0800 180 4359
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Press InformationPress Releases
High resolution versions of the photos in the releases or on the web site are available on request.
Media BriefingAn introduction to the properties in
1. IntroductionThe Almanzora Group Ltd, the principal agent in the UK and Republic of Ireland acting exclusively for the Spanish development companies which comprise the Almanzora Bay Group, is marketing new properties in leisure resort, village and beach developments in the new Mediterranean region of Almeria in south-east Spain. This Media Briefing contains a comprehensive introduction to the developments and the properties available but very much more detailed information on all aspects is available on the website: www.almanzora.com The Almanzora Bay Group When the Almanzora Bay Group first studied the possibility of investing in the Almanzora region in the 1980s, it was accessible by road only with difficulty. The infrastructure was poor to non-existent following decades of under-investment under the Franco regime. There was virtually no development activity taking place. It was this 'blank canvas' aspect of the area which attracted the group, as well as the declaration of the area as an Objective 1 region for European Structural funding and the discovery of a comprehensive and well elaborated European-Spanish-Andalucian programme for a massive revamp of its infrastructure. Although the local authorities and people seemed only partially aware of - and certainly had no faith in - this plan, it sealed the decision of the group to participate in the future of the region. During the 1990s, each element of this plan was put in place, from the new Cuevas del Almanzora dam and waterworks to the first motorway linking the region to Alicante to the north and Malaga to the west. The programme included an extended international airport, new regional hospitals, new primary schools and sewage works in every town and village, secondary roads to and along the coast, new bridges, maritime paseos (waterways), mains water supplies and telephone systems; there was hardly an item of public infrastructure which was not involved. The Almanzora Group For details of the inspection visits which The Almanzora Group arranges for potential purchasers, telephone 0044 (0) 1242 680116. 2. Why the group's developments are differentScrupulous attention to detail has set the company's developments apart from many other schemes in Spain, according to Peter Goodhall, the Almanzora Bay Group's managing director. Peter, who can draw on 20 years of experience working in Spain, dismisses descriptions like 'high quality' and 'luxurious' as over-used and devalued by many developers. He prefers to describe the elements which make the group's schemes of exceptional calibre as:
The developer's approach It is a consistent policy to set them at a quality level significantly above that experienced in the local regional market to date, thus pushing up values and setting a benchmark for others to achieve. The group develops its large scale schemes itself, ensuring that the underlying theme, style and quality levels projected do not become diluted and that the variety of provision and prices is maintained. This approach is very different from that of most banks and developers in Spain where it has become the norm to implement the infrastructure of huge residential areas and then sell off parcels, all at the same time as quickly as possible, to as many contractors as possible. In order to compete with each other at the lowest prices, the contractors are reduced to constructing ranks of hundreds - even thousands - of repetitive lookalike, egg-box style developments. Such properties frequently are sold as investments; unfortunately as these 'bulk' developments are completed all at once and the market goes through its inexorable cycles, the overhang of unsold re-sale investment properties collapses its own market. The Almanzora Bay Group has a small hands-on core management team which makes decision-making on the numerous planning, design, construction and management issues a rapid and responsive process, without the need for lengthy committee decisions. Above all it is based on a thoughtful and diligent approach which anticipates and provides for the individual requirements of the owners of its properties and the visitors to its resorts. Long term investment The group is taking care and time with regard to the way it develops 'built to last' homes which, it believes, inspires confidence among present and future buyers. Attention to detail Timber screening is carefully planned to obscure views of new construction work taking place and construction haul roads are designed to keep building traffic far away from the developed areas. Daily from 5 am to 10 pm at Desert Springs, the golf course is maintained by a dedicated team of trained and qualified greenkeepers and the landscape is looked after by gardeners experienced in desert plants. Day-to-day management of the resort is carried out by a dedicated Property Management and Home Owner Services team, in support of the Presidents of the Property owners pay an annual community charge based on an annual budget decided by the property owners. It is divided proportionately, depending on the size of each dwelling. Payment, which is obligatory, ensures that the community is well maintained. All the properties are repainted externally every five years. Location and accessibility Scheduled and charter flights from the UK and Eire take around two and a half hours. Peter Goodhall predicts that, as travel links with the UK continue to improve, growing numbers of UK families will consider a permanent move to this area of Spain, with the main breadwinner working remotely using the resort-wide wi-max internet and commuting travelling back to Britain only when necessary. Residents requiring medical care can use the facilities of a major regional hospital 15 minutes away by road at Huercal Overa, and private clinics in Almeria. For winter sports enthusiasts, the ski resorts of the Sierra Nevada are only one hour and 45 minutes away by car. Climate See more detailed information on the website: www.almanzora.com 3. The Almanzora Bay Group's three developmentsThe Almanzora Group is selling properties under-construction, off-plan and already completed on three Almanzora Bay Group developments. They are:
