On the face of it, this should be a no-brainer. Euroland is displaying all the worst traits of a currency union that applies a one-size-fits-all interest rate to a group of 16 different countries. Britain, meanwhile, seems to have accidentally elected a coalition government blessed with the ability and commitment to set right a national debt that will have doubled in the space of a handful of years. Sterling is sure to be the winner? Right?

There can be little doubt that, if the leaders of Euroland were to sit a GCSE in financial crisis management, there would not be many A-stars on the list of results. The Greek crisis had been looming for years, ever since the country fudged its accounts – ably assisted by Goldman Sachs – to cheat its way into membership in the first place. On at least three occasions this year the euro zone leaders put their heads together to come up with a suitable financial safety net to bail out Greece and hold the currency union together. The first few efforts, each with a successively higher price tag, failed. The agreement reached at the beginning of May had to work; if not, Greece would have had to default on repayments in the middle of the month. The €750 billion stabilisation fund was massively bigger than its failed predecessors because the delay had added the names of Portugal and Spain to the danger list.

So far, the bailout has done its job. Greece has not gone bust because the EU and the International Monetary Fund have filled its funding gap at an affordable price. But there are rumours of two ’secret clauses’ in the agreement. One apparently says that if the bailout is proved to be unconstitutional in any European court it will be scrapped. The other says the nations providing the money do not have to do so at a loss; if they cannot raise cash at less than the interest rate charged to Greece (or Spain or Portugal) the programme grinds to a halt.  Neither clause would be ridiculous but the possibility of their existence raises doubts about commitment, especially on the part of Germany which is up for €145 billion of the money.

Britain’s new coalition government, meanwhile, has been making the right noises. Savings and waste-avoidance is supposed to save £6 billion this year but that is just the low-hanging fruit. The real meat of the strategy will be revealed in the budget on 22 June. Investors are quietly confident that the new boys will sort things out but not until a satisfactory budget is revealed will the pound – and the gilt market – fully be able to command the confidence of investors and credit rating agencies.

In the meantime sterling has gained good ground against a weak euro to break the £1.20 benchmark. There is bound to be a queue of sellers eager to take advantage of these highs but there will also be buyers keen to avoid missing the boat if the pound leaps ahead.

Source: Moneycorp

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www.experienceboxspain.com is your one-stop shop for any activity in Andalucia. You can either purchase the experience as a gift and offer it to someone, or simply book it for yourself.

Experience Box propose and book for you any kind of experiences to be lived at least once in a lifetime, like for example :

-          Roll down a hill in a massive inflatable ball (sphereing/zorbing)

-          Drive a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Hummer, Formula, Quad, Off road Buggy, Kart, etc

-          Go skydiving, bungee jumping, aerobatic flight, etc

-          Spend a day pampered in the most exclusive beach Club in Spain

-          Learn about sailing, cooking, padel tennis, wines, olive oils, horse riding, …

-          Get a four hand massage, a gold envelopment or an Hindu head massage

-          Go on a 900hp powerboat for a mega speed blast

-          Enjoy oriental breaks like a stay in a Japanese hotel to learn shiatsu or sushi cooking

-          Visit Malaga on a Segway, rent a yacht or a sailing boat, sleep in a cave house,

-          And much more…

www.experienceboxspain.com has been created in 2009 with the objective to offer three main services:

• Experience gifts & vouchers : They offer English speaking people in Spain a secure online system to purchase experience gifts ;
• Holiday Activities : holiday makers visiting Andalucia and looking for great things to do can contact Experience Box  and book their activities, now !
• Events : from corporate team building outings to wedding activities, all is covered.

For more information, you can contact Experience Box Spain on +34 952 88 55 97 or via email at info@experienceboxspain.com. You can also visit their inspiration office in the Crowne Plaza hotel in Estepona (N340, km 168).

The couple wanted to use the house occasionally for themselves and their children but also to rent it out to holidaymakers seeking a spacious beautiful home in the countryside that offered a host of possibilities however long they would stay. They also wanted to be near enough a population centre so that it wouldn’t be necessary to go on a boringly long drive to access basic amenities, or difficult to call upon a caretaker, gardener, or any other help for the house.

