Paradise pays: bag your own b&b in brazil
7 bed villa - only £250,000. Click here for more information or to make an enquiry.
Ever wished you could be paid to live in paradise? A B&B in Brazil may hold the answer. That is what Penny and her family found when they swapped the UK’s West Midlands for sunny South America in 2006.
Located 130km from Fortaleza in the Ceara region, Guajiru ticked all the right boxes. Tropical climate. A growing tourism industry.
"It was unspoilt, but with potential for growth," she says. "It was stylish and in keeping with the natural beauty of the area."
The Change from Birmingham to Brazil could not have been bigger.
"It wasn't just the language that had to be mastered, but the laws, the cultures and the traditions are completely different to those of the UK!" explains Penny.
Since then, Brazil's tourism industry has boomed, thanks to the appeal of the country's stunning beaches, not to mention the rapidly expanding economy. In 2014, the country hosted the FIFA World Cup, receiving more than 1 million visitors in its 12 host cities and 95 per cent of them saying they intend to go back.
7 bed villa - only £250,000. Click here for more information or to make an enquiry.
At the same time, Penny's investment has grown into a successful business. She and her partner run the Rede Beach Hotel, which has become increasingly popular thanks to convenient flights to Guajiru from Lisbon, Portugal, and the area's reputation among kite surfers. Now, they have a staff of 50, and there are more and more Europeans from Portugal, Spain, Holland and Poland living and investing in the area.
"We now speak Portuguese fluently and enjoy a very high standard of living," she explains.
Across the town lies their second home: a 7 bedroom villa, which is used to cater for the overflow of hotel guests. Penny's parents even had a self-contained 3 bedroom flat on its top floor, while the rest was rented out. It worked "very well", she says.
Indeed, with no fear of hurricanes or earthquakes to disturb the 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, the property is a Gateway to a perfect getaway.
It's spacious and beautiful - but the two-storey building is also a valuable investment opportunity.
Recently refurbished to a high standard and including all furniture and equipment, the detached seven-bedroom home stands today with enough space to cater for 14 adults plus children; the perfect starting point for a B&B business.
7 bed villa - only £250,000. Click here for more information or to make an enquiry.
Rede Beach has run at an average 85 per cent capacity for last 3 years, demonstrating the area's appeal to both domestic and international visitors. Even as a simple buy-to-let, the villa has promise: Penny's parents have now returned to the UK, but they successfully rent it out as a complete holiday home.
For those with bigger plans, the estate can also be developed. Within the grounds there is enough room to add a large swimming pool, or guest "Cabanas" to boost the guest capacity. There is even a vacant plot of land to the rear, next to the beach, which could prove profitable, if ever put up for sale. Penny points out that the land has never been built upon.
The immediate potential, though, is clear to see, with four large double en-suite bedrooms on the ground floor - all the en-suites have electric showers - and two double en-suites on the first floor. All the rooms have air conditioning, TVs, minibars, safes and, of course, that breath-taking sea view.
7 bed villa - only £250,000. Click here for more information or to make an enquiry.
So how exactly do you start a B&B in Brazil?
Expect your first guests to not speak English, advises Penny. "Learn some basic hotel vocabulary to get you by. I recommend hiring a member of the local community to work in the guest house and greet incoming guests and deal with any queries."
"Be prepared for a challenge," she adds. "Word of mouth is the best form of marketing in the area, so treat your first guests so well - they will spread word."
But do not fear, she insists. "The Brazilian people to be warm, helpful and very welcoming."
As she welcomes in more guests to stay in the Rede Beach hotel, a look back over to their other property leaves you thinking of Birmingham in the UK. Getting paid to live in paradise? Who wouldn't want that?
Buy a B&B in Brazil, or bag your own holiday home, for £250,000.
For more information and to make an enquiry, click here.