Ski and sea homes in Italy

It’s perfectly possible to have a holiday home in Southern Europe in order to enjoy quality skiing, especially if we’re talking about Italy. The reality is that if you are in the north of Italy, including northern Tuscany (near Pistoia you can ski in Abetone), you are likely to be only a short drive from some excellent and enjoyable pistes that will provide great skiing.

If you have your home in Liguria at, for example, the Dominio San Sebastiano Resort in Bergeggi, you could be in the ski area around Cuneo (to mention just one destination in Prato Nevoso) in little more than one hour by car.

Luca Catalano of Realitalia says: “In reality you could enjoy a weekend at your sea view Spa at Dominio San Sebastiano Resort in Bergeggi, swimming in the heated open air seafront swimming pool on the Friday, followed by Saturday spent skiing on the slopes and you could still be back in the evening for a relaxing sauna.”

One of the largest ski areas in Italy, Via Lattea, which hosted the 2006 Winter Olympic, is home to around 400 kilometres of pistes. This is a really grown-up ski resort if you consider that, for example, Val d'Isere in France, accounts for some 300 kilometres of pistes

Dominio San Sebastiano is a holiday home resort promoted by Realitalia, a company specialising in high quality new builds and renovations throughout Italy, all backed up by an exemplary concierge service and professional letting management.

Since Dominio San Sebastiano is a holiday home resort, it offers the opportunity to get rental guarantee arrangements for those who are after an income from their overseas home and are looking to purchase with a mortgage, since rates are very low and the euro is strong against the pound sterling.

The resort is perched on the Bergeggi Hills overlooking the clear blue Mediterranean and sits within a lush four hectare Mediterranean park. It is just 40 minutes from Genoa airport and just under two hours by car from Nice and Milan.

This brand new, eco resort comprises one and two bedroom apartments and villas. All have views of the peaceful bay and have easy access to the private beach which can be reached on foot. Local shops and cafés in the town that are close by make this an ideal holiday destination.

There are a number of attractions nearby including archaeological sites, golf courses and with an attractive drive, you can be in the south of France in a relatively short time. There are also opportunities for trekking, cycling and bird watching.

Don’t forget that this is a year-round destination with skiing at Limone Piemonte and Prato Nevoso around one to one and a half hours away.

Concluded Luca: “This is a destination for all seasons. Dominio San Sebastiano makes an excellent holiday home both for personal use and letting, and enables owners to maximise on their property investment by reducing periods throughout the year when their property is empty.”

Currently, prices at Dominio San Sebastiano, Liguria, Northern Italy are:

• one bedroom flats (gardens and terraces) from £ 300,000
• two bedroom flats (garden and terraces) from £ 500,000
• villas (gardens) from £ 600,000

Contact Realitalia at www.realitalia.co.uk or call them on 0870 8909936 for more information

Realitalia are members of the UK Green Building Council and the company signed the 2016 Commitment to build zero carbon emission homes by 2016.

© Stewart Andersen and Stewart Andersen’s Property Blog, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Stewart Andersen and Stewart Andersen’s Property Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Property News

FANCY CHRISTMAS IN LONDON? FAMILY HOME TO LET

If you’re thinking of spending Christmas in London why not think of a comfortable family home rather than staying in a hotel.

There’s a spacious family home in tranquil, residential Wandsworth available.

Consisting of three bedrooms (two double, one twin), three bathrooms (including one sumptuous en-suite), the property has a very comfortable ground floor reception/sitting room and large, eat-in kitchen. There’s also a well kept private garden.

Wandsworth is well situated for access to Chelsea, and via the overland train to Victoria in 20 minutes and from there to the West End and Knightsbridge in no time at all

There are plenty of local amenities and Wandsworth Common nearby.

* Sleeps: 6

* From £1,200 per wk

* Ref: G61

* Contact: Ivy Lettings on +44 (0)20 7603 4417 or go on-line at: http://www.ivylettings.com

Stay in Southwold over Christmas

Southwold sits on the edge of East Anglia. Facing out into the North Sea, this small town has attracted generation after generation of visitors.They come as children, grow up, have children of their own, introduce them to the pleasures of crabbing, sandcastles and as they in their turn, reach adulthood, the local beer. Finally many of those same people choose to retire to the town.

The weather can be changeable. One of the pleasures of Southwold is that you’ll find real old-fashioned seasons – really cold winters where you’ll need several layers of clothing, mild spring days with the promise of better things to come, baking hot summers with blissful long days on the beach and with the coming of September, there’ll be misty mornings where you’ll glad to stay indoors or lunch in a pub.

There can be only be a handful of places in the UK that provoke, almost without exception, the reaction: “Oh what a wonderful place, so charming, so… special.” Southwold is one such place. And it’s not just the rather more senior generation that responds like that. The town attracts families of all ages.

