CW Group on how to sell your Ibiza villa

We spoke to Christian Wolf of CW Group Ibiza who gives us his tips on how to sell your villa property on Ibiza, how to work with real estate agents and get a faster sale.

Why should you choose a real estate company to sell your villa?
"A good real estate agent helps the seller to determine a realistic selling price for their property, will understand the legal framework and routinely works with lawyers and banks. He or she also helps to solve problems that might arise between the buyer and the seller. All this helps to avoid any issues that might impact the sale. As well as connecting you to a large number of sellers, your property will be advertised via various media too."

How should you choose a real estate agent on Ibiza?
"The agent should have very good knowledge of the Ibiza market and understand the individual needs of each client. They should also be able to detail any additional costs, such as promotion clearly, so there are no surprises later on for the seller. Finally, the seller must be able to see that the agent will get the best deal for them."

Should you engage just one good agent?
"No, we always suggest to people wanting to sell a villa on Ibiza to work with various agents, often as many as six. This maximises the seller's ability to sell a property as each real estate agent will want a successful sale. It also multiplies the amount of promotion each property gets."

It's unusual to suggest working with a competitor though!
"Any good agent will work with other agents. In fact, we have made many sales by being open and working with other agencies. We work with a lot of the best top Ibiza ones, including Estela Exclusive homes, Ibiza Now, Luxury Estate Ibiza and many more. Our shared aim is to help the client sell."

How successful has that approach been?
"Very. In the past two years, we have sold over 50 villas. That's a lot and shows that an open approach of working with multiple real estate agents works."

How much does it cost to work with multiple agencies?
"For the seller nothing as the fee depends on the sale, That's between three and five per cent of the cost of the villa. It's a small sum to pay with the huge support you get in selling your villa and getting a good price."

Some real estate agencies say it's better to sell a property exclusively, what is your view?
"I would disagree with that as i don't think it helps the person selling the property, especially if they want a fast sale. The problem with selling a villa exclusively with one agency is that you don't reach the maximum amount of potential buyers, so we recommend that our customers use the big agencies to do just that. Rather than sell houses exclusively, we prefer to get the job done and find a buyer for the client's property as quickly as possible."

5 Penginapan Ini Berada di Tengah Kebun Kopi, Sejuk dan Asri!

Ada banyak cara yang bisa kamu lakukan kalo sedang stres atau penat. Nah, kalo kamu kebetulan adalah pencinta kopi, mungkin menginap di tengah perkebunan kopi bisa menjadi alternatif yang jitu. Sekarang, sudah ada beberapa akomodasi yang memang berada di tengah kopi, yang pastinya menawarkan suasana yang berbeda. Nah, ini deretan penginapan di tengah kebun kopi yang bisa jadi referensi bermalam.

1. Arabica Homestay
Penginapan pertama yang berlokasi di tengah-tengah kebun kopi adalah Arabica Homestay. Akomodasi ini bisa kamu temukan di Jalan Kawah Ijen, Kalisat, Sempol, Kalisari, Bondowoso. Dikelola oleh PTPN XII, Arabica Homestay menyajikan suasana yang tenang dan nyaman, dengan fasilitas memadai. Kamu bisa menemukan ranjang, kamar mandi pribadi, air panas, hingga sarapan. Tarifnya mulai Rp200 ribuan hingga Rp1 jutaan per malam.

2. Guest House Jampit
Akomodasi ini juga berlokasi di kawasan Jalan Kawah Ijen, Kalisat, Sempol, Bondowoso. Sama seperti Arabica Homestay, Guest House Jampit, atau biasa disebut Jampit House, pun dikelola oleh PTPN XII. Mengusung arsitektur khas kolonial, rumah inap ini dikelilingi perkebunan kopi yang sangat lapang. Kamu juga bisa menemukan aneka bunga yang cantik, yang kabarnya diimpor langsung dari Eropa. Tarif per malam di tempat ini mulai Rp2,2 jutaan, sudah termasuk 4 kamar, TV, ruang santai, dan 4 kamar mandi.

3. MesaStila Resort & Spa
Bergeser ke Jawa bagian tengah, ada MesaStila Resort & Spa yang terletak di tengah perkebunan kopi seluas 22 hektar. Penginapan ini tepatnya berada di Desa Losari, Kecamatan Grabag, Magelang. Sebelumnya bernama Spa Retreat & Coffee Plantation, akomodasi ini menyediakan fasilitas mewah khas hotel berbintang. Traveler bakal menemukan AC, TV satelit, pemutar DVD, mansion bergaya Belanda, hingga kolam renang. Kamu perlu merogoh kocek minimal Rp3 jutaan untuk bisa menginap satu malam di MesaStila Resort & Spa.

