April 2016 – Bosworth Property Marrakech

29/04/201620/08/2018

Stunning Ancient Riad For Sale

This is without doubt one of the finest old riads in Marrakech. It is in Riad Laarous, close to the Palace at Dar El Bacha and was originally owned by a palace minister. Over 750 square metres, it boasts stunning original features such as the hand-carved and painted cedar wood ceilings, the original khoka doors, harmonic colonnades and intricate plasterwork. There is a vast open courtyard at it’s heart and the whole site is truly remarkable.

bosworthpropertymarrakech.com — Reception room with original ceiling and ornate plasterwork

The building is relatively stable and the original features are in remarkably good shape. It would make a fantastic development as a luxury hotel or private palace at the heart of the medina. A new wing could easily be added in the vast open courtyard and the finished development could have twelve or even fifteen luxury suites. There is car access to within a few metres of the main door.

It’s very rare to find riads like this on the market. It represents a real investment opportunity for lovers of mauresque architecture in Marrakech.

The absentee owner would like to sell and will listen to offers. The price is available on request and there is plenty of wiggle room. This fantastic little palace deserves to be brought back to life.

Bosworth Property Marrakech is dedicated to finding you these rare and beautiful buildings. We work with local scouts to find you the best deals so that your investment makes financial sense. We offer a key in hand project management service so that your development goes quickly and smoothly. We are your trusted property development consultant in Marrakech Medina.

You can call Colin on 00212 6 5802 5028 with any questions you may have.

26/04/201620/08/2018

Find A Riad

When you want to find a riad then you have to go local if you are to avoid the price-gouging that is common with most classical estate-agents. As your local property consultant in Marrakech, Bosworth Property takes the sourcing of riads very seriously. We work with a network of Marrakech scouts to unearth the properties that you can’t find elsewhere. We deal directly with local families so that you get the best deals on the market.

One of my team, featured on the picture above, is Attikha. I have known her for years. She was born and bred in Marrakech Medina and she knows those local families that want to sell – without pressure and without illusions. We have trust, and she knows that everyone needs respect whether they’re selling or buying. She also understands the discreet nature of many property transactions in Marrakech and she supports the families throughout the process.

Attikha and I go from family to family discussing the reality of the real estate market in Marrakech today. We talk about the fact that it is a buyers market. We listen to people and we counsel them. We support them and we respect them.

Bosworth Property Marrakech works with a small group of people like Attikha – local people; people with feelings like you and I. We give a lot of importance to the human aspect of property development and we know the families we are dealing with, their aspirations and their needs. Our local scouts are all well-known to me personally and bring stability and security to your investment in this bustling and beautiful city.

Whether you’re looking for a renovated riad or a riad to renovate, we are your trusted property consultant in Marrakech.

21/04/201620/08/2018

Art Scene In Marrakech

The Art scene in Marrakech is thriving and vibrant. This has been a city of alternative arts and culture for at least a hundred years -the great French orientalists such as Henri Jean Pontoy made this a seductive place to create as early as 1880. Jacques Majorelle brought art through landscape in his seminal garden in the 1920’s, and it is today the most visited attraction in the city. Majorelle Blue is now a recognised colour the world over, resembling the cobalt used by the nomadic saharan tribes to dye their clothes.

Artists have flocked here ever since – fashion designers like Yves Saint Laurent lived here. Winston Churchill, the artist, also lived here in the Mamounia Hotel during his retirement. Photographers adore the light. We who abide here just love the vibe, the urgency and the raw nature of a North African city thriving in the sun.

Marrakech today is a hub of creativity. The light inspires, the music resonates, the energy flows. Contributing to this is the Marrakech Biennale – a creative and avant-garde art festival held every two years in Marrakech. It’s a chaotic and disorganised event spanning over three months, a la Marrakech, held together by the quality of the art on show.

bosworthpropertymarrakech.com - marrakech biennale - buy riad in marrakech - workshop

From swanky cocktails in luxury hotels to gritty wall-painting workshops in derelict riads, it is a throbbing and growing scene. I have wandered around the Medina seeking out the shows and have sometimes found them! The funky Sri Lankan/British creative jeweller Kali Arulpragasam had a great show at the Selmane Palace which I was lucky enough to get to, thanks to the dynamic and lovely Kerstin Brand.

My personal favourite this year is the British artist Gordon Davidson. He has just eight works exposed at the lovely Riad Adore in Dar El Bacha. His best works, mixed media on aluminium, show the relationship between the infinitely small and the immeasurably vast – from the synapses to galaxy strings. Stunning.

Gordon Davidson - bosworthpropertymarrakech.com - marrakech biennale - property consultants marrakech

Whatever your taste in art, from classical to post-modern, you will find a kindred soul in this vibrant and artistic city.