Reassuring for property purchasers is the way in which the regional planning authorities in the Almeria region have drawn on the lessons learnt from the over-development of other Spanish Costas, with no development higher than three storeys being permitted. Construction work is handled by local contractors carefully selected for their skills, experience and expertise. 4. Desert Springs Resort and Golf CourseDesert Springs, Europe's only international award-winning luxury family resort and championship desert golf course, occupies more than 300 hectares (750 acres) on an elevated plateau near the town of Cuevas del Almanzora. Previously the site was occupied by a farm growing melons and tomatoes. Peter McEvoy, British Amateur Champion and English Walker Cup team captain, and Almanzora Bay designers in Spain, co-operated to create a master plan. Property designs based on authentic local Almanzora and Spanish colonial architectural styles were developed by English architects, Ken McAndrew and David Syder. Final design details were crystallised by local architect Lucas Marquenie, a Belgian, who was brought up in this part of Spain. Construction of the first buildings started in 1999 and The Almanzora Bay Group has a carefully developed long-term plan for completion of the resort. It will include two 18-hole golf courses, a four-star golf and sports hotel and a super luxury five-star plus spa hotel, restaurants and shops, as well as more than 2,000 homes ranging from apartments, townhouses and cottages to villas and country houses all built to the highest British standards of construction and finish. The group's method of development is to construct progressively away from the completed heart of the resort, using external haul roads and leaving the occupied areas and golf course free from disturbance to existing owners and users. Less than 15 per cent of the land earmarked for development will be occupied by buildings. In 2005 Desert Springs won the Bentley International Property Awards for the Best Spain Development and Best Architecture, as well as the Spanish National Madera Verde Prize for Environmentally Sensitive Development. In 2006, the El Torrente restaurant located in the club house was invited to receive the Trade Leaders Club award for Tourism, Hotel and Catering Industry in 2007. Facilities already in place at Desert Springs include: The Desert Springs Golf Course The dramatic nature of the Desert Springs fairways, set in a landscape of cactus, rock and flowering desert, is said to have taken golf in Spain to a new level of excellence. The club runs a year-round calendar of tournaments for members as well as open tournaments including The Indiana Masters, The Desert Classic and The Professional Challenge Cup. In March, 2007, it will host Europe's most prestigious amateur tournaments for the second time in three years, the King's Cup - the Copa Del Rey - which is the Spanish International Amateur Open. Golf Club joining fees for Non-resident Membership, for a family of up to four, are waived in the case of Almanzora Bay Group's own property purchasers. Currently there are six full golf courses in the Almeria region and a further six are planned or under construction. They include a second 18-hole course at Desert Springs. The Golf Academy The Caddy Master's Pavilion The Golf Club House The El Torrente Restaurant The Events Marquee Typical additional activities on offer in the resort include Spanish language and cookery classes. Available outside the resort are excursions to local markets, the local space observatory, the Los Millares archaeological excavations - one of the largest pre-historic sites in Europe and the original settlement of the 'beaker' people of Avebury in Wiltshire and to Almeria's Moorish Alcazaba castle, one of the largest in Spain. Another worthwhile cultural visit is the studio and private gallery of the internationally famous artist Andres Ibanez of Olula del Rio in the Upper Almanzora Valley. Activities available locally range from scuba diving and fishing, trail riding and horse riding lessons, to off road driving and caving trips. The Cave Bar The Crocodile Club Alongside the club's Croc Restaurant, offering a wide variety of speciality menus to suit parents and children, is the Rosewood Bar. It takes its name from the dried rosewood from Africa's Namibian Desert used to construct the bar itself. A small circuit for children to drive 4 self propelled John Deere electric “Gators” is about to open. Currently under construction within the club is Spain's only world championship standard mini-golf course. A track for authentic model car racing is also planned. The Sierra Sports and Fitness Club The Private Reserve Rooms for meetings and private dining can be hired. The Day Spa @ Desert Springs Shops The Marquee also houses The Lifestyle Collection, with Almanzora and Desert Springs branded clothing, as well as the Desert Springs Micro Stores, selling day-to-day requirements such as food, refreshments, toiletries, newspapers and household items. A beachwear