Press releases

Daily Express - Overseas property section
Wednesday March 17, 2004

It seems Majorca has an allure for the Brits. An estimated 15,000 of us now live permanently or have second homes in the fashionable south-western borough of Calvia alone. Princess Diana spent many days as a guest of the King of Spain here and the UK yacht-set (the likes of Peter Stringfellow and Catherine Zeta Jones) moor their craft here.

It's all very understandable: the island's just a couple of hours' flight away and for a winter-weary Brit, the fact that Majorca's average monthly temperature is never below 16ºC is extremely attractive.

But there's so much more than a bit of sun: Majorca is increasingly sophisticated — in 2003 it had as many restaurants with a Michelin star as Madrid.

The island is increasingly geared up to accommodate us: Calvia council has just set up a department specifically to help non-Spanish residents. It is the only borough in the Balearics to have one, which means it might be a good place to start if you're thinking of buying a second home or an investment in the western Mediterranean. 

For families who feel like settling here, there are even several British schools in the capital, Palma.

Estate agent Carlos Bestard-Gorman - who was born in Majorca, educated in England and returned to the island to take over the family business Inmobiliaria CJ Bestard - says there's been huge interest in the island over the past five years so prices have been forced up.

However, there are some eye-catching opportunities. A development of apartments and chalets around a nine-hole golf course, 20 minutes from the capital Palma, has just been finished. Properties start at €249,000 for the apartments and rise to €2.9million for one of 10 five-bedroomed detached chalets that boast swimming pools and manicured gardens.

If you're after something on the coast, a one-bedroom apartment is achievable from €110,000. Inmobiliaria CJ Bestard is offering a one-bed apartment in the Cala Moragues residential development a short drive from the exclusive Puerto de Andratx which would set you back €150,000. This has been reduced from €175,000 to sell. The flat's west-facing balcony, evidently built with sunsets in mind, has a spectacular view across the steep, leafy valley and over the sea. The property shares a swimming pool with a dozen or so others and there's a track down to a rocky cove, apparently a favourite launching spot for inflatable dinghy adventures.

Magaluf, on the south coast, has a reputation as a magnet for budget-conscious British package holidaymakers. But the Majorcan government has spent a fortune transforming the image of the place and trying to attract a more upmarket crowd – entire palm-lined promenades have sprung up and beaches have been doubled in size. For €130,000 you could buy a one-bed apartment overlooking the bay of Magaluf.

If you're looking for a quiet place in the mountains, a rare opportunity has come up to buy some land with permission to build on it. The 1,400 square metre plot of land in Son Macip, the only legally recognised development between Soller and Puerto Pollensa in the heart of the Sierra Tramontana mountain range would set you back €85,000.

Carlos — whose firm could project-manage the construction — reckons that to build a three-bedroom chalet with pool would cost anything up from €80,000.  "Provided you choose your builder with care, and allowing for excavating site, it could be done in a year," he said.

Plots in the heart of such environmentally protected areas don't come up very often, and they will come up increasingly rarely as Majorca becomes more conscious of the need not to overdevelop, Carlos says.

See 150 properties from all over the island offered by Inmobiliaria CJ Bestard at http://www.cjbestard.com/ or call 0871 711 5005. (Calls from UK charged at local rate).