Welcome to the November edition of Tenerife Property Shops newsletter.
We hope you are all well, wherever you may be in the world.
So, even though the Siam Park in Costa Adeje remains closed, many of us here in Tenerife feel like we have recently taken a ride on one of the many enthralling attractions on offer at the famous water park. With a month that has featured so many, ups, downs, twists and turns, we think it is fair to say that we would happily exchange our shrills of excitement … air bridges open wooohhhhooooo … and fearful screams … multiple European Government lockdowns arrrggggghhhh … for a good old fashioned trip around the very calming lazy river, 2019 style.
The uncertainty that currently shrouds the world puts business owners here in a somewhat difficult situation, and it’s a real case of shall we / shan’t we, in terms of when is the optimum time to re-open their doors, and at the same time ensuring they don’t commit a financial error of kamikaze proportions with an ill timed decision.
* Information as reported 20/11/2020
As of the 23rd of November, all travellers arriving to Spanish airports and ports, from what is deemed a "risk" country, will have to produce a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival, in order to gain entry into the country of destination. (information correct at the time of going to print)
You can check the status of your country by clicking on the picture below and studying the map.
Whilst we are lucky enough to live in the land of eternal spring, the last week took a few of us by surprise with some unusually hot weather, and temperatures soaring into the early 30ºC’s on more than one occasion. This spell of heat lead to many residents delving to the back of their wardrobes to seek out their summer outfits, which had been packed away for the Winter due to the November temperatures of 22ºC.
Our Facebook page continues to go from strength to strength and we now have over 8,700 followers, and we must give credit to our marketing team, who are constantly updating the page with newly listed properties, price reductions and general information relating to Tenerife. If you are a "Facebooker", and do not follow us already, please look us up and give us a Like. We promise not to post any photos of our food on a plate, or our children standing in front of a door on their first day back at school … It is a great way of keeping up to date with what is happening here in Tenerife. Our goal is to reach 10,000 followers by the end of 2020!
In light of many prospective purchasers cancelling their viewing trips, due to the recent lockdowns, our sales team, who would normally be out on multiple viewings as opposed to meeting the lucky few clients who managed to escape before the restrictions came into force, have remained positive and have been channelling their energy and enthusiasm into updating photographs of our existing portfolio, as well as adding some interesting new properties to our website and marketing campaigns. Please remember, if you require a specific video of a property that does not already appear on the website, let us know.
Please do not hesitate to contact us, if you are in any of the following categories:
1) You require a valuation of your property.
2) You have a property for sale but you feel your property is not receiving the exposure you would expect.
3) You are interested in viewing any of the properties from within our extensive portfolio, or require further information, contact our team and we will be more than happy to help.
Or, if any of the following questions relate to you, please remember that we can assist you.
Well, that pretty much brings this month’s edition to a close. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you are in lockdown, try to remain positive and keep focused on moving forward. We have already all come so far together in the last 8 months. We will get through this if we all support each other, and show the best side of human nature.
Take care, stay safe, and we are still waiting!
Please feel free to contact us for more information, or with general enquiries about Buying or Selling Property in Tenerife
It’s time to send out our Newsletter once again and we thought we would send you latest news of the island through the eyes of TPS.
We miss you, but while we are waiting for you to return we are enjoying getting to know the island again with all the sights, sounds and beauty, that are literally on our doorstep.
The Children are back at school and in the main seem to have settled back into their routine, which has put some sort of ‘normality’ in our lives.
Nothing will be the same again though, until you return.
As has become expected our latest COVID figures are ……..
* Information as reported 15/10/2020
Other interesting things, we are busying ourselves with developing strong relationships with Agents from other parts of the world who can provide potential Buyers for those of you who wish to sell.
We are also interested to know other ways of how can we help you, given that you are finding it difficult to visit the island, for varying reasons.
Do let us know what services we can offer to you, for example ….
We can take care of any of the aforementioned, or any other requests that you have.
Contact us for more information on these Services.
As usual we are enclosing lots of our latest photos of places we have discovered / rediscovered here in the South and even some more adventurous areas to remind you of what you have to look forward to when you finally visit.
