SPANISH country property sales were close to alltime highs in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Sta tistics (INE). There were 43,650 rural property sales in Q1, up 11% on the same period last year and 8.4% higher than 2019. It was the highest level of quarterly sales since the boom year of 2007. Country property sales have been steadily climbing since they bottomed out in 2011 with just 103,609 rural land sales that year, down from a peak of 192,302 in 2007, a decline of 46%. By last year rural property sales were up 53% compared to the trough of 2011. However, country property sales have really taken off in the last few quarters in the wake of the pandemic, with growth near or above double-digits in most quarters. Most rural property sales in Spain are located in the three biggest regions of Castilla y Leon, Andalucia, and Castilla –La Mancha. Along with the Valencian region they make up 58% of all rural property sales in Spain. If you look at the quarterly change in sales (year-on-year) in a selection of regions and provinces of most interest to foreign investors, you see the biggest growth in sales in Q1 came from the Catalan provinces of Barcelona (+40.5%) and Tarragona (+32.1%). This reflects a pandemic-related displacement of demand away from urban areas to rural areas with good access to city centres and transport hubs. Industry insiders report that rural property sales are being driven by lifestyle changes in the light of the pandemic, and some also mention a growing interest in rural real-estate as an inflation-proof asset offering a self-sufficient lifestyle.
ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRYRuralpropertysalessoarto53%above2011lows,writesMarkStucklin Fincas&VillasCREDIT:PIC Making the Pueblos white, see page 16
roperty www.theolivepress.es P inpropertySpain’sbestmagEnglish AUGUST 2022
Mark Stucklin is the owner and editor of property website www.spanishpropertyinsight.com
FANS of the ITV series Love Island can rent the villa used for filming from Septem ber The24.villa, Sa Vinyasssa in Sant Lloren, boasts an infinity pool, six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, and will be transformed after the series concludes in early August. The minimum that the villa can be rented for is seven nights, and it has the capacity for a group of up to 12 people and will cost around €6,000 a week. Thankfully, the villa will have its cameras removed with an interior overhaul before guests arrive. The distinctive neon signage will also be removed with exposed brickwork and snug sofas also to be added. The villa used for the previous series last year was recently sold for €3 million, and is a 10 minute drive from this year’s villa. Producers of Love Island opted for a shake-up after seven seasons in the previous lodgings. This year’s villa has bigger bedrooms, and more outdoor space than the last one.
The director of the report, Ger man Perez Barrio, claimed that Brexit has had a negative in fluence on home sales in Spain, partly offset by an increase in buyers from other countries.
THE most expensive property on website Idealista has been revealed to be in Mallorca. The €35 million villa sits on a plot of 8,263 sqm in exclusive Cala Vinyes. Not only does the seaside property have its own bar, sev eral chill out areas and access to a private yacht dock, it also boasts its own cave, said to be perfect for private events. Unique “From the moment you get in the house you realise it is an unique property, you feel that you are in an unique place,” the owner explained. “The white roofs and the wide curves, in harmony with na ture, makes this villa special,” he Theadded.1,479 sqm home has sev eral terraces including outdoor dining areas, indoor entertain ment and relaxation rooms, an infinity pool, barbecue, gym and a separate guest villa. Costa lot
SPLASHING OUT
PRICY: Buy cool A DESIGN has been chosen for Marbella’s new multi-million pound sports stadium. The plan was drawn up by Huete Arquitectos studio, with Marbella Mayor Angeles Muñoz describing the concept as ‘modern, sustain able and functional’. The €18 million plan beat 10 other entries. The criteria stipulated all plans had to be for an 8,000 capacity foot ball stadium, indoor hall, athletics track, gym, fitness room and suf ficient car parking spaces. Work is expected to start on demolishing flood lighting and perim eter fencing in February, with the old stadium to be knocked down in September 2023.
PROPERTYAUGUST 2022 2
Game plan SELL WITH THE BEST! Thinking of Selling? We urgently need properties all the way from Sotogrande to +34PhoneforBenalmadenaeagerbuyers.usnowon 951 516 905 Email us at info@thespanishestateagent.com visit our website at www.thespanishestateagent.com or visit us at Avenida España 250, Estepona 29680. • A database of over 10,000 potential clients across all continents. • Tap into our worldwide, award-winning marketing. • Experienced, professional and dynamic sales team. IT’S YOUR MOVE!
THE proportion of Brits buy ing homes in Spain as part of the foreign market has halved since TheyBrexit.accounted for 12% of the total houses bought by foreign ers in the fourth quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. Before Brexit, the British made up 24% of foreign buyers ac cording to Idealista In 2016, after the Brexit referen dum, the UK share dropped to 15% in just a year and this fell to 10% in mid-2021 before starting a Accordingrecovery. to Idealista, Brits’ favourite regions are Valencia, Murcia and Andalucia.
BLUESBREXIT
Recordlevelsof investmentaspropertysectorbooms By Dilip Kuner
Love for rent
NEARLY €10 billion has been invested in Spanish property in the first half of the year - a new record. Real estate investment reached €9.87 billion, some 80% more than the same pe riod of According2021.to the CBRE con sultancy, the retail sector led the way with €2.9 billion invested, eight times high er than that recorded in the first half of last year. This was largely thanks to BBVA's €1.987 billion purchase of more than 629 branches of Merlin Properties. The residential sector was in second place with €2.451 billion, up 71%, with rental assets accounting for 60% of total investment in residen tial real estate, student resi dences for 19% and coliving another 18%. The hotel sector was worth €1.65 billion, the best result in the first half of the year for five Anotheryears.€1.175 billion was accounted for by the indus trial and logistics sector and the office sector fifth posi tion with neatly €1.15 billion worth of transactions - a 27% “Theincrease.investment volumes re corded in the first half of the year show that the real estate sector in Spain continues to be attractive to investors, even in a changing macroeco nomic context.” said Miriam Goicoechea, Director of Re search at CBRE Spain.
OLIVE PRESS’ GUIDE TO RURAL LIVING
AbandonadasAldeasCREDIT:PICCountryandCoastCREDIT:PIC
Rural is on trend in the lu xury sector, too: “More clients are looking for larger plots and houses, more inland, to be in dependent tercountrysidebeplecreaseseeingBritish,thecia,Inlandsupply.”demandThereself-sufficient.andismorethanAndaluwherehalfclientsareisalsoanininpeowantingtooutintheaflockdown.
The boom started after the first wave of Covid: “People stuck in flats in Madrid and Barcelona were calling us, desperate to es cape,” says Adkinson. “We had 26 people put deposits down on the basis of video viewings.” Now buyers are pouring in from as far afield as Australia and Abu Dhabi, with lots from Ire land – a place that’s similar in looks, just colder. “So far, the oldest client has been 80, the youngest, 18. We get lots with children who want to get away to somewhere na tural without vio lence and theft, and with fewer drugs. They’re not looking to farm, though most want enou gh land to grow fruit and vege tables and be reasonably inde pendent.” For many, that means starting a tourism business, ‘but we’ve also had buyers wanting to set up breweries and grow medicinal cannabis. We get all Focusedsorts’. mainly on Galicia and the north of Spain, Aldeas Abandonadas has caught peo ple’s imagination around the world. Specialising in deserted hamlets (aldeas), usually with four or five buildings to recons truct, the agency, like Galician Country Homes, is able to mobilise a team of specialists, and handle the hardcore pa
HousesCountryGalicianCREDIT:PIC
AUGUST 20223
CHOICE IS YOURS: A doer-upper or ready to move in perwork that purchasing clus ters of properties, abandoned long ago by multiple owners, Asentails.well as retirees looking to invest upwards of €500,000 for top-end projects, they at tract ‘buyers who can run their existing businesses from a rural location, such as architects, and people with children who want to start a rural business or farm’, says manager Elvira Fafian. People don’t need a massive bu dget: aldeas with heaps of po tential are available from as low as €50,000. “There are many, aged 35 and above, who have been prompted by the cost of city properties and the economy to change their lives. “During the pandemic, people took the chance to explore a rural world which had become almost unknown to them. In our parents’ times, these places we ren’t appreciated,” says Fafian. There was an exodus to find work in the cities, and abroad. “But Spain has changed, and now these aldeas are recogni sed as jewels. Many people with Spanish ancestry from Mexico, Argentina, North America and Germany are returning to their roots, wanting to buy property in the regions where they or their parents were born. “It’s as if we all had to leave to make lives for ourselves. Now we are all coming home again, returning to the simpler times of the past, and the lives we re member as children.”
