Living the life you love and making a difference in Ibiza22nd February 2023

Charlie Hill, co-creator of Charles Marlow, responds to recent UK news stories focusing on the impact of foreigners buying and renting costly luxury homes in Ibiza and the Balearics.

In January of this year, articles appeared on the UK Guardian and Times websites on the impact of soaring house prices on Balearic communities, including Ibiza.

The Guardian reported that ‘The regional government is fighting back, with a request for European approval for a law that would ban anyone not resident in the islands from buying property.’

The Times claimed that ‘Politicians in Palma…have asked the government in Madrid to put pressure on the EU to introduce similar measures in the Balearics – any move that restricts freedom of movement within the bloc has to be sanctioned by Brussels.’

In Ibiza, the Times reported, the cost of renting an apartment is concerning the hospitality industry ‘with hoteliers and restaurateurs complaining that rents are too high to attract staff’.

Wanting to know the real story behind the somewhat sensationalist articles, I did some research. The timing of the articles has a lot to do with vote-getting tactics in advance of the four-yearly Balearic government elections. It’s highly unlikely that steps will be taken to ban non-residents from buying property here outright.

So if you’re considering buying a dream home in Ibiza you don’t need to be a Spanish resident to do so and won’t for the foreseeable future. Great news.

We could end this blog post right here. But I feel that we’d be missing out on an opportunity to look at how we all approach the future of Ibiza and the challenges the island faces.

Going beyond living the life we love in Ibiza

Since Charles Marlow started out around 10 years ago, we’ve been dedicated to helping our clients live the life they love while doing so ourselves. Up until now, we’ve interpreted this as being very much about lifestyle and quality of life.

But, more recently, I’ve been thinking about quality of life in broader terms. What can I do to help make Ibiza a place where abundance is shared more widely between those of us that are more fortunate and others that are less so? 

Speaking to members of my network, I know that many of us are keen to give back to Ibiza and integrate more deeply with the communities in which we live. We also want to help make Ibiza a more caring place, where those that care for others are valued more highly.

Let’s talk

I freely admit that I’m in the early stages of finding a way for me, Charles Marlow and our engaged clients to give back to the island that’s become our home.

But I’m determined to, as I say, do something to help bridge the gap between those of us that enjoy abundance and others who materially have less. I’m committed to spreading new ways of living and being on this amazing island.

And one of the many great things about Ibiza is the fact that the island is small enough for us to come together to build and fine tune manageable prototypes that can be rolled out worldwide. 

Whoever you are, whether you’re a politician in business or part of a change-making organisation, if you feel as me and my friends do, I’d love for us to start a conversation.