4. Banaran 9 Resort
Masih di Jawa Tengah, namun kali ini di Semarang. Ada Banaran 9 Resort yang juga berlokasi di tengah perkebunan kopi. Tempat ini bisa ditemukan di Jalan Semarang-Bawen KM 1,5, Bawen, Semarang. Berada di area kebun kopi, penginapan yang dikelola PTPN IX ini sangat cocok bagi mereka yang ingin refreshing. Pemandangan yang disajikan cukup menawan, belum lagi fasilitasnya yang terbilang komplet. Kamu perlu merogoh kocek mulai Rp300 ribuan hingga Rp700 ribuan per malam.

5. Munduk Moding Plantation
Bali memang gudangnya penginapan keren, termasuk Munduk Moding Plantation. Ini adalah akomodasi yang menawarkan view perkebunan kopi serta sudah didukung dengan fasilitas kelas atas. Saat bermalam di sini, kamu bisa menikmati pemandangan kebun kopi, sawah, plus gunung. Fasilitasnya pun terbaik, termasuk TV satelit, pemutar DVD, spa, restoran, hingga shower air panas. Untuk bisa bermalam di villa satu kamar dengan view hutan hujan, kamu perlu membayar tarif Rp3,7 jutaan. Oh ya, akomodasi ini bisa ditemukan di Jalan Raya Asah Gobleg, Banjar, Desa Gobleg, Buleleng.

This villa in Andalusia is perfect for a winter sun break

The neighbourhood

What neighbours? The beauty of Casa La Siesta is that the nearest town – the pretty white hilltop village of Vejer de la Frontera – is a four-mile drive away down rough country roads.

And thank goodness. Aside from a small collection of wind turbines to the north and a few farm buildings in the distance, the views from Casa La Siesta are of trees on the surrounding hillside and ochre fields stretching off into the distant horizon. Guests can unwind to nature’s soundtrack of clucking hens, which roam freely outside the house gates, and the wind in the trees.

Visitors wishing to escape the confines of the Casa will find plenty to occupy themselves. The dreamy Costa de la Luz (the Coast of Light) is just six miles away, offering ample eating, drinking and watersport opportunities. The stretch of coastline between Tarifa and Cadiz is also known for surfing. Veterans and beginners are all welcome, and staff can arrange equipment hire or classes. Plus, Casa La Siesta provides free bikes for guests to explore the countryside and nearby coast, and golf and horseriding excursions can be arranged.

The look

Combining a classic hacienda with cool, contemporary styling, the sandstone building that constitutes the main house sits in landscaped gardens packed with olive, lemon and palm trees, and lavender and jasmine bushes.

Much of the furniture throughout the property is reclaimed, with wooden doors, beams, tiles and fixtures bearing the hallmarks of a much-loved history. Aside from butterscotch stucco walls, the interiors are clean, minimal and neutral. Food is served in an outdoor courtyard, which is full of plants and trees and tastefully lit of an evening, when the surrounding countryside and star-filled skies amp up the romance factor.

The vibe

Friendly and hands-off. Guests are encouraged to make themselves at home during their stay and, while the excellent team are happy to help with any questions, there’s also a tacit understanding that most guests are there to make the most of the peaceful environment that has been carefully cultivated.

Bed and bath

Rooms are large and airy, with wooden beams, parquet floors and shutters that guarantee an excellent night’s sleep. Bedroom doors open onto private patios, complete with table and chairs – perfect for sipping a pre-dinner aperitif. A freestanding roll-top bath, his and hers basins, and a large and powerful walk-in rainfall shower complete the room, which is perfect for a couple but lacks privacy if your relationship is a platonic one.

Food and drink 

It's no exaggeration to describe the food as spectacular. There’s an emphasis on local produce, an abundant supply of locally sourced seafood, and a vegetable and herb garden onsite. A multiple-course breakfast including Greek yoghurt, honey and oats, fresh fruit, toast, eggs, avocado and cake set us up for a day of lounging poolside; a three-course lunch delivered the best gazpacho I’ve ever eaten, complete with a small dish of finely chopped onion and cucumber as a garnish.

Menus change daily, but one evening meal consisted of jamon iberico and local fish, finished with a rich ganache slice accompanied by lavender-infused ice cream.

Casa La Siesta is also home to a small wine cellar full of Spanish bottles, many of which are sourced from family-run local vineyards. Based in the heartland of sherry country, the house also offers a selection of the area’s finest examples. Guests can help themselves to the honesty bar, which offers wine, beer and spirits 24 hours a day.