We had 26 people put deposits down on the basis of video viewings think they can build whatever they want,” says Anita Schmidt from Villas & Fincas. “Even though the law is opening up a bit in Andalucia, the building of private dwellings is still very Luckily,restricted.”the agency’s mainly American and northern Euro pean clients tend to have the budgets that allow them to choose a ready-ma de dream home.
Demand for rural properties continues to grow as people dream of swapping a home in the city for a fixerupper with nice views and space to keep chickens in the Spanish countyside
MasiaBuscoCREDIT:PIC
TREEMENDOUS: Rustic bargains with character
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“I WALK my dog through olive fields in the morning and pick my own fruit and vegetables to eat in the eve nings. I can work less because I live more cheaply, and I do it with this view,” says Julia, a Ger man friend, looking over moun tains in Cordoba. She has a remote job in custo mer services for a sports com pany, but her main focus ‘is ha ving a healthy, simple life, being close to nature, and living the Thedream’.sale of rural properties is booming in Spain. Farm sales rose by 30% last year, and de mand for countryside homes outstrips supply. The pandemic made people think about how they’d like bi gger houses and some outdoor Itspace.made remote working normal and living anywhere possible. And plenty of people who’d had a break from work decided not to go back but to take early reti rement and follow their dreams. For a lot of people, the dream is a small farm in Spain. “People were looking in the countryside, but the pandemic accelerated the process,” says Adrian Llored of Busco Masia. The Barcelona-based agency specialises in the picturesque stonewalled farmhouses typical across Catalunya. “Most buyers are open-minded, a bit hippy, lets say. About 60% are from Spain and the rest from abroad, many from the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the UK.” People want farms but they don’t want to be farmers. “They want the countryside lifestyle,” says Llored, “a house of around 300m2 and two to three hecta It’sres.”hard to make a commercial success of a small farm, he says, but a few intend to do something useful with the land: “One wo man was looking to grow medi cinal plants,” he says, “and there are others who want to keep Propertieshorses”. are being snapped up fastest in areas that enjoyed a tourism boom last year. Sales of rural homes in the northwest province of Guipuzcoa (borde ring France), in Badajoz (in Ex tremadura, bordering Portugal), and in Ourense in the south of Galicia, have all shot up by over Ourense60%. has the advantage of being both beautiful and affor dable. According to analysts at property platform Idealista, last year three-hectare farm pro perties went for an average of €19,125 (around €6000/ha), making the land some of the cheapest in Spain. Rural land in Lugo, Asturias, and Castellon (Valencia) was chea per still, says Idealista, and in the Aragon province of Teruel, whe re it averaged just €3,000/ha, there was a 50% jump in sales. People are prepared to venture further afield for a bargain, but price isn’t always the top factor when it comes to dreams – bu yers are also flocking to the Ba leares, Malaga, Barcelona and Cadiz where rural land prices are on average the highest in the Vastcountry.empty estates are plentiful. Finding a piece of land that’s a manageable size, with a habi table house, correct paperwork, good access, which also mat ches the dream vision, and then negotiating a deal, is trickier – especially for foreign buyers. That’s where agents and brokers come in. They’ve all been busy: the number of property transac tions by foreigners jumped by over 40% last year, totalling a fifth of all sales. Old farmhouses may need in tensive modernisation, while long-abandoned farms often come with a ruin or just a nave (shed). Building a house might seem the easiest option, but laws governing use of suelo rustico are generally geared towards preventing that happening. “The biggest misconception in ternational buyers have is they Many of them are looking for land for rural businesses. “Our clients are typically mid-40’s and upwards,” says Lee Govier, “plus the occasional younger client who wants the good life living off the land.” As well as handling logistics, the agency is careful to discover the ‘client’s expectations, correct any mis conceptions, ensuring they are fully prepared for living in Spain’. The rural dream can be cha llenging, especially when it in volves a fixer-upper. Properties available through Galician Coun try Homes range from multi-mi llion euro chalets to a watermill in need of restora tion in Lugo for € For25,000.those with energy and time to invest, getting a bargain and creating a home is part of the appeal. Luckily, the agency has an army of local specialists on hand to stop it becoming a ni Unlikeghtmare.in many regions of Spain, ‘around 60% of the rural proper ties we handle are small, around half a hectare’, says founder Mark Adkinson. The combination of affordable fixer-uppers, green countryside, internet connectivity and mana geably-sized pieces of land, is proving a hit – they’re selling 1820 rural properties a month and getting 50 enquiries a day.
THE GOOD LIFE
By Sorrel Downer
OLD ANTIQUEHOUSE,CONTENTS
Inhabiting two adjoining buildings, the proper ty comprises a well-appointed complex of 12 independent apartments and a restaurant, surrounded by a beautiful private garden and a biologically purified swimming pool. Open to the public since 2007, and with a loyal customer base, Oveja Verde is a tourist high light in the area. It is conveniently situated close to the Pitres town centre, providing easy access to amenities that include a supermarket, phar macy, 24-hour emergency health centre, bank branch and ATM, teaching school and institute, as well as several bars and restaurants. Well-placed in the heart of the Alpujarra of Granada, between two important tourist ar eas, La Taha of Pitres is an authentic part of LIVE THE DREAM
PROPERTYAUGUST 2022 4 OLIVE PRESS’ GUIDE TO RURAL LIVING
ON DISPLAY: Just as Paula left it We learnt about the old owner and her life from the contents of the house. Her name was Paula Solis – we first saw her name car ved into a wooden mortar, and la ter found a branding iron with her initials on it. There were two pairs of tiny woo den shoes of the sort that are still worn by some people in rural As turias to this day. The dresses left behind in the wardrobe suggest Paula was tiny, perhaps only five feet Sometall.objects were mysterious. I called one a 'whey pig' because it had four legs, a sort of snout and with Portugal. We made an offer on a mansion stu ffed with dusty antiques. We thought we could turn it into a bouti que hotel and mentioned this to the esta te agent. The agent told the
THE Oveja Verde complex occupies a prime site at the entrance of the Alpujar ran town of Pitres, in the popular munic ipality of La Taha, which lies close to the Sierra Nevada national park. This area is popu lar with visitors of many nationalities, as well as permanent residents from Britain and northern Europe. La Oveja Verde is currently for sale, as a going concern that offers many opportunities.