Recent additions to our portfolio, you will find below …
Welcome back to the Tenerife Property Shop newsletter! Apologies for the August disappearing act, but after learning of the quarantine rulings from the Governments of multiple nations, to say we, as an island, were all hugely deflated would be an understatement of cosmic proportions ….
Picture the scene, there we all were, at the airport, frantically waving our "welcome back" and "you are now entering a safe zone" banners, brimming with excitement that, as a result of all our hard work and sacrifice, we were now able to welcome the good people of Europe and beyond back to our wonderful archipelago, and then suddenly, we had the big fluffy air bridge carpet whipped out from under our feet and, at the same time, most of our positivity disappeared with it!
The people of the Canary Islands had diligently abided by all the rules and regulations imposed upon us, we locked our children away for over 40 days, protected and shielded our elderly, and sacrificed so much of our lives, in the hope that our tiny piece of rock in the middle of the Atlantic would come through this awful ordeal. We knew we would be somewhat battered and bruised, but we all concurred that we would be stronger than before and ready for the tourists to return.
Tenerife, and the South especially, survives on tourism and whilst every effort was made to protect our region, it is unfortunate that we have been placed in the same category as mainland Spain, which is soul destroying for the people that live and work here.
Whilst many businesses have re-opened and there are more intending to do so at the beginning of October, these shops, restaurants and bars are predominantly in the more residential areas or smaller resort towns, such as Golf Del Sur, El Medano and Callao Salvaje, but we are now seeing a growing number of establishments in Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos opening their doors again and welcoming clientele back with open arms … unfortunately minus the traditional 2 Spanish kisses and all from a safe distance of 1.5 metres away!!!
The travesty in amongst all of this is that we are being punished through nothing other than a geographical guilty by association. You are safer in Tenerife than you would be in Telford, Toulouse, Tuscany, Thuringia ….
So, what can we do … well, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves down, took some time to reflect, enjoy our Island and, to some extent, the quiet summer has allowed us to enjoy the parts of Tenerife we sometimes miss in the throws of everyday life. We are now back in a positive frame of mind and focusing on the clients who can make the trip to Tenerife, and gleefully admiring the growing list of prospective purchasers and property owners who will be booking flights as soon as the quarantine isolation rules are either reduced, or hopefully dropped altogether for the Canary Islands, as they literally cannot wait to get here, and it is only the logistics holding them back.
As of the 16th of this month, our schools re-opened for the first time since the middle of March, and another slice of normality is implemented and ticked off the "things to re-open list". The children can see their friends again and, more importantly, re-start their education programme. There was a little anxiety with regards to the children walking back through the school gates after 190 days of home schooling and online classes, and there may be a few stumbles on the way, but the general feeling amongst British born parents is that as long as we are not subjected to PE with Joe Wicks again every morning, we should all be fine! For the non-British readers amongst you, wondering who Joe Wicks is; go to your wardrobe, find your finest Lycra or Spandex, and check out his YouTube channel.
Whilst we are on the subject of what is open and what is not, we speak to lots of people on a daily basis from all over Europe and aside from all the property related questions they have, one of the recurring lines of questioning relates to which activities are open for business.
So lets start with one of the most popular sports in the South of Tenerife….. GOLF!
If you are a keen golfer, why not purchase a property overlooking a golf course and offer some expert critique from the comfort of your own terrace, and even the non-golfers will agree, a view over a manicured lawn is still a wonderful sight.
Now we have sorted the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s of the world, what about all the families that visit us??
Well …
The above make a nice change to the pool or beach, and offer good value for money.
The areas where the above attractions are located are in high demand, why not take a look at these properties that we currently have for sale close by.
HERE ARE SOME PROPERTIES IN THE CHAYOFA & TORVISCAS AREA
And for those enthusiastic explorers who want to get away from it all, we have found some fabulous hidden gems and walks …
If you are planning to come to Tenerife in the immediate future now is a great time to come, as airlines are offering flights at ridiculously low prices! Can you afford not to come and see us?
Well, that is all from us for now. If we do not see you before, we will see you next month, and remember, if you are looking to purchase a property, require a valuation, or would like to sell your existing property here in Tenerife, we are always here to help.
