But what do you need to think about before you embark on your property search?

The Connexion spoke to property experts to find out what potential movers should consider when looking to buy property in France.

Do your homework

Make sure you research France and its varied regions before you start house hunting, or better yet, take a trip to research possible locations.

“France is a huge country with massively varied countryside, architecture and climate. A holiday spent touring the part that you are drawn to is good research,” says Julie Savill, from estate agency Beaux Villages, which has local property experts across France.

“Take a map and start marking areas, towns or villages that you like. Narrow down your search area before you even start thinking about viewings!” she says.

How remote do you want to be?

Many people dream of moving to rural France and escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, but it is worth thinking carefully about just how rural you want to be and what the ramifications of a rural life could be.

“There are plenty of properties where you can be very rural, with no neighbours and a short or long drive to the nearest village. For some, this seems idyllic, however, you need to consider whether the novelty of seeing very few people and always having to drive to get your bread and provisions will wear off over a period of time,” says Natasha Alexander of Suzanne in France, a British-owned estate agency based in Normandy.

“We recommend you do some research into the nearest village and large town and decide how close you would like to be,” she says.

Create a wishlist

Writing down what you definitely want in your new house can be useful when it comes to starting your property search.

“How many bedrooms/bathrooms? Will you do renovation work or just decorating? Do you want the luxury (and the cost) of a pool? Would you be happiest in a village or do you want to be completely alone in the countryside?” says Ms Savill.

Also consider what kind of house you would ideally want to buy.

“Do you dream of a renovated farmhouse, a maison de maître, a pavilion style house – how do you wish to live? Is it preferable to live on one floor or do you require something that is a new-build where the energy efficiency is the best it can be,” says Ms Alexander.

And it is just as important to think about your red lines.

“Are neighbours an absolute no? What about modern properties?” says Ms Savill.

Research the French housing market

Get acquainted with France’s housing market, which could be very different from that in your home country.

“Researching the housing market is essential. Prices vary significantly depending on the region and may not be as cheap or expensive as expected, says Patrick Joseph from My French House, a UK-based company that helps house hunters find properties in France.

“Some buyers still harbour the dream of finding a chateau to renovate or a farm in Provence for the price of a terraced house in the UK, but this is usually unrealistic. The good news is that asking prices for resale properties have been reducing over the past few months as the national market cools,” he says.

Check transport links back to your home country

Those who plan to buy a second home or stay in their home country for part of the year should look into transport links.

“Have you looked at the various routes available and the costs involved in travelling back to your home country. Are there good links back? How long will it take?” says Ms Alexander.

“This may not be of great importance if you do not plan to do this regularly but if you are commuting between the two countries this may be a deciding factor as to where your house will be.”

Be realistic about your budget

It can be easy to ignore your budget when picturing yourself in that beautiful chateau, but it pays to be realistic.

“Consider currency exchange rates so you know just how much you have to work with,” says Ms Savill. “Estate agency fees are generally included in advertised prices and you will need to pay in the region of 8% notaire fees on top. This includes the equivalent of stamp duty/land registry in the UK.”

“Setting your budget is a fundamental step,” agrees Mr Joseph. “If you need financing, apply for a decision in principle from a French bank or broker as early as possible; the criteria for mortgages are very strict. If you need to sell a property elsewhere, try to coordinate the timing of listing your home with your visits to France,” he says.

Mr Joseph also recommends researching currency transfers and the buying process in France, for example, how exactly to make an offer and when to pay your deposit. “These will differ from your home country,” he says.

Beware of the land trap

It is not only your budget about which you should be realistic – while many people dream of buying a property with land – consider how much you will be able to look after.

“A lot of properties come with a lot of land. If this is to be a holiday home, think carefully about the work and cost of maintaining a big garden or even a field and woodland if you are only there occasionally,” says Ms Savill.

Natasha Alexander says Normandy, and its excellent value for money, is attractive to people who want to buy land, for example to run a business or have a smallholding.

“Consider how much land is too much. Don’t forget acres and acres need to be maintained and looked after. Do you want this burden, in particular, if you want a lock-and-leave holiday home?” she says.

Be prepared to change your mind

There is nothing wrong with changing your mind about what you want, says Julie Savill.

“Be prepared to change your mind once you start viewing. That cute old stone property might just feel very dark once you get inside and a complete lack of neighbours could turn out to leave you more isolated than you anticipated,” she says.

And be willing to see a few wild cards.

“Sometimes really good properties don’t come over so well in photographs. Be prepared to go and see a couple of places that challenge your wishlist,” Ms Savill says.

