Case Study
Find a “lock up and leave” character apartment in Palma city, Mallorca
When our client registered with The Property Finders she had been visiting Mallorca for several years and had fallen in love with the island. She decided to look for an apartment somewhere in Palma city that she and partner could use as a base for future visits, in particular long weekends. She had been looking for months on the internet, had found scores of agents and been swamped with details of properties, many of which had been sold by the time she was able to arrange flights to view. Finally, she decided that the only way forward was to use a Mallorca property search service and that’s when she contacted The Property Finders.
the brief
- A two bedroom, preferably two bathroom apartment
- Must have outside space
- Must be able to walk to facilities
- Prepared to do some work, though not major renovation
- Prefer a character building but could be a new build
- Flexible time frame
The challenges
Outside space in the city comes at a premium and the Spanish crave it as much as buyers from overseas do. Penthouses with private terrace were over budget. Community roof terraces can turn out to be tidy, pleasant areas to sit or junk yards with aerials and clanky air conditioning units. Palma “casco antiguo” (old city) is atmospheric but its buildings in the narrow streets often lack light. Renovated apartments in old buildings are highly sought after and any period features bump up the asking price.The market at the time was moving rapidly. There was unprecedented interest from “euro commuters”, especially younger buyers in their 30s and 40s wanting to get a foot on the overseas ladder. There was also a lot of attention about Palma’s regeneration and its growing popularity as a chic, lively capital akin to Barcelona.
the search
The most important part of any search is to establish suitable locations so the discussions revolved around the pros and cons of various city districts, to establish a search area. I hadn’t discounted Calatrava but warned it may be difficult to find the right outside space there for the budget. I suggested looking within the Avenidas zone (the zig zag peripheral road surrounding inner Palma) and very slightly beyond, as well as Santa Catalina (west of Avenida Argentina).
The apartment which interested me most came via a small agency belonging to the owner’s daughter, so it was exclusive to that agency – very unusual. I discovered that a Spanish couple had expressed serious interest and were making mortgage enquiries. I viewed several new apartments in renovated buildings where the developers had taken the opportunity to install a lift. Of course, you have peace of mind with new electrics and plumbing, but in many cases, there are very few traditional features left apart from the refurbished façade because the building has been essentially gutted.
the result
As I viewed, I sent Mary details and we had a lot of email contact. When she finally visited in June we viewed seven properties in two days, the best in each area we had pinpointed, which also served as an introduction to areas she didn’t yet know. On the second day we viewed my “find”. I just managed to make the viewing appointment before the Spanish couple who were booked to view thirty minutes after us, for the third time. This renovated apartment was a dream – a great location in a quiet street off the Ramblas, with all its flower sellers, three minutes from the city market in Plaza Olivar and five minutes from Plaza Mayor, the heart of Palma. On the first floor with a sunny, private patio at the back, it was packed with traditional features. Realising that we could lose the property within the next hour, we acted like lightening to secure it with a reservation deposit – I would emphasise this is not the normal procedure in Mallorca but it bought valuable time and out clients secured the apartment.
Our clients say
The Property Finder’s were invaluable. Wejust didn’t have the time to research such a large market. Everything went smoothly and the speed at which it all happened took me utterly by surprise. Palma is a wonderful city, We can walk to the beach in 15 minutes!”
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