19/04/201620/08/2018

Riads for Sale Marrakech

When you’re looking for a Riad for sale in Marrakech, I wonder if you have already explored the incredible diversity and richness of the farmers markets in the countryside all around the city …

Marrakech markets are truly astounding. The main picture on this article shows Souk Sebt about 12km out on the Fes Road. The diversity and freshness of the produce is the thing that first hits you. And the ripeness of the vegetables and fruit – tasty and colourful. You just can’t compare the wonderful quality of this food to the stuff you get in the supermarkets. Prices are low and it’s a lot of fun.

Are you looking to buy a sheep or a donkey? You’ve come to the right place! Does a quail, a guinea-fowl or a turkey tickle your fancy? They’re all here, along with rabbits, pigeons, day-old chicks … I’ve even seen tortoises and lizards for sale.

bosworthpropertymarrakech.com - riads a vendre - souk sebt2

You can also buy cereals and other dried foodstuffs. It makes for a fascinating morning out of the city and is really accessible. Most markets have big car-parks close by and public buses will run regularly to and from them.

Many of the smaller street markets in Marrakech Medina buy their produce here and bring it into town on small trucks or even by horse-drawn carriages. It’s a throw-back to days gone by in Europe when seasonal produce was brought to the towns for immediate sale. It really is fresh from farm to fork.

Take my advice and take the family on a morning stroll through one of the big farmers markets. It is a riot for the senses – the vivid colours and powerful aromas, the chatter of the farmers and the buyers. In many ways they remind me of the markets in Asia and are well worth a visit.

06/04/201620/08/2018

Key In Hand Project Management Marrakech

How much will it cost me to get a riad to my specs in Marrakech?

Size matters. As a general rule, the bigger the building footprint the more it costs per square metre, simply because land is at a premium in the better quarters of Marrakech Medina. To this end, some developers have been knocking two or three plots together in order to get to a critical size – basically, a family used to European space will require a minimum of 150 square metres on the ground. This will offer over 400 square metres of living space if you count the roof terrace – one of the joys of Marrakech.

A Riad boutique hotel will probably require a minimum of 250 square metres on the ground in order to respect the five suites minimum required by law.

A nearly finished development in Ben Youssef

A good little family riad of 150 square metres, in need of restoration, will typically be sold today for £100,000 or less. The best quarters will cost more and I encourage you to sign up to my newsletter to get the latest price news. A good quality renovation will probably cost another £100,000. So for only £200,000 you can get your foot on the property ladder in Marrakech. As a private owner you have options – your second home, buy-to-let, re-sale … in any case it’s a great investment opportunity.

Buying with a view to developping a boutique Medina hotel will cost more. Yet with just £200,000 you can own property which will fit the bill. Renovation costs can be as low as £300 per square built metre, meaning that for about £300,000 you could have a prime business up and running in one of the worlds tourist hot-spots.

Institutional investors will be looking at the bigger picture – there’s a real niche here for retirement home development, for example. Large Medina properties can still be found and we know where to find them. For the ambitious, there are whole derbs which could be acquired and developped as urban resorts. Bare plots, whilst not that common, are on our books.

We are your trusted Medina specialists. Feel at ease to contact us for free advice and guidance in Marrakech.

05/04/201620/08/2018

Security In Marrakech

As Property Brokers Marrakech we are often asked about security in the city and the country generally. Is it safe on the streets? What are the risks of terrorist activity?

In general it’s fair to say that Marrakech Medina is a very safe place. There are no guns and knife crime is incredibly rare. It’s probably best for women not to walk on their own late at night, as in any town I’ve ever been to. The Medina polices itself to a large degree as everyone is known to everyone else. It’s rare to see uniformed policemen away from the main tourist hub around Jemaa El Fna square. There are two main issues for residents and visitors alike – pickpockets and what are euphemistically known as “false guides”.

Pickpockets exist all over the world, of course, and they favour crowded areas in Marrakech like the souks and the squares. You should pay particular attention when strolling in the souks. Keep your wallet and mobile phone in an inside pocket and keep your handbag closed.

The false guides are generally young men who work in groups and look for visitors to “guide” towards places like the Tanneries. Upon arrival you will be firmly requested to pay for the service and it can be an intimidating experience. There are all sorts of convincing ruses and I have often watched these teams at work. A Tourist Brigade of the police was set up over ten years ago and has drastically reduced the amount of annoyance these people can cause. The best advice I can give is to kindly refuse all “spontaneous” offers of guidance. If you get lost just ask a local shopkeeper and you’ll usually get directions to wherever you’re heading.