Pools, spas and public areas

A 17m pool surrounded by olive trees and fragrant bushes provides the perfect opportunity to cool off when the mercury rises. During the cooler winter months, the pool is heated. Those after more privacy will find plenty of hiding places throughout the house grounds, including Spanish daybeds and sunbathing and covered areas in which to read, relax or enjoy a bite to eat.

Inside, a central room functions as the main indoor hub, lined by shelves of books about Spain, food, architecture and travel. A white and airy hut with muslin curtains is used for massages, although these are also available in-room.

Verdant villa elegance at Lake Como hotel

Perhaps no other locale better evokes the phrase la dolce vita than Bellagio, the fabled Italian resort town known as the pearl of Lake Como. Ever since the early years of the Roman Empire when the poet Virgil wrote about the lake and Pliny the Younger built a hilltop summer villa, visitors have celebrated the sweetness of life in this idyllic lakefront town in Lombardy.

As the 19th-century French novelist Stendhal wrote from his room at Villa Melzi, "I lift my gaze to the most beautiful view in the world," which is a sentiment immediately understood from the perspective of the Winston Churchill Suite at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

With a sly smile, the bellman slides open the window shutters of the palatial suite to reveal a resplendent landscape of Italianate gardens framing Lake Como shimmering in the midday sun. Emerald-green foothills dotted with lakefront villas and towering cypress give way to the snow-covered Alps in the distance — and, right on cue, birdsong fills the suite.

Situated on the cape of the promontory that bisects Lake Como, the majestic belle epoque hotel was built in 1853 as a summer villa for a Milanese family before its conversion 20 years later into Bellagio's grandest hotel. Throughout its history, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has been home to European and Russian aristocracy as well as numerous luminaries and entertainers.

For the past 100 years, the hotel has been owned by the Bucher family, whose hotelier experience spans five generations. As managing proprietor Gianfranco Bucher states, "Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has always been a home for its owners and its guests, many of whom return each season."

In cultivating the atmosphere of an opulent holiday villa open from April to November, the Bucher family is blessed with a staff of gracious professionals who exhibit the uncanny ability to intuit their guests' desires, whether it be an Aperol spritz on the terrace or the services of a sleek, mahogany Venetian taxi boat for a cruise around the lake.

The stately public rooms feature coffered ceilings and trompe l'oeil frescoes alongside French wall tapestries and antique Persian carpets. Portraits in gilded frames are juxtaposed with contemporary sculpture, and art nouveau furnishings glimmer beneath Murano chandeliers. A grand marble staircase leads to the magnificent Royal Hall, where breakfast is served in a neoclassical setting befitting a royal wedding.

In one of those rare instances where the interior spaces are as extraordinary as the surrounding landscape, it's sometimes difficult to choose whether to remain happily ensconced and coddled within the hotel or to wander the lush grounds redolent with peonies, wisteria, jasmine and camellia.

Notable neighbors

Benefitting from a salutary microclimate, Bellagio supports an abundance of Alpine and Mediterranean vegetation that includes olive, laurel, cypress, chestnut and mulberry trees and silk worms. For generations, the region has supported a prosperous textile industry that produces the finest silks and cotton, evidence of which is apparent in hotel linens that caress the skin.

The hotel's indoor pool adjoins a bathing pavilion that leads to the outdoor pool area complete with sandy beach and lake diving platform. Hillside tennis courts are surrounded by the gardens of the neighboring Villa Serbelloni (now owned by the Rockefeller Foundation), which is reputedly the site of Pliny the Younger's villa.

Nearby notable villas include Villa Melzi, located just beyond the Lido and the cobblestoned stairways of Bellagio's city center. A lakefront avenue of plane trees leads to the commanding residence built in 1808 set amid a series of English and Oriental gardens. Accessible by motorboat, the 18th-century Villa del Balbianello became the private museum of the North Pole explorer Guido Monzino, though it remains equally well known for its cameos in the James Bond and "Star Wars" film franchises.

Private motorboat cruises afford glimpses of the villas owned by magnates and celebrities, though few locales are as popular as Isola Comacina, where the convivial inn owner performs a daily fire ritual at lunch to free the isle from an 800-year-old curse.

Perched on the waterfront, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni's Michelin-starred restaurant, Mistral, is helmed by chef Ettore Bocchia, whose molecular gastronomy fuses perfectly with the polished tableside service that executes an exemplary canard a la presse, which is followed by crepes Suzette served with liquid nitrogen vanilla ice cream.

As the sun sets, music from the Grand Salon's resident trio floats on the gentle breeze. Whether it's an evening walk in the garden or another glass of Champagne or simply slipping between silky-soft bed linens, what's inarguable is the sweetness of life at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

Kanoo launches two luxury villa projects in Jumeirah

The Kanoo Group, a UAE-based family group of companies with operations across the GCC, has announced the launch of two new luxury compound villa projects – Haya and Alyazzi, in the Jumeriah area of Dubai.

