Budget Breakdown: They Turned a Shed Into an Off-Grid Island Home for €257K

Fashion and interior designer Georgina "Geo" Giner Gallardo and her art director partner, Zoe Barceló Vicedo, never intended to move to Lanzarote, the fourth largest of Spain’s seven Canary Islands. That is, until they found the perfect spot for their dream house.

Zoe, originally from Alicante, was living in Madrid, while Geo, from Barcelona, was working as a fashion designer in Amsterdam. "We were tired of big-city life," admit Zoe. "We’d never thought about Lanzarote, but it was where we found this plot of land."

"I’d never imagined the Canary Islands would be the place," Geo says in agreement.  

When they discovered the property on the island’s northeastern coast in December 2021, it had two similarly sized structures: a shed used to store tools and agricultural equipment, and a dog kennel. Each building was around 650 square feet in size and Geo describes their condition as "unloved."

The surrounding countryside is characterized by the black volcanic soil typically found on the island, which is set off the west coast of Africa. The fertile land would allow Geo to fulfill her dream of creating an organic vegetable garden, and the surf in the area is good, too—another priority for the couple. They purchased the property, began renovating the following August, and completed the project in January 2023.