Lipno Lake Resort – opportunity for out-of-season valorisation
What reason can lead a solvent Slovak to prefer picturesque but relatively distant nature of foreign South Bohemian region over exclusive Tatra local environment? This week, Dutch company Sparcs, which completed the last phase of the Marina Lipno holiday resort project under the name Lipno Lake Resort, and its Slovak dealer Urban & Partner tried to give a proper answer to such legitimately given question. The fact that the project consists of 92 luxury apartments, which step out primarily because of their appearance, design, equipment and rental concept is not any real argument. Developers of tens of similar projects in Slovakia attack potential stakeholders with the same promotional and nearly propagandistic weapons.
No doubt that the Lipno region located in the Šumava National Park reserve – one of the largest forested territories in Europe – disposes of untouched nature and a 50km long lake in altitude of approx. 700m. High probability of plenty of snow and colder summers unanimously favours winter sports (the fully operational Lipno Ski Premises is located directly behind these premises). The hit of this winter was the longest treated skating track on the frozen lake (10,922m), which is recorded in the Guiness Book of World Records.
Share in a cooperative as a type of ownership
Due to the fact that the target group for apartments with area from 66 to 154 m² is mostly foreign clientele, the developer betted on the following offer untraditional in our circumstances: Instead of transfer into private ownership, it sells to a future owner a share in a housing cooperative. “An buyer of an apartment becomes an owner of a membership share and thus acquires exclusive right for use of a purchased part – an apartment,” explained Peter Antonissen from the developing company Sparcs the type of ownership relation.
He added that a member would also obtain a share in a limited company that would care for letting of an apartment. All incomes received by this virtue will go to a joint budget and, after deduction of expenses; the cooperative will pay profit to individual owners according to relevant leases. "Of course, each member may use his apartment with a significant rebate which ranges from 18% in the secondary season to 82% in the primary one,” specified Mr. Antonissen. To be even more specific, such member will pay about 50 Euros per a weekend which is a lump sum for consumption of water and energies.
From Dutchmen through Czechs to Slovaks
The reason why Sparcs acceded to cooperation with the real estate agency Urban & Partner, which is selling these apartments in Slovakia, is easy to understand: “In previous phases, we offered them mostly to foreigners, particularly Dutchmen, however lately we notice increased interest of Czechs,” Mr. Antonissen said. According to his opinion, even Slovaks start to find out advantages of holiday real estates, which they can use for themselves and ensure additional income by their letting.
Until now, apartments in Lipno Lake Resort could buy only foreigners of which the unbeatable majority was formed by Dutchmen. According to the Sparcs representative, these clients were mostly from the upper middle income class – tax advisors, lawyers or owners of medium businesses who are used to come with their families to Lipno usually three times a year to spend there altogether 3 to 4 weeks on average. The remaining days in a year, their apartments are to let.
It is attractive even during the secondary season
The “White Label” reservation platform enables the Marina Lipno holiday resort to cooperate actively with international travel agencies in Holland, Germany, Austria and Czech Republic and to make it accessible for the widest possible group of customers. “Opening of a swimming pool in 2004 and investments into the ski premises in 2008 contributed significantly to growth of number of multi-day overnight stays in Lipno,” said also Peter Antonissen from the Sparcs.
It is not surprising that the primary season is nearly fully booked. Taking the above into account, it is even more appealing that more and more guests from cross-bordering neighbourhood – Germans and Austrians – are coming here to spend their free time in a form of short stays in the secondary season. They find a varied range of sport, relaxation and cultural options within the locality and its neighbourhood. In the accessible distance, they have at their disposal tens of catering facilities, a bobsleigh track with all-year-round operation, indoor swimming pool, sandy or grassy beach of the Lipno Lake, 18hole golf course or they can hire a sailboat in a yacht harbour. The average price for a week in an apartment in the secondary season amounts to 325 Euros in comparison with 812 Euros in the primary season.
19 apartments 280 km far from Bratislava
The real estates and investment company Urban & Partner was established in 1999. In the course ten years the company became a stable real estate agency with strong position in the Slovak real estate market.
Since 2002, it is NARKS member (NARKS – National Association of real estate agencies). It provide wide range of services in the field of counselling at preparation, elaboration and assessment of investment projects, full legal service including consultations with the Land Register, intermediation of acquisition, sale, rent and marketing, targeted search for real estates on the basis of a contract and provision of loans, and if needed, tenants and operators.
Among reference projects in the Capital of Slovakia, which Urban & Partner covered or is just covering, belong a new multi-purpose building (136 dwellings, 14 shopping and 9 office units) in the street Geologická, development of the Premium Hotel, 240 dwellings in the street Závodská and a multi-purpose building Pezinok in the street Holubyho. Outside Bratislava, the project of 17 family houses in Ivanka pri Dunaji, a new building with 20 flats in Pezinok or an apartment house with 28 apartments in Velká Lomnica may be particularly mentioned.
A potential buyer from Slovakia could be interested by a fact that the Lipno Lake Resort is about 280km far from Bratislava, of course, when you travel through Austria. The representative of a dealer confirmed on Tuesday press conference that 57 of total 92 apartments have been already sold. Their price ranges from 129 to 240 thousand Euros. 19 apartments of 35 unsold ones are allocated for Slovak clientele.
Declared revenues on rent in Lipno Lake Resort
| Occupancy (in percentage) | Gross revenue (in percentage) |
| 40 | 5,9 |
| 57 | 7,8 |
| 70 | 8,7 |
Table and photo – Sparcs
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