At first glance, choosing a property that has exterior spaces seems to be only an aesthetic option. It is nice but not that useful. Is it really? Once the option is made, you quickly realize that this outdoor space becomes the most popular in the house. The terrace, the patio, the balcony or the garden are the places of choice to welcome friends, to make meals, to rest, to read a book, to see the sunset, to enjoy the view - and life. In summer, this open-air space is the centre of the house. It's the place where everyone wants to spend the most time. If it is well cared for and comfortable, with appropriate furniture and decorated with plants, trees and flowers leaving a trail of perfume all over the property, often this is also the most consensual place in the house. Inhabiting one of these houses surrounded by nature may well be the shortest way to happiness. And that, too, is where luxury lies: in quality time.
Those who want to buy a house in sea areas, such as the Algarve, sometimes get used to giving up outdoor spaces, because they understand that they can compensate for their absence by being close to the beach. Especially in the Golden Triangle area - Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo - where there are dozens of breathtaking beaches. But it's wrong to confuse the two scenarios, the public and the private. The pleasure of having a terrace that offers a view of the open sea while serving a long dinner or a wide balcony where you can feel the breeze at the end of the day after a game of golf can't be compared to the satisfaction of going to the beach or to a café terrace. They’re different things that don't exclude each other but complement each other.
At the moment, on the Algarve coast, there are magnificent penthouses under construction, but almost ready to be inhabited, so charming that a simple five-minute stop at the top of the terrace undoes any doubt: the luxury of a house depends to a great extent on its exterior space and on the desire we have to eat there slowly.
And if an apartment can meet many expectations and give the perfect touch to hot days, nothing compares to the privilege of buying a house with garden and pool. The villas in Vilamoura exhibit the highest degree of luxury and comfort. It's not only the dynamics of family life that change, it's the range of possibilities that multiply every day: it's the living room that increases, the kitchen that gains a second outdoor space (to build a beautiful barbecue, for example), it's the privacy and silence and the relaxed atmosphere of every day. That's why the villas that have their heart in the garden are so disputed.
Investing in a house with a garden transforms everything in the way we live life: it changes the natural light in the interior, it changes the welcome, it changes the scenario of meals, it changes the number of people we sit at the table, it changes the air we breathe, it changes the mood for socializing, it changes the concern for the children, it changes the type of activities that we are willing to practice, it even changes the vocation for gardening. Usually, it also inspires a more peaceful way of being.
If you're one of those people who thinks the day to benefit from a house with outdoor spaces worthy of slow, quality meals is yet to come, the day you'll have time for others and for yourself, start dating the plots of land in the Algarve for sale now and decide today to make your future home your real life project. At LUXIMOS Christie's International Real Estate we accompany you to take that first step.