shop, with fun jewellery, toys and crafts amongst the items for sale can be found at the El Chiringuito. Also available for sale within the resort are items selected for The Almanzora Collection. They include swinging star beds for sleeping on the terrace, personalised golf buggies, marble garden fountains and giant sun parasols. Fishing Conservation and sustainability An abundant domestic water supply for the occupiers of homes in the resort is provided by local mains water, piped from snow and rain-fed reservoirs in the Alpujarras and Granada mountains. It is purified at the local waterworks at the nearby Cuevas del Almanzora dam. Within the next 12 months, additional supplies will alsoarrive from Europe's largest existing sea water desalination plant 25 km away at Carboneras. For irrigation purposes, Desert Springs draws on natural water supplies from artesian wells below the resort, as well as treated and desalinised water from its own and other local plants. On the golf course, an innovative computer-based sprinkler system is activated, using global positioning satellite technology, to enable precise identification of specific areas under stress and needing watering. These can then be targeted by remote operation of as little as a single individual sprinkler head, thus reducing considerably the amount of water which would otherwise be consumed by a comparable 18-hole golf course. In 2005, Desert Springs beat off competition from 60 other golf courses in Spain to win the Spanish National Madera Verde prize for Environmental Responsibility presented by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment's Association for the Promotion of Socio-Cultural Activities and The Royal Spanish Golf Federation. The judges said that the Desert Springs golf course represented “an extraordinary and exceptional case of respect for the natural environment.” Landscaping and irrigation of the golf course has encouraged massive re-population of wildlife, including many exotic birds - bee eaters, golden orioles, hoopoes and flamingos - as well as other wildlife, such as the world's smallest (non-poisonous) snake, monitor lizards and the endangered Moroccan tortoise, to visit or make their homes in the resort. Desert Springs' resident chief naturalist, Joel Lodé, has catalogued 359 species of wild plants and 305 species of animal life, including birds, in and around the resort. There are also around 200 planted species on the golf course. Joel, who has created, and manages at Desert Springs, one of the most important and largest collections of succulent and cactus plants in Europe, has personally propagated many of the 11,000 plants in his nursery, using seeds collected from locations as far apart as South America and the Middle East. He is working closely with scientists to research the medical and healing properties of all these plants Says Joel: “It seems important to underline that this contribution to the environment was realised thanks to the creation of the golf course itself. The rocky zones, tree planted areas and introduced vegetation, as well as the lakes, allow many animal species to establish and reproduce here. “It is necessary to keep in mind that the modified zone was an old, part abandoned, cultivation area with almost no vegetal cover, so that animal and vegetable life was therefore limited. “The increase and the settlement of new species for the Almanzora, in spite of the human presence, is an extremely positive and encouraging factor for the natural environment.” Future plans for Desert Springs The second hotel at Desert Springs will be a small luxury 'well-being' spa hotel, of less than 50 bedrooms. The hotel, which will incorporate the facilities currently provided within the Day Spa and the Private Reserve at Desert Springs, will overlook an 11 hectare (27 acre) lake for fishing and quiet water sports. Alongside will be an embarcadero (quay) lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. Other plans include an international school, a second football pitch, a full size cricket pitch to complement the existing cricket practice facilities, an athletics track, bowling greens and a private clinic. 5. The properties at Desert SpringsMore than 2,000 apartments, townhouses, cottages, villas and country houses are planned at Desert Springs. So far more than 300 have been completed and sold, and work is underway on the next phases of the development. Currently around 70 per cent of property owners at Desert Springs are British families, 15 per cent are Irish, and the remainder are Spanish or from other European countries. The developer is keen to encourage a greater mix of nationalities among its owners, many of whom are expected to turn their present second homes and holiday homes into permanent work bases and/or retirement homes in due course, when the resort-wide wi-max internet connectivity is available and when international schooling becomes available. Continuing capital value growth at Desert Springs means that purchasers who were among the first to buy in 1999 have seen the value of their homes triple. In the past four years property values have risen by around 150 per cent. Some early purchasers now are selling their properties so that they can trade-up into larger homes at Desert Springs. Features and finishes Fitted kitchens include granite worktops and come with a ceramic hob, oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and washing machine. Warm and cold air-conditioning units or pre-installation are provided and security systems are also included or available. All properties come with 10-year structural defects insurance cover, as well as major and minor defect guarantees. Colonial Apartments Set in courtyards, around