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Archive for April 2008

Pouring the Foundations

27/04/2008 by Martin Sargent.

Checking the steel for the foundations before we pour the concrete

The concrete lorry and pump arrive and we start pouring, the concrete is also vibrated to remove any air bubbles.

The foundations are finished for the first villa, the blocks are rendered then sealed to prevent damp. We fill in between the foundations with stone to raise the floor levels.

Steel work is started for the walls then we start shuttering.

The foundations are started for the second villa.

Posted in Client - Hitesh, Villas Built By Natura Design | No Comments »

Playa Blanca - The foundations

19/04/2008 by Martin Sargent.

The steel work is nearly complete and ready for the concrete to be poured on Monday morning. I have had site meeting with the surveyor (aparejador) Mª Angeles Pazos Agüera, (she also works for the Arrecife council) on Friday morning we went through the plans and was happy with the changes we made. The technical control company APPLUS also checked the site on Wednesday and signed the first paper in regards to the Insurance (seguro decenal). Both companies plus the quality control company ( Consultores Canarios control de calidad y asistencia tecnica) will return Monday morning for the final check before the concrete is poured.

Posted in Current construction projects, Client - Hitesh | No Comments »

Lanzarote Visitor Numbers Surge by 11%

19/04/2008 by Nick Lanzarote Guidebook.

British tourism up 16.7% during January/February 2008

Overseas investors with interests in the Lanzarote property market will have been warmed by the release of the latest tourist figures for the island. Which reveal an upsurge 16.7% in British visitor numbers for the first two months of 2008. According to statistics just released by Spanish airport operator AENA.

The figures for January and February represent the first reversal of a downward trend in visitor numbers from the UK over recent years. Although this has been slight – and from a position of enormous popularity – as Lanzarote still attracted over 1 million visitors from Britain and Ireland during 2007 alone.

Many observers feared that the current credit crunch and resulting tightening of the consumer purse strings might have a negative impact upon both tourism and the property market on the island.

However, these fears have proved unfounded – and suggest that, conversely, Lanzarote might even benefit. As hard-pressed consumers eschew more expensive and exotic locations in favour of better value holiday options closer to home.

Certainly, owners of holiday rental apartments in Lanzarote aren’t complaining.

As, according to ASOLAN, the islands hoteliers association, occupancy levels rose 7% across all accommodation categories. With self-catering apartments in particular performing exceptionally well - recording occupancy of 84.19% during January and February. Which normally are amongst the quietest periods in the holiday rental calendar.

Island based holiday companies, such as White Beach Holidays and Lanzarote1 are also reporting a bumper start to the year. With forward bookings also showing double-digit growth to date on 2007 figures.

And it’s not just the British who are flocking to the island. As overall foreign visitor numbers are up by nearly 11%. With Lanzarote enjoying a particular resurgence of popularity in the Scandinavian market place – traditionally a source of decent visitor numbers back in the 1980´s, when tourism first really took off. During January and February visitor numbers from Norway and Sweden leapt by 31.1% and 61.7% respectively.

Where tourism leads, property investment tends to follow. And as previously reported by leading island property portal, Lanzarote Guidebook, demand for entry-level investments on Lanzarote – in the form of studios and apartments - remains buoyant.

Posted in Lanzarote News | No Comments »