They decided to entrust a local resident and friend to maintain the property in perfect shape year-round. They also found another trustworthy local ally to manage the construction. “We inherited the builder of the lady who had sold the house to us: a lovely Andalusian with a winning smile, for whom nothing was too much trouble. In fact, it was easier to manage this job in Ronda from the UK than many other building jobs in the UK,” John explains.

The fact that this local personal attention existed even in the owners’ absence resulted in an unusually fast and smooth restoration project. As an example of the work that went on, mouldings photographed in Mallorca were e-mailed to the builder so that they could be replicated. And it was John and Jane themselves with the help of a very talented carpenter friend who designed many of the house’s new features, while an architect was called upon only for compliance matters.

Dating back about 100 years, the original house was a simple two-floor structure, but the restoration transformed it into a veritable mansion offering endless possibilities. A wide colonnade was added along one side, perfect for outdoor dining, while a large courtyard was built along the other side, with huge gates with a Moroccan feel leading from there to the gardens beyond. Over and above providing much needed shade, these structures look, by design, as if they have always been part of the house.

New windows and beams were installed throughout, also looking as if they had always been there. Modern elements were put in such as under-floor heating. We wanted “all bells and whistles for the restoration” says John. The largest room downstairs is the living and dining space, occupying the entire width of the house and boasting windows in three directions. Adjacent to the dining area is the large kitchen, whose generous work surface overlooks the garden. The guest bedrooms, each with a different view of the surrounding countryside, and ensuite bathrooms, occupy the whole of the first floor, and there is also a lovely apartment, with its own garden, complete with a separate living room and kitchen.

In terms of decor, space, the predominance of white, and a subtle decorative style that is neither particularly modern nor classic are the distinguishing factors. This is a stately country style that is not excessively formal, resulting in a sophisticated yet soothingly simple living atmosphere. To enhance the abundance of light and space, the exposed wooden beams were also painted white. Moderately darker textiles, the earth tones of the large floor tiles, wooden furniture with soft lines, books on the many built-in shelves, and the occasional soft yellow or blue all provide a just measure of contrast to this general clarity. The emphasis is not on particularly ornate corners or flashy centrepieces. The form and extent of the natural space have been respected, and features are simultaneously handsome and functional. For example, in the pool gardens, there is a walk-in shower whose circular structures, lattice woodwork, and pastel blues recall the traditional hammam and the form of a sea shell. In all, the existing decor is stylish, appropriate, and subtle enough to make it easy to imagine a new owner deciding to keep it just as it is, at least for some time, before bringing in his or her personal touch.

Of course a key asset of the property is the seven acres of land on which it stands. There was once a market garden here, and the creation of such a welcoming outdoor space must have been made possible by the combination of Andalusia’s exceptional weather and English gardening savoir-faire. A large enclosed pool garden was created about 50 yards from the house. “Being some distance from the coast, we wanted to create a space where people could spend all day without an urgent need to drive to the beach,” says Jane. The outdoor dining rooms also includes a bar, under a thatched roof much like that of a Maldivian hut. Extensive planting around the lawned garden surrounding the pool adds to the general ambience of this delightful area.

Outside the courtyard and around the house, a complete irrigation system was installed. Large expanses of lawn were laid, and new shrubs, flowerbeds and fruit trees were added. The result is simply stunning: although major planting and earthworks took place it took just two years for the garden to green up. For shady spaces, pergolas have been used rather than less attractive and more commonplace umbrellas. And quite naturally, given the owners’ practice of horse-riding, there is a paddock and stable

But what of the countryside surrounding the property? As it overlooks a gorgeous valley of the Grazalema National Park, the finca is indeed the perfect place to keep horses and from which to go on memorable rides, or equally relaxing and varied walking excursions. The deepest section of the Guadiaro River valley, which gently slopes down from Ronda to Sotogrande, is called Valle del Libar. Far from any major road and famous for its beauty, this is the route of the railroad track from Algeciras to Madrid. Valle del Libar is famed for its natural and cultural riches: breathtakingly deep gorges, quaint villages with gastronomic specialities, an enormous cave system well-known to spelunkers nationwide, and the exotic fauna and flora of southern Andalusia– cork oaks, bougainvillea, mongoose, chameleons…

