About Us
ExtremaCasa is the only estate agency specialising in overseas buyers with properties for sale all over Extremadura. Established in 2006, it is owned by Martyn Swan who opened the first British estate agent office on the Costa de la Luz, but moved to the peace and quiet of Extremadura when the Costa de la Luz showed worrying signs of becoming too popular!
Martyn Swan
After living for 12 years in Trujillo, Martyn recently moved back to the U.K.; not because he fell out of love with Extremadura but simply to be able spend more time with his grandchildren (six at present). He now lives in Bexhill-on-Sea on the south coast but makes regular trips back to Extremadura (although not normally when Brighton and Hove Albion FC are at home!).
Jakki Cosway (West Sierra de Gata)
Originally from Devon in the U.K., Jakki spent most of her working life in the Balearic Islands before moving to the Sierra de Gata in 2005 and now knows virtually everyone and everything about the area. She lives in Valverde del Fresno and speaks six languages fluently, as well as understanding A Fala, a sub-dialect spoken only in the three villages of her area of the Sierra de Gata.
Diane Sorrell (Valencia de Alcántara)
Diane lives with her Mother near the small market town of La Codosera, just a few miles from the Portuguese border. Diane’s catering management background was founded in hospital and school kitchen management and latterly she ran a small pub in the UK till her husband retired. It was at that point that they decided to find a better life in Spain, with all the nice warm weather, good food and of course warm and friendly people. They travelled through Spain to see which area they liked best; all round Extremadura, down through Seville and down to the coast and the Granada area but it didn’t take long to turn the car around and head back to the Valencia de Alcántara area they had fallen in love with. Diane’s interest in all things food and drink has given her great pleasure in the regional cuisine both here in Spain and in Portugal.
Eddie Richards (La Siberia)
Eddie and her husband Mike (and 6 cats) moved to the small village of Esparragosa de Lares in March 2009. Originally from Poole in Dorset, they had also lived in Buxton and the Ogmore Valley in south Wales before escaping the rat-race and fulfilling the dream of retiring to Spain. Formerly a Company Director and Management Accountant, Eddie has now trained as an English Teacher but is happiest walking the dogs in this beautiful area by the largest concentration of lakes in Europe. Both Eddie and Mike have found that their life here is everything and more that they had hope for!
Gavin Powell (East Sierra de Gata)
Gavin was born in Bristol but lived in North Yorkshire from the age of 10 to 21. He studied languages at Cambridgeshire College of Arts & Technology and, after graduating, taught English in Santander for 2 years. He studied for a postgraduate diploma in European Business Management in the UK in 1991 before returning to Spain in 1992 and finding work in Madrid. A restless nature has taken him to many parts of the world since then but he fell in love with the Sierra de Gata when visiting friends in 2003, bought an olive grove just outside the sleepy village of Perales del Puerto in 2007 and built a house that same year. In 2016 he finally moved to the area permanently. Gavin enjoys driving around the mountains, talking to property owners and showing our clients what he considers to be one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of Spain. Gavin speaks fluent Spanish and German, reasonable French and a smattering of Japanese. Gavin says “I love living here. It’s such a beautiful, unspoilt area and the people are really friendly. I was always rushing from place to place in Madrid or stuck in traffic and never had time to do any of the things I wanted. Here I have time for coffee and toast in the village before doing a leisurely morning’s work on the computer or in my garden and I go to art classes and guitar classes in the afternoon and do yoga. I even held my first photograph exhibition in June and it went really well. I can’t imagine living anywhere else now.”
Claire Ingham (La Vera)
Claire grew up in Ely, Cambridgeshire and studied at the University of Leeds. Upon graduation, keen to see more of the world, she travelled extensively in South America, teaching English in Peru and Spain. Claire met Miguel in London and they discovered a shared love of travelling and a desire to escape the city. After another long South American trip they made their way back to Spain. They fell in love with La Vera, and especially with Villanueva, buying a finca 5km from the village with stunning views of the mountains. The perfect place to bring up their 2 year old, Enrique.
Tanya Stevens (Trujillo and Montánchez)
Originally from Essex in the U.K., Tanya spent most of her working life as a Theatre Nurse in Sussex before moving to Montánchez five years ago with her husband and two cats. They live on a small finca with dogs, goats, chickens and ducks. Tanya and her husband have integrated into village life and both have no regrets about moving, enjoying the peace of the campo and the fun of the fiestas. Apart from working with us, Tanya also teaches English in a nearby academy and is also studying Spanish.
Alan Davey (Zafra)
Alan and his wife Sue came to live and work in Spain in 1991. In the U.K. he had a driving school and also encouraged pupils to become members of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. They like travelling to different areas and over 16 years ago they journeyed to Extremadura and liked it so much they returned and looked for somewhere to live. After two trips they found the house they were looking for.
Sharon Mozzi (Las Vegas Altas)
Sharon was born and lived on The Wirral in UK until 1992 when she moved to Lanzarote. She then moved to mainland Spain and after looking at many different areas she fell in love with las Vegas Altas where she now lives with her family and pets; 1 cat, 3 dogs, 10 birds, 2 horses and 1 sheep. Sharon adores the laid back approach of the Spanish and their way of life. She now runs an Italian restaurant in her local village.