Affordable mortgages, value for money property and new flight connections with the UK make Lisbon one of the most appealing European capital cities for investment in 2018, said InternationalPropertyForSale.com in November.

Investors put off the UK market by cooling property prices and the likelihood of further interest rate hikes next year should instead consider Lisbon, where conditions are more favourable.

Mortgage rates available to foreign buyers in Portugal remain less than three per cent for variable deals, with Portuguese banks typically offering 65-70 per cent loan-to-value and terms of up to 20 terms, depending on personal circumstances. “Clever investors, who would usually be cash buyers, are taking advantage of these excellent mortgage deals to reduce their exposure to today’s poor £/€ exchange rate,” said Julian Walker, director at InternationalPropertyForSale.com. When your funds are in Sterling, getting a euro mortgage to buy in Portugal that can be paid off in full or part, with negligible penalties, once the euro weakens could be wise move.” Combining a cheap mortgage with a savvy property purchase in an up-and-coming district of Lisbon could make sound financial sense. A new report by Portugal’s Office for National Statistics reveals an average price across the municipality of Lisbon of €2,231 sq/m for the year to end of June 2017, which represents a 15 per cent rise on the previous year. Looking closer, the central districts of Santo António (which includes Avenida da Liberdade) and Misericórdia (which includes Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré) achieved the highest prices, namely €3,294 sq/m and €3,244 sq/m respectively, representing year-on-year growth of 46 per cent and 38 per cent. While this growth is significant, prices are low compared to prime real estate quarters of other major European capitals. “Other fashionable Lisbon districts where prices are lower, although still higher than the city’s average, include Estrela, Belém, Alvalade and Avenidas Novas,” added Mr Walker. “Average prices there are around the €2,500 sq/m mark, so there could be room for healthy capital appreciation. Meanwhile, districts that are below the city average include Olivais, Santa Clara, Benfica and Campolide, which again could offer appreciation potential for the long-term.”

Elsewhere, confidence in the UK market was highlighted by the deposit launch on 29^th October of the first ever flight between London City and Lisbon. Operating twice-daily on weekdays and once a day at weekends by TAP, the service complements the Portuguese national carrier’s existing Lisbon services from Heathrow and Gatwick.
Supporting its commitment to the UK market, TAP recorded a 20.3 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of passengers travelling between London and Lisbon in the first quarter of 2017.

On The Market:

Portugal, Lisbon, Bairro Alto

Priced from850,000 euros

Three Bedroom Apartments for sale in Bairro Alto, Lisbon

• Renovated facade and building
• Choice of 1 to 3 bedrooms, 61 to 139 sqm
• Private patio area
• Very high standard finishes
• Located in Bairro Alto
• 25 minutes from Lisbon airport
• Low Notary and Legal Fees

ENDS

For further information about InternationalPropertyForSale.com, or quotes for media purposes, please contact:

Julian Walker International Property For Sale Tel: +44 (0)20 8339 6036    Email: info@internationalpropertyforsale.com Website: www.internationalpropertyforsale.com

About InternationalPropertyForSale.com InternationalPropertyForSale.com is owned by Spot Blue International Property, one of the UK’s leading international property specialists that markets hundreds of properties around the world across its portfolio of websites, which includes Turkish property site SpotBlue.com. As well as helping developers promote their projects to the UK and other foreign markets, www.spotblue.com features properties for sale by private individuals. Spot Blue International Property only promotes property of developers that pass its due diligence assessment. The company’s high profile in the UK means it is regularly quoted in the national press and invited to appear on panels at leading seminars and exhibitions.

Resorts across the Alps are gearing up for start of the 2017-18 ski season with many set to benefit from extra air routes and new investment into lift systems and infrastructure.

Looking first at the French Alps, flying to Grenoble this season has got easier thanks to both British Airways and Jet2 adding Saturday flights from Heathrow and Stansted respectively, while Jet2 also is operating Saturday and Sunday flights from Birmingham. Grenoble is the main gateway to the popular resorts of Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes, amongst others. In addition, Jet2 has launched its first routes to Geneva, Salzburg and Lyon from Stansted, and Geneva, Salzburg and Turin from Birmingham.

