THE HUNT

They Dreamed of a Traditional Marrakesh Riad for About $500,000

By Ijeoma NdukweJan. 9, 2025

A London couple searched the medina quarter of Marrakesh, Morocco, for a home they could rent out in the near term and retire to in the long term. Here’s what they found.

On a recent evening at a restaurant in London’s East End, Wendy and Marshall Bailey were explaining why they decided to retire to Marrakesh, Morocco, after living and working for years in Britain.

“The architecture, the food, the people — it’s the combination of all those things that for me is the real draw,” Mr. Bailey said. “It’s the closest faraway place, because it’s a three-and-a-half-hour flight from London, but it’s completely foreign. Marrakesh feels like another world.”

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Mr. Bailey was born in Minnesota to Canadian parents, but the family left when he was a baby, and he was raised between France and Canada. His French language skills allow him to navigate the Francophone North African country with ease.

Ms. Bailey, a Pittsburgh native, got her start in Europe in 2002, when her work brought her to London. (She now works at a large British bank.) A few years later she met Mr. Bailey, a director in financial services. The couple, now both 58, live in East London, with a second home in the English seaport town of Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.

The Baileys had each visited Marrakesh long before they met. Years later, they came to love exploring the city’s medina quarter (or old town) together, enchanted by its tangle of narrow streets, cafes and bustling markets (known as souks). The walled district, which dates to the 11th century, is filled with traditional homes and palaces known as riads, many with sunlit mezzanine levels, garden courtyards, pools and roof terraces.

“Where else can you buy a property in a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s 1,000 years old?” Ms. Bailey said. “It’s remarkable, really.” During a visit in November 2022, they began to think about making the city home once they retired.

“We talked to a riad owner and asked, ‘How does one go about installing oneself here?’” Mr. Bailey said. “She gave us the name of an estate agent, Colin Bosworth.”

Mr. Bosworth explained to the couple that while foreigners can get a mortgage in Morocco, sellers are often reluctant to accept finance-based offers. Most of the clients served by his agency are cash buyers. He also warned that clients are often rattled by the amount of red tape. “If you’re used to doing a lot of things online, you might be surprised by the amount of physical paperwork that needs to be produced here,” he said. “Everything works. It’s just that it takes some getting used to.”

In April 2023, Ms. Bailey arranged viewings through Mr. Bosworth’s agency, Bosworth Property Marrakech, hoping to find a riad in the medina. With a budget ranging from 300,000 to 600,000 euros (about $310,000 to $620,000), the Baileys were keen to find a place that could serve as both an Airbnb and a vacation home in the years before they retired to Morocco full-time. They were drawn to open-air riads that had retained original details, and they were willing to spend additional money to refurbish the right one.

Among their options:

No. 1

Five-Bedroom in the Kennaria Quarter

Yassine Alaoui Ismaili for The New York Times

This 4,200-square-foot riad was spread over three floors, with five en suite bedrooms (all on the lower levels), a plunge pool in the ground-floor courtyard and a huge roof terrace with a covered dining area. Although it sat on a quiet road, the house was in the lively Kennaria Quarter, a short walk from streets teeming with boutiques, markets and cafes. At €360,000, it was toward the lower end of their budget, but it needed a considerable amount of restoration work.

InMedina

No. 2

Restored Seven-Bedroom Hotel

Yassine Alaoui Ismaili for The New York Times

This beautifully restored, seven-bedroom riad was being operated as a hotel when it landed on the market. It had a number of special features, including a plunge pool in a large, charming courtyard and a spa with a traditional hammam (or Turkish bath). At about 6,000 square feet, it was bigger than the Baileys required, and its location wasn’t ideal — north of the medina and a 20-minute walk from the main square. But it was move-in ready, and at €500,000 (about $515,000), it was affordable.

Bosworth Property Marrakech

No. 3

Four-Bedroom in Bab Doukkala

Yassine Alaoui Ismaili for The New York Times

This recently renovated, four-bedroom riad sat on a quiet lane behind a famous street market in Marrakesh’s Bab Doukkala neighborhood. At 2,500 square feet, it was the smallest home the Baileys saw. They loved the traditional design features, including zellige tiles made from a blend of local clays. The home was being sold furnished, came with a plunge pool and air-conditioning, and scored bonus points for having both lower and upper terraces with stunning views of the medina. The asking price was €280,000 (about $290,000).

Bosworth Property Marrakech

Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:

Which Would You Choose?

Five-Bedroom in the Kennaria Quarter

Restored Seven-Bedroom Hotel

Four-Bedroom in Bab Doukkala

Which Did They Buy?

Five-Bedroom in the Kennaria Quarter

Restored Seven-Bedroom Hotel

Four-Bedroom in Bab Doukkala

Correction: Jan. 9, 2025

An earlier version of this article misstated the square footages of the three featured homes in Marrakesh. They are, in order, 4,200, 6,000, and 2,500 square feet, not 1,400, 2,045 and 840 square feet.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5662498&forum_id=2#48542881)