Away with the plastic lounger

Holiday homes are the latest beneficiaries of our national obsession with makeovers. No longer sparsely furnished with only the most basic amenities, reports Ginetta Vedrickas, they are now being interior-designed to the highest standards

Proof of our enduring fascination with interiors is everywhere: magazines and TV programmes dedicated to interior design continue to grow in number. Most UK homes have benefited from makeovers, with agents all too quick to alert vendors to the benefits of good presentation. But agents abroad are finding that British buyers are demanding equally high standards for their overseas homes, and interiors abroad are rapidly improving as a result.

Alasdair Macdonald, chairman and founder of Ocean Estates says: "Properties on the Costa del Sol are losing their once bad reputation as a collection of soulless empty homes with poorly conceived interior designs, with basic furniture with only holidays in mind. As the cost of airline travel decreases due to the competition between budget operators, the number of days people are able to spend in their second homes overseas has increased. This, combined with the ever- growing community of working expats and retirees, means that homeowners are now making every effort to invest in interiors that reflect individual personalities and tastes," says

Sculptor Jennifer Woolley has certainly invested effort in the two-bedroomed apartment in Elvira, east of Marbella, which she shares with her husband. Woolley creates stylised female forms from plaster and has based her apartment's interior on a similar theme of simplicity and fluidity, and makes full use of the natural light and space. "I have always been of the opinion that interiors should create feelings of tranquillity and well being," says Woolley: "The large floor area and high ceilings, combined with the fact that this home is always brimming with warm sunlight, means that it is ideal for relaxing and finding a quiet corner to read or contemplate the incredible views. I enjoy blurring the boundaries between indoor- and outdoor-living and the large windows really draw you into the gardens."

The apartment is currently for sale through Ocean Estates at €402,000. Its living space, with its four-metre high ceiling, is a perfect backdrop for Woolley's sculptures. "Although we will be sorry to leave, we are now looking for a home with an outdoor workshop so I can continue my passion for sculpting," adds Woolley, who promises to give her future French home - which she has yet to find - a similar look: "It will be minimalist again, as I find simplicity so peaceful and calming and - whether the house is old or new - it will match my work in that it will be extremely contemporary."

Reaction to Woolley's apartment has been favourable and, particularly in areas with high property values, British buyers now expect interior-designed homes. Hamptons International is marketing a range of properties which have benefited from the attentions of a professional design team, including a villa in Cap d'Antibes on the Côte d'Azur, for sale at €2.4m, which features muted, natural colours internally and looks out onto an infinity swimming pool and landscaped grounds.

Spanish and French homes may be becoming increasingly sophisticated, but Greece is perhaps better known for its simple houses with white walls and blue paintwork. The Peloponnese town of Nafplio has plenty of traditionally Greek homes for sale but agents Lacey and Co are currently selling a house in the old town which has a stylish interior that has been designed by its architect owners, Erika Rennspies and Jorn Allwein. George Lacey, who is marketing the property, says: "It really is a stunning house and very rare for the area. It has many features which have been specially made, such as the stainless-steel wood- burning stove which is included in the price of €525,000."

The house is laid out over four floors, with interconnecting spiral staircases leading between two floors and white marble and African iroko wooden floors throughout. Lacey & Co have recently launched a partnership with the architects and are offering a bespoke service for buyers who want a similarly stylish Greek home: "This is a unique service," says Lacey: "We will find you a piece of land by the sea or inland, build you the villa of your dreams for a one-off inclusive price which includes all tax and legal fees. The price we quote is the price you pay, with no hidden extras and you can move into a fully fitted house with just your suitcase!"

Parador Properties' head of marketing, Martin Gow, finds that buyers are increasingly drawn toward this type of bespoke service. Parador's after-sales team will even go shopping with buyers and point them in the direction of lighting suppliers, curtain and floor-covering specialists and furniture suppliers: "When someone buys an empty shell it can be quite daunting fitting out the entire property and we can get buyers good discounts at the suppliers we use." Gow speaks from the heart, as he recently bought an apartment on the Costa Azahar: "I relied fully on the after-sales service, as I hadn't a clue about what goes with what."

Parador Properties also offer a range of furniture-and-fittings packages which many buyers take advantage of. The packages are graded according to quality, ranging from €4,000 for the "pine" version to €8,600 for superior materials in the "rustic" package, which includes all furniture for a two bedroomed apartment and kitchen equipment, right down to the teaspoons. Gow says: "This makes it so much easier for buyers. After all, after going through the buying process, who wants to turn up at their apartment where you don't even own a bed to sleep on? This way it all comes delivered by lorry and is waiting there for you to move straight into."

Ocean Estates: 00 34 952 811 750, www.oceanestates.com; Lacey & Co: 01702 603210, www.laceypropertybrokers.com; Hamptons International: 020-7589 8844, webstera@hamptons-int.com; Parador Properties: 01737 770137.