Alan Moore International?
The man himself would laugh off the suggestion but judging by his recent track record in finding globetrotting clients their dream home in his beloved Port Elizabeth, the moniker wouldn’t seem out of place.
Following his success in settling US-based South African couple Greg and Rayne Tebbutt at Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate, he has found more with Italian businesswoman Graziella Guida deciding to buy and build there as well.
Moore’s relationship with the 54-year-old, a resident of Milan – or “Milano” as it is so beautifully pronounced in her native tongue – goes back to 2018 when she first expressed an interest in living on the estate.
Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, she had been living in Gqeberha as part of her work with Continental Tyre.
She resided in Newton Park at first and later in Kragga Kamma with its beautiful country roads. However, she wanted a blend of both worlds – comfortable and safe suburban living in nature.
Sardinia Bay estate ticked these boxes and was, conveniently, much closer to town.
“I called Alan, who showed me around. Though it wasn’t quite the right time for me, I was still looking at what was available there. There were not many properties for sale then,” she said.
Graziella Guida loves South Africa and its people, so much so that she built a home at Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate in Gqeberha thanks to the assistance of Remax agent Alan Moore.
“I had worked from South Africa during Covid but then I was called back to Europe, but we could also work from home.
“So, I started thinking, ‘I can work a bit in SA and here [Milan]. It was not yet doable but that was the plan.”
Guida remained in contact with Moore and made no secret of the fact that she preferred moving into a ready-built home on the estate.
She knew that construction of a house could be arduous, especially since she would not be able to visit the site while in Italy. But Moore suggested that she at least considered buying a plot.
“I asked my friends [in Gqeberha] to go look at the plot. I met with Alan and the builder [online] and at a certain point I thought, ‘Let’s do it’.”
Once that decision was made, she started flying back and forth between Milan and Nelson Mandela Bay to sign the relevant documents and meet with the architect in person.
She said the process went smoothly and she had even been able to make some changes to the project from Italy as it went along.
“It was about 95 per cent of what I wanted but the rest was still acceptable to me. It was finished last year.
“There were a few snags, but these were fixed and in December last year I flew to South Africa. I was sleeping in the house.”
Guida thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Moore and readily admitted that he had been instrumental in the way it unfolded.
She considered him “a real helper” who was always available and quick to find solutions to any problem.
She also sincerely believed there was nothing that he couldn’t handle.
Guida had travelled extensively but loved SA for its people and natural landscape. She considered locals to be very friendly, much like her countrymen and women.
“I know South Africans are very pessimistic about their country. Yes, it is true in terms of social differences and security, but people are complaining everywhere you go in the world,” she said.
“The European economy may be better, but lifestyle-wise there is no comparison between South Africa and Europe.
“In Milan, I have to drive 40 minutes just to go to places where I can dance, which I love to do. It’s not like that here.”
Compared to Europe where apartment-living was very much the norm, SA was “like a paradise”, she added.