La Oveja Verde – opportunity to purchase an ongoing hotel business with the potential to sell separate apartments the region, where visitors can partake in hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, or simply relax and enjoy the magnificent mountain views and the many hours of sunshine that grace the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada. La Taha de Pitres sits at an altitude of about 1,250 metres and has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest for its exceptional architecture and landscape. La Taha also includes Mecina, Ferreirola, Fondales, Capilerilla, Atalbéitar and Mecinilla, which are quieter villages, with indi vidual charm. The rivers Trevélez, Guadalfeo and Poqueira run through its land. Bordering La Taha de Pitres are the other popular Alpujarran municipalities of Pampa neira, Bubión, Capileira, Pórtugos, Busquístar, Almegíjar, Torvizcón, Órgiva and Carataunas. Pitres is a 20min drive from Soportujar, which is popular for its witch theme and draws many visitors to the area. Currently for sale, La Oveja Verde offers the opportunity to continue with the established hotel business, or to form a small urbanisation, in which the apartments could be sold sepa rately to individual buyers. The building offers generous, ground-level storage rooms for the apartments, as well as five parking spaces. It is surrounded by more than 2,000 metres of gar den, with abundant irrigation water distributed through pipes and sprinklers. It also features a beautiful swimming pool. be made to Jose Ena – 00 34 649 118 079
FOR SALE Exceptional investment opportunity in Alpujarra de Granada Tourist complex 12 apartments 5 parking 1250m2spacesbuilt 200m2 of garden and swimming pool tel: +34 958 064 WWW.THEGREENSHEEP.ESinfo@laovejaverde.es109
SEEKING respite from the hot summers of Jerez, we looked for a bolthole to buy in northern Spain. We were attracted by Arbo, in the Galician province of Pontevedra – not so much for its famous lamprey eels, but the river beaches along the Miño river which forms the border elderly owner who told her grand son. But he thought it was such a good idea he decided to try it him self, and so the sale was called off. We found another property nearby, less grand but with a va lley view and a pear orchard. The pears were ripe at the time of our visit and we were seduced into offering the asking price. But the lawyer we engaged to handle the sale discovered an ar chaic rule: To buy a property right on the Portuguese-Spanish border, we would need permission from the Spanish military. It would be a lengthy business with a slim chan ce of success, so we gave up and decided to look further afield. Buying in Asturias proved more straightforward. We eventually se ttled on a traditional stone house that had been empty for ten years, virtually unchanged for a hun dred, and still had oil lamps on the walls. It’s common for contents to be in cluded in the sale of old abando ned houses in Spain, but when we checked that would be the case, the late owner’s granddaughter became suspicious, suspecting there might be something of great value in there. In the end, we paid a little extra and kept everything. She never really understood our desire to be custodians of this mini-museum, but for us it was a fascinating time capsule and we wanted to preserve it.
Enquiries should
When Auriel Roe started looking for rural property in northern Spain, she didn’t imagine walking into a time capsule
MUSEUM: A reminder of times past
AUGUST 20225 *Data extracted from process closure surveys after using our roadside assistance and breakdown services. 952 147 834 TheOlivePress-256x170-MP0622.indd 1 6/6/22 10:43 looked like it might have been used to drain a large round of cheese. Another, found hanging on a wall, with a dangerous cluster of sharp nails protruding at eye level, was per haps used for carding wool. Hanging from Paula's kitchen ceiling were various baskets which, I imagi ne, were used for picking and storing apples. There were ceramic pots she would have put on top of the stove for keeping food warm. Some things she left behind gave us an intimate glimpse into her life. She had been mad on gingham, and used it for making curtains, cushion covers and aprons. We found her perfume bottles and talcum powder in a bedroom drawer, and a prayer stool (pictured right) beside her bed. And the wooden crib she had kept its stand is probably the one she had lain in as a baby, and used for her own.
RATES ARE RISING But despite inflation Euribor remains below 1%
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MORTGAGE
How remote working self-employed can put housing expenses against their tax T HE COVID pande mic led to a surge in people buying rural homes with the idea of working re Manymotely.of these became self employed for the first time - Spain has around 3.2 million registered self-employed workers (autonomos) and they pay the highest monthly social security fees in Europe, not to mention declaring VAT (IVA) and paying Spain's national income tax, IRPF. In fact, new laws in 2022 have pushed monthly so cial security contributions up to €293.76, meaning autonomos are paying €96 more this year than in It's2021.no wonder that self-employed workers will be scouring for ways to reduce their end of fi nancial year tax declara tions, or looking for bet ter ways to manage their finances in 2022. What many don’t rea lise is that the cost of housing and related household expenses can be put against their tax Herereturns.are 13 ways to save money as a self-emplo yed worker, which you might be missing out on. If you rent a workpla ce it should be obvious to deduct your rental payments against your IRPF, whether through the quar terly modelo declarations or the end of year declaracion de renta But if you work from home you can also get deductions on your IRPF (Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Fisicas) or income tax. The only caveat is that your deduction will be proportional to the living area in which you conduct your self-employed activity. You can also get de ductions on electrici ty, water and heating bills for your workplace or Ifhome.you work from home, the deductions will be proportio nal to space you use for thebycalculatedactivity,businessyourand30%overpercentageofm2usedinyourhome.
Suministros31
To contact Tancrede for all your mortgaging needs call: 666 709 743 or for insurance queries call: 951 203 540 Email: tdp@thefinanacebureau.com
Real
Both residents and non-residents will need to pay an an nual Impuesto Sobre Bienes Inmuebles (IBI) if you own a home in Spain. As above, the deduction will be proportional to the space in which you work, if you work from home, and will only be deducted in full if your property is used for the sole purpose of your autonomo activity. estate tax (IBI) Rental Payments 4 Interests on loans and credit cards can be deducted from your ta xes, as well as account.usesionscommisfortheofabank Mobile phone bills and internet Interests commissionsandContinuesonPage by mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola THINK TANK
The Finance Bureau Centro Commercial Guadalmina, 2nOffice No. 7 Guadalmina, 29670
Autonomo hacks
The costs of internet, fixed telephone lines and mobile phone services can also be de ducted from your IVA and IRPF. However, you will need to specifi cally take out a package for auto nomos to be able to deduct these costs, otherwise you will have sig ned up for a personal plan which is not Manydeductible.mobilephone operators will offer incentives for self-em ployed workers, such as additio nal mobile phones or discounts on upgrades.
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According to Bankinter's Analysis Depart ment Euribor will be 1.90% in December and 2.20% in 2023, although other ana lysts are not quite so pessimistic. Of course, the above figures apply to those on variable rate mortgages. There are other options that help buyers budget with more certainty, in particular fixedrate loans, which are very popular although, since the new European Mortgage Directive was introduced, these are not generally available to non-euro earn Iters.may be wise to sign up now while rates remain low. Some banks stopped offering fixed rates for a short while but are reintroducing them now at higher rates. At the Finance Bureau we can help you find the most suitable product for your needs, and have access to a wide variety of finan cial instruments so call us for a chat and we will be only too pleased to help. It may be wise to sign up now while interest rateslowremain
T HE Bank of Spain has confirmed that the 12-month Euribor closed July at a monthly average of 0.992%, compared to 0.852% in ThisJune.continues the trend of rises that be gan at the beginning of 2022, although the rate of increase has started to slow. But as inflation stays high, it is likely that Euribor – the base lending rate against which loans are calculated - will continue to Therise.rise in the Euribor is 1.483 points compared to a year ago, when it stood at an average of -0.491%. Overall in July, it increased by 0.14 points, although the headlines were grabbed when the European Central Bank hiked it to 1.2% on July 22 before it fell back below the 1% mark at the end of the month. As mortgage rates are set according to the Euribor, the result of these rises will be more expensive mortgag es – although they are still comparatively cheap com pared to the double digit interest rates seen in the 90s. Nonetheless, those on a variable rate mortgage will have to dig deeper into their pockets when their annual or six-monthly review is calculated. For example, a 30-year variable mortgage of €150,000 will cost €90.28 a month more, assuming a Euribor of 0.99%.
