Mallorca Villas

We have a selection of case studies, examples, comments and frequently asked questions on related 'Properties in Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca

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PROPERTIES FOR SALE MAJORCA, IBIZA and MENORCA

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Majorca - Goofiest comment by the German's - Perhaps they do have a sense of humour?!

"A dream, " swooned Bild, Germany's tabloid mascot, announcing the plan to annex the Spanish resort island, an idea it said was the brainchild of two German conservatives.

"Nein!" retorted Britain's tabloids, in the first spat of this summer's newspaper silly season.

"Sieg isle!" wrote London's Daily Star, rallying nationalist opposition to the tongue-in-cheek proposal to buy or lease the island and make it Germany's 17th state. "This time the Germans have gone too far, " Barry Seal, a British member of the European Parliament, told the Daily Mirror.

In Majorca, British tourists who vie with German sun worshippers for control of the island's beaches promised to fight to the last lounge chair. That Majorca is not theirs to lose hardly seemed to matter.

Native islanders, innocent bystanders in the media clash, reacted with characteristic aplomb. "Maybe Spain could buy Bavaria in exchange, " mused the local daily Baleares.

Under a plan attributed to two unwitting politicians in Bonn, Bild said Germany should apply to lease Majorca for 99 years, print street signs and menus in German and replace pesetas with Deutsche marks as the local legal tender. All phone calls home would be local and Palma, the Spanish island's capital, would be renamed Palmenhausen, it said.

"Majorca is already almost German, " Peter Ramsauer, a conservative Bavarian member of parliament, was quoted as saying in Bild.

Though far-fetched at a time Germany is cutting public spending, the plan has a fun-loving following, in Bonn and among the 2 million German tourists who flock to Majorca's beaches.

In Palma, German tourists already call two main streets "Schinkenstrasse" and "Bierstrasse" (Ham Street and Beer Street). And the way many Germans act - drinking, dancing and staking out beach spots before the natives wake up - one might think they already owned the island, some of Palma's British residents complained.

If Majorca really were for sale, Britain might make a better offer than Germany. There are an estimated 25, 000 British permanent residents in Majorca, twice the number of Germans, and British tourists this year are expected to outnumber Germans by nearly a million. The island's indigenous population is less than 400, 000.

German officials, meanwhile, say the "plan" is actually a newspaper's lark to bridge the boring summer months while parliament is out of session.

"It was meant as a gag, " said an aide to Mr. Ramsauer.

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Majorca Rural - Rural villas with more facilities and easier access can also be found in the surrounding valleys. For around £350, 000 to £500, 000 you can get pretty three- or four-bedroom properties with a garden, pool and mountain or distant sea views – or you can get something large in need of restoration.

If you want a little more excitement, try Soller town. Just 10 minutes from the coast, there are direct trains to Palma and a local population that keeps the place lively and distinctly Majorcan.

The town offers a mix of character properties and newer apartments. Prices range from £200, 000 for two bedrooms to around £400, 000 for something pretty with four or more bedrooms in good condition, and from £110, 000 for new one-bedroom properties. However, the town won't get overcrowded, because the local authority has imposed a ban on planning permission for at least the next few years.

The news has already made buyers move more swiftly. Crawford has seen prospective purchasers lose a property during the time it took them to buy a cup of coffee, but thinks it's good to protect the local area and its character. "People buying here want to be near the coast but also integrate with the locals and enjoy a slower, more peaceful way of life."

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Sóller, Majorca: My kind of town

Sóller is the real thing, a traditional Majorcan town near the sea, embraced by mountains and surrounded by dense woodland.
Why Sóller?

For many years I had a skewed vision of Majorca (sand, sea and sangria), until Sari, my sister's au pair, urged me to visit her home town of Sóller in the island's craggy north-west corner. It was love at first sight and I was captivated by the beauty of the landscape.

It's called the Golden Valley for good reason, an Eden bursting with voluptuous lemons and oranges and rich olive oil the colour of sand. Sóller is the real thing, a traditional Majorcan town near the sea, embraced by the imposing Tramuntana mountains and surrounded by dense woodland.

What do you miss most when you're away?

The raucous frogs beneath my window, a night sky drenched in stars and the scent of citrus blossom in the air.

What's the first thing you do when you return?