As was said previously, the Smiths wanted a rural spot but not one completely off the beaten track. The location is not so isolated that town-oriented attractions are to be written off. By car, you are only five minutes away from the beloved town of Ronda, where Romans, Moors, and Christians successively left intriguing signs of their civilisations. At the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Goya frequently showcased the essence of Ronda life, depicting the dramatic old quarter, perched high up over both sides of the Guadalevín River and Tajo gorge, or glamorous fights in the bullring, as the town, unbeknownst to many, is the birthplace of this tradition.

The finca is also about one hour’s drive from either Malaga or the Costa del Sol. Malaga is Spain’s third city and as such features an international airport, an important university, and many cultural attractions including the recently inaugurated Picasso Museum and the Cervantes Theatre, where world-class events are held all year. As for the Costa del Sol, this stretch of coast includes the resorts of Marbella, Puerto Banús, and Sotogrande, as well as other noteworthy towns. The area is considered the best destination for golf and seaside luxury living in Spain, but the lesser-known hilly interior is full of secret and not-so-secret treasures. Seville, Jerez and Granada are easily visited in a day trip to each.

So it is no surprise that the finca has seen such success as a rental house, being let for no less than half the year in 2009. Testimony to this is the eloquent praise left on the wonderful Web site that John and Jane created for the house, whose design and user-friendliness echo the attention to detail so characteristic of the property itself. One of these many delighted guests offered this rather impressionistic tidbit: “The lavender sweep: the splash of the pool: the sun makes you smile, the shade keeps you cool; the kindness of hosts, the light through the grass; the food on the table, the wine in the glass; the coolth of the house, the warmth of the staff; the pop of a cork, the hoot of a laugh; the quiet of friendships, some old and some new; the noise of a party, the swallows, the view; the gold checkered valley, the blue distant mountains; the ant on the cobble, the burbling fountains; the pointing of poplars, the fragments of art; this magical finca has entered my heart.” Anyone stumbling on the Web site is sure to note the beauty of the photography in particular, which displays the home in all its glory.

What we have here then is a rural property in the heart of Andalusia bringing together local flavour and English country living traditions. In addition to the style of the home itself, a clear advantage is a location that offers the best of three worlds: the quiet and beauty of the countryside, a historic small town nearby with all its facilities, and larger sea resorts and urban centres quickly accessible by car. All of which combine to form an enticing opportunity indeed for the discerning investor searching for a country home in the sun.

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For practical purposes, the greater Marbella area can be divided in three locations comprising a total of nineteen courses: Marbella east, central Marbella, and the 64 square-mile area west of Marbella including Nueva Andalucía, San Pedro and Benahavís.

The seven-mile stretch of coast known as Marbella East features a number of luxury residential complexes sufficiently remote from the town centre to foster a quieter and less crowded lifestyle. This additional breathing room has made possible–and to an extent results from–the existence of five courses in the area. From east to west, these are: Cabopino Golf, Santa María Golf and Country Club, Marbella Golf and Country Club, Santa Clara Golf, and Golf Río Real. Situated between the N340 national coastal road and the higher Autopista del Sol motorway, these courses provide gentle slopes toward the sea, and correspondingly generous sea views.

As might be expected, there are fewer clubs in Marbella town itself. These are Monte Paraiso Golf, north of the Autopista del Sol, and Golf Dama de la Noche, situated in a relatively lush area near the eastern entrance into Marbella. More than just conveniently placed, these courses are appreciated in part because they provide beautiful views of La Concha, the seashell-shaped mountain behind Marbella.