Stay safe!
Please feel free to contact us for more information, or with general enquiries about Buying or Selling Property in Tenerife
Well… here we are again, yes that’s right it has been a whole month since you last heard from us.
The beginning of July started positively, as the doors to Reina Sofia Airport were finally flung open, well maybe flung is too strong a word, how about, gingerly prised open to welcome the first of our intrepid tourists and since those initial visitors touched down on Tierra Firma, there has been a steady increase in arriving flights.
Some countries appear to be far more active in terms of air travel and, it would appear, it is the English that are scrambling around in their garages and lofts, dusting down the suitcases and hurriedly packing their white socks and sandals whilst whistling the song "Viva España".
istling the song "Viva España".
Arrivals on the 17th of July were as follows:
UK – 14 arrivals (11 England, 2 Scotland, 1 N.Ireland).
Germany – 6 arrivals.
Gran Canaria – 4 arrivals.
Holland – 3 arrivals.
Poland – 1 arrival.
Belgium – 1 arrival.
Spain – 1 arrival.
Switzerland – 1 arrival.
Czech Republic – 1 arrival.
Bulgaria – 1 arrival.
France – 1 arrival.
Romania – 1 arrival.
35 flights in total (information from AENA website)
Of course, it must be said that quarantine rules, and flight availability, are a hugely important factor to take into account when taking stock of who, and where, would be sun seekers are arriving from, and we are sure that there would be many more "Tenerife lovers" who have polished their maracas and will be looking to get away from their country of residence, as and when the logistics are simpler.
The feedback we have received from people who have arrived here has been very positive, and many have commented that their departure airports, and Tenerife South, were well organised and enforcing all the correct procedures to ensure the safety of all concerned.
It has also been brought to our attention that, for some, flying right now is actually a more pleasant experience than BEFORE the outbreak of Covid19. The airports are naturally quieter, and where once stood an intense amount of hustle, bustle and the odd sprinkling of lunacy, now stands a general sense of sanitised calm, as departure lounges across Europe go all Zen on us.
In addition to Gatwick, Rotterdam, Dusseldorf et al, now being more reflective of Wellbeing centres than super highways of air travel, workers at several airports in various locations have reportedly been finding an increasing number of Male holidaymakers who appear to be in sudden states of ecstasy and euphoria, after having discovered that all the airside shops are closed.
As this new found form of peace in airports will not last forever, and mayhem will surely ensue soon, why not take advantage of the lower than average flight prices and book a ticket to Tenerife today, and let us help you to find your dream home in the Sunshine…
So, now we have established that, for those who are able to travel, it is not too big an ordeal to be overly concerned by, what can you expect when you arrive? Well, we are delighted to announce that last week the President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, expressed his delight that the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has declared the islands an "especially safe" space for the 21st century and post-pandemic tourism. This is a tremendous achievement and a fabulous reward for the good people of Tenerife and the other islands within our archipelago who, diligently, kept to the rules and made huge sacrifices to ensure that not only would we all remain as healthy as possible, but also that our little piece of rock within the Atlantic Ocean would bounce back as soon as possible from a torrid few months.
To receive such acclamation is not only a huge honour, but it also means that Tenerife is one of the safest places in the world to visit right now, so what better place is there, than here, to own a property. When people are scouring our website, or contacting us, they normally always have a check sheet on hand as to what is important to them and what can potentially be compromised upon…. Sea view, access to a pool, terrace, walking distance to promenade, shops, restaurants and bars are always high on the list, but we have noticed in recent months that "a good outside space" has crept up the list, and in some discussions with prospective purchasers it has become the number 1 priority and surpasses a sea view. We can only attribute this sudden change in preference as a direct result of people being locked away for weeks on end, which is of course a lot more bearable when you have an abundance of sun filled outdoor space to make use of.
