Property inspection trips to Cape Verde Islands
Sal, Boavista, Santiago, Sao Vicente, Maio, Santa Antao
Be independent. The only free cheese is in a mouse trap
In 2005, we organised our own trip to the Cape Verde Islands.
There weren't any subsidised trips when we bought our property.
And we certainly would not have taken one, as we we wanted to do
our own thing. We even thought we might be able to visit all the
islands by ferry. (Wrong). Wouldn't you want to do your own thing?
Meet who you want to meet, and go where you want to go? So that
you can get the real low-down on what will still be a big investment,
if not time committment for you.
See, touch, smell, hear, feel - use your 5 senses
You could be down-wind of the local sewage farm,
opposite dogs barking all night, next door to the local laundry, underneath the flight path, or six foot from your neighbour's house, unless you go an look yourself.
How hot will you be, with the ventilation proposed, or do you want
to get blown off your balcony .... How long does it take you to get to your property under your own steam and where/how would you do your grocery shopping?
Think about how appealing your property will be to potential renters
or future purchasers. What are they looking for, and what they will
pay, to work out realistic yields. Cape Verde Jetaway offers all types of rental accommodation
from one bedroomed flats to larger villas, and have been talking
to exactly these people every day.
Visit several islands
If you don't know which island you might like, why not see several.
To optimise your time, book your island hopping in advance. Compare
and contrast, then decide what you like and what suits.
Stay where you want to stay, not where they put you
You're used to travelling and making your own decisions about where
you want to stay. There is lots of choice, in lots of islands. Choose
your own accommodation - why end up in an unpopular hotel, when you could stay somewhere nice?
Take your time
Don't rush. No one else does in the Cape Verdes! Work out what
suits you, and what may and may not happen. Use your trip to talk
to locals. When I say locals, I mean Cape Verdeans who have lived
in the Cape Verdes all their lives, or at least foreigners (non-Cape
Verdeans) who have been there for several years and speak the language
fluently. Decide for yourself what you think the right prices should be, and how realistic any future plans are.
Find your own impartial local lawyer or business advisor.. They
can tell you things you need to know and will act for you, not the vendor. Get to know and understand
the local people and decide if the Cape Verdes is for you.
Have a holiday and some fun!
If you're buying a property as your holiday home, retirement home,
or holiday rental, long term rental, then get a taste for yourself what it's like
to be in the Cape Verdes. You need to check that what's on offer at your property matches what you
or your potential renters/investors like doing. Be aware that the long term rentals command far lower rents than the short term holiday rentals. Become a holiday
maker yourself and compare the Cape Verdes to other places you have
thought of investing.
Do you treat your property in the Cape Verdes an investment?
If so, look at it hard and cold. Look at the numbers and compare
with investing in other types of less exotic investment, with less foreign exchange risk. Check out very carefully
promises of guaranteed rental income against previous experience
in holiday letting. Find out the costs of ownership, maintenance contracts, guaranteed income whether net or gross, and for how long. Sometimes seemingly attractive yields can be ways of disguising high initial prices. Are there any strings attached to your income, such as expensive furniture packs?
Can you sell your property again?
Make sure that the price you are paying is a fair one, otherwise
you may lose out when you come to sell again. Tak your time to look
around and see what the re-sale values really are, not just what
the asking prices are, as some may be heavily inflated. Some property
has been hanging around for some time; some has been selling quickly.
Ask yourself why? With the pound weak against the euro and the majority of buyers being British, what will happen to re-sales?
Save money in the long run - look on your inspection trip as an investment
If you rush out and rush back, you will find it hard/impossible to know whether
you are paying a fair price for an investment taking into account a risk factor, whether it has correct paperwork, and whether you will be happy in the
Cape Verde Islands (having a beach nearby does not guarantee happiness).
By investing time, you could save money, or at least prove to yourself that
you are confident about your investment decision. If you find something you like, allow yourself enough time to check it out with an independent lawyer of your own choice. You will be able
to find your own contacts with independent views. At worst you will
come back with a healthy suntan!
Talk to Cape Verde enthusiasts, who talk property from the buyer's point of view
We'll suggest the best-value trip to meet your needs. We monitor
new flight routes, new airlines, new tour operators, new hotels
and apartments and different ways of getting you to the Cape Verdes.
We can advise generally on which islands might be of interest,
depending on your time horizons, and what you want to do with your
property - ie live in it all year, visit occasionally, or view it purely as a revenue earner. Even if you are looking at property as investment-only, you
will need to know where it is, what it's like, how near the local
facilities are. Unless you are buying the equivalent of a timeshare, you will need to go and visit it, so it's important that you like the place, because like it or not, you are going to be visiting the Cape Verdes for years to come!
A range of property inspection trips to meet your needs
We've put together a range, from 4 nights accommodation in Sal
to several weeks in many islands. Have a look to see what you would like. But the Cape Verdes come with a health warning. The longer you stay, the more likely you are to fall in love with the place.
Letting your property in the Cape Verde Islands
We will shortly be publishing a guide with hints and tips on getting your property ready to let and how to do equip it to make it suitable for the Cape Verde environment. If you wish to talk to us about this please phone the number above.
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