Elsewhere, on 11th December a new airline called Powdair kicks off with new routes between Sion in the Swiss Alps and six UK airports, namely London City, Southend, Luton, Bristol, Southampton and Manchester. These new services, starting from £125 one-way, will cut transfer times to resorts, including Verbier, Crans Montana and Nendaz, significantly.

Reaching Austria is getting simpler too, thanks to new EasyJet flights from Gatwick to Klagenfurt, commencing on 16th December, which are complemented by the four flights British Airways is running from Heathrow to Salzburg each week.

Travelling to an Austrian resort by rail gets easier this year too, thanks to a new overnight service that sees Eurostar linking up with two other services across Europe. The new train route delivers skiers to key stations in the Tirol region in time for breakfast. In particular, it delivers improved access to the ski areas of SkiWelt, including the resorts of Söll, Scheffau, Ellmau and Going, Ski Juwel, Zillertal Valley and Innsbruck. The journey starts with a Eurostar from London to Brussels, followed by a connection with a Thalys or ICE train to Cologne, from where you board an ÖBB NightJet sleeper train to the Tirol. Meanwhile, Eurostar has announced it is dropping its London-Lyon service for this winter season.

Turning to resort improvements, a new 247-kilometre ski area launches in the French Pyrénées this year. Called Pyrénées 2 Vallées, it is formed by the joining together of St-Lary, Peyragudes, Piau-Engaly and Val Louron, all of which can now be accessed by one lift ticket as well as being linked by shuttle bus.

One of the largest additions in any resort this season is the development of a brand new skiing bowl between Morillon and Samoëns in the Savoie region of the French Alps. The new ski area will include a new six-seater ‘Coulouvrier’ chairlift, two new blue pistes and two new red pistes (open for 2018/19). The chairlift will be Europe’s longest, stretching for 2,850 metres and transporting skiers from 1200m to 2120m during a journey lasting nine minutes.

Still in Savoie, world famous Courchevel has a new bubble lift at Moriond, which runs alongside a hair-raising 3,000m toboggan run with a 450m vertical descent. Across the border in Switzerland, Andermatt will be connected for the first time by a new chairlift – with more to come to Sedrun.

On the market

 

1. Val D’isere, France 

• Priced of 3,100,000 – 4,650,000 euros
• 5 New-build apartments
• 3-4 bedrooms with large interiors
• Centre of Val d’Isère Village
• High specifications
• Views of the resort
• Multiple orientations
• Private parking
• Delivery end 2016

These apartments enjoy an unbeatable location right in the centre of Val D’Isere Village. The resort has a huge variety of shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars and café’s which are all on your doorstep and the Solaise ski lifts are situated just a 300m walking distance away.

2. Alpe D Huez, France 

• Priced from 315,000 – 1,640,000 euros
• Studio to 4 bedrooms, 37 to 165 sqm
• Luxury new build properties
• Ski-in ski-out, stunning views
• Close to shops and restaurants
• Terraces available
• Delivery December 2018, 2.5% notary fees

The apartments, ranging from studios to four bedroom duplexes, have been designed with a focus on functionality and wellness to provide as much comfort as possible to the future owners of a luxurious property.

3. Courchevel, France

• Prices from 1.95M – 2.60M Euros
• Two bedroom new-build apartments
• 2 & 4 bedrooms, 106-114 sqm
• 150m from the slopes
• In the heart of Courchevel
• Luxury, fully furnished, garage
• Views across the valley
• 90 minute drive from Grenoble
• 2 hours drive from Geneva
• Delivered/Key ready

As well as impressive views across the mountains and valley, these apartments are furnished to an extremely high standard for which the developer has become renowned.

Finally, the finish is traditional yet with modern influences, using the highest quality wood and stone to complete a 21st century Savoyard design.