There hasn’t been terrorist activity in Marrakech, or indeed in Morocco, for many years now. This is remarkable when you think of the repeated atrocities in Europe and elsewhere over the same time-frame. Morocco is a close ally of Europe and the US and collaborates on security matters. It certainly feels safe around town.

It is safe to travel to Morocco and visitors to Marrakech often remark on the placid nature of the city. Personally I feel safe walking the streets and it’s a great way to explore the winding derbs and hidden gems of this great Medina.

03/04/2016

Property Advice Marrakech

One of the defining aspects of Marrakech Medina is it’s ramparts and gates. As a property advisor in Marrakech one is very aware that the surface area of this old town is not going to get any bigger. Nonetheless, there are still many areas that are yet to be developped and the potential for growth is very real.

The walls surrounding the Medina date from the Almoravid dynasty in the 11th Century. They were completely rebuilt following the Almohad take-over of the city about 80 years later. In fact, the Almohads tore down all the mosques, including the iconic Koutoubia, and rebuilt them slightly more aligned on Mecca.

Some of the lesser known entrances into the Medina are well worth a visit. Clustered around them are bargain properties for sale. This is the original Almohad gate at Bab Doukala in the West of the Medina – it is now unused because a double-arched structure carries road traffic just to it’s left. Doukala is the region of Morocco over towards the Atlantic coast at Casablanca. The defensive gate now houses the occasional art exhibition …

Property advice Marrakech - Bab Doukala - bosworthpropertymarrakech.com

Further South can be found one of the most interesting gates in North Africa – Bab Dbagh, the Tanners Gate. It is built as a defensive chicane. Right next to it are the tanneries – ancient and modern – where the smell of the tanning hides is omnipresent. It’s one of the tougher neighbourhoods in the Medina and retains it’s authenticity as a working quarter for Moroccan families.

property advice marrakech - Bab Dbagh - bosworthpropertymarrakech.com

Another fascinating area is around Bab El Khmiss – the Thursday Gate. It takes it’s name from the market held there every Thursday. In fact the market is now a daily affair and bargain hunters come from all over Marrakech to browse the antique and second-hand objects. It is a vast, sprawling area housing artisans and sellers. The gate itself is often ignored as the market has spilled out of the Medina proper. Yet it testifies to the fact that the Medina used to be closed with huge wooden gates at nightfall.

Property advisor Marrakech - Bab El Kmiss - bosworthpropertymarrakech.com

Marrakech Medina is an historic and vibrant old city – probably one of the best preserved medieval cities outside Europe. The numerous and fascinating gates through the ramparts offer us a glimpse of what life was like in days gone by.

01/04/201620/08/2018

Find Property Marrakech

I was wandering through the streets of Riad Laarous and Ben Youssef today looking to find property in Marrakech Medina. I love these walks – so full of colour and sensuality. In the quarter where I live and work there are street markets selling fresh fruit and vegetables – usually brought from farms just outside the city on a daily basis. The fruit is ripe to eat and oh so fresh. When I think back to my days in Europe I wonder how I ever ate a tomato or munched on an avocado, when here the food is seasonal and ripe from farm to fork.

find a property marrakech - street market marrakech - bosworthpropertymarrakech.com

Just at the junction of Riad Laarous and Ben Youssef is a little-known mausoleum. A saintly man is interred here, looked after day and night by women mourners. He died in the fourteenth century. It’s nigh on impossible to photograph the interiors of holy places in Marrakech … so for your eyes only here is the tomb of Sidi Abdelaziz, one of the seven Saints of Marrakech, in a picture I took today.

historical marrakech - inside a mausoleum - bosworthpropertymarrakech.com

Just around the corner from this Marrakech monument is a thriving little spot where Max and Jan, high-end clothing designers, have set up shop. It has attracted other boutiques and restaurants and has made a little funky hub. Within 50 metres you can find the restaurants Le Jardin, Kui-Zin, Atay Food and Souk Cafe. There are fusion fashion boutiques like Joy Kech as well as traditional craft shops.

Find a property Marrakech - Max and Jan - bosworthpropertymarrakech.com

I walked another hundred yards and came out into the Ben Youssef square. Just across from me were the Marrakech Museum, the Ben Youssef Coranic School and the much ignored Qouba Almoravid – one of the oldest buildings in Marrakech. It was the place where devotees washed before going into the majestic mosque adjacent. In all the years I have been here this monument has sadly been closed. The interior is stunning and deserves viewing.

Find a property marrakech - the qouba almoravid - bosworthpropertymarrakech.com

There is such density and vibrancy in Marrakech Medina. Finding a property turns into an adventure, a sensuous treat every day.