PROPERTYAUGUST 2022 6 We transport: Yachts, Cars, Motobikes, Power Boats, Work boats, Barges, Motorhomes Car transport and Removals, Tourers and all types of general haulage Casabermeja, Malaga 4 bed, 3 bath Build: 276m2 PROPERTY OF THE WEEK Totally detached, private villa with a Greek flair to the exterior. Inside there is a central hall that connects the spacious lounge diner to the well fitted kitchen with lots of storage and natural light. A second hall leads to two bright, spacious bedrooms and a full family bathroom. VL1142 369.000€ DETACHEDVILLA Mollina Office +34 952 741 Calleinfo@inlandandalucia.com525delaVilla14,29532Mollina,Malagawww.inlandandalucia.com OLIVE PRESS’ GUIDE TO RURAL LIVING
By
Drumelia is actively recruiting a real estate agent to join their dynamic team. With previous sales experience in Marbella required, the candidate must be an ambitious individual with milecommunicationexcellentskillsandiswillingtogotheextratoprovidetheutmostprofessionalservices.
Any salaries or invoi ces paid to outsour cers or freelancers for the operation of your business activity can also be deducted from your tax declarations.
Contracts outsourcingor Included within gastos de explotación are also digital services, like software or subscriptions necessary for the management or operation of your business. This can also include the hosting, maintenance and set-up costs of a website, for example. Software Any funds spent on marketing or adver tising, whether for a service or freelancer, can also be claimed back as a business expense. Marketing You can claim on any taxi, train, bus or plane trip necessary for your self-employed ac tivity in Spain. Trips Insurance IN-HOUSELAWYER
Drumelia is actively recruiting a rental agent to join their charismatic team. With previous rental experience in Marbella required, the candidate must be a determined individual with whocommunicationexcellentskillsandislookingtogrowtheircareerandexperienceinrealestate.
Call or email Fabiola and her team on: +34 952 664 966 or +34 656 815 699, and at info@imperialestate.com
Very large apartment in prestigious building with all services and amenities on the door step. Comprising of 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, spacious kitchen, large lounge with access to large terrace of approx. 100m2, wrapping around most of the apartment. Very sunny and bright south facing with open views over Mijas mountains, sea and town. Needs updating having great potential as a home or divide into home and rental apartment. Must be seen! Ref: L016 – 549.000 € WE NEED PROPERTIES FOR KEEN CLIENTS WAITING TO BUY A HOME OR INVESTMENT PROPERTY. CONTACT US WITHOUT COMMITMENT AND WE WILL PROVIDE VERY INTERESTING AND USEFUL INFORMATION! TEL: 952 664 966 INFO@IMPERIALESTATE.COM WWW.IMPERIALESTATE.COM Have a look at our website and find your perfect home. Either second hand or under construction we are going to guide you all the way through purchase experience.
Carservicesadministrationor From Page 6
PROPERTYAUGUST 2022 8
Insurance policies necessary for the operation of your business – such as life insurance, medical insu rance and civil responsi bility insurances – can be Ifdeducted.you’rea self-employed autonomo worker in Spain you’ll also be paying na tional insurance, seguridad social, contributions for healthcare and unemploy ment benefits. This can also be deducted from your tax declarations in full.
7 9 1012 13 11 8 CONTINUEDHACKSAUTONOMO
The purchase of a car can be deducted from both your IRPF and IVA, as well as any re pairs, parking fees, toll charges and The reductions depend on the purpose of your vehicle – if the car is solely for business, reduc tions can be 100%, but if your car is for both personal and bu siness use reductions are usually 50%. WE hope this list of tricks to save money as an autonomo in Spain helps you save some extra pennies for you! For any further information, check with your gestor, or consider using the services of one to get maximum advice and savings.
SUPPORTSALES Drumelia is actively looking to incorporate a driven and determined individual to support the sales team.
CAREERS AT DRUMELIA for more detailed information and how to apply for each position go to: https://www.drumelia.com/about/careers
Gastos
SEARCHING FOR NEW TALENT
ESTATEREALAGENT
Country side small cosy house for nature lovers, situated in the outskirts of Fuengirola near Mijas Golf, this charming property in a very quiet area offers lots of potential, 77m2 built on 4626m2 plot. Overlooking mountains and country side and yet only a few minutes drive to town.
Drumelia Real Estate +34 952 766 950 www.drumelia.com
REAL ESTATE WITH THE PERSONAL TOUCH Imperial Estate brings more than 20 years experience to help smooth the way in your property transactions
Sea front, very bright and sunny apartment overlooking the sea, sun rise and sun set from the large south facing terrace. Very spacious with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, spacious kitchen with utility room, lounge-diner with direct access to 43m2 terrace with beautiful sea views and sun all day. Underground garage and store room included, community gardens. A real gem by the sea worth paying a visit! Great rental potential and ideal home. Ref: L025 – 595.000 €
Drumelia is seeking to incorporate a in-house lawyer with a solid background and prior experience in real estate sales and purchases. Excellent writing skills, attention to detail, very strong academic credentials and analytical ability are required.
MIJASFUENGIROLA FUENGIROLA, BENALMÁDENAFUENGIROLATORREBLANCATORREBLANCAFERIA
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Very bright apartment in excellent location with all services at the door step. Spacious with 3 bedrooms, bathroom, fully fitted kitchen, lounge diner leading to sunny terrace with open views over city, sea and montains, very pleasant and cosy home it is really worth a visit. Ref: 065 – 250.000 € Lower part, beautiful apartment in residential area within walking distance to the beautiful beaches, train station, shops, etc. Very spacious and bright makes an ideal home. Offering 1 double bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, lounge and terrace overlooking the beautiful community gardens, fully furnished with the possibility to make another bedroom. Good value for this very pleasant apartment with community salted pool, gardens and parking. Ref: 069 – 149.000 €
Ref: 154 – 205.000 € LOS BOLICHES, FUENGIROLA FUENGIROLA CENTRE
RENTALAGENT
ACCOUNTANTIN-HOUSE
LOOKING to discover and buy your dream home here on the Costa del Sol - or perhaps the time has come to sell or up grade your property? You can eliminate the stress, hassle and general headache which can tend to be part and parcel of the process by choosing Imperial Estate to help guide and navigate you, professionally and seamlessly, through the whole process, from start to finish. Established in 1999 Imperial Estate offers clients a dedicated and personalised service, individually tailored to their clients’ in dividual needs and requests. A family business, centrally located in Fuengirola, Fabiola and her team bring to bear an intimate knowledge of the local market. And as part of an extensive network of estate agents with a shared database they guarantee that your property will be visible and accessible to any potential buyers. You can take advantage of the free cutting-edge virtual tours service, professional photographs, energy efficiency certification among many other features and personal touches which Fabiola and her team provide, as part of their service. You can also trust the team at Imperial Estate to take care of renting out your home or property, and ensuring it is managed securely and professionally. So why not drop into their Fuengirola office to speak to Fabiola or to one of her friendly, knowledgeable, multilingual team about your property requirements and take the first step in finding your dream Browsehome.their website and property listings on www.imperiales tate.com and take the opportunity to list your own property on the website absolutely free! Check out their handy online property valuation tool, and sub scribe to their mailing list, and be first in line to receive the latest property listings.
Ref: L026 – 235.000 € In the very prestigious Higuerón area, this modern apartment offers lots of space, tranquility, great views and comfort. Great investment as it has fantastic rental potential. Offering 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen, lounge and large terrace with panoramic views over the sea and mountains. Fully air conditioned. Beautiful communal gardens and pool, private underground garage space. You will enjoy the visit! Ref: L024 – 345.000 €
Any equipment you purchase for your business, whether at home or your workplace, can also be deducted from your tax returns. These could be anything from a work desk to a new phone or computer, which could mean a significant reduc tion in both IVA and IRPF. In Spain anything considered a gastos de explotacion or ‘operating cost’ can be deducted. de explotacion
your
Feria ground area, very cosy and bright apartment in nice neighbourhood surrounded by shops, restaurants and near all kind of services. Offering 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted spacious kitchen and lounge leading to sunny terrace. Low running costs, makes a nice warm home and has great rental potential.
