was really for me at all.

In the evening I met up with someone I'd met on one of the expat forums who was a rental agent. She tried to persuade me that it would be best to rent (as many people do indeed advise) and this would enable me to live in El Gouna, which she said would be the best place to live as it has its own facilities, its own expat community, guarantees for no hassling etc. She recommended not to stay somewhere which wasn't yet fully developed as in your everyday life, you want to be able to just pop out for a coffee etc rather than to have to get the bus and travel miles to do so. It was a fair point.

The next day (with Agent 3) was looking at more upmarket properties that were complete and in developed areas (on the whole). I'd already decided by the end of Day 1 that I should focus on completed projects only. It's the advice given everywhere on the forums, because a building can be 90% complete and still never actually get finished. Or you can move in and pay maintenance only to find they never do complete the pool, for instance.

By the end of Day 2, I was feeling more upbeat. The properties and areas were nice, places felt safe and friendly. It all seemed do-able. However, none of the apartments was close to public transport, so living expenses would be higher due to the need to get taxis and haggle (another daunting prospect). The property prices were also higher than I had originally really intended spending. Such is the way of property hunting, of course. You pay for what you get, and you always want what looks better.

Meanwhile, I'd found a promising flat in El Gouna online, so I phoned up to see if I could view it. This was a bit naïve of me in retrospect, since before I knew it, I was being whisked round in a car to view six different properties accompanied by two men and a woman who I didn't even know. In the end, all the properties in my price range were too dilapidated to be attractive (I was too tired to think of taking on a property to be renovated) and the one that looked nice on the internet also needed quite a bit of work.

By this stage, my head was aching with having had so much information stuffed into it in such a short time. All I wanted now was a day's rest. But it was not to be. Agent 1 phoned me again to say that they would like to spend another day showing me round properties. I was really hoping for a day off, but my time was limited and it seemed foolish not to keep an open mind and to see all that I could.

The upshot was that the next morning, the poor driver had a very grumpy customer sitting in the back of his car. He showed me one unfinished (thus unsuitable) property by the sea at a ridiculous price that they wanted me to negotiate over and then several in the town (which I had originally said I didn't want to see, but then thought I should keep an open mind).

 On the way back, he asked me if I wanted a tour of Hurghada and I replied that I just wanted to get back, but he still pointed out various things on the way.

To my surprise, this cheered me up considerably - he showed me the mosque that had taken four years to build, the Touristic Route, and then drove me past what may have been the marina with a breathtaking view over a dazzling sea of various hues of blue. My heart rose and seeing the people peacefully doing their shopping at their own pace, the signs of life in the various bits of the city, which I now realised was huge, and remembering that everyone I had had dealings with had been very friendly and with a good sense of humour, I suddenly realised that it would be very exciting to make a life here and that just perhaps I could even feel I would belong.