– We wanted an alternative to a Norwegian holidayhome, explain Arne and Marianne Fjelberg.
They are sitting in the new family home at La Manga Club. From the roof terrace, the family has a view of the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean Sea, which reflects the blue sky and the Spanish summer sun.
– We wanted to experience a different culture. Of course with good weather in an area that was safe and nice for the children. In addition, we enjoy golf and other activities. So the idea really started there.

It is almost 20 years since the Fjelberg family was in Murcia for the first time.
– It was in many ways a coincidence, says Marianne. – We were able to borrow an apartment out on the La Manga strip. It wasn’t that exciting. But when Arne played a round of golf at La Manga Club, Marianne and the children joined. They spent the day at one of the pools, went for a walk around the area, and when Arne came back after the round, I said: “This place is just absolutely amazing.”
For ten straight years, the family would spend their summer holidays at the Spanish resort. Big and small made friendships. From Liverpool, Glasgow, Leeds, Dublin and London.
– We simply got a social network which was very nice, says Arne.
– But then the children got older, and finally they said: “Dad, now we have to experience something else.”. So then the family went on a Florida trip. Halfway into that trip, both kids said, completely unprompted, “Dad, next year it’s La Manga Club again.”  And it was in many ways when we decided to just jump in and buy our own home.
Together they saw second-hand homes, plots of land and show houses at La Manga Club. In Norsk Golf a Norwegian Golf magazine, Arne saw the advertisement for Mona and Tom Wergeland, with 20 years’ experience in Real Estate in Murcia.
– Tom answered me in 90 seconds. We agreed to meet a few weeks later, and that was the start of this housing project.

Land purchase and the construction process abroad can be challenging. But the Fjelberg family got all the help they needed from Wergeland & Partners.
– Mona and Tom have the right contacts, speak the language and have access to all expertise around the construction process. After buying the plot in Las Acacias at La Manga Club, we started the drawing of the house. The architect was Spanish, but Wergeland made sure that the language barrier was not a problem. We kept asking Mona the question: “If this was your house, what would you have done?”
Now he answers the question himself.
– Mona thinks like a Scandinavian, he explains. – She understood our needs. We wanted a small hallway with sliding door wardrobes before entering the living room. We wanted the front door to go outwards, not inwards, which is common in Spanish houses. We would never have been able to make such small changes without having Mona on the team.
But it never goes completely smoothly. When Fjelberg’s dream house had been designed and construction was about to start, the pandemic struck. The house building had to take place while the family was at home in Norway without the opportunity to go to Spain.
– All choices, everything we had to decide on in the construction process, were made over e-mail and FaceTime. We relied heavily on Mona, who communicated back with frequent messages and pictures. She had gotten to know us, and recommended solutions based on that.
– We just had to “take it easy”, and I was reasonably skeptical, admits Arne.
– Building such a large house in a foreign country, to which we could not travel to follow up the progress, was sub-optimal and high risk. But Mona managed this incredibly well. She understood early on what we liked, and has also furnished the house. In a difficult and demanding time, it could not have been better.

The family is delighted with the finished result. They have built a three-story house with five bedrooms and four bathrooms, a spacious outdoor area with a pergola x’and a large pool.
– Marianne still can’t believe it’s true, Arne smiles and claps his hands.
– Here we have everything we want, and that applies to the whole family. My nephew said it very well: “Uncle, this is like a small country”.
For over 50 years, La Manga Club has been one of Europe’s leading resorts. Here is a 5-star hotel, three 18-hole courses for golf, a large selection of restaurants and bars, a rich range of activities with tennis, padel and football – and close to the Mediterranean’s golden beaches.

With 320 sunny days a year and a slight breeze that cools the hottest, there is little that lures Fjelberg away from his dream home in Murcia.
– We have built ourselves a social home, where we can welcome both friends and family. A family that may grow in the future with grandchildren and new generations.
Along the way, Mona came up with good advice that didn’t always cost more. She was genuinely interested in delivering a house that suited us well, and where utility was maximized.
Arne Fjelberg has now stepped down from his IT job. Marianne has started her own consulting company. The children have grown up, but like to go to La Manga Club as often as they can.
– My wife and I have set ourselves up for more free time in the future. We will be spending a lot of time here in the future. We have also built this place for Maiken and Jonas to create their traditions with their friends in the future.
– Overall, we couldn’t have gotten any better.

Warm regards, Marianne and Arne (Aug. -24)