For further information:

• Multi–generationalhouseholds in the UK up 38% (NHBC)
• 7% of UK households contain two or more adult generations (NHBC)
• Bellis Homes install lifts and separate living quarters for multi-generational families

Luxury housebuilder, Bellis Homes strive to keep up to date with the latest building trends and in line with rising life expectancies, are considering the needs of tomorrow when it comes to designing their homes and interior features today.

With purchasers becoming ever more savvy when it comes to buying property, especially when they are looking for ‘the forever home’, Bellis Homes are seeing a rise in enquiries from buyers looking for multi-generational friendly features that can adapt to our ageing population.

Indeed, NHBC data reveals that the number multi-generational households in the UK rose by 38% between 2009 and 2014 and that nearly 7% of UK households contain two or more adult generations, whether that be young adults living with parents or grandparents sharing the same quarters.

In the same report, only 16% said that their home would be suitable for multi-generational living although two thirds believed the solution to Britain’s ageing population would be to move towards multi-generational living.

Bellis Homes has embraced this growing demand for multi-generational friendly features in one of their latest developments in Hadley Wood, North London.

Mulliner House is a 7-bedroom detached family home set over four floors, with en-suite bathrooms for each bedroom and quarters on the very top floor, ideal for boomerang kids or grandparents, completely self-contained from the rest of the house. In addition to this, a cinema room and pool & spa area has also been installed for the added entertainment and leisure use from all the family.

But not just this, Bellis Homes has taken the concerns of older residents a step further by installing a lift within Mulliner House to ensure that everyone can have ease of access to each floor of this impressive home, from the spa leisure complex in the basement through to the self-contained quarters on the fourth floor.

“Over the last couple of years, we have seen a rise in demand for features that can make multi–generational living easier. More and more we are seeing grandparents and young adults opting to live with their parents / children for one reason or another and so we have started to embrace features within our new homes designs to facilitate this.

“At Mulliner House in Hadley Wood we know the lift has been a very popular feature. It’s sleek design blends seamlessly into the property adding a stylish yet very useful feature for the future, enabling those who call Mulliner House home easy access to every part of the house.

“Usually only seen in hotels, a lift within the home is the ultimate statement in luxury living. No end of our clients are interested In having this in their homes; it takes a property to another level, making it stand out amongst more traditional houses as well as providing uplifting dinner party conversation.”

Henry Fordham, Director, Bellis Homes 

Mulliner House is on the market for £5.5m, for more information, contact Bellis Homes on 01279 424 733 or visit www.bellishomes.co.uk. 

• Surrenden Invest reports rising number of parents purchasing property for their children
• House prices forecast to grow by 28.2% in Manchester by 2021 (Hometrack)
• Darren Booney purchased three waterside apartments in Stretford for his children and is hoping for a 6-7% return (Surrenden Invest)

Surrenden Invest has witnessed a growing number of parents investing in bricks and mortar for their children’s future over the past 12 months.

Shunning historically low bank interest rates and volatile stocks and shares, the bank of Mum and Dad (BOMAD) is acting now to invest in property for their children’s future which, when the right location and unit type is chosen, can still deliver market busting returns.

And when it comes to location, as the capital continues its decline, the property-hungry BOMAD is turning to secondary cities such as Manchester.

Growing faster than any other city in the UK, it is predicted that house prices in Manchester will rise by an impressive 28.2% by 2021 according to Hometrack, making the city an attractive bet for cash-rich parents looking to invest.

“Here at Surrenden Invest, we have seen more and more parents investing in property for their children over the past 12 months. Whether it’ll be their first home after school or university or an asset which can be sold for a profit to enable them to get onto the property ladder themselves, bricks and mortar seem to be one the number one investment choice for parents today.”

 “In terms of locations, the northern cities, especially Manchester, are the most enquired about mainly due to the superb value for money and market-busting returns available.”