Many self-employed workers in Spain will use gestor to manage their business invoices and expenses, and prepare the relevant declara on their The costs of this service, as well as any services of a lawyer necessary for your business activity, can also be deducted as Legal
Drumelia is looking to incorporate a person with extensive experience in accounting, management skills, data handling and a desire to be part of a company in the expansion stage and with a permanent vocation for innovation.
Very spacious apartment in very quiet area very close to the beach and services, train station, etc. Very bright with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen, spacious lounge and terrace overlooking the mountains. Very nice communal pool and gardens makes a perfect home or holiday rental income. Private garage space 100m from the building. Visit without commitment! Ref: L023 – 295.000 €
A SIMPLE STRAIGHTFORWARDANDPROCESS
To find out more about solar panels contact the friendly team at Mariposa Energía today on +34 951 120 830, by www.mariposaenergia.esorgogreen@mariposaenergia.esemailingbyvisitingthewebsite
COMBATING CLIMATE CRISIS
Clients also receive an app so that they can monitor their solar instal lation from anywhere in the world, seeing how much electricity it is generating and how much they are What’sconsuming.more, the Mariposa Energía team handles all of the registration paperwork on behalf of their clients. All solar installations come with a 30-year comprehensive guarantee, giving you peace of mind that your solar installation will stand the test of time and full maintenance sup port is provided, although solar pan els require very little maintenance. “Installing solar panels really is a win, win situation. You will make huge savings, you will gain the free dom to use your high consuming appliances, such as the dishwasher and washing machine during the day and you will even add value to your home. What’s more you will be helping to protect our planet for fu ture generations to come.”
Wholesale cost of rocketedhaselectricitysky-overthelastyear
THE solar energy revolution has firmly taken hold across Spain, with demand for solar panel in stallations soaring. Homeowners and businesses alike realise the huge benefits that gener ating their own electricity can offer. To cater for the growing demand, Spain’s leading solar panel and green energy company, Mar iposa Energía has just opened a new office in LaunchedAlicante. in San Pe dro de Alcántara on the Costa del Sol al most three years ago, Mariposa Energía has gone from strength-to strength, rapidly in creasing its reach from Andalucia ini tially to the whole of Spain. The new Alicante office is ideally lo cated to support the high level of in terest from the English-speaking mar ket, who welcome the ability to work with a company which speaks their Martinlanguage.Tye, CEO at Mariposa En ergía said: “We are delighted to have opened a new Alicante office, with a team on the ground in the area. “We pride ourselves on our first-class customer service and so it is important that we have solar specialists based in the Alicante area as local points of contact for
SUNNY DELIGHT
Installing and using solar panels is actually a lot easier than you may Atthink.Mariposa Energía it all starts with a satellite survey of the roof or available land space and analysis of your electricity bill to determine how much energy you consume on Fromaverage.there the solar specialist team creates a proposal, recommending the size and layout of the solar in Thestallation.proposal is incredibly detailed and includes information on the amount of electricity your solar pan els will produce, along with a 20year cash flow forecast so you can see how much money you will save and how soon your investment will have paid for itself. “The cost savings really are stagger ing and our clients are often really surprised at just how much money they will save and how quickly they see a return on investment.”
AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF
One of the main factors that has prompted consumers to opt for so lar panels is the volatility in the en ergy market as Martin Tye explains: “The wholesale cost of electricity has sky-rocketed over the last 12 months and with so many external factors that can cause fluctuations in those costs, many homeowners and busi nesses are choosing to produce their own electricity, putting themselves firmly in control of their electricity costs and allowing them to make huge savings. “In fact our clients are finding that, with the savings they are making, their solar installation has paid for itself in just two to three years.”
PROPERTYAUGUST 2022 10
As solartemperaturessoar,sodoesdemandforpowerandenergyprices er-growing client base.” With more than 300 days of sun per year, Spain is the perfect location for solar panels, yet historically the coun try has lagged behind some of its European neighbours in terms of the numbers of solar installations. This was mainly due to the infamous ‘sun tax’ which previously levied un fair taxes on those who chose to generate their own electricity with so lar Thankfullypanels. that tax has been abolished, paving the way for both homeowners and businesses to make substantial savings from this plentiful and renewable source of energy. “Interest in solar panels is at an all time high,” Martin Tye said. “And it’s easy to understand why when you look at all the benefits an installation has to offer.”
And it’s not just the substantial cost savings which make solar panels such an attractive investment. It’s also a fantastic way for consumers to reduce their carbon footprint. “Climate change is a very real and very urgent problem. The planet’s average temperature is rising at an alarming rate and it’s vital that we take immediate action to slow down global warming. The effects of this temperature rise can already be seen with an increase in forest fires, droughts, flooding and the erosion of coastal areas. If action isn’t taken this problem will only get worse with an increase in crop failures, loss of habitats and rising sea levels,” Mar tin “Theexplains.burning of fossil fuels to pro duce electricity is one of the main contributing factors to climate change. The harmful emissions that are produced as a result of this pro cess, known as greenhouse gases, become trapped in the earth’s at mosphere, leading to global warm “Bying. moving to green energy sources, such as solar power, we can reduce the levels of harmful emissions in our atmosphere and help to protect the future of our planet. “Unlike fossil fuels, solar power does not produce these harmful emissions. What’s more it’s a re newable source of energy, meaning that as long as the sun continues to shine, it will never run out.”
Harness the power of the sun SOLAR PANELSPV Save money Save the planet Add value to your home CONTACT US TODAY +34 951 120 830 | www.mariposaenergia.esinfo@mariposaenergia.ess 30-Year Guarantee • Full Maintenance • Low-Cost Finance AUGUST 112022
PROPERTYAUGUST 2022 12
www.pacaso.comCREDITS:PIC
The contemporary style building is advertised for rent at €3,564 a month and features beautiful gardens and a luxurious designer swimming pool. It features an impressive entrance hall that opens onto a spacious open plan living room. It also has five bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a gymna Thesium.living rooms feature double height ceilings, large floor-to-ceiling win dows and large terraces. The master bedroom offers beautiful views of the gardens, La Concha mountain and the Golf CannyValley.
NICE PAD!
EVA LONGORIA has been put up in the lap of luxury on her recent visit to Spain. The Desperate Housewi ves star certainly won’t be desperate to leave ‘Villa Aire’, a spectacular home in TheMarbella.villa,which luxury ho mes platform Pacaso ma nages on a co-ownership basis - it can have up to eight different owners and the price of each fraction of the house costs €788,668 - is located in Aloha, an exclusive community in Nueva Andalucía.
Eva took the opportunity to post a pic ture of herself sitting on one of the secluded terraces clad in a skimpy swimsuit and apparently indulging in a spot of product pla cement - which may well have helped pay the rent!