The property market is holding firm at present, and economic experts predict that with another Winter season already peeking its head over the shorter days horizon, Tenerife could and should be in for a busy October through until April 2021. The main two theories behind us hopefully experiencing an upturn in fortunes, after a lot of unprecedented misfortune are; there are many people who would normally take 6-8 holidays per year, or maybe even spend a block few months here in Tenerife, who unfortunately haven’t had the opportunity to go on their jollies of late, and are therefore desperate for a change of scenery and a sunny sun lounger. In addition to the aforementioned, there are a growing number of people who have been recently exploring the consoling prospect of being able to secure a property to escape to in a safe-zone, should there be a new wave of pandemics at the end of this year or the beginning of next year, and seeing how well the situation was handled here, has given people a fresh impetus to make that dream a reality.
Finally, you may recall that last month we asked that if anyone had a nice photograph that could compete with our efforts, to send us their photos and we would look at them and pick a winner. Out of the 60 photos we received, we just could not decide between two, so we are pleased to announce the joint winners are ……
Camilla Randell with the very artistic and tranquil photo below:
….. and Anna London, for her summery and colourful photo supporting the NHS:
Thank you to Camilla & Anna, and to everyone who took the time to send us their photographs.
We look forward to hearing from any of you who are either looking to buy or sell a property here in Tenerife, and wish everybody a fabulous 4 weeks, until we arrive in your inbox again next month.
Stay safe.
Please feel free to contact us for more information, or with general enquiries about Buying or Selling Property in Tenerife
It may have been an unusual year so far, to say the least, but as we hurtle towards the 20th of June and the official start of Summer, 2020 is showing no sign of slowing down. We have been fortunate enough to experience some beautiful May sunshine and at times it has felt like summer had arrived early with an abundance of lazy sunny afternoons and warm balmy evenings on offer. However, that all briefly changed on Friday the 6th of June, as the clouds engulfed us and the skies opened, and we all went on a mad dash to bring our outdoor cushions in and batten down the hatches in readiness for a good dousing of the Atlantic’s finest rainwater. We are pleased to announce that normal service has resumed, and we are once again donning our sombreros and cholas.
We are now in Phase 3 of the de-escalation process and, with our newly gained freedom, we are able to explore our beautiful island with a fresh impetus and absorb the sometimes taken for granted beauty that is quite literally on our doorsteps. It would appear a culmination of our own naturistic deprival and the earth receiving a well-deserved break from the normal levels of pollution has allowed us to fall in love with our home all over again. Never before have we, as a team, traded more photos between us of crystal clear seas, bright blue skies, colourful flowers, vibrant plants, rocky coves brimming with sea creatures, sandy beaches, full moons surrounded by a starry night and of course, and by no means least, the amazing sunrises and the sunsets that signal the beginning and the end to another wonderful day in paradise. It must be said that all of the aforementioned seem to have a new sense of wonderment to them, and as we relentlessly snap away with our cameras, taking in the sights as if it is a first time experience for us, we do not mind admitting that, secretly, we are all individually hoping that we have captured the shot of the day to share amongst our colleagues, friends and family.
* Information correct as of 12/06/2020
Other small but significant changes are also taking place as part of the de-escalation process, beaches are now beginning to open, gymnasiums, museums, libraries, zoos and aquariums are also allowed to follow suit, but with various restrictions including capacity and distancing requirements. Nightclubs and Discos have also received permission to open once again, but the dancefloors are to remain closed so, with this in mind, we have kindly asked our Company Directors to pop their John Travolta and Olivia Newton John outfits back into the wardrobe until we reach Phase 4…..
The unfortunate events that have marred the first half of the year are slowly starting to dissipate, and there is a very good chance that the way we live will have changed forever. As we embark upon our march to normality with a twist, it is important we keep vigilant as none of us will want to go through a situation such as this ever again.
What has become abundantly clear, when talking to people all over Northern Europe, is that whilst travel is restricted at present it certainly hasn’t dampened the spirits of those seeking to return to Tenerife and further explore the prospect of purchasing a property here. This keen desire to touchdown at Tenerife South airport is seemingly driven by two definitive factors, the need for a change of scenery in one of the safest places in Europe and, more importantly, to put the past few months behind them and make a life changing decision that can only improve their quality of life. Whether your quest is to acquire a holiday home in the sunshine, allowing you to escape the crazy World we live in, or maybe to completely "up sticks" and re-locate, the thought of paradise awaiting is a temptation that is difficult to resist.