pools, gardens and classic Spanish patios, the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments have panoramic views of the golf course, the sea and the mountains around Desert Springs. Living rooms all have sun terraces and each owner has access to a private roof solarium. In addition, owners have the use of a car parking area, gardens, swimming and paddling pools. Floor areas of the apartments range in size from 51 sq m to 100 sq m. Colonial Townhouses All of the townhouses come with a paved private patio area and most have private gardens as well. All have roof level sun terraces and access to the communal gardens, pools and parking areas. Floor areas of the townhouses range in size from 90 sq m to 106 sq m. Country Cottages Set within a gated community and designed for tranquillity and privacy, each cottage has a large terrace at first floor level, a private garden with a pergola, and a garage or underground parking. Owners also have access to communal gardens and individually designed swimming pools. Floor areas of the cottages range in size from 111 sq m to 135 sq m, excluding patios and terraces. For current prices see Appendix A at the end of this document. Country Cortijos Features include deep and shady colonnaded verandas with fans, and spacious roof terraces. Standing in walled gardens, of 725 to 775 sq m, which open on to the golf course, each air conditioned villa comes with a standard sized 8m x 4m pool, built-in barbecue, a double garage or underground parking area and a large basement which can be extended to create wine cellars and games rooms. Floor areas of the villas range in size from 238 sq m to 364 sq m. Country Houses Planned with careful attention to detail, the properties combine authenticity with modern day requirements. For example, although windows have high performance double glazing, they are designed to replicate the oval and square windows seen in old country homes of this type. Internal finishes include Porcelanosa Antic Colonial wall tiles and local aged Macael marble floors. Fitted kitchens are individually hand-made. Bathrooms have marble basins, with fittings by Villeroy and Bosch and Hans Grohe. The spacious basement in each house can be used in a variety of ways, typically as a home cinema, billiard room, wine cellar or for a sauna and jacuzzi suite. Externally the houses have massive marble or timber columns and are finished in rough rustic renders which match the local landscape, giving a rich mix of red, pink, beige, apricot and burnt orange, among other earth colours. Country houses occupy choice locations alongside the golf course and by the lakes, with landscaped gardens on plots of between 1,000 and 1,425 sq m. Every house comes with a 10 m x 5 m pool and a double garage or underground parking. Floor areas of the standard country houses range in size from 335 sq m to 400 sq m, excluding patios, terraces and verandas. For current prices see Appendix A at the end of this document. Also available for the larger plots are a very few bespoke properties designed and built to meet the special requirements of individual purchasers. Rental income Rental accommodation available in the resort comprises 150 rooms in 50 individual properties. Operating under the brand name of The Lodge @ Desert Springs, with its reception desk at the Golf Club and centred on the leisure facilities of the Crocodile and Sierra Clubs, the properties are offered as part of the five-star plus resort holiday offer and in luxury packages at Desert Springs. They include Golf Bliss, a combined golf and spa holiday, and Quality Family Time, a combined family leisure and golf package. There is a large range of specially designed Golf for Women packages as well as a an extensive selection of non-golf holiday packages, including tennis holidays, scuba diving and accommodation only. Other specialist breaks and holidays offered include Sports Rehabilitation and Pre-season Training for clubs and Schools. Desert Springs also accommodates business meetings and presentations, corporate, sports and family events, including wedding receptions, first communions and other celebrations. For owners, rental income depends on the size, quality of fitting out and location of the property. Typically a two-bedroom apartment shared for seven nights by four people will be let for around €2,044 in peak season (August). See more detailed information about Desert Springs on the website: www.almanzora.com 6. VillaricosVillaricos, a traditional fishing village located on the coast between the Almanzora River and the Sierra Almagrera, was once a Phoenician port and, in the nineteenth century, a silver mining boom town. At the time when The Almanzora Bay Group was drawing up its development plans in 1985, the population had shrunk to less than 300 people, many of the village buildings were in ruins and the harbours were derelict. There were no paved streets and only one or two telephones. New life has been breathed into Villaricos in the wake of a new bridge and maritime paseo (waterway), a new primary school and the refurbishment of the Esperanza and Balsica Harbours which are busy with fishing boats once again. New village development has accommodated an expanding local population and Villaricos now has around 19 restaurants, cafes and bars. Most are Spanish and the village has retained its very Spanish character. There are two main beaches; fronting the village to the north is a pebble beach, resulting in exceptionally clear water, whilst to the south, is a long wide sand beach, Local leisure activities available include fishing and scuba diving. A Sunday market and numerous fiestas in Villaricos and nearby Cuevas del Almanzora are among other attractions. 