Check out the local schools

If you are moving with young children, make sure to research the local schools before deciding on a house.

“Do you have easy access to the local primary school? While it may seem very quaint and again idyllic to live in the countryside when the children are very young. Have you considered when they become older and wish to play with friends after school?” says Ms Alexander.

“A little planning ahead could mean that you are not spending a lot of time taxiing your children to and from various sports clubs and the school itself.”

Consider healthcare options

It is important to think about healthcare options, whether you are planning to stay in France into old age or perhaps have a current healthcare condition that will need regular attention once you move.

“None of us like to think of getting older or sick, but consider your local clinic for services and the closest hospital. How long will the journey be if you need regular treatment?” says Ms Alexander.

Check the Internet connection

Something that could easily slip your mind is checking the local internet speed of the house you are looking at.

“While many areas have fibre now you will need to check the speed of the internet connection, in particular, if you use the internet for your work,” says Ms Alexander.

Find an agent

A good agent can help you navigate the process of buying in France.

“Buying privately is absolutely possible if you feel informed and confident enough to deal with a negotiation and contracts, which will all be in French,” says Ms Savill.

“An agent will have excellent local knowledge and a great awareness of the correct pricing for your local area. Speak to a few people and find someone you connect with,” she says.

Source: The Connexion

The post Top tips for house hunting in France appeared first on Amora Escapes.

International real estate is a frequently chosen vehicle to diversify an investment portfolio, and demand for residential properties doesn’t appear to be easing. According to Knight Frank’s “The Wealth Report 2023”, a third of investors are turning to property investments to provide an inflation hedge and diversification. In the year ahead, 19 percent of UHNWIs (ultra-high-net-worth individuals) intend to invest directly in income-producing real estate, with 13 percent planning to take the indirect route.

Global UHNWIs consider residential real estate the safest asset class, with 45 percent of Knight Frank’s survey respondents favouring this type of investment vehicle over gold, bonds or commercial real estate. UHNWIs’ share of residential real estate owned outside of their countries of residence currently stands at 28 percent.

One of the top destinations for investors and lifestyle buyers is Portugal—particularly the Algarve, which still promises property-price growth and guaranteed rental returns.

As a result, our team at Ombria, the sustainable lifestyle resort in the Central Algarve, has seen continuous demand from international buyers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and the United States.

Ombria Golf Course

What makes the Algarve an attractive choice for investors?

Three hundred days of sunshine per year, regular flight connections from Faro International Airport, arts, culture and an abundance of activities to experience have all established the Algarve as a tourism hotspot. Inevitably, this has driven demand for holiday homes, with real-estate values and rental returns growing over the past few years.

In the 12 months to September 2022 alone, real-estate prices in the golden triangle of the Central Algarve increased by 15 percent, making it the second-highest performing European real-estate market.

Supply and demand

As we know, property prices are very much dictated by supply and demand. The Algarve is no exception, and findings from the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics (Instituto Nacional de Estatística, or INE) reveal that over the past 10 years, for every house completed in the Algarve, seven houses were sold. That’s an annual average of 1,500 completed properties out of 10,300 sold.

Looking ahead, there are no signs of the demand for quality real estate slowing down. Residential sales in the Central Algarve region have remained robust, as transactions increased by 21 percent over the year to the second quarter of 2022. Based on this and the steady number of buyer enquiries we witness at Ombria, we foresee that investors can expect their property values to continue to appreciate.

The Spa

Rental returns

Bearing in mind that the majority of investors are seeking income-producing properties, one must factor in the impacts of the tourism industry. The general rule is: The stronger a destination’s tourism market, the stronger the chances are for a property to deliver a steady rental income.

In 2022, Portugal’s tourism sector enjoyed a return, including revenue from tourist accommodations, exceeding €5 billion. With 19.1 million overnight stays, the Algarve was the most popular area, welcoming more than 4.8 million visitors from all over the world.

Branded residences

Branded residences are not a new concept, yet buyers still favour an investment linked to a household hotel brand name with a trustworthy team to manage their homes. Ombria has seen strong buyer interest in its branded residences: Viceroy Residences. More than 80 percent of the 65 one- and two-bedroom apartments, integrated within the five-star Viceroy at Ombria Algarve resort (opening in the fall of 2023), are now sold or reserved, leaving only 12 units remaining.

Due to be completed this year, Viceroy Residences are fully furnished and offer a guaranteed 5-percent net rental return per year for the first five years. Owners can be confident that the renowned Viceroy Hotels & Resorts will manage their properties perfectly.