Throw on my scruffiest jeans and T-shirt and head to Café Paris in Sóller's Plaça for an espresso and gossip with charismatic owner and friend José.

Anna Nicholas.

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PROPERTIES FOR SALE MAJORCA, IBIZA and MENORCA

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Majorca - Buyers' guide

* For rural properties, such as olivars, the Spanish government will contribute up to 50 per cent of the cost of upgrading facilities and adding solar panels and septic tanks.

* In coastal areas where development has been rampant, including trendy Puerto Andratx and Calvia, the local authorities are under investigation for allegedly granting illegal building licences.

* Property in Majorca is probably legal if it was built more than seven years ago. If it is younger than that, check the deeds thoroughly and make sure the planning permissions are all complete and legal before purchasing.

* A raft of proposals for golf courses, roads and urbanisations caused anti-development demonstrations on Majorca last spring. Plans are now being reviewed, but check that the site of your new home isn't scheduled for future development.

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Majorca - Goofiest comment by the German's - Perhaps they do have a sense of humour?!

"A dream, " swooned Bild, Germany's tabloid mascot, announcing the plan to annex the Spanish resort island, an idea it said was the brainchild of two German conservatives.

"Nein!" retorted Britain's tabloids, in the first spat of this summer's newspaper silly season.

"Sieg isle!" wrote London's Daily Star, rallying nationalist opposition to the tongue-in-cheek proposal to buy or lease the island and make it Germany's 17th state. "This time the Germans have gone too far, " Barry Seal, a British member of the European Parliament, told the Daily Mirror.

In Majorca, British tourists who vie with German sun worshippers for control of the island's beaches promised to fight to the last lounge chair. That Majorca is not theirs to lose hardly seemed to matter.

Native islanders, innocent bystanders in the media clash, reacted with characteristic aplomb. "Maybe Spain could buy Bavaria in exchange, " mused the local daily Baleares.

Under a plan attributed to two unwitting politicians in Bonn, Bild said Germany should apply to lease Majorca for 99 years, print street signs and menus in German and replace pesetas with Deutsche marks as the local legal tender. All phone calls home would be local and Palma, the Spanish island's capital, would be renamed Palmenhausen, it said.

"Majorca is already almost German, " Peter Ramsauer, a conservative Bavarian member of parliament, was quoted as saying in Bild.

Though far-fetched at a time Germany is cutting public spending, the plan has a fun-loving following, in Bonn and among the 2 million German tourists who flock to Majorca's beaches.

In Palma, German tourists already call two main streets "Schinkenstrasse" and "Bierstrasse" (Ham Street and Beer Street). And the way many Germans act - drinking, dancing and staking out beach spots before the natives wake up - one might think they already owned the island, some of Palma's British residents complained.

If Majorca really were for sale, Britain might make a better offer than Germany. There are an estimated 25, 000 British permanent residents in Majorca, twice the number of Germans, and British tourists this year are expected to outnumber Germans by nearly a million. The island's indigenous population is less than 400, 000.

German officials, meanwhile, say the "plan" is actually a newspaper's lark to bridge the boring summer months while parliament is out of session.

"It was meant as a gag, " said an aide to Mr. Ramsauer.

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Casitas or olivars (as they are known when in olive groves), are worth checking out for those who just want a place to get away to. These tiny one- or two-room properties used to be a base for farmers to stay while harvesting their crops.

Crawford says prices are often low because these buildings don't have road access and can't be externally enlarged or altered in any way, though the interiors can be updated, and utilities such as water, septic tanks and solar panels can be installed.

"Some agents tell buyers that you can extend the casitas, but it's not true, " says Crawford. "The local authority will send people out in helicopters looking for anyone breaking the rules and force them to demolish anything illegal."

He says that most olivar buyers like being tucked away on their own land and use them throughout the summer. "The owners often live in cities and want to be isolated when they're here, and artists also buy them as somewhere to escape and work. People think having so much land is hard to manage, but because the climate is so dry, the landscape is pretty low-maintenance."

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PROPERTIES FOR SALE MAJORCA, IBIZA and MENORCA

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Resources: guardian.co.uk | gulfnews.com | iht.com | monarch.co.uk | ICT by ANI | telegraph.co.uk | mallorcasouthwest.com | Laura Latham | theindependent.co.uk |

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