Jeroen is Dutch and lives in Amsterdam where he owns his own Media Agency. In 2018, with the help of Prestige’s agent Inge, he purchased a lovely terraced house in Roca Llisa, near the golf course. Find out more about Jeroen’s personal journey in the below interview:
Tell us a little bit about your first experiences in Ibiza…
1988 was the year that I came to the island for the first time. I remember that Sa Trinxa was booming at the time: they were the first to translate house music to the club scene. Parties would just start because a bunch of people came together and there was music, the vibe was truly miraculous. Of course, more people realized.
What made you want to buy a property in Ibiza?
First of all because I was looking for a location abroad with a steady, warm climate which wasn’t too far by plane. More importantly the beauty of the island mesmerized me. I love the fact that you can find places where there is much to do, but also can find peace and solitude. And everything within a relatively small island.
What kind of property were you looking for and why?
To be honest, I wasn’t looking for a place where lots of renovation would be involved. I wanted something easy, accessible and of course something which made me feel at home right away. Ah, and of course something with a view.
What points were you willing to compromise on and where did you draw the line?
Sea view was something I’d love, but wasn’t a hard requirement. However, I really did want a swimming pool (private or shared) so you can cool off during the hot summers. I also wasn’t too keen on having property in Ibiza town.
Tell us a bit about your general experience of searching for a home in Ibiza?
You really need to clear time in your agenda as properties move fast and you have to be flexible to visit the island in order to view the house. It’s also difficult not to make too many compromises and find the home you really want, so patience is key.
What were the biggest challenges you faced during the search process, and was Prestige able to help you overcome some of these?
It’s important to make your wishes as clear as possible, however it’s also nice when they come with an ‘out-of-the-box’ property which you wouldn’t have thought of right away. As it was my first experience with buying abroad, I thought it was rather challenging to keep an eye on the different rules and laws. For me it was super important that for this reason I was doing business with people who I could trust, as I wasn’t familiar with many of the local laws.
Once you found your ideal property, how smooth (or turbulent) was the process until finally signing at notary and making it your own.
To be fair: everything went pretty easy. Of course, it’s completely different compared to buying something here in the Netherlands, in terms of viewings and checks of the property. I remember myself thinking when I signed a few weeks later at the notary: "Okay so that’s it, I own a house now".
What would your main advice to other home buyers, about to embark on a similar journey, be?
If it is something you really want to do, do it. But don’t forget that you will probably have a lot of struggles too. But that comes pretty much with every house. You need to find your way around, get to understand how things works, and the only way of doing so is by just diving into it.
Overall, what difference do you think working with Prestige made in your journey of finding and buying your dream property in Ibiza?
Their kind and personal approach was very helpful. Finding a property takes time, so you need to have a good relationship with your real estate agent.