As mentioned in previous newsletters, we have remained pro-active during these unprecedented times, and amongst our activities we have tried to engage with our vendors on a regular basis and always make ourselves available, should they need to discuss any matters relating to their specific property, or a feet on the ground property market appraisal. In addition to this we aim to be on hand to offer guidance and support where it is required, as we fully appreciate how frustrating it must be to own a property here and yet not be able to touch or see it. Whilst on the subject of vendors, one thing we have noticed is that we haven’t suddenly been sieged upon by an onslaught of desperate property owners who wish to list their property for sale and never want to set foot on our sunny shores again. In fact, our portfolio has not grown any larger over the last 3 months than it did for the exact same 3 months of 2019. These figures would suggest that there will not be a glut of properties all arriving to the marketplace at the same time, which in turn could naturally encourage some potential for property prices experiencing a downturn, or our new and existing vendors needing to become increasingly competitive with each other and thus offering discounted prices.
It is not all bad news for our prospective purchasers however, as there are always exceptions to the rule and, contrary to popular belief, properties ARE selling here in Tenerife. It would appear the window of opportunity could be a short one, and those who act quickest will reap the rewards, and potentially benefit from a below market value property. The properties that have been sold in most recent times have been purchased by people who are on and off island. If you are not lucky enough to be in Tenerife at present, we can offer professional advice on how you can purchase a property here, without even so much as setting foot on Terra Firma, so if you have your eye on a certain property, and do not want to miss out, contact us today for further information.
So, what does the future hold, well the immediate future will certainly be a little trickier than years gone by and, as an island, we remain hopeful that come October we will start to see a significant increase in visitor numbers. It is worth noting that when the property market is quieter, and Real Estate Agents need to work harder in order to achieve a lesser volume of sales, many will simply lock up shop and walk away. Historically, this is when a prospective purchaser is most likely to be on the receiving end of the type of horror story we have all been unfortunate enough to bear witness to. Over the past 33 years we have heard of disappearing deposits, sales not completing satisfactorily and new owners unknowingly inheriting debts from previous owners due to poor representation. Even if you are one of the lucky ones who escapes unscathed from an Estate Agent who has sailed off into the Sunset, where is the future support … we still assist and offer guidance to our clients for many years after their purchase, and we feel this is key to being a successful Estate Agent here in Tenerife.
It is hugely important that if, in turbulent times, you are buying or selling a property, you do so from a company with a solid infrastructure, unrivalled reputation, 30 year plus industry experience, international award winning, fully insured and recognised by the Real Estate Agency governing bodies ….. now, we wonder who that could be?!
If 2020 has taught us anything, it should be to appreciate everything around us, people, nature, scenery, all come for free yet can easily be taken for granted. As we go about our everyday lives, the more important aspects of life can sometimes get lost in amongst the stresses and pressures of our daily routine, and it is not until something out of the ordinary happens that our eyes are widened to what we have been missing out on.
So, wherever you are, why don’t you go out there, take a deep breath of the recently cleansed air, go for a swim in the sea, lay on a beach, watch a night full of stars, or take a walk in a forest; enjoy all the things that come for free, whilst reminding yourself of the beauty that surrounds us, and if you happen to have a camera with you send us your best shot and we will pick one photograph to feature in our next newsletter and credit the photographer ….. but only if it is better than one of ours though!
Take care and see you next month.
Please feel free to contact us for more information, or with general enquiries about Buying or Selling Property in Tenerife
Yes that’s right, it is us again, we have put our cocktails down for half an hour to bring you up to speed with la vida en Tenerife.
So, after 58 days of lock down, we seem to be coming through the other side of Covid19 here in Tenerife, and the Government has devised various strategies for us to slowly start regaining some sense of normality. During our lockdown period, it must be said that the behaviour of the residents of the Canary Islands was impeccable and by and large all the rules and regulations imposed upon us have been abided by, and due to this and our continued low numbers of detected new cases, we were fortunate enough to be propelled to "Phase 1" of a "0 to 4 Phase" process, thus meaning we are less restricted and are offered more freedom than other parts of Spain.
