Property journalism ~ Two bed, two bath with football pitch attached
The Observer, 29 July 2007
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Soaking up the sun on unspoilt beaches, sampling the sites in historic cities or absorbing the scenery in rural retreats: that's how many people like to get-away-from-it-all. However, a growing band of activity lovers prefer to do something more energetic on their holidays.
Apart from our obsession with property, we Brits are a nation of sports lovers. Whether it's cycling or tennis, scuba diving or golf, holiday homes with sporting links are rapidly growing in popularity.
Eduardo Netto de Almeida built his Westin CampoReal golf resort near Lisbon, instead of the ever-popular Algarve, to enable buyers to combine sport with local culture. He says: 'After a hard day on the tees owners can spend their evenings at the opera, visiting art galleries and enjoying the buzzing lifestyle of the Portuguese capital.
His other reason was money. The cost of land and housing is far lower in the slightly cooler climes of Lisbon's Silver Coast region than in the cash-rich Algarve. But what the area lacks in sun it makes up for in capital growth, which is why marketing executive Tanya Mateus recently bought a £158,000 CampoReal apartment.
The area's developing fast and anyone who purchased a local villa for £190,000 five years ago can sell it for more than £400,000 - property values are likely to double in the next five years too,' says the 29-year-old, who bought to let rather than live.
Tanya's target tenants will be businessmen visiting Lisbon on one- or two-year contracts, teachers moving to nearby schools and the partners of separating couples. 'A lot of Portuguese marriages are breaking down, leaving a growing pool of single men and women needing one-bedroom apartments,' she says.
Anyone who invests in CampoReal's 372 villas, townhouses and apartments (priced from £136,000 for one-bed apartments to £520,000 for four-bed townhouses with pools and gardens) will get a guaranteed rental income of 6 per cent for two years or 5 per cent for three (depending on the property) and membership of a profit-sharing scheme.
They can also spend six rent-free weeks a year at the resort - improving their golf handicap, learning to ride or practising their dressage at a 60-horse equestrian centre, using the facilities of a five-star Westin hotel, spa and conference centre, due to open this summer, or playing tennis and football.
If you're a serious golfer you might consider buying a villa or apartment at the Monte Rei golf and country club near Tavira in Portugal's eastern Algarve. The resort's main attraction is a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course. Among its other facilities are a tennis complex, spa, equestrian centre, beach club, gym, tennis courts and a second golf course for less ambitious players.
This Portuguese resort has 33 two- and three-bedroom off-plan apartments with terraces, priced from £620,000, and 90 Portuguese-style villas with gardens and patios on plots of 2,800 sq m. Several overlook the tees, bunkers and fairways of the Jack Nicklaus golf course and their prices start at £690,000.
While golf is the predominant sport on most second home developments in Spain, England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has just opened a football academy at the Village in Estepona on Spain's Costa del Sol. The centre has three football pitches and a state-of-the-art gym.
The Village, which is part of the Valle Romano Golf & Resort, will host football camps and training for English and Scottish clubs, while Premiership stars will run coaching sessions for younger players at the Paul Robinson Football Academy.
The resort has 1,100 one- and two-bedroom apartments and penthouses for sale, plus three swimming pools, two spas and two golf courses. Buyers will pay £146,000-£150,000 for a two-bedroom flat, while penthouses sell for £205,000-£215,000. Those who let their properties for at least 25 weeks of the year will get a free management package and a 7 per cent guaranteed yield.
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