“I believe that design and practicality can go together” says Adam Thomas.
Read Adam’s article in Disability Now.
Adam Thomas is responsible for the kitchens, bathrooms and interior design in Q Well being.
Q Well Being continues to attract a lot of interest from the disabled community. It enables an excellent income to be derived from renting out this unique property to a market place that is short on luxury accessible places to stay at. Why are there not more initiatives like this?
It came to my attention at the DNEX exhibition that Q Well Being, the unique accessible luxury 5 star complex in Cyprus, is a perfect solution for many clients’ of Case Managers & PI Lawyers.
I spoke to a number of eminent Lawyers, Case Managers and Personal Assistants about holidays and investments. Both of which are key issues for individuals recently disabled through negligence who receive a lump sum in compensation. Key considerations for many people in these circumstances include immediate outlay on housing and equipment but also investment to ensure future income.
Q Well Being offers an excellent option. Individuals can buy an apartment and then have a number of choices which answer a number of needs. They may want it to be personalised and make it their permanent home to take advantage of Cyprus’ temperate climate and excellent healthcare provision. Others may want to have it as a holiday home and just use it occasionally. Whilst some may want to take advantage of the excellent rental returns envisaged.
As there is a considerable amount of investment going on in Larnaca the chance of significant capital appreciation is high and because the complex is designed solely with accessibility and inclusivity in mind, yield (and occupancy!) will be very high.
Q Well Being will therefore please clients but it will also save insurance companies money as if a client makes a claim for holiday provision via purchase of a Q Well being apartment the cost of this will be significantly lower than lifetime ad hoc holiday provision.
Since we have been taking Q Well Being around the various disability shows in the UK I have been struck by how much interest there has been from people trying to find luxury accessible accommodation abroad. Many people we speak to are really disappointed that Q Well Being is only available for purchase at present and is not built yet.
There is a ready demand for luxury rental apartments abroad just waiting to be satisfied and from what we are being told, they are prepared to pay a premium for luxury and purpose built accessibility.
Q Well Being apartments should make an excellent investment proposition.
The roadshow at Kemble was an absolute delight and I am really pleased to see that there was so much interest in the project that we are working on. We knew that we were doing the right thing, but it is also nice to get that public confirmation.
I have spent time this week working on the plans for the gym, and specifically the type of equipment that we need to be putting in there. I want the space to feel light and airy (being able to look out in to the sunshine was something I was very keen on) and welcoming. I have spent a lot of time in various Gyms over the years, and knew the type of equipment that I wanted / needed to use, and the one thing that I am very keen on is accessibility. Not just physical access (that is a given in this project), but in the Gym it is about encouraging people to use it by getting the right balance between equipment (that is easily explained to those who aren’t used to training), free weights, and of course space for Yoga and Pilates among other things. Getting this balance right is crucial.
There have luckily, been lots of changes over the last couple of years in the attitude of the companies who make gym equipment. Many years ago they were really designed for men, not women, or wheelchair users etc, and so sometimes the machines didn’t fit those people who wanted to use them. There have been many positive changes in the design of different pieces of equipment
I also want there to be lots of space to do stretching which has been planned in for one side of the Gym. Now I am retired I spend more time doing this than lifting weights, and I also do a good job of mental training these days (or more commonly known as lying down on the mats with my eyes closed which I am now an expert in).
I am really fortunate that with the amount of space there is, we have several options of what we can put in there. It’s also a bonus that we got the gym next to the spa area, so after a workout you can go straight for a massage or treatment. Actually just going straight to the Spa sounds quite tempting and maybe a quick latte in the restaurant as well !!
Q Wellbeing, the unique luxury inclusive complex in Larnaca, with a gym, spa, restaurant and pool (all designed to be fully accessible) is getting better value every day!
Not only are the apartments for sale huge and also great value when compared to other luxury complexes in Cyprus and the rest of Europe, but as the Pound strengthens almost on a daily basis Q Wellbeing becomes even better value for UK based purchasers.
As I write this today the £ against the € is nudging closer to 1.2 from its low point of near parity in December 2008. Experts predict this to continue with a ’steady state’ considered to be around 1.4. In effect your £ will purchase almost 20% more than it did 6 months ago. It is now an excellent time to buy your ideal home in sunny Cyprus and benefit from all the investment in and around the area over the next 5 to 10 years!