Viceroy Residences

The owner of a Viceroy Residence will have access to the hotel’s facilities and Ombria’s 18-hole golf course, eight onsite restaurants and bars, several heated pools, a spa, a kids’ club, a fitness centre, a clubhouse and a conference centre, as well as services such as the concierge, cleaning, room service and maintenance.

Last but not least, owners will benefit from various advantages and discounts on golf as well as at hotel facilities—including all of Viceroy Hotels & Resorts’ 10 locations, such as those in the US, the Caribbean, Central America and Europe.

Buyers can also discover Ombria’s latest phase, called Oriole Village—a collection of 83 one- to four-bedroom apartments, townhouses, semi-detached villas and detached villas, which Viceroy Hotel Group will also manage. 

Oriole Village, Ombria

Shift to sustainability

The world has been moving toward sustainability, impacting consumer and investor behaviours. Knight Frank’s wealth report reveals that energy sources (57 percent), opportunities for green refurbishments (33 percent) and materials/embodied carbon (30 percent) are increasingly being factored into investors’ decision-making processes.

Here at Ombria, we have seen a clear shift in buyer priorities, with the need for sustainable features becoming increasingly important to many house hunters. Today’s buyers seek not only a property with attractive onsite amenities but also a development that moves with the times and acknowledges the need for sustainability.

Ombria prides itself on being a sustainable lifestyle resort, and our properties and communal areas feature an abundance of sustainable features. Buildings will occupy less than a quarter of the development’s total area. Bioclimatic architecture will allow energy to be conserved wherever possible, using locally sourced materials perfectly adapted to the local climate.

Golden Visa

The Portuguese government plans to end the Golden Visa programme, hoping that this will reduce foreign real-estate investment and, as a result, help ease pressures on increasing property prices. However, it is unlikely that the end of the programme will have this impact as the number of property transactions with the objective of obtaining Golden Visas represents an insignificant fraction of the total real-estate transactions in Portugal (about 1 percent), thus having a negligible influence on prices.

Portugal is an attractive country for several reasons—namely, safety and quality of life, political and social stability, the quality of its infrastructures, a pleasant climate and low living costs. This has led to an increase in the number of people choosing Portugal to spend their holidays, buy holiday homes or live permanently. The most likely reason for the increase in property prices in recent years goes back to the topic of supply and demand, as the uplift in buyer demand has not been accompanied by an increase in the supply of properties.

Therefore, we would like to see the government implement measures such as reducing the tax burden and VAT (value-added tax) on construction, as well as reducing bureaucracy in licencing processes. These measures are essential for reducing construction costs and increasing supply, thereby decreasing real-estate speculation.

The ending of the Portuguese Golden Visa programme is unlikely to affect demand significantly, whether from the UK or other countries, as Portugal will maintain its attractiveness factors. It is also worth mentioning that any visa-driven investors are already deciding to apply for the D7 Visa (Retirement Visa or Passive Income Visa) instead.

Tax benefits

Individuals of any nationality (European Union [EU] and non-EU citizens) can take advantage of attractive tax benefits via the Portuguese Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) programme. The NHR is not a visa such as the D7 Visa or a residency-by-investment programme such as the Golden Visa. It is a special tax regime for residents in Portugal, enabling qualifying entrepreneurs, professionals, retirees and HNWIs to enjoy reduced tax rates on Portuguese-source income (most foreign-source income is exempt from Portuguese taxation) for 10 years.

In addition to the financial, sustainability and lifestyle aspects discussed in this article, it might also be worth noting that the Algarve is home to the majority of Portugal’s golf courses, with Ombria benefiting from its own 18-hole course. With many business deals being completed on the green, the high number of golf courses in the Algarve may just be another contributing factor to the region being so popular among investors.

Source : InternationalBanker

The post The Algarve’s Real Estate Remains a Hot Commodity for Investors and Lifestyle Buyers appeared first on Amora Escapes.

Longtime cottagers call them ‘water squatters’ and say they will transform their high-priced lakes

When Nimens wants to move, he latches his shipping containers together (there are four in total, two for a garage and workshop) and attaches them to a tugboat, “which actually pushes, as most tugs do.” The rig moves at about five kilometres per hour. Upon arrival at the chosen destination, “spuds” are dropped, steel spikes that lodge into the lake floor. “When we want to move, we lift the spuds (using solar-powered electric winches), cruise to our next stop, drop the spuds and enjoy the scenery,” Nimens said. He and Morano have so far kept mostly to Gloucester Pool and Little Lake, near Port Severn. “Sometimes we do this whole move (from one spot to the next) while having our morning coffee,” if the transit is less than one kilometre in distance. Their dwelling has been described as Muskoka-style, “charming shabby chic.” It’s also engineered to freeze into lake ice. The couple spent the winter at a marina in a small bay in Port Severn. “The best part is that Erin and I can sit over dinner tonight and decide whether we’re going to leave the marina this weekend or next.”