Take a tour of the house Eva Longoria stayed in
Nonetheless, in the news and in the forefront of many peo ple’s minds, speculation has settled on the two I’s – infla tion and interest rates – and whether these will spell trou ble for the property market. In the US, interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages have shot up from around 3% to nearly 6% (in Spain, fixed-ra te mortgages can still be found for just over 2%). Not surprisingly, this is having an impact on both sales and prices, as households are able to carry less debt in the face of higher interest rates. Here in the Costa del Sol, the effects of inflation are likely to be most felt, in the short to medium term, in the rising cost of new construction. This will have less of an immedia te impact on resale homes, which already have costs ‘baked in.’ In addition to the uncertainty of how the conflict in Ukrai ne could escalate, the most immediate effect is to drive various inflationary forces, es pecially fuel costs, which then will add to upward pressures. This will, again, hit new-build prices hardest. In 2015, Brits made up about 22.5% of foreign home pur chases in Spain. By the begin ning of 2018 – before Brexit –that had fallen to below 15%. Brits now make up about 12% of the market. However, in the same time period, Germans have risen from about 7% to almost 10% and both Moroc cans and Swedes have grown from around 2% to about 6% of foreign property buyers. Those percentage numbers also hide the fact that buyers from all the major purchasing countries have rebounded in total number of sales. The UK is still below its peak in 2016 but, if current trends hold, it will have returned to previous sales numbers within two years. So, we’re seeing a mix of indicators, which can be confusing. With that in mind, I’d like to suggest a new acronym to make sense of current trends and to have some predictive power, DSC. Let’s look at each of these.
Mov:
Spacious Villa – Valderrama Golf 6 bedrooms / 6 bathrooms • 796m2 built 4.421m2 plot • Jacuzzi • Cinema room Tennis/Paddle court • Solarium Underfloor heating (partial) Sold fully furnished including car Frontline Villa – Almenara Golf 5 bedrooms / 5 bathrooms • 509m2
C IS FOR COVID More than anything else, Co vid has dramatically changed the real-estate market, as there have been huge demo graphic shifts in work as well as housing. Many companies are finding that their emplo yees, who have tasted the exotic fruits of freedom, are reluctant to change their newfound homeworking lifestyle. According to studies, around 18% of workers in the EU now work remotely. In Spain, the number of remote workers has surpassed 1.7 million. The lifestyle change brou ght on by the pandemic has been nothing short of a cul
The figures quoted above about US interest rates come from a recent article in The gain-basement prices. In ad dition, the housing carrying cost for homeowners has fallen from over 50%, prior to the crisis, to a stable and sustainable 30% in Andalu sia. Spaniards now also have higher levels of savings and lower debt loads in general. So, I’m not expecting a delu ge of new properties to the market for quite some time. Which leads to our next letter: S IS FOR SUPPLY The negative effects of low supply have been well docu mented, leading to inflation in many types of assets from secondhand cars to housing. Supply in the Marbella pro perty market is a huge pro blem. It used to be the case that, in any given develop ment, there would be 5% of stock available, giving buyers a reasonable amount of choi ce. In the current market, in many developments we are down to 1-2% stock availabi lity and, for the reasons abo ve, the landscape looks likely to remain this way for some time. Basically, you have a combined situation of sellers not selling, while demand continues to rise. One of the effects of the Ukrainian conflict has been to increase Scandinavian inte rest in buying a second home in Andalusia, “just in case”. This reinforces what was al ready a trend in the market, which has led to the growth of a sizable Scandinavian com munity on the Costa del Sol and in Alicante.
IN our current climate of ins tability, lots of people have lots of questions about the Spanish real estate market and what it means for them. Should they sell now before prices fall? Should they wait to buy until prices fall? Will prices fall at all? And, are we set for another crisis like The2008?short answer is this is not ‘another 2008’ for many rea sons. Let me explain. A cynical Costa del Sol estate agent may take inspiration from the movie of David Ma met’s masterpiece Glenga rry Glen Ross, in which Alex Baldwin distills his knowledge of the real-estate business to the famous acronym, ABC –Always Be Closing. However, there’s a new acronym, UBC – (Ukraine, Brexit, Covid), to which I would add two I’s, in flation and interest rates (UBI IC?) that threatens to burst the current boom…or does it? Against the apparent nega tive backdrop of UBC, the Costa del Sol real-estate mar ket has reached record levels of transactions and, in some locations, prices have risen as well. In Marbella and Estepo na, for instance, we see in creases in sales compared to the first quarter of 2019 (the last comparable quarter with no Covid restrictions), of 57% and 102%, respectively. In Malaga province as a whole, prices rose year-on-year by 7.6%, at least keeping pace with the general inflation rate.
INTEREST RATES & INFLATION
Terra Meridiana, 77 Calle Caridad, Estepona • 29680 • Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: Website:info@terrameridiana.com.www.terrameridiana.com
FROM DSC TO USP Back to where we started. There are very good reasons to be concerned about the state of the world and, for our purposes, its potential im pact on the real-estate mar ket. However, many of these anxieties arise from wrongly believing the current moment is a parallel to the 2008 crisis. In addition to the statistics, I believe the USP – unique se lling proposition – of lifestyle pockets such as the Costa del Sol,mean they will continue to attract a significant amount of lifestyle buyers; retirees, digital nomads, start-up en trepreneurs, and more. This will remain true, as evidenced by current sales numbers and buyer interest, to the extent that these beautiful pockets of sun weather the oncoming storms and remain sunlit, flourishing refuges. Of course, how could you expect an estate agent to re main anything but confident (ABC)? Whether my optimism is well-placed, time will tell. But with record numbers of tourists predicted this sum mer and Costa del Sol hotels at 100% occupancy, many more people will discover the charms of the Spanish lifestyle and choose to stay long after their holidays are over.
UBC: Ukraine, Brexit and Covid are not the only factors on the property market Plaza, Ribera del Marlin, Marina de Sotogrande, 11310 Cadiz Calle Bermeja, Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro, 11311 Cadiz Tel: 956 795300 628 574953 €2,950,000 built
info@js-sotogrande.com www.js-sotogrande.com Price: €2,500,000 Price:
Does this spell trouble for the Spanish real estate market? tural revolution, similar to the mass production of cars and the change in living and working habits this brought about (think suburban Ame rica). Beliefs that this change is temporary seem mistaken, as the sheer numbers of lifes tyle buyers coming to Spain attests. This is a trend set to continue and which is reinfor ced by Spain’s introduction of a digital nomad law to make relocating to Spain for remote work much easier. Ten years ago, most pur chasers were holiday home buyers, spending summers or a few weeks in winter in the sun. Today, an enormous number of buyers are lifes tyle buyers. These are people looking to radically alter their lives by spending more and more time in the sun, living and working from home or running their business from afar.
Economist. In this article, it was pointed out that while there are headwinds in the US market, the landscape is vastly different to the last crisis. As the author states: “The total value of mortgage debt is around 65% of household inco me, compared with nearly 100% in 2007.” This is the same in Europe and particularly in Spain where banks, their lessons learnt the hard way from the last crisis, have restric ted loan-to-value lending to sensible levels. In fact, my first-hand experience is that very few buyers on the Costa del Sol use a mortgage unless for fiscal Therereasons.is also the fact that the majority of homeow ners with mortgages are locked in to extremely low fixed-rate mortgages. This is borne out by the numbers. According to data from the College of Property Registrars, about 60% of home buyers in Andalusia have fixed-ra te mortgages. This is a massive sea change from pre-2007, when effecti vely 100% of mortgage holders held variable-rate Becausemortgages.ofthis, even if the ECB raises interest rates in line with those in the US, we won’t see the kind of massive defaults we saw in 2007. That means the market won’t be flooded with forced sales at bar
Marina
Sierra
3.859m2 plot • Great fully fitted kitchen Spacious open plan living 5 minutes from SO/Sotogrande 5 star hotel Central heating by radiators
FROM ABC TO UBC byInsiderPropertyTheAdamNeale
D IS FOR DEBT
PROPERTYAUGUST 2022 14
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TENDING THE FIRE: at the Museo de Cal Moronde
OF all the possible images of An dalucia, the white village set against a mountainous landsca pe is one of the most iconic. In provinces such as Cadiz and Malaga, the pueblos blancos shimmer blindingly under the Andalucian sun. They happen to be as pretty as a picture, but there are practical reasons for why they are white. Between the 8th and 15th century, Anda lucia was an Islamic kingdom, separated from the north of Spain, which was ruled by Christian kings. During this period of divi sion, the decision to use lime (or cal) to whi tewash entire villages in Andalucia helped create a sense of unity between the Moorish pueblos Choosing the colour had practical as well as political benefits. The bright white reflects the sunlight, kee ping the houses cool during the hot summer months. The Moors had several ingenious strategies for combatting the Mediterranean heat, from building on the north face of crags to designing streets so narrow they were shaded by houses on either side, and using white was an integral part of their Inplan.the past, the whitewash that coats these buildings was made by artisan caleros from slaked lime, known to be both an effective insect repellent and a powerful disinfectant. During epidemics of yellow fever and pla gue, houses were whitewashed in an at tempt to prevent the further spread of disea se. While it’s uncertain whether this worked, it was a particularly valuable course of ac tion during the cholera outbreak of the 19th century, when the highly alkaline properties of slaked lime proved effective in killing this particular bacteria. So important was cal that UNESCO has granted the traditional method of its pro duction ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hu manity’ status. Today, most cal is industrially produced and the centuries old artisan practice is in dan ger of dying out – but not everywhere.