The most famous courses of our selection, however, are located west of the town in the general vicinities of Nueva Andalusia, Puerto Banús, and Benahavís. The area is naturally propitious for golfing, as the foothills of the Sierra Blanca and Sierra Bermeja offer great topographical and floral variety, including spectacular lush river valleys, woods, large clearings, and steep slopes, with all the advantages the latter provide in terms of panorama and the game itself. More or less from east to west, the courses are: Aloha Golf, Real Club de Golf Las Brisas, Los Naranjos Golf Club, La Quinta Golf, Los Arqueros Golf, Club de Golf Guadalmina, Atalaya Golf and Country Club, El Paraíso Golf Club, Los Flamingos Golf Club, La Zagaleta, Monte Mayor, and Marbella Club Golf Resort. These twelve courses are each well-loved for a host of reasons. La Zagaleta, Monte Mayor, and Marbella Club combine challenging terrain and an exclusive club atmosphere, while many of the others provide quicker access from the coast, featuring more gentle slopes and… fees.

But wait, there’s more… Indeed, these are only the courses on the 40 kms or so of coastline with Marbella at its centre. Extend this distance just 25 kms in either direction (westward toward Estepona and Sotogrande, or eastward toward Fuengirola and Malaga) and the total number of courses rises to a whopping 50 or so. No wonder they call it the “Costa del Golf”.

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In terms of geographic location, the distinction is straightforward: the two areas are neatly separated by the N340 national road, which in that area runs more or less parallel to the coast. Below this divide is “coastal” Sotogrande, occupying both sides of the mouth of the Guadiaro river. Above the N340 is the “high” area, featuring rolling hills and wooded areas. There are residences and key amenities in both areas, so residents routinely cross the divide.

In terms of properties, Sotogrande’s oldest private villas are in Sotogrande Costa, south of the Guadiaro. Many luxury apartment and townhouse complexes are on the other side of the river on, or close to, the marina. These residences present the advantage of being close to the sea and therefore are the logical choice for many families with children.

Sotogrande Alto also boasts a neighbourhood of older stately villas with mature gardens but many plots, newer villas, townhouses, or apartments are available here. The majority of Sotogrande Alto properties feature beautiful views as a result of the natural elevation of the area. The local topography is also why four outstanding golf courses are situated here and why the location has been the choice of many aficionados.

As for amenities, the International School, the stables and riding school, Hotel N.H. Almenara, and the golf courses of Valderrama, Almenara, and La Reserva One and Two, are all located in Sotogrande Alto. In Sotogrande Costa, you will find the Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande, the nautical club, the marina, and, of course, the beach. As for restaurants, these are to be found in both Sotogrande Alto and Costa, while the majority of shopping facilities are in Sotogrande Costa.

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In 1961 a certain Joseph McMicking received authorisation from Franco to purchase the area known today as Sotogrande, which included five traditional estates, to create a luxury residential complex with wide tree-lined avenues and a state of the art electrical infrastructure. As a measure of how undeveloped the general area was at the time, the N340 was years away from being built and the existing estates were linked to Gibraltar and Algeciras by a mere dirt track.

By design, Sotogrande, or the “large grove”, initially attracted wealthy foreigners who wanted a quiet and discreet experience enjoying golf, polo, and the natural surroundings. Franco’s closing of the border with Gibraltar in 1969 changed this, rendering access by foreigners far more difficult and heralding the arrival of the Spanish elite. More often madrileños than not, these original owners occupied many of the sumptuous villas that remain to this day in Sotogrande Costa.

Sotogrande S.A. eventually opened up the resort to a wider clientele, and the bridge was built over the Guadiaro as well as the first apartments on the river’s banks. In 1978, the celebrated bilingual International School opened. It eventually grew to over 600 students, having attracted not only Sotogrande residents but families from as far away as Marbella. The next major development was the Puerto Deportivo and surrounding apartments, which preceded the re-opening of the border with Gibraltar in 1985, the subsequent improvement of the road network, and the resulting public influx. The Sotogrande Yacht Club was built during this period. More facilities became available, including nightclubs and restaurants as well as shops such as those at Centro Commercial Sotogrande and Sotopaniagua, and bars such as the Cucurucho Beach Club and Cafetería KE.