In my early teens I decided that I wanted to be able to have the option of spending some of the cold UK winters abroad. Over the years, my husband and I have spent time looking in various places, admittedly based on places that we had been for warm weather training, but there were always things that didn’t sit right. Good weather was something that was important, but access either in the apartments or the local area was also important. Growing up I didn’t have a lot of accessible things built in to my house, but I also recognised that as I grew older there would be different things that I would need. I started to think that I wouldn’t find anything that fitted the criteria that we had. If you go somewhere on holiday there are plenty of things that you can make do with, but not if you want to spend a lot more time in a certain location.
It all changed last year when I met Adam Thomas, and we started chatting about accessible properties abroad and he told me about a project he was working on. It was in Cyprus, somewhere that we had looked at previously to buy a property, as we had visited numerous times both for training camps and family holidays. I explained some of the difficulties that I experienced in accessibility, but also the importance of design and aesthetics, of wanting somewhere that was suitable, but looked nice too ! My father is an architect so these are some of the things that I grew up with. The project that Adam was working on also had a gym and a spa (I spend more time in the latter than the former these days). Getting all those things right is so important and needs time, and good people behind it.
I was asked to put some of my experience of training facilities and gyms into practise by looking at the designs and concept, but I knew that if I wanted to do it properly then I would have to go and visit the parent company and also the site. I have just come back from Cyprus where I met George, the architect behind all the plans and designs that I had seen in the UK. George is forward thinking and committed to beautiful designs that work – he listened to what Adam and I have had to say about the balance of accessibility and style. I also has a chance to look at the site where the apartments are going to be and also the surrounding area, they are in a great place and there are some exciting developments on their way which I will tell you more about soon !!!! I think that what is going to happen there is going to be a brilliant long term investment and have been so pleased that I am buying an apartment, and am in the process of picking the apartment that I would like. There is definitely more to come…
Cyprus is an extraordinary place, steeped in 10,000 years of history. I went with my husband Adam, a wheelchair user, for the first time last April and I was there again in October. I can’t believe that it took me so long to find it.
It is a beautiful, unspoiled island of contrasts. The rural Turkish north and the more developed Greek Cypriot south; sleepy villages and lively nightlife; Byzantine art and architecture and popular beach resorts. The weather, the food and the people alone make it a fantastic holiday destination.
Because it is such a popular tourist destination, in recent years facilities for disabled people in the south have really improved. Cypriots themselves are friendly and helpful and there is a general willingness to help overcome the access hurdles.
In the larger hotels in the south, you’ll find a reasonable level of wheelchair access – though as ever it’s worth checking precise details in advance. Prices compared to the UK are good.
When Adam and I visited, we travelled with Cyprus Airlines, who were excellent and really took care of us. You pay a little bit more but get a great service. British Airways, Monarch and Easyjet are among the 50+ airlines who also fly there.
We spent a day driving all over the island, including up into the mountains where the views are incredible. We picked out our very own plot for an apartment too!
When Carl first suggested I got involved in what became the Q Well Being project, I jumped at the chance. I’ve spent 30 years in an industry where getting away with the bare minimum in terms of access is standard – and had many battles on behalf of clients along the way.
But the Q Well Being project is in complete contrast to that – as are The Quality Group, whose Managing Director and chief architect I’ve had the pleasure to get to know. For once, when I suggest changes that will boost the accessibility and usability of the apartments and the site as a whole, I get a really positive response. Cost is not the constant justification for rejecting suggestions.
It really is a breath of fresh air. I’ve had a great time recently, advising on the interior of all the Q Well Being apartments. I’ve been paralysed myself since 1981 so I know just how important your ‘home’ space is for being able to feel comfortable, safe and independent.
I’ve just come back from seeing Adam’s accessible kitchen stand at Naidex at the NEC. I am a bit biased, but his was the only stand that really blew me away.
Let me explain why. The show is a fantastic show case for 1000’s of really useful but functional items, designed by some really clever engineers. But what struck me was the lack of aspirational offerings to a consumer group who are obviously just as discerning as the wider population. Of course there were other kitchen manufacturers there, but Adam’s kitchens were the only products I saw in any category that really looked and felt great, as well as doing the job they were designed to do.
This is exactly how I see Q Well Being positioning itself beautifully designed luxury apartments that are also incredibly functional.