It’s been a family favourite for several decades, and as children grow up and have kids of their own, so another generation returns to the beaches, the annual crabbing competitions, the ferry across the river, Adnams ales and some of the friendliest people you’ll meet anywhere. In the summer, parking can become a distinct problem and the sensible visitor leaves his or her car on the outskirts or near the Common where there’s plenty of space. At the moment, residents only have to struggle with parking during the summer months and then only in the streets around the High Street.

The High Street

These days, the shops range from smart delis to uber chic women’s boutiques, but there are plenty of old friends such as the Amber Shop, Denny of Southwold and Bookthrift that blend in with the quiet nostalgia of the Market Square.

Property prices

In earlier real estate downturns, property prices in the town stayed fairly level, dropping only slightly and once again, this seems to be true. Southwold is definitely a desirable niche for homebuyers and while some homes get stuck in the estate agents’ windows for a while, on the whole there’s quite a decent turnover of houses and flats.

A 4-bedroom terraced house at the pier end of town sold recently for £500,000 while a 2-bedroom first floor flat overlooking South Green is on the market for a guide price of £410,000. Renting and buying beach huts is certainly a costly affair with prices for one of the larger huts starting anywhere in the region of £40-50,000.

A family home

Southwold seems to have a micro-climate. Drive round Ipswich on the A14 on a horrible day with a gale blowing, the rain lashing down, the windscreen wipers fighting all the way. Then take the A12 north east towards Lowestoft and you’ll notice a definite brightening of the sky.

It’s about 30 miles from Ipswich to Southwold and by the time you go over the level crossing at Darsham the rain will probably have ceased and the wind eased off. Turn right onto the B1126 and head towards Reydon and then Southwold and very often the sky will have cleared and the lighthouse will have appeared in the distance. In the winter, it does snow occasionally and it can certainly be cold. But a glass of mulled wine and the turning of the Southwold Christmas lights in early December is a great way to start the holiday season.

Fancy Christmas in the heart of Southwold?

If you hurry you could still book ‘The Drift’ (sleeps 8). Spacious, comfortable with open fires, wood burning stove (plus CH), piano and a Xmas tree included! Call Acanthus on 01502 724033

© Stewart Andersen and Stewart Andersen’s Property Blog, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Stewart Andersen and Stewart Andersen’s Property Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Brazil – a new property destination

Brazil has the 10^th largest economy in the world with a National plan for tourism to attract nine million tourists each year. Around 1.7 million Brazilians already spend their holidays in Natal, the capital of Brazil. This is a country that is moving forward with zeal and excitement that reflects the character of this amazing nation. Natal, known as ‘The City of the Sun’ is officially the safest in Brazil. It certainly has a booming tourist industry.

There is a US$1.8 billion investment for infrastructure improvements and the new airport, fifth largest in the world, is due to open soon and will be open ready for the country to host the 2014 World Cup.

Huge influx of visitors

Brazil is really an emerging market, but with great potential. This huge region has pristine land, often up to the water’s edge that is devoid of any real building. With the growth of international travel it is on the cusp of major changes, which is why buying a property now, knowing that there is due to be a huge influx of visitors, makes the Natal region an excellent investment opportunity. With travel from the UK at around eight and a half hours flight time, the exotic and exciting Brazilian life style is not that far away.

Laguna Beach is an impressive and desirable development along the water’s edge a short distance from the capital. The firm of architects is Abreu & Barros which is currently working on the proposed world cup stadium. The developer, a Brazilian subsidiary company of Obelisk has as its managing director the former Secretary of Planning & Urbanisation for Natal.

Capital growth

“There’s a wide choice of properties at Laguna Beach, Tabatinga. The development sits on a beautiful beach just 30 minutes drive time from Natal city centre and the international airport. Its potential for capital growth and rental income are immense,” says Pat Creevy of Charles Oliver, a UK based company specialising in quality homes around the world.

Continues Pat, “The Laguna Beach Management Company, Abreu Imoveis is predicting annual yields from eight per cent to 13 per cent. Owing to the world market, place, I would tend to temper these figures slightly but even so, it offers a tremendous return and capital growth”.

Laguna Beach, Tabatinga, Natal, Brazil

This is an attractive, low rise, ocean view homes development surrounded by tropical gardens. There’s a large swimming pool plus fully equipped gymnasium and two saunas. There is also a games room and children’s club plus concierge service. This is a gated complex with 24-hour security. The tropical beach at Tabatinga is within 15 metres. Shops and restaurants are within walking distance. There are two water parks in Tabatinga.

Prices range from approx £66,500 for a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment to approx £214,000 for a three bedroom, three bathroom exclusive beachfront bungalow with a private swimming pool. Also available is a choice of town houses.

For more information, call Charles Oliver on 01275 33 11 99 or go online at: www.charlesoliver.co.uk