7. The properties at VillaricosMore than 250 apartments and townhouses already have been built by The Almanzora Bay Group on several plots within the village. Designed to consolidate and extend the traditional style and feel of this coastal fishing village, each property has its own external character, with individual - but never fussy - detail. The success of this process has been confirmed by the change in attitude to Villaricos; it is no longer regarded as a village of negligible residential or tourist value, but now is on its way to becoming one of the most sought-after locations on this coast. In the medium to long-term future, a further 2,000 new homes in similar individual styles and groupings are planned in the village. They will include apartments built above shops, cafes and restaurants around public plazas and courtyards. Private gardens and swimming pools are planned. The properties will be linked by narrow streets, pedestrian passages and steps. On the closest of the surrounding foothills of the Sierra Almagrera Mountains, there will be a number small individual hamlets and settlements. When planned, this will happen as part of a gradual and progressive expansion of the village to improve its economy, services and lifestyle. Harbour Lights - Courtyard Apartments Designed in a style which reflects many aspects of traditional Spanish small town and village architecture, the new homes at Villaricos are built in private and secure gated communities, around courtyards with swimming pools, as well as around formal Spanish plazas, with orange trees, water features and quiet seating areas. All of the homes have an individual rooftop solarium with sea views, as well as underground parking. Floor areas of the apartments range in size from 56 sq m to 138 sq m. La Sirena - Village apartments This means there is no pool, fewer communal gardens, and less decorative ironwork and mouldings on the facades of buildings. Compared with other developments by the group, the rooms are very slightly smaller and the ratio of bathrooms to bedrooms is lower. Available at prices to suit first-time buyers, the apartments range in size from 57 sq m to 70 sq m, excluding terraces. Each has an individual roof terrace and basement parking. See more detailed information about Villaricos on the website: www.almanzora.com 8. Playa MarquesPlaya Marques, five minutes from the fishing village of Villaricos, is the location for The Almanzora Bay Group's Playa Marques beachfront development of beach houses and beach cottages. Located right on El Playazo, the 7 km long 'Great Sandy Beach' of the Almanzora coast, it is accessed directly off the main coast road. 9. The properties at Playa MarquesCurrently for sale are 24 individual “Malibu” beach houses and 24 “Casitas” beach cottages, which are the first phase of a planned 200 homes to be built by The Almanzora Bay Group, in what is regarded as a privileged location on the Mediterranean beach front. Each of the three-bedroom three-bathroom Malibu beach houses features an open-plan living / dining area opening on two sides on to a pergola-style veranda with a built-in barbecue. The price includes full warm and cold air conditioning and a standard 8m X 4m swimming pool in the garden. The design of the properties has a distinct maritime flavour, with raised wooden decks and circular porthole windows. A private roof terrace, looking out to sea, is located outside the master bedroom. On the spacious solarium above, 360 degree views take in the beach, sea and surrounding mountains. A full size basement provides a large extra space for a games room, wine cellar and storage. The two- and three-bedroom Casitas, the beach cottages, are located around a gated secure private courtyard garden and swimming pools, just 75 metres from the beach. Designed in a surreal, but traditional Mediterranean 'beach style', with bright azure, turquoise and lemon coloured mouldings, window frames and doors against white walls, the two-, three- and four-storey homes have terraces, roof solariums and underground parking. Fully-fitted kitchens, white goods and bathrooms are standard, but come with choices of colourful 'beach style' joinery, cupboard fronts and tiles. Every home has pre-installation for air-conditioning in the living room and master bedroom. At Playa Marques, the beach houses have floor areas of 193 sq m including basements and 105 sq m of terraces and solarium on plots from 500 sq m to 743 sq m. The beach cottages range in size from 85 sq m to 107 sq m. with 25 sq m to 50 sq m of terraces, solarium and balconies according to property. See more detailed information about Playa Marques on the website: www.almanzora.com 10. Buying property in SpainThe process of buying property in Spain is straightforward if independent and reputable solicitors are used. Playas del Almanzora SL, part of the Almanzora Bay Group, provides Home Buyer Services teams in Spain and are able to direct purchasers to independent legal advice. They are well placed to assist on all other aspects of the buying process. These include:
From time to time the developer offers a selection of Fast Track properties - usually former showhomes or other properties which have come back on the market - with an all-inclusive price which covers these fees and taxes. There is also from time to time a Property Of the Month offered on a Turn Key basis, which means that in addition to the all-inclusive price, the developer includes an allowance for furnishing from its Home Buyer Services packages. 11. Owning Property in SpainPlayas del Almanzora SL also provides Home Owner Services in Spain covering all aspects of property management and maintenance and including an optional property letting scheme.
|
|
