Diederick Stradmeijer
Diederik Stradmeijer, Dutch property entrepreneur and avid visitor to the island of Mallorca, is very fond of the island. "I’m highly passioned about this island. I like to advise people who are also interested in the island, both in terms of sightseeing and real estate."
Loyal visitor to Mallorca
Diederik Stradmeijer has been coming to Mallorca all his life. His father bought a flat on the north side of the island, at the bay of Pollenca, in 1968. "That was a special time. Most Dutch people went with their folding trailers to the Dordogne in France, if they went abroad at all, and we went to Mallorca. I saw the island grow and develop." Every year Diederik Stradmeijer came to Mallorca, first staying at his father's flat, but in the late 1990s he bought his first home of his own in Mallorca. And in 2004, he bought his second property on the island.
Property advice
Through his work in the Netherlands, Diederik Stradmeijer is a property entrepreneur, he is also interested in real estate in Mallorca. "I have now built up a network in Mallorca. So if anyone is interested in buying property in Spain, I can help. I know how to bring the right parties together. And that does matter, because the market is very different from the Dutch market." The Spanish property market is less protected. "It is a market of cowboys and Indians," says Diederik Stradmeijer. "Sometimes absurd sales prices are quoted. And then if you make an offer 40 per cent below it, you are still negotiating. It's really different from buying a house through Dutch Funda."
Spanish estate agents are not protected
Nor are estate agents protected in Spain. And thus neither are their clients. Projects therefore often have no exclusivity as far as the estate agent is concerned. Whoever brings in the client gets the commission. In Spain, the commission is much higher than in the Netherlands, sometimes as much as five to six per cent. So the person who brings the client in is the lucky one. "This sometimes makes it difficult for the buyer, because you don't know who you are negotiating with and what the position of the different parties are. So my advice is to be careful when you walk into any estate agent's office after seeing a nice property in the shop window. If you get your name noted, you have suddenly become their client. Should you fall for a property and make a transaction on it, either directly with the owner or with another estate agent, the first estate agent will claim to be the selling party because you put your name on the listing at the time. So find the right contacts and get enough information before you end up in such a nasty situation."
Magnificent nature
Diederik Stradmeijer not only knows a lot about Mallorca's property market, but he is also very impressed by the island's nature. "Mallorca has many faces, beautiful bays, fantastic beaches, but also very beautiful natural areas. Tramuntana, the mountain ridge on the western side of Mallorca, is on the World Heritage List. The island has a very old culture with Christian and Moorish influences. And the great thing about Mallorca is that even if it's the middle of summer and busy on the coasts, and you drive two or three kilometres into the hinterland, you can just end up in very quiet natural areas. Mallorca has very beautiful hidden spots."
Base of operations
For Diederik Stradmeijer, Mallorca is more than just a beautiful island. For him, it really is a base from which to catch some peace and quiet. A few years ago, he struggled with health problems and from then on, Diederik Stradmeijer realised the positive influences of the island on his health. "The air on Mallorca is clean, the light is mild, I feel a lot healthier there. In addition, the favourable climate also does me a lot of good. I make sure I spend my time partly in Amsterdam and partly on Mallorca."
Property for rent
Diederik Stradmeijer feels at home in Mallorca. And he would like to share that nice feeling with others. That's why his family home is for rent. "It really is a beautiful house with several views. From the large side balcony you look out on the s'Albufereta nature park. Here you can see many birds that make their stopover here during their migration to Africa. It is a popular area for birdwatchers. At the front of the house, we have a view of the lighthouse in the bay of Pollenca. So we are close to the sea, an ideal location. The bay is also a very popular spot for kitesurfers, there is a kitesurfing school there. But we also attract a lot of cyclists, both amateurs and professionals. Mallorca offers a combo of flat and mountainous rides."