 

Due to the increase in the number and types of “structures and things” on Ontario’s waters, the province’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry sought input from the public about “floating accommodations,” and proposed amendments to a Public Lands Act regulation related to camping on water over public land. However, the ministry recently walked back several proposed changes. Gone are proposals that would have reduced the number of days that a person could stay in one location from 21 to seven days, increasing the distance that a “camping unit” must move to different location from 100 metres to one kilometre, and prohibiting camping on water within 300 metres of a developed shoreline.

 

The boating industry worried it would restrict their ability to cruise and anchor their yachts, even though cruising boats weren’t the target, Koetsier said.

The post Cottage Country Braces for The Invasion of The Floating Home appeared first on Amora Escapes.

And this is valid. Watching schools of candy-floss-colored fish swim by on a snorkelling expedition, or hiking up to the top of a craggy mountain, or flipping slender crepes in a frying pan with a world-class chef, these are the kinds of experiences that can make a trip soar, but at the heart of this, it’s really people who make a trip and a destination stand out.

The Four Seasons brand has always been known for its exemplary service, creating teams who are warm and welcoming but also authentic and approachable. It’s a combination that is easier said than done.

And the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay gets it right on what can only be described as down to the molecular level. Much of the staff has worked at the property since it opened in June 1993. And at the hotel’s sister property in Sayan, Randy Shimabuku, the longtime general manager, made such an impression on a vacationing guest—Barack Obama—that the two spent an entire day together.

Haloed in white sand beaches, Bali is home to more than 20,000 temples, earning its nickname “the island of a thousand temples,” or “the island of the gods.” To this end, Jimbaran Bay, has its own resort temple, where guests can take guided tours with the resort priest, Aji Ngurah, or visit the nearby Goa Gong cave temple for a water purification ritual.

On arrival, guests will find 147 villas, laid out like a traditional Balinese village. The rooms are large and discrete, folding into the surrounding gardens and trees. Once here, be active—via paddleboards, kayaks and the on-site fitness center—or simply reset, courtesy of the resort’s 2,000 square metre Healing Village Spa.

With 10 spa suites, delivering a panoply of top-to-toe treatments, this new haven includes everything from traditional massages to facials and scrubs to more unexpected energy rebalancing treatments influenced by age-old Balinese wisdom.

Spiritual healing is second nature here, from the medicinal properties of indigenous herbs to complex body work. And treatments like the Celestial Light Ritual build on this. Using the vibrations of gemstones, chromotherapy lighting, and resonant singing bowls, guests have their body, mind and emotions lulled into balance. And it is just the kind of intuitive treatment the hotel does best.

It’s not hard to simply stay put at the resort. Meals are flavorful and diverse. There’s the open-air Taman Wantilan, serving a breakfast that seems to tour every cuisine around the world, until 11.00am. Poolside Alu serves tasty bites, like poke bowls and made-to-order chocolate-dipped ice creams.

Sundara at the hotel’s beach club, offers a boozy tapas-style weekend brunch that ripples with flavor; but the standout is Jala, the atmospheric seafood restaurant that wafts scents of satay and lemongrass through the property every evening. The jumble of tastes, from the sizzling garlic to the sweet soy sauce is a memory to be retained.

The location, too, does not go unnoticed. Curved beachfront and powered white sand, outlines the resort, which despite its calm and secluded feel, is only 20 minutes from the airport. Denpasar International Airport has become a global hub, manoeuvring sleek aircrafts from around the world along its runways.

And leading that fleet is Singapore Airlines, the world’s most awarded airline. In 2023, the brand was hailed as among “the 50 most admired companies in the world” by Fortune magazine, and named Airline of the Year at the annual Airline Industry Awards.

Ease and convenience are second nature, regardless of the class. Even in Economy, headrests are adjustable, the comfortable footrest bar is built in. Every seat has a USB charger, and the touch-screen entertainment systems rival the choice available at most traveller’s homes.

Business class seats fold down into soft beds. Or, blink from inside one of the new suites—available on the airlines Airbus A380s—and you could easily mistake it for a tightly packed hotel room.

Travel pulls us from our day-to-day, gives us something to hold on to, as well as to talk about and learn from. But when it’s really done right, it gives us something to dream about.

