Costa del Sol: from €388,000With overseas investors firmly focused on Eastern Europe and further afield, more traditional markets - like the south of Spain - have slipped off the radar in recent years.
Stories of home owners having their property bulldozed away in the ongoing dispute over land title on the Costa del Sol has not helped matters either.
However, for investors who are willing to take a fresh look at southern Spain, a golf development near Estepona has good credentials and a fine location inland from the coast but with views from every balcony. Alanada Cortesín is being built by Alanda Homes, the Spanish division of Irish homebuilders McInerney, who have been developing on the Costa del Sol for over 20 years. The development includes an 18-hole golf course and a hotel with five-star facilities.
A 40-minute drive on the new highway from Malaga airport brings you to the development where all 45 apartments overlook the golf course. Prices start at €388,000 for large two-bedroom apartments, the smallest of which are around 100sq m (1,076sq ft). Larger three-bedroom units and penthouse start at €505,000.
The scheme goes on sale next week at a show in the Four Seasons Hotel in Ballsbridge where Savills HOK will have a model and full plans of the development. It's a pleasantly low density development aimed at buyers who will use it for themselves rather than rent it out. The apartments are arranged in four buildings due for completion at the end of next year.
Living space within each apartment and penthouse is spacious, stylish and fused with natural light. Sizes range from 100-144sq m (1,076-1,550sq ft). Standard features include clever use of wood, marble and natural stone, with elaborate glass facades leading onto large terraces. The spec includes fully fitted American-style kitchens with built-in appliances, fitted wardrobes and double-glazing.
Ground floor apartments have private gardens of 20-100sq m (215-1,076sq ft) with the penthouses featuring large rooftop solariums of 131sq m (1,410sq ft). All homes have designated underground parking and a storeroom. This gated development also boasts landscaped gardens and two outdoor swimming pools. Residents can also join the Cortesín Golf Club (which includes a Jack Nicklaus Academy), used the facilities of the five-star Finca Hotel and shop at the resort's shopping centre.