Jonathan Stephens, MD Surrenden Invest

Indeed, the outlook for Manchester remains bright for those looking to make a medium to long-term investment. Growth from a range of sectors such as media and technology is estimated to create around 4,000 jobs in the Manchester region over the next 10 years, with demand for and thus the price of housing also rising in line with this progression.

And with one of the highest population densities outside the capital, living space within Manchester is already at a premium forcing investors to seek alternative areas of the city within which to purchase for maximum returns.

This is just what expatriate Darren Bonney, chose to do when purchasing three units at the Royal Canal Works in Stretford, a town in Trafford, south-west of Manchester, through Surrenden Invest.

Darren was attracted to the new development as he was aware of Stretford being on the up due to the recent redevelopment including the new tram route into Manchester city centre as well as the apartments offering returns of 6-7%.

Adding to his existing property portfolio, Darren purchased these three properties for his three children, who will either live in the waterside development or rent the units out to their peers. He views his purchases as a long-term investment with capital growth and rental income propping up his pension.

“I found the investment process with Surrenden Invest straightforward with a friendly, professional service and would use their services again in the future. My top tip for other BOMAD investors? Pick a growth area but do this sooner than later to relish in the rewards!”

Darren Bonney, property investor & client of Surrenden Invest

Units at Royal Canal Works are still available through leading investment agency Surrenden Invest. This brand-new canal side development is adjacent to the tranquil suburb of Choltorn – one of the most sought-after areas to live in southern Manchester.

The development is a contemporary collection of 43 beautifully appointed one and two bedroom apartments with private terraces and waterfront views, Royal Canal Works offers architecturally landscaped gardens and a courtyard along with secure parking and CCTV.

Being just 15 minutes from the city centre, Royal Canal Works boasts city standard living but all of the perks of life in the suburbs. The apartments are expected to be highly prized by families and young professionals who have been priced out of the city centre but are not prepared to compromise their standard of accommodation. Apartments are available from just £105,000 with an attractive 6% NET yield.

For more information, visit www.surrendeninvest.com or contact Surrenden Invest on 0203 3726 499.

Social media has had a significant impact on everything from the way we socialise to the way we meet potential partners. There are over 2 billion social media users worldwide. Now, there’s growing evidence showing that social media is affecting the way we look for and buy property.

90% of homebuyers search for property online, with 52% using the web as their first step (Nar Realtor). For new home shoppers, 36% report using a mobile device while watching TV.

With so many people shopping for property online, social media has become a major lead generator. Buyers are increasingly using it to find their homes. As #1 estate agent in the Zoopla Property Power 100 (Zoopla), Spot Blue International Property is at the forefront of leveraging the power of social media to sell property. Social media traffic to SpotBlue.com from 1/8/17 to 12/09/17 more than trebled vs the same period last year.

“Social media has opened up huge opportunities for those looking to buy property online. However, buyers need to be careful to ensure that they are buying safely through a credible seller. The property landscape is shifting and social media is playing a key role in that. It’s an exciting time to be part of this new model within the property sector.” 

Julian Walker, MD, Spot Blue

5 top tips on buying property safely using social media from Julian Walker, Spot Blue 

1. Finding a trusted seller is key. Look for a blue tick to ensure the social media account has been verified, plus look into the Klout ranking, Zoopla Power List, number of followers and company Wikipedia entry. Back this up with a Companies House web check search.

2. Read recommendations, testimonials and reviews – decent agents should have at least 98% on Google+ and 4.8/5 on Facebook (as is the case with Spot Blue).

3. Review the followers ratio – at least 3:1 in terms of followers to following. Consider the size of the company’s network too by looking at the number of followers on LinkedIn (Spot Blue has over 4,500, for example).

4. Make sure the seller is easy to contact with at least an 80% response rate and no more than a 3-hour response time.

5. Look for consistent company branding, contact details, and whether the agency is signed up to Data Protection Act (this indicates your data will be safe).

For more information, call +44 (0) 208 339 6036 or visit www.spotblue.com.