december-2009

Lock-up-and-leave waterfront cottages
can be picked up for €120,000, but it’s the
city’s collection of state-owned castles and
former Prussian manor houses that is fast
becoming a focal point, with many put up
for sale for as little as £50,000 (€54,616)
by cash-strapped authorities unable to cope
with the cost of upkeep.
“Most were built during the 19th
century by Prussian Junker landowners
and confi scated after World War II by
East Germany,” explains Stefan Wenzl,
head of the local authority’s stately homes
department, “but they’re not for everyone.
Some buyers fi nd the vetting process
‘rigorous’, with proof of funds to take
on a restoration project required before
sales negotiations even begin.” Targeted
marketing has boosted interest lately,
according to Kai Rocholl of local agency
NDGA. “These are niche projects. A budget
of €200,000 will get you a large manor
home with outbuildings, but you can
expect to shell out as much again on the
renovation. Profi t margins, on completion
can, however, top the €1m mark.”
TWO HOURS’ DRIVE from Berlin and
Hamburg are Lake Müritz’s affordable
lakeside dream homes set along a
waterfront that radiates the same intimate
sophistication of Capri or Cap Ferrat.
“It’s a peaceful spot,” says Linda Sheard,
a freelance photographer from Devon
who bought her two-bedroom, canal-side
cottage for “a steal” in the nearby village
of Grabau in 2007. “There are no holiday
crowds, but the area’s still geared up for
foreigners, with bi-lingual real estate fi rms.
Three-to-four months worth of holiday lets
a year is feasible, with management fees
setting you back around 10%.”
Otherwise, for those wanting to break
free from tradition there’s the region’s
fi rst integrated leisure and holiday
resort. The extensive parkland retreat of
Land Fleesensee by Condex group has
an exclusive 60 bespoke homes on offer,
ranging from €200,000–€700,000,
surrounded by hectares of natural beauty.
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PROPERTY | GERMANY
★ THREE HOT MECKLENBURG PROPERTIES
★ UNDER €15,000
This traditional red-brick cottage built at
the turn of the 20th century is the ideal
renovation project. In Wendelstorf, near
the capital Schwerin, it sits in 0.2ha and
boasts several barns and outbuildings
for conversion. Gardens surrounding the
property have fi r trees and shrubbery
beds, plus a private path leads directly to
a large lake 300m away. Both the interior
and exterior retain numerous original
features including latticework beams and
open brickwork. Available from €11,000
through Property Source. Tel. +49 (0)30
3675 0726, property-source.eu
★ UNDER €150,000
Stylish one-bedroom apartments are
available in a choice of contemporary
build styles in the grounds of Land
Fleesensee, Germany’s fi rst fully
integrated resort near Lake Müritz.
Turnkey properties comprise living room,
dining room, fi tted kitchen, bathroom
and terrace or balcony. The resort is all
about sports, recreation and wellness – in
addition to horseriding and sailing, leisure
amenities include fi ve championship golf
courses and Germany’s biggest day spa.
Available for €149,900 through Condex.
Tel: +49 (0)30 8971 1203, fl eesensee.de
★ UNDER €300,000
A charming rural getaway just 30
minutes from the picturesque harbour
town of Waren, this traditional threebedroom
family cottage has been
renovated to a high standard and boasts
a spacious downstairs living area,
underfl oor heating in the bathrooms
and a contemporary Shaker-style
kitchen. The focal point of the garden is
an ornamental pond with a shady patio
area leading directly from the house for
outside dining. Available for €250,000
through Küther Immobilien. Tel: +49
(0)38874 21741, kuether-immobilien.de