Successful Crete launch for Parador Properties – homes from £63,000
Parador Properties has begun flying prospective buyers to Crete, for the island’s first ever property inspection tours. The first response has exceeded all expectations; seven properties were sold in the first tour alone, with one couple investing in no fewer than five properties between them. The company has become renowned for creating a safe haven for buyers abroad, investing in extensive research in each territory which it enters. Believing in continuity and consistency of service, the organisation also creates a Parador Properties company in each country in which it operates, appointing a local General Manager with vast experience of the market.
“It’s delightful to be able to nurture the British love affair with the Greek Islands by offering a portfolio of Cretan property at remarkably good value for money,” says MD Jack Hamilton. “However, just as important is ensuring that UK buyers are taken care of at every stage, from their first enquiry to the completion of their property. Experience has taught us that setting up a Parador Properties company, rather than using local agents, gives added confidence to buyers.” The company’s last venture, its launch into Turkey in January 2006, has already yielded well in excess of 1,000 purchases in the first twelve months, and it expects demand for Cretan property to be high as well, especially as its value for money portfolio starts at just £63,000 for a two bedroom apartment close to Chania.
Requests for new territories on the Parador Properties website has demonstrated that Greece is the sixth most desired destination for overseas property among UK buyers, a ranking which echoes the wider industry’s rating of Greece among the top ten property hotspots worldwide.
Crete, which has no fewer than 93 blue flag beaches, boasts 300 days of sunshine a year in which to enjoy them, and is one of the most unspoilt islands in the Mediterranean. Parador Properties is offering a vast array of different property types, all built to the high standards of traditional Cretan construction. Within its portfolio is a selection of stone built villas and modern apartments, designed to suit all tastes. From beach front to mountain hideaway, Crete provides a relaxed lifestyle with a rich culture, and a warm welcome from local residents.
The birthplace of Nana Mouskouri, the Olympic Games and European civilisation itself, Crete has plenty to entice both holiday makers and permanent residents. Cretan developments tend to be small and select with no more than thirty properties per site, and in a vast array of styles, giving prospective buyers an unusually high degree of choice.
Ancient Tree Villas at Darmarohori, near Chania, is typical of this approach, being built using traditional Cretan construction methods and materials, including local stone. These two and three bedroom detached villas sit on well spaced, generously sized plots with room to install a pool, and uninterrupted views of the olive grove-covered neighbouring hills. The properties include fully fitted bathrooms and kitchens, complete with air conditioning and white goods. Up on the roof, which acts as an additional outdoor living space, the villas all have a solar panel which will fulfil their hot water requirements for up to tenth months of every year. This reflects Parador Properties emphasis on ‘greener’ developments as it moves towards its policy of achieving carbon neutrality. Prices start at £126,500 for a luxury two bedroom villa suitable for permanent living, and £117,000 for a standard three bedroom property.
Kalyves Sands is an exclusive beachfront complex of luxury properties set in a secluded location just a stone’s throw from Kalyves town centre. Within easy reach of the town’s amenities, this small development is already proving highly popular; its apartments and bungalows have sold out. Still available are value for money two bedroom villas in this ideal location for sun-worshipping families. Homes here are of very high build quality with double glazing throughout. With stunning ocean views and a nearby private beach, all these homes also come with a fitted kitchen which includes all white goods. Kalyves Sands is well served with public transport for the 10 minute drive to popular town of Chania and its international airport. Prices for a two bedroom villa start at around £124,500.
Parador Properties, which launched into Crete in January 2007, explained that it chose Crete as its next destination following research among its customer base and in response to enquiries to its website www.paradorproperties.com. “We’ve developed a relationship with clients in which they now feel free to tell us where they’d like to go next. People are starting to say that they’d like to buy in a particular territory if only Parador Properties operated there – so we’re responding directly to customer demand,” adds Hamilton.
The arrival of Parador Properties in Crete is also expected to benefit the island. In the past, Cretan villages have suffered decline, and even been abandoned as younger generations have departed for the mainland in search of more career opportunities. In several instances in recent years, where foreign visitors have bought and restored village property, local inhabitants have been encouraged to move back into villages which have now begun to regenerate and thrive. Nickos Christohides, general manager for Parador Properties Crete, says, “British owners will help to create more jobs and boost the island’s prosperity. This new market will bring about fresh opportunities for Parador Properties and also for its Cretan neighbours.”
For further information, visit paradorproperties.com.