These new projects come in the wake of the success of Kanoo's debut villa compound project, Al Safeena Villas, which is located in a prime location in the city, the group said in a statement.

Designed by AD&D and constructed by Al Ghurair Contracting, the new rental villas offer open-plan layout, with three-bedrooms ranging in size from 4,036Ssqft to 4,112sqft, while four-bedroom villas range from 4,760sqft to 5,014sqft, in addition to a maid's room, it added.

The homes feature ‘modern and contemporary elements that give each home a sleek look, focused around luxury and modern family living', the statement continued. The projects consist of five and eight stand-alone villas in Compound 2 – Haya Villas, and Compound 3 – Alyazzi Villas, respectively.

Located off Beach Road in Al Safeena, the projects are in close proximity to landmark areas in Dubai, such as the Sunset Mall, Jumeriah Beach, Dubai Canal and Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa. Despite this, they offer residents a peaceful environment, The Kanoo Group said. Residents will also have private landscaped gardens, while also being able to socialise within a close-knit neighbourhood, it added.

“Kanoo Property constantly monitors and analyses the rapidly evolving market dynamics. We have an expert team who handles diverse property solutions to meet all our consumer needs,” said Girish Siddappa, senior property manager, The Kanoo Group – UAE and Oman.

“These additions to our world-class projects provide the complete living environment, with large and spacious layouts, high-end finishing and fittings, and sustainable and environmentally-friendly design to enhance our offering for tenants, which are complete and ready for handover.”

He added that there are currently 11 out of 13 villas which are already rented out within a few months' time since the official launch.

Seven Seaside Getaways for This Fall

A vacation to a beautiful seaside destination doesn’t have to blow your budget. Travelers who plan their visit for the right time — shoulder or off-season, perhaps, or on a weekday — can find plenty of deals in oceanside locales known for their high prices.

When it comes to Europe, for example, Simone Amorico, an owner of Access Italy, said that the prices drop by at least 25 percent in upscale spots like the Amalfi Coast after the middle of September. Besides the lower prices, there are other benefits to a post peak-season trip.

“You have a higher chance of getting room upgrades and reservations at popular restaurants,” he said. “Stores also offer discounts because they want to get rid of their merchandise from the season.” Overall, Mr. Amorico said that travelers can look forward to a trip with fewer crowds and plenty of opportunities to interact with locals in a relaxed way.

Here are seven options for your own luxury beach escape.

California dreaming

In Santa Monica, Hotel Casa del Mar, an exclusive beach club in the 1920s with panoramas of the Pacific Ocean, has an offer where guests who book three nights get a fourth night free. A daily $75 breakfast credit is included and can be used toward room service or at the property’s Coast restaurant. Bookings start from $489 a night after the discount. The promotion is valid through the end of the year.

A long weekend in Bermuda

Bermuda is less than a two-and-a-half hour flight from New York or Boston, and CheapCaribbean has an air-inclusive package to the British island territory from both cities. In addition to airfare, the package includes a three-night stay at the Fairmont Southampton, a nearly 100-acre beach resort full of coconut palm trees. Bookings are valid from Nov. 1 to Dec. 30, and start at $629 per person. The package is also available with flights from Washington, Chicago and Philadelphia with prices starting at $679 per person.

A Brazilian beach escape

Located in the small beachside village of Trancoso, in Brazil’s Bahia state, UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, a collection of 11 fishermen’s casas, offers three-, five- or seven-night Ultimate UXUA Experience packages, which include a welcome drink; a scenic boat trip to remote Espelho beach, considered to be one of the country’s most beautiful beaches); lunch at the property’s Asian-fusion restaurant, Silvinha’s; a private cooking class on Bahian cuisine; and a daily massage. Prices start at $475 a night for two people, and you can book at any time.

A private couples getaway in Bali

For those up for a far-flung seaside holiday, the Belmond Jimbaran Puri, in Bali, has a Suite Life promotion, which includes a stay in a villa with a private terrace and pool, butler service, breakfast, dinner for two at the property’s Tunjung restaurant, a couple’s massage and a one-way airport transfer. Bookings are valid indefinitely, and start from $550 a night for two people.

Fun in the Mexican sun

In Los Cabos, the Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas & Spa, which overlooks the Sea of Cortez and has three pools and a private beach, is offering the Los Cabos Getaway package. It includes accommodations in a two-bedroom villa, a private sunset sailing trip and a private tequila tasting. The promotion is valid through the end of the year, and bookings start at $169 a night.

Wellness options on the Amalfi Coast

Two properties on the Amalfi Coast are offering wellness-focused packages in October and early November.