Inside the abandoned home transformed by TV duo

Alan and Amanda's incredible Spanish townhouse renovation

In 2024, the unlikely renovation duo, presenter Amanda Holden and comedian Alan Carr, were back with a third series of their successful makeover show.

Located in the village of Moclín, in Spain's historic Granada region, Casa Alamanda is now open for bookings. We take a look back at how the restoration of Casa Alamanda began and discover the impact it’s had on property prices in the region.

Click or scroll for before and after photos of the incredible renovation...

The village of Moclín, Granada

The house the celebrity best friends were tasked with restoring in the third series of their UK TV show, Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job, stands in the historic village of Moclín, in the Granada region of Andalusia.

Like many rural villages with few career opportunities, over the years, Moclín’s younger residents began moving away, leading to lots of abandoned properties and a population decline.

A house left to ruin

Before Amanda and Alan’s spirited restoration, the property had fallen into disrepair, having lain empty for 35 years despite having once been a family townhouse and local shop.

It was actually Amanda who set her heart on restoring this run-down three-bed house. Pictured here giving her all to stop the progress of the property’s greedy vines, she wanted to turn it into a boutique B&B that would help bring tourists back to the region, in turn creating jobs for local people.

Interiors disaster

The production company bought the house, and Amanda and Alan, together with a team of contractors, set about restoring it. However, it wasn't just the outside that needed serious attention. This photo shows the ground floor, with stairs leading up to the first floor, but it’s all in a rather sorry state.

It was clear quite early on in the project that if this restoration was going to be a success, a lot of work would need to be done to the fabric of the building.

Alan gets ready to work

While Amanda may have been the instigator in the third – and most ambitious – outing of their home renovations show, as always, Alan had her back. With a paint roller in hand and a, ahem, nod to local culture in his outfit, Alan was ready to get stuck in.

However, with more than 2,000 square feet of space to deal with, a crumbling roof to sort, and all sorts of other issues, it was going to take more than a lick of paint to sort this out.

Alan and Amanda don't hold back

But, ever determined to learn new DIY skills and transform this derelict house into something fitting of its gorgeous surroundings, the good-humored duo were prepared to turn their hand to anything.

It wasn't all hard work for the pair, though. Speaking on the release of the BBC series in 2024, Amanda said: “By day we love getting our hands dirty, knocking down walls and lugging around power tools, knowing we’ll be sipping on an ice-cold reward by night.”

Casa Alamanda is born

Today, the property, newly named Casa Alamanda, is back to its best. The double-fronted façade is smart and appealing, with a new roof and huge improvements made throughout.

The transformation was so incredible that within a year of the show airing, it was bought by new owners, Nicola and Mickey Walters, and is operating as a luxury accommodation.

They are now ready to invite guests into their vacation home, which is finished and dressed just as it was in the show. Let's step inside...

Abandoned kitchen before

This rather bare room was the kitchen that Amanda and Alan faced. While there is clearly a reasonable amount of space, it was immediately obvious that this room hadn’t been used to cook or prepare food for decades.

Like much of the restoration project, Amanda and Alan had to dig deep to come up with a new design for this room.

Kitchen reinvention

Thankfully, it seems the duo's ability to see past what’s in front of them knows no bounds, and they created this new, modern Andalusian-style kitchen that now functions as both a kitchen and breakfast room.

Utilizing Bert & May tiles from the factory in nearby Cabra, the kitchen has a contemporary feel while paying homage to the region’s heritage. It was completely refitted with a large island for prep, and a stove in the chimney breast.

Drab dining room before

This was the original dining room, which has clearly seen better days, and though there are several doors to the outside, it still managed to have a rather dark and dingy feel.

Worry not, though, Amanda and Alan were about to sprinkle some of their interiors magic once more...

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Destination dining right here

From dreary to fabulous just like that. The new dining room is a spacious area bathed in natural light where we can imagine families happily convening each evening after a day’s sightseeing.

The large table is made out of a salvaged door, while Moorish-style tiling and handicrafts give it all an authentic, rustic feel.

Moroccan-inspired master suite

The master bedroom, which is inspired by the architectural wonder that is the Alhambra Palace, 31 miles away, comes with a striking archway, Moroccan-style handcrafted ceiling, original tiled floor, and Juliet balcony, and is just about as romantic a room as you can imagine.

A 'Gold' standard bedroom

The first-floor 'Gold' bedroom, meanwhile, is cozier but full of charm, with gorgeous printed wallpaper, hand-painted lampshades, and a king-sized bed.

From the window overlooking the courtyard, you can enjoy views of the 13th-century castle.

The chillout room

The Ibiza room at the top of the property has a crisp, minimalist aesthetic, softened by painted old beams and bare brick, which gives it a modern, laid-back atmosphere.

It’s nice to see original features like the old beams coming into play in the design, too.

Bathing blues

This ‘before’ picture of one of the two bathrooms shows just how drab the interiors were to begin with. Bland and pokey, boring white tiles dominate the space, and the built-in bath and pedestal basin are absolutely filthy.

A 'spa' cry from before

The Jack and Jill style bathroom now features pretty pink handcrafted tiles sourced from Bert & May, a walk-in shower, and a large mirror.

Alan and Amanda have no doubt infused the townhouse with some of the spa-like luxury to which they are accustomed.

Play & stay in this cozy nook

The bar/games room is probably one of the biggest changes in terms of room use. Once a rather sad-looking bedroom, today it's got a private members' club feel to it, not so much Andalusian as London in its styling.

It's a sophisticated place with Juliet balconies overlooking the Sierra Nevada mountains, an onyx bar, and games to fill those long summer evenings.

The neglected casita before

When Alan and Amanda arrived at the property, the casita (old stable) was in a sorry state, as you can see from this photo. 

However, aware that the holidaymakers they were hoping to attract would want to spend as much time outside as possible, they set about turning it into an area that could be used to its fullest.

A reimagined outdoor space

By the time they’d finished, the casita was unrecognizable, having been turned into a lovely first-floor terrace and balcony.

The patio is walled and very private, and there is room for both sunbathing or simply reading the paper with your morning coffee.

Amanda gets hands on

One of the things the pair was keen to do was bring Moorish influences into the property and its grounds, using local skills and craftspeople, where possible.

Here, Amanda can be seen working on a pomegranate mosaic on the terrace floor with series building consultant Scott Thompson and local builder Rafa.

Spanish atmosphere assured

And here’s the finished mosaic and terrace, inspired by Granada’s famous pavements.

With a distinctly Spanish style that very much reminds you where you are, and built-in seating, we think this area is the perfect spot for an early-evening aperitivo.

Positive impact on the area

One year on from filming, Ian Rutter, founder of Granada Village & Country, who marketed the property for sale before and after the show and now manages it, says that, as well as an increase in visitors, pride and optimism have returned to the village.

“Now that Casa Alamanda Moclín is available for holidaymakers to stay, it’s a wonderful full-circle moment for the villagers who’ve seen it through the full transformation. Visitors will be given a very warm welcome to this beautiful rural village,” he said.

Farewell Spain, next stop...

Just as they hoped, Casa Alamanda Moclín is now breathing new life into the village by inviting guests to visit and can now be hired on an exclusive-use basis, with prices starting at €195 ($227) per night.

Having successfully breathed new life into this tired property in Moclín, Alan and Amanda can quite rightly feel proud of themselves. 

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