THE WHITE STUFF
GETTING READY: Limestone is stacked... ...then when ready the kiln is lit... ...and a worker tests to see if it’s ready... ...with the final cal powder ready to be mixed into paint 19th century lime kilns and a shed ca lled ‘Del Caler’ built at about the same time and made with materials from the Bothperiod.the shed and all decorationretainmuseuminbuildingsthethethe
MorondeCalMuseoCREDITS:PIC
Andalucia’s famous white village houses are cool and beautiful – and they might just keep out plagues By Livia Cockerell
An hour’s drive from Sevilla, the Museo de Cal de Moron demonstrates the artisanal Itprocess.occupies a large area of 3,000 m2. Vi sitors can see two fully restored, traditional and utensils characteristic of the period. The museum has an interpretation centre and projection room, where visitors can learn first-hand the whole process of lime production and how its impact on Anda lusian culture has made it a world-fa mous symbol of the region's identity.
PROPERTYAUGUST 2022 18 P h o n e : 9 5 2 9 2 3 5 2 0 w w w . s u r v e y s p a i n . c o m C u r r e n t M a r k e t V a l u a t i o n s B u i l d i n g C o n d i t i o n S u r v e y s N e w b u i l d S n a g g i n g R e g u l a t e d b y R I C S Having a First Occupation Licence/Licence of First Occupancy Will enable you to comply with current laws if you wish to rent your property short-term OR will improve your chances to close a sale if you wish to sell your property.
Did
Lawbird is a firm of English speaking lawyers who specialise in property law, corporate law, litigation and immigration law. Whether you plan to buy a house, start a company or relocate to Spain, we offer a no-nonsense service to assist you. Lawbird Legal Services Slp C.Ricardo Soriano, 19 29601 Marbella (Spain) TEL: +34 952 861 890 FAX: +34 952 861 695 gary.newsham@lawbird.com www.lawbird.com AS she was driven from her luxury home to her plush office in central Madrid, Pilar, the CEO of ABC developments, reflected on the previous day’s events. After a busy morning signing off on the first occupation li cences for a brand new de velopment on the outskirts of the capital it was off to a long summer lunch at her favourite air-conditioned restaurant half way up the Paseo Castellana. It had become a repetitive con versation with the always eager Manuel, the principal financier, boasting of how much mon ey the company had and then complaining there were so few places to invest it and then wily Juanjo - who represents the company’s shareholders - urg ing Pilar to act. Juanjo was always looking for Pilar to use that money to main tain a continuing solid return on the shares, as that's what the pension funds required. Quite simply, the pressure was on to start new developments as soon as possible - and as big as possible - so that the cash flow would keep coming in. So today is the day for getting things moving. Her team of 20 professionals, all with substan tial salaries tied to mortgages, private schools, etc, are des perate for movement. Oh yes, and first she has a meeting with Miguel, the head of the construction company, that now has over 200 em ployed personnel, again all with mouths to feed, plus an army of subcontractors, self employed professionals and casual la bourers, all of whom depend upon the developer (her) to move things forward. It is a ‘beast’ that needs to be continuously ‘fed’. When did this treadmill start and how would it ever stop? She and hundreds of similar companies like hers couldn’t cover the whole country with concrete surely, but that's what was happening. The team had been primed to bring forward projects that could be acted on quickly and had a reasonable chance for Thesuccess.discussions continued well into the afternoon. Some were just run-of-the-mill extensions to existing developments, while most were coming out as too expensive and with low profit margins, even with the opti mistic projections of the sales Ateam.combination of high site ac quisition prices and ever-es calating construction and material costs, were the main problems. Even though inflation was go ing to lower the effects of his torical costs, Pilar just wasn’t in a risk-taking mood. Towards the end, when every one was tired and the post lun cheon coffee ‘rush’ had died, Miguel mentioned the two po tential sites at Tarifa on Anda lucia’s Costa de la Luz. Pilar admitted she had nev er been there, having been brought up in Cantabria, but she admitted the long pristine beaches and plentiful land be hind them seemed a natural choice for development. The luxury units to sell at over a half a million a throw would inevita bly However,shift. Carolina, the ecol ogist in the team, raised the natural problems such as lack of infrastructure, a shortage of water, and a reputation for the coast’s infamous winds to drive potential buyers mad. Also, said Carolina, it’s one of the in Andalucia and vital to pre serve with the looming climate Thecrisis.mention of the environ ment and global warming brought Pilar back to when she helped her daughter with her geography homework the previous night, stressing the need for radical changes in “Yousociety.build houses, don’t you Mummy?”, she had asked. ”Did you know all the concrete, steel and bricks account for ap proximately 40% of the world’s carbon pollution?” Pricked by the thought of her daughter and her potential grandchildren, she thankfully came to her senses. na says are sustainable. We may own the land, but we bought it cheaply, but we’ve now got to look at life and work differently. Caroline, you and I must visit there as soon as pos sible to get a better view.” And that’s how the company lost their CEO for a few months, who came, saw and was con quered by the Light. The temporary halt and hiatus of activity meant the company could survive in reduced form when the 2023 economic col lapse came, without having scarred the land with yet more Thedevelopment.beacheswould remain the pride and joy of thousands who would discover them in the
IF ONLY
An imaginary sketch on how the mass development of the virgin coastline of Tarifa might go, writes Campbell Ferguson of Survey Spain
“In the meantime, the wildest health andpleasure grounds accessible and availableto tourists seeking escape from care anddust and early death are the parks and re-servations of the West.”
Fight them onthe beaches HAN OF URC TAS Battle lines are being drawnas massive mega-projectcould see football pitchesof homes and hotels ‘swamp’Tarifa’s famous virginbeaches opmentSpainsome buildings,protectedoppositeareadehope ButEnvironmental building Lancesthe see plans whenValdeva schemes.Francisco COSTAS
LPO Architects, in collaboration with Lawbird Legal Services S.L.P., can help you get this licence in record time. OR WRITE TO US TODAY AND WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU WITHIN HOURS! your property lack First Occupation License/Licence of First Occupancy? you know architects can now issue these licences?
Does
www.theolivepress.es 26th 2022 voiceSpainPOLIVERESSThe expat ANDALUCÍA FREE X + info@theskydoctor.comALLDOCTORUNLIMITEDPAY INFORMATIONMORE, ANTHONY’S ANTIQUES Mijas Costa beenfootballexpectedecologyremainingcamprojects6.2 develop its infrastructure.countlessscarceApartprojectsthisneedsGil,Torre
CALL
Avenida Ricardo Soriano 19, Marbella 29601 info@lpoarchitects.com TEL: +34 952 86 1890 www.lpoarchitects.com
PRISTINE: The Costa de la Luz remains unspoiled
John Muir, the driving force behind the Nationalparks of the USA
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to findout that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; andthat mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timberand irrigating rivers, but as fountains oflife. Awakening from the stupefying effectsof the vice of over-industry and the deadlyapathy of luxury, they are trying as best theycan to mix and enrich their own little ongoings with those of Nature, and to get ridof rust and disease.”