The move back to the world we once knew will not be rushed and of course there may be some hiccups along the way, but we think most of the people here in the Canaries are very happy with how our Government and the local authorities reacted to the outbreak of Covid19 and whilst the approach was strict, we do not think anyone can argue with the fact that the interests and wellbeing of the people were paramount in their decision making process.
* Information correct as of 15/05/2020
As of the 11th of May, the aforementioned "Phase 1" commenced and it was no longer the case that either exercise, medical reasons or a supermarket trip was our sole reason for us leaving the house. Wherever you are located in the world, there is a good chance you heard the collective cheer from hundreds of thousands of people all over the Canary Islands, when it was announced that restaurants and bars were allowed to open to the Public, albeit under strict guidelines. The rules for re-opening included, only the external terrace areas are permitted to be used by clientele, no more than 50% of the terrace can be occupied at any one time, the tables must be 2 metres apart and the establishments were to offer table service only. It would seem the prospect of being able to leave the house and seeing friends and loved ones, gave everybody a lift and would have gone some way to alleviating some mental health issues that people are bound to be experiencing in such challenging circumstances.
Due to the nature of our business, we receive snippets of information from all over the world and last week one of our collaborating agents in Stuttgart, Germany, confirmed that all shops and schools could commence re-opening. This is great news for the good people of Deutschland and it is also good news for us too, as with a large contingent of enquiries originating from The Fatherland, they make up a high percentage of our prospective purchasers. With Germany still Europe’s largest national economy, it is very much a case of Vorsprung durch Technik and with a bit of luck it will be Bavarian and Bradenburgers business as usual before too long.
We are keeping our fingers firmly crossed that the recovery in Germany continues, however, in the short space of time since we first started writing this newsletter, it has been documented in the International press that there has been a spike in the number of new cases detected since the lockdown was relaxed, but we remain hopeful this is merely a blip that was to be expected and as long as the infection rate remains low, they will come through the other side unscathed, and the rest of Europe will hopefully follow in their footsteps in their own safe time.
Over the last 2 months, we have been buoyed by the steady level of enquiries we have received throughout the lockdown period, as we can all be a little guilty of over thinking the worst case scenarios as opposed to looking for the positives, so when we receive comments in emails such as "Kevin and I have been passing our time browsing properties which we would like to see when we are allowed to return to Tenerife" and " Hi, Tenerife has never seemed so appealing right now, as soon as we are able too, we will be back to resume our search" or alternatively, if we receive a notification from a lawyer informing us that a sale has been successfully completed at the Public Notary, we can be forgiven for the beaming smile that adorns our face and gently remind ourselves that all will be well and in most cases, both professionally and personally… nothing is ever as bad as it seems!
Our list of requested walk through videos grows daily and we can confirm that after some intense training, all our sales advisors are now fully qualified camera operators and are considered to be Hollywood approved, so remember should a particular property catch your eye, please do not hesitate to get in touch and send us a request. The sales team are now also available for weddings, birthday parties, christenings and bar mitzvahs ….. contact us for further details.
It seems that a key factor in the Canary Islands recovery and regaining economic stability will be our all year-round sunshine and the fact we can appeal to those seeking a winter break. The thought of the sun on your back with an ice cream in your hand in October would be a difficult temptation for most of us to resist at the best of times, but after a turbulent spring and summer full of anxiety and worry, the thought of a stroll along a Tenerife promenade is enough to send even the dourest of people into raptures… but more importantly, it will allow us to start receiving tourists sooner than other European holiday destinations that may have unfortunately missed the sunshine season of opportunity, and can now only ready themselves for 2021.
One of the main points we have discussed as a company whilst on our daily skype conference calls, is how recent events have changed our perspective on life. It has illustrated that in times like this, materialistic items have no value and family and friends are a hugely important part of our life, but it has also highlighted the fragility of life and how we can sometimes put things off, when maybe we should be adopting more of a Carpe Diem outlook on life. An educated chap called William from Stratford upon Avon once said "We know what we are but know not what we may be".
Stay safe everyone and we WILL see you soon!
Best wishes from all of us here in Tenerife Property Shop S.L.
Please feel free to contact us for more information, or with general enquiries about Buying or Selling Property in Tenerife
