“What we have done the 10 years since the company’s establishment gives us reason for satisfaction. The more so, as we treat every project with due care and try to make sure that even details are polished up to the highest standard,” says Krzysztof Pawelec, vice-president of Sabe Investments.
In 1999, when the company started operations, the housing and service market was almost as difficult as it is now, one year after the crisis. In 2002 Sabe Investments completed its first project – the Sonata estate of luxury apartment buildings. Situated by the small Kamionkowskie Lake in the immediate vicinity of Skaryszewski Park, the estate is composed of three buildings with 326 apartments and 18 service and retail outlets. Thanks to its original stepped design and layout, the estate opens to the park and lake and enables those who live here to admire the beauty of nature, protecting them at the same time against the hustle and bustle of the city. The apartments on top floors have large terraces providing extensive views of Warsaw and the surrounding recreational areas. It is definitely one of the most interesting and most attractively located estates of luxury apartment buildings built in recent years in Warsaw.

“On each successive project we use the experience we have gathered while working on previous ones. We also try to take into consideration our clients’ suggestions, like for example those concerning the choice of materials and colours,” says Krzysztof Pawelec. “Although fashion does not change in construction every season, we have to try to ensure that our projects are in keeping with the ‘spirit of the times’ and meet the clients’ expectations halfway. After years in the business we already know that the best thing is the traditional approach to the project. We work with the architect on the structure of the apartments with diligence and for a long time with a view to offering the widest possible apartment range. A compromise between the architect’s vision and the usability of the project for the future occupants is needed in many cases. Thanks to this marketing philosophy, we have had no problems with implementing our projects, neither with their execution nor their later commercialisation.”

In 2005-2007 the company carried out two residential projects at the same time: Rezydencja Sienna and Rezydencja Saska, with more than 300 apartments between them and service outlets. The first one, located in the very centre of Warsaw, is a modern apartment building with an impressive architecture. The internal patio with greenery provides comfort and a sense of privacy to the occupants because from Sienna Street it is closed by an original glazed guardhouse. An advantage of this location is its closeness to Złote Tarasy, Europe’s largest shopping and entertainment centre. And the Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw’s showpiece, can be seen from the building’s windows.
Rezydencja Saska is situated in the old, charming part of the Saska Kępa neighbourhood. It is a modern apartment building on a horseshoe plan with the number of floors ranging from five to eight. The ground floor and mezzanine are designated for retail use and services. Another advantage is an attractive courtyard with a playground for children situated in the southern part at the level of the second floor, which is a quite unique feature.
Of course, we are planning more projects in Warsaw but we have also moved onto the holiday home market.

Time for a holiday hit
The idea to have a second, or holiday, home is relatively new in Poland. It has originated in countries with well-developed tourist markets, like Spain and France. Due to the entry of new states to the European Union, the coastal regions of such countries as Bulgaria, Estonia and Romania are now the most popular areas. It is good that Polish developers have also spotted a chance for themselves. One of the forerunners on this market is Sabe Investments. In July 2010 the company is scheduled to complete its Aquamarina project, a splendid holiday and recreation complex in Poland’s north-western coastal town of Międzyzdroje. It consists of four-storey luxury apartment buildings situated on a 4-hectare plot surrounded by a forest just 200 metres from the Baltic Sea shore and around 1 kilometre from the centre of the town, close to a sand dune and the border of Woliński National Park. A hotel with 150-200 beds combined with a swimming-pool and spa centre will be built in another stage of the project to complement its holiday function.

Why Międzyzdroje? “An undeniable advantage of this place is its special location close to the sea and easy access for tourists from Germany and Scandinavia,” Krzysztof Pawelec says.

The first stage of the project, with 265 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments with spaces ranging from 37 sq. m. to 82 sq. m., is now underway. Apartments of around 40 sq. m. will occupy almost 70% of the total space. The apartments will be delivered on a turnkey basis – complete with internal doors, flooring, bathroom and kitchen fittings, furniture and household appliances. The finishing materials and standards are of top quality. Every apartment has a large balcony or terrace of 12-30 sq. m. and a parking space in an underground car park, to which access is provided by quiet lifts. In order to provide comfort and security to the occupants, the estate is fenced, and provided with proper lighting and round-the-clock security service. The investor plans to leave a large part of the estate – around 1 hectare – forested as a private park for the estate occupants. A large and safe playground for children will also be arranged.

Combining business with pleasure
There are now 41 hotel beds per 10,000 population in Poland, which represents the lowest ratio in the European Union. In Germany and the Czech Republic for instance, this number exceeds 200. One of the ways to fill this gap is the rental of holiday apartments, which may successfully substitute for hotel rooms and generate additional income for the owners, apart from providing them with an opportunity to spend a holiday at the seaside.

Responding to the growing demand for second homes, Sabe Investments has taken investment potential into consideration when building the Aquamarina holiday complex. The property will no doubt be a good investment because the area is very attractive. The climate is favourable and even better than that in the Gulf of Gdańsk and the Bay of Puck. Additionally, the sea water is much warmer in the Bay of Pomerania than elsewhere on the Polish coast, something which encourages sea bathing. The wide sandy beaches extending over many kilometres attract thousands of visitors to Międzyzdroje every year. Buying an apartment in Aquamarina is an excellent way to supplement one’s investment portfolio. The long-term yield plus the expected increase in property value is estimated to be 10% annually for an apartment of 40 sq. m. Considering that the risk is low, the investment is an attractive alternative to such safe financial instruments as deposits and bonds.

Having analysed the holiday apartment market, Sabe Investments has well-advanced plans for more projects of this kind. One possible location is the town of Świnoujście. The company pays special attention to the quality of workmanship and to meeting deadlines. It comes as no surprise then that among the clients interested in buying apartments in new projects are people who already have apartments in the Sonata estate and in the Rezydencja Saska and Sienna apartment buildings. It is the best praise and recommendation for Sabe Investments.

“We are not pretending that the crisis has not affected us but we have made necessary changes to reduce operating costs and adjust the company’s activity to the existing situation on the market. However, the changes do not impact on the company’s current operations, deadlines, quality or our position on the market,” says Krzysztof Pawelec. “Thanks to the experience and references the company has acquired in recent years, we can look into the future with optimism.”
One has to admit that Sabe Investments, which after all is not a giant among developers, has managed to find its place on the demanding and very competitive market and gain recognition from clients.


SABE Investments Sp. z o.o.

ul. Gwiaździsta 5b lok.5

Tel. +48 22 832 29 43

e-mail: biuro@aquamarina.pl

www.aquamarina.pl