HAND S OFF OUR
Commitment Kristina Szekely’s Puerto Banus office is open 7 days a week until late, such is their com mitment to accommodating prospective buyers whose busy schedules make it hard to stick to a daytime appointment. With experience unrivalled on the Costa del Sol, offices also in Sotogrande, Marbella, and Gi braltar, and staff who together speak almost every language in Europe, the real question to ask is, why would you not pop in for a chat? 952 81 40
t +34
40 @kristinaszekelyhola@kssir.comrealty www.ksmarbella.com MARB E L L A · PU E R TO BA NU S · SO T O G RA N DE · GI BRA LT A R FRONTLINE MARBELLABEACH,EAST 4.800.000 euros KSSIR-26664P · Bedrooms: 4 · Bathrooms: 4 Built: 417 m2 · Plot: 1.016 m2 · Terrace: 180 m2 Stunning villa placed in a fully gated community with security cameras and night guard, located directly behind the fantastic protected dunes of El Arenal. FRONTLINE HARBOUR, PUERTO BANUS 1.195.000 euros KSSIR-26724P· Bedrooms: 2 · Bathrooms: 2 Built: 137 m2 · Parking Spaces · Terrace: 20 m2 OASIS OF TRANQUILITY IN MARBELLA CENTRE KSSIR-26719P · 795.000 euros KSSIR-26611P · 880.000 euros Built: 168 m2 · 3 Parking Spaces · Terrace: 27 m2 Elegant and unique residential complex built to the highest specifications, located in one of the most exclusive areas of the Golden Mile, in a enviroment of 6,500 m2 of tropical gardens. 24 hour service and security. Spectacular frontline sea apartment o ering the most impressive views over the Mediterranean Sea. JARDINES DEL PRINCIPE
KRISTINA SZEKELY real estate embodies the very best parts of Marbella with an internationalist company feel to match this truly global city. With an office in the heart of Puerto Banus, there is no bi gger champion of Marbella’s allure than Kristina Szekley, who lives and breathes the city. “Marbella is a unique place,” Kristina tells me. “Whatever you are into, whe ther it’s golf, tennis, polo, or shopping, the list here is end less. We are now in a stage of a new Marbella, which cele brates diversity and aspiration. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you can always make something of yourself in this glorious part of the world,” she Marbellasays. has been in the as cendancy for years, and now is in healthy competition with global cities, not just national Andone’s.Kristina Szekely real estate is at the forefront of this, with business continuing to be hi ghly resilient to the global cost of living “Businesscrisis.isstill great for us, because people understand that our properties offer a new chapter of life on the Costa del Sol, allowing you to work while enjoying life at the same time.” Her clientele has changed over the past six months, with un derstandably much fewer Rus sians buying property but also fewer Brits who are finding it harder to navigate Spanish red tape in the post-Brexit era. “Despite challenges we have seen a big increase in the num ber of mainland Europeans partnering with us, and noti ceably more Irish buyers. There are always new obstacles to Kristina Szekely - at the helm of the new Marbella overcome, but this ebbs and flows and always has. We are uniquely situated to weather any storm from international issues because people still see the fantastic properties and lo cations that we offer.”
While online correspondence is the main focus of most of Kris tina’s rivals, her business still sees the value of a face-to-face meeting so that a working rela tionship can be struck and they can understand exactly what clients want.
AUGUST 192022
STILL ON TOP
Benalmádena near the budist stupa, modern bright and sunny apartment offering 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen and lounge leading to large terrace with panoramic views over the sea and mountains, fully air conditioned, hot-cold, within very nice community with paddle tennis, gardens and pool, private underground garage space. Ideal as home and great for rental income, viewing highly recommended! Ref: L009 – 235.000 € Torreblanca Fuengirola, near train station and only a few minutes walk to the beach, this apartment offers 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted modern kitchen, lounge and large terrace overlooking the mountains, air conditining hot-cold, community salted water pool and garden, private underground garage space. Must be seen! Makes an ideal home! Ref: L021 – 230.000 € Fuengirola centre, within the very prestigious complex Puebla Lucia, this bright and cosy apartment is waiting for a new owner to enjoy nice holidays or make a lovely home. Very sunny with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, large utility room, lounge and terrace. With great rental potential, community pools, gardens and Worthparking.avisit in this superb location. Ref: L001 – 295.000 € Fuengirola Torreblanca area, very cosy and bright apartment in nice neighbourhood surrounded by mountains and nature, only a few minutes drive to services and beautiful beach, this apartment offers a perfect home within 52m2 plus 17m2 terrace facing south. One bedroom, onebathroom, open plan kitchen, lounge and terrace with open views over the mountains and sea. Partly furnished it is ready to welcome a new family. Don’t miss the chance to visit at this unbeatable price! Ref: 065 – 115.000 € Prestigious and peaceful urb Doña Pilar, magnificent detached villa in very peaceful position. Built by the present owners with quality materials, offering 4 berooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, open plan Scandinavian kitchen, utility room, spacious lounge leading to large sunny terrace, storage room, bbq área, swimming pool and lots more. Plenty of room for fruit trees or orchard. Private parking for 2 cars, air con and underfloor heating. Ideal home for nature and lovers. Good value! Ref: L130 – 570.000 € Los Boliches, Fuengirola, restaurant Family busines for sale with freehold premises consisting of 104m2 built plus over 150m2 terrace to dine al fresco in the beautiful spring, summer and autum nights this legendary Greek restaurant is waiting for someone keen to take over the successful years of business since 1985. Tutorial offered to continue the business, otherwise, ideal location for any kind of restaurant. Must be seen! Ref: 071 – 270.000 €
AREA FUENGIROLA, TORREBLANCA
TEL: 952 664 966 INFO@IMPERIALESTATE.COM WWW.IMPERIALESTATE.COM
LASFUENGIROLAFUENGIROLABENALMÁDENACENTRELAGUNAS,MIJAS
Fuengirola sea front, very bright and sunny apartment with lateral sea views and views over the castle, ideal location to live all year round or rental income. Very cosy with 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen, lounge and spacious sunny terrace. Underground garage space and storage room. Must be seen to be appreciated! Ref: L011 – 395.000 € Las Lagunas, Mijas área, a unique penthouse in good location near shops, schools and all kind of amenities, makes an ideal family home to enjoy large solárium and lounge, 18m2 terrace with sun all day. Comprising of 82m2 living área with 2 single bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen, utility room and 82m2 solarium. Good condition ready to move in with underground garage space. Must be seen! Ref: 148 – 215.000 €
FUENGIROLA SEA FRONT MIJAS ROAD LOS BOLICHES, FUENGIROLA
HAVE A LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE AND FIND YOUR PERFECT HOME. EITHER SECOND HAND OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION WE ARE GOING TO GUIDE YOU ALL THE WAY THROUGH YOUR PURCHASE EXPERIENCE. WE NEED PROPERTIES FOR KEEN CLIENTS WAITING TO BUY A HOME OR INVESTMENT PROPERTY. CONTACT US WITHOUT COMPROMISE AND WE WILL PROVIDE VERY INTERESTING AND USEFUL INFORMATION!
Have a look at our website and find your perfect home. Either second hand or under construction we are going to guide you all the way through your purchase experience.