Golf in Sotogrande was a major part of McMicking’s vision, and there are now nine courses in the Sotogrande perimeter and vicinity. The oldest courses are the Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande and the now word-famous Valderrama, both designed by Robert Trent Jones. Near Valderrama is the recently completed Club de Golf La Reserva de Sotogrande, which comprises two 18-hole courses designed by Cabell Robinson and Gary Player respectively. Last but not least among courses inside the resort is Club de Golf Almenara, by the hotel of the same name, designed by Dave Thomas and featuring stunning views to the sea and Gibraltar. Three important courses were also built adjacent to or very near Sotogrande: The San Roque Golf and Country Club, Alcaidesa Links, and La Cañada. All of these courses have acquired fame on their own, and Sotogrande S.A. is reportedly at work on another course.

Polo, the other luxury sport associated with Sotogrande, was introduced when the Santa María Polo Club was founded in 1965 at the beachside ground that remained in use for thirty years until the move was made to its present installations alongside the Guadiaro river. Hosting both national and international competitions every year, the club is well established on the World Polo circuit. Ponies continue to be bred and kept at the Equestrian Centre in Sotogrande Alto.

Recent years saw the construction of the new residential marina in Sotogrande, consisting of five islands topped by ultra-modern apartments featuring private docks and many other facilities. Today, the 2,000-hectares resort hosts a permanent population of about 6,000, increasing to about 20,000 each summer. Now owned by the NH Hotels group, Sotogrande S.A. always derived income from hotels, golf courses, and urban management activities. It expanded its remit some years ago to the development of leisure and tourism-related activities outside its traditional boundaries in locations such as the Dominican Republic, Italy, Mexico, and Valencia.

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Home staging, also called property presentation or house doctoring, is the process of preparing a property for sale/rent to appeal to the widest possible audience.

Home staging, originally born in US, has rapidly gained in popularity in many countries (UK, Canada, Australia, France, etc) and is now taking off in Spain, mainly due to the current property market crisis. Indeed, as Spanish home sales decline and a record number of homes are put on the market, more and more people are turning to home staging to make THEIR property stand out, allowing them to sell faster and for more money. Home staging is a service offered directly to property owners, but also to estate agents who often set-up partnerships with home stagers and recommend these added-value services to their clients in order to gain a competitive edge over their competitors.

The goal of home stagers is to optimize the chances to convert a visit into a sale. Stagers try to make the buyer “fall in love” with your property. They help you make the most of your home’s potential by de-cluttering, de-personalizing, neutralizing spaces and rearranging your existing furniture. This explains why home staging is cheap ! A small investment made on Home Staging can help you sell your property faster and at the best asking price. Why ? Because if a property is not a good marketable product, sellers will directly forget about it or be forced to play the aggressive price reduction game.

Home Staging Spain is one of the very first Home Staging companies providing services to property owners and Estate agents in Southern Spain. They provide consultation reports and hands-on staging services on the Costa del Sol (From Málaga to Gibraltar) and propose online staging solutions if you live outside this area.

For more information on how home staging can help you sell your Spanish property, visit our friends at http://www.homestagingspain.com, drop them a line (info@homestagingspain.com) or just give them a call on +34 655 13 84 24.

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A home in Elviria is an excellent option to enjoy the best that the Costa del Sol and Andalusia have to offer. Just 10 minutes east of Marbella, it presents the distinguishing advantage of being near Cabopino port where residents may moor their boat. The majority of homes in the complex are just a quick walk from the beach.

Golf courses next to Elviria or a few minutes’ drive away include Santa Clara, Marbella Golf Country Club, Greenlife, Santa María, and Cabopino. The Costa del Sol as a whole is also known as the “Costa del Golf”, and boasts a total of 70 courses so that no golfer or fan need ever feel limited to just a handful of venues.

Although a part of the municipality of Marbella, Elviria is a self-contained village with bars, cafes restaurants, shops, a post office, a luxurious tennis club, and even its own town hall. So that children may enjoy a richer primary and secondary learning experience, there is even an English International school here that adheres to the British curriculum and has 500 students of mixed nationalities.