Source: FORBES

The post The Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay Understands that People Make A Place appeared first on Amora Escapes.

Catcha Group chief and co-founder Patrick Grove was not on hand to inspect the Darling Point house he purchased in 2017 for $28 million, but bought it anyway knowing it was to be demolished and rebuilt as his forever home.

But no sooner have the finishing touches been added to the waterfront house than the internet entrepreneur is still not here to take up residence, and is instead still based in Singapore, where he recently added the role of company chairman to his bow.

If six years is a long time in the fortunes of our tech class, it’s even longer in Sydney’s trophy home market where an expensive site acquisition, no-expense-spared build and good dose of inflation have prompted a $70 million guide by exclusive listing agents Michael Pallier and Francis Egan, of Sotheby’s.

Grove’s purchase of the 669-square metre property in 2017 ended almost 40 years of ownership by the Meagher family, headed by the late hotelier, Alan Meagher.

The DA to demolish and rebuild it to a design by Polly Harbison architecture firm was approved two years later, with landscaping by Dangar Barin Smith and an excavated cellar approved more recently.

The parkside residence joins the trophy home shelf just as another is removed: the Point Piper  home of businessman Simon Ehrlich and Rebecca Lacey sold last week for $69 million.

Grove won’t be without a crash pad for his visits back to Sydney, however. In 2020, records show he purchased a sandstone cottage on the Balmain East waterfront for $6.8 million.

Bronte blue-blood

On such a significant weekend on the regal calendar thanks to the coronation of King Charles III, it is perhaps fitting to launch the sales campaign on the Bronte home of His Majesty’s family friend, Lady Marina Dawson-Damer.

PPD’s Alexander Phillips has been giving buyers a guide of $5.5 million for the three-bedroom apartment ahead of a May 27 auction.

The London-based Dawson-Damer is the daughter of the seventh Earl of Portarlington, George Dawson-Damer, and has owned the ground floor of the triplex opposite Bronte Park since 2008, paying $3.575 million for it new.

Oh Boy conversion

Renovation queen Cherie Barber is looking to well and truly cash in on the property boom of recent years, listing her designer converted warehouse in Lilyfield for $9 million.

This is the landmark residence for whom the designer credentials go-to architect Virginia Kerridge, who was commissioned to redesign what was once the Oh Boy Candy lolly factory by comedian and radio presenter Merrick Watts and his wife, Georgina.

While Barber’s investment prowess usually comes from her renovation skills, she has resisted the urge this time, instead capitalising on the property as a regular short-term holiday rental, and a capital gain on her $6.2 million purchase price of early 2020.

At the time Watts listed it — just weeks after COVID-19 touched down in Australia but before lockdowns and border closures became familiar events — he had a $7 million guide, understandably given the residence had won two RAIA Awards following its 2012 completion.

BresicWhitney’s Shannan Whitney and Chris Nunn have the listing.

Taxing motivations

Award-winning film and TV composer Antony Partos secured his hoped-for $6 million for his Potts Point terrace when it went to auction this week thanks to the efforts of three registered buyers.

Partos, who purchased it with his Supersonic music production house partners in 2007, sold it through Richardson & Wrench’s Jason Boon, given soaring land tax valuations locally.

Also coming out of the week richer are socialite and interior designer Sally Tilley and financier Adam Tilley, thanks to the sale of their Woollahra home for what a source says is about $8 million.

It was previously home to Dominique Ogilvie and prominent art dealer Tim Olsen, and still features a mosaic in the light well by Olsen’s late father, acclaimed artist John Olsen.

Ogilvie sold it to the Tilleys in 2014 for $4.11 million, and it was listed with Ray White’s Randall Kemp, who declined to reveal the result.

Towering results

Property magnate Jackie Waterhouse has purchased another apartment in the Quay West tower at The Rocks for $10 million.

The daughter of the late property tycoon, Ray Fitzpatrick, set a record for the building, which had long been the Sydney home of comic genius Barry Humphries, who died last month.

Modernist love

Netballer and co-founder of women’s outdoor training program The Squad Co, Emily Keenan, has listed her Killara home she shares with WINIM’s Josh Leahy for $12 million with Ray White Upper North Shore’s Ben Cohen.

This is the modernist house built in the 1970s by the late architect, Ken Woolley, for the Eastment family, who sold it to Keenan in 2019 for $4.1 million.

The New South Wales government placed an interim heritage order on it in 2020, and Keenan has modernised the interiors since thanks to designer Elissa Griffin.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

The post The $70 Million Home Built by A Tech Entrepreneur Who Never Lived in It appeared first on Amora Escapes.