Richard The post Covid-19 landscape should make prime property in Spain’s Costa del Sol even more attractive to the world’s rich and famous, said Spot Blue International Property in October, following signs that wealthy people are seeking to adapt their lifestyle to spend less time in the office and more time with family in enjoyable, healthy surroundings.
Seventy-five per cent of wealthy investors worldwide believe life will never be the same again after Covid-19, according to a recent survey by leading wealth manager UBS Global Wealth Management. Investors are already planning to adjust their lifestyle after the pandemic, revealed the survey, with seven in 10 saying they will reduce travel and trips to the office, half intending to move closer to family and 46 per cent considering swapping cities for less populated areas.
“There has been a noticeable shift in people’s approach to their work-life balance,” said Julian Walker, director at Spot Blue International Property. “Tied to this is a growing desire amongst high net worth individuals to spend more time in a home that ticks every box in terms of comfort, location, mod cons and space. There’s no doubt the Costa del Sol has plenty to offer these types of international buyers, in particular high-end villas – it is after all where many celebrities and foreign royals choose to own property.”
Home to some of Spain’s most opulent homes, the municipalities of Marbella and Benahavís should be on the radar of any house-hunter in search of a post Covid-19 residence that sits amongst the world’s finest. According to recent research by Spain’s leading property portal, Idealista, Spain’s most expensive address is in Marbella, namely in Mozart Street, with the second most expensive being next-door at the exclusive La Zagaleta community in Benahavís. A further two addresses in these famous municipalities feature in Idealista’s top ten list. Earlier this year the same portal identified a villa in La Zagaleta as the most expensive property on the market in Spain at that time.
Part of the appeal of these exclusive addresses are the size of the plots and the privacy that comes with the villas there – qualities that fit with the emerging post Covid-19 lifestyle. For this reason, they are typically within urbanisations or communities nestled in the hills behind Marbella or the famous Golden Mile, but still with easy access of the bright lights and amenities of the resort centre, as well as the marina and seafront.
Five especially upscale addresses stand out above the rest. These are La Zagaleta, Sierra Blanca, La Quinta, La Cerquilla and Nagüeles. Styled as an exclusive country club estate, La Zagaleta has two championship golf courses, an equestrian centre with trails, other sports facilities and even a helipad. Sierra Blanca, dubbed the Beverly Hills of Marbella, is a suburb of the famous resort and takes its name from the foothills of the mountains where it is located. A secure, gated community of large villas, its elevated position means residences there enjoy fantastic panoramic views and a balmy microclimate.
La Quinta Golf & Country Club is a five-star 27-hole golf resort nestled beneath the Sierra Blanca in Benahavís, within which there are a selection of exclusive villa developments. La Cerquilla is a residential development of primarily contemporary villas within Marbella’s Nueva Andalucía neighbourhood, an area known as Golf Valley. Meanwhile, Nagüeles is a leafy upmarket district of Marbella, located in the foothills and home to a wonderful park.