The Marbella area is famed for luxury, but it is also worth recalling the practical advantages of the location, for instance that it is just a 30mins drive from the Malaga airport and 10 minutes from Hospital Costa del Sol, which offers some of the best healthcare in Andalusia.

Apartments, townhouses, and villas are available in Elviria, representing a vast array of investment possibilities with lasting value at the heart of a broader area that has acquired fame for its cachet and convenience. Elviria deserves careful consideration from potential investors looking for a high-standing property in Spain.

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Benahavís is also a natural destination for golf lovers, Spanish and otherwise (it is said that over half of the town’s 4,000 residents are foreigners). Within a 15 minutes drive or less are seven outstanding courses: Marbella Club, Los Arqueros, Monte Mayor, El Paraiso, Los Flamingos, La Zagaleta, and Guadalmina.

Among the noteworthy residential areas in Benahavís is El Casar, a set of luxury town homes built in the traditional Andalusian white village style but whose architecture incorporates many modern features such as spacious living rooms, large windows, and state-of-the-art indoor furnishings. The complex features an indoor swimming pool, a gym, and a restaurant open to the public.

The finest option for the investor wishing for a golf property would probably be a villa at La Zagaleta Golf and Country Club, which occupies a lush valley and is often described as “one of the most famous addresses in Europe”. There are now two 18-hole golf courses here, luxurious well spaced apart villas with stunning views over the courses and the Strait, and amenities that go beyond what one expects from a guarded community of such standing. These include swimming pools, tennis courts, a nightclub, equestrian centre, and even a bowling alley, shooting range and Spanish-style wine cellar.

La Reserva del Madroñal (strawberry tree grove) is situated in a valley adjacent to that of La Zagaleta. This guarded community in a mature wooded area was built in the mid-sixties and features six entrances and a wide variety of villas and plots, some more remote than others. Existing homes range from sumptuous villas to more modest holiday cottages.

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Estepona is a tested alternative to Marbella for those who seek to buy a property in a privileged resort where good weather and sport can be enjoyed. Although there is evidence of prehistoric settlements here, the area became somewhat important in Roman times, as evidenced by a number of archaeological sites. Estepona received the first version of its present name under the Moors, when it was a fortress known as Al-extebunna.

Over the last twenty years what had become a sleepy traditional fishing village grew quickly and received a makeover due to the appeal of its privileged micro climate and stunning location at the foot of the spectacular 1450-metre high Sierra Bermeja mountain. Estepona has conserved the majority of its traditional neighbourhoods but the main roads have been enlarged and many new homes built, giving property investors plenty to choose from in an area favoured by expatriates and holidaymakers alike.

Comprising the pleasure marina as well as the small fishing harbour, the port offers a host of advantages to property owners. Living or holidaying here means not only sea and mountain views, but also quick access to boats, sporting facilities and some of the town’s best nightlife, shops, supermarkets, and restaurants. Unlike in other ports, there’s no need to relinquish the beach here: on the contrary, the adjacent natural cove Playa del Cristo, a five-minute walk from the marina, is considered the prettiest in Estepona.

Sporting facilities are excellent and improving here in Estepona itself, and the Costa del Sol’s renowned 70 or so golf courses are all within reasonably quick access, the closest ones being Valle Romano and Estepona Golf. Estepona also has a well-known equestrian centre just a 10 minutes drive eastward on the N340.

Residential opportunities currently abound in the area, many of which in the form of luxury apartment complexes. To mention just one of these, the brand new Doncella Beach is situated at the end of Playa del Cristo on a naturally elevated point, with views from the individual terraced apartments to Morocco and Gibraltar. Apart from its lush gardens, the neo-classic designed complex features a fully equipped spa and gymnasium, as well as yoga room and swimming pool with pool bar. Also look for other complexes with comparable amenities including but not limited to Alcazaba Beach, Marina Bay, El Corral, El Faro, Parque Central, and Puerto Paraiso.

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