Luxury villas are remote controlled

Sunday Express 04/12/2005

A new generation of “intelligent homes”, among them the first of their type in the world, are being built on Spain's Costa Blanca. The luxury villas at El Magraner, an award-winning development between Calpe and Moraira, are being equipped with a fully integrated automation system which can be activated by the owner anywhere in the world. Marketed by Cheltenham based Ultra Villas, they are “controlled” by a hand-held set when the owners are home or a mobile phone or laptop when they are away.

The homes cost from £514,000 (€760,000) for a three-bedroom three-bathroom property and will have a network of miniature internal and external surveillance cameras, together with an intercom, which are linked to TV screens around the house.

The gate, garage door and front door are computerised, dispensing with the need for conventional keys, and even when the property is empty, window blinds can be lowered and raised, and lights and music switched on and off remotely.

The system even has battery back-up in case of power failure, so it will continue to operate for up to a week. Of the 80 planned villas, 19 have been built.

For more information phone (freephone) Ultra Villas on 0800 180 4890 or visit www.ultravillas.com.