Reetdachhaus Sylt: VON POLL IMMOBILIEN - the podcast

In viewing episode 3 of the VON POLL IMMOBILIEN Podcasts, Martin Weiß, branch manager at VON POLL IMMOBILIEN Sylt, and host Susanne Hauf conduct an exciting interview on the major topic of Thatched Roof House Sylt.

We take you to an exclusive thatched roof property typical of the region, which really leaves nothing to be desired. You can listen to the tour directly here or read through as a transcript. We hope you enjoy!

Martin Weiß, VON POLL IMMOBILIEN Sylt:" The property is located directly on the Kampen mudflats on the North Sea with secluded access. Prospective buyers will find a discreet, but high-quality location. And ultimately it is so, we have of these houses only five more. That is, we have a very exceptional location, which is ultimately extremely sought after. "

Podcast episode 'Reetdachhaus Sylt' - complete transcript

Moderator Susanne Hauf:

If the sound of the sea and the gulls is your first choice. If you appreciate the view of the sea. And if you have a strong sense of elegance and exclusivity. Then this thatched-roof villa from the VON POLL IMMOBILIEN portfolio will particularly appeal to you. Welcome to Kampen, the North Sea resort on Sylt.

VON POLL IMMOBILIEN - the podcast. Small but fine, exclusive and cosmopolitan, elegant and village. Kampen is the village of delightful contrasts. Endless sandy beaches and wide heath, red cliff and edgy types, fine sparkling champagne and quick-witted Frisians. With this apt description, the exposé invites you to a first impression - in a thatched-roof property directly on the Kampen mudflats. My name is Susanne Hauf. Welcome to the podcast.

Yes, I had to get my hair out of my face first now. Today we have quite a strong wind. Martin Weiß, branch manager of VON POLL IMMOBILIEN on Sylt. That's not always the case here, right?

Martin Weiß, branch manager at VON POLL IMMOBILIEN Sylt:

No, normally we have autumn storms. Now we have a strong storm in the summer. So we should get inside real quick now.

Susanne Hauf:

That's what we're doing.

Ten rooms, 400 square meters of living space, an impressive driveway to the property. Plus a sauna, a swimming pool, wellness area, sun terrace. I do not want to anticipate too much now, but already clarify what special kind of property awaits us today.

Mr. Weiß, how many years have you been in the real estate business and how often are you allowed to offer your customers an object like this?

Martin Weiß:

Yes, for over 25 years. I studied civil engineering in Berlin and live since 2008 on this beautiful island of Sylt. And our professional all-round support and management of high-quality properties just keeps leading us to such special properties.

Susanne Hauf:

Very nice. What can you tell us about the history of this property?

Martin Weiß:

This property was built in 2008 in solid construction and has the old-style clinker so typical for Sylt and the particularly beautiful large thatched roof.

Susanne Hauf:

There we come later more precisely on it. I have a lot of questions about it. How are then the exact data of this object, so the size of the property, the special features, how is the distance to the neighboring property?

Martin White:

So we are talking here about almost 3,000 square meters of land on the Kampener Watt, surrounded by pasture land, which is under nature conservation. Here you live secluded in a cul-de-sac. No direct neighbors to look at or into the garden. A property of this kind is here in this location only perhaps five to six times.

Susanne Hauf:

And what further belongs to the facility and the property?

Martin White:

So we have two earth garages and enough space also for cars on the outside parking spaces, a separate right of way, a very great view and a small special feature, which we will look at later.

Susanne Hauf:

Yes, we have now gone here through the beautiful entrance area directly onto the terrace, with a great view of the mudflats and are under the thatched roof. And the thatched roof is, after all, what distinguishes this property and for many it is one of the typical features for houses and villas in the coastal region. In such properties, the thatched roof also stands for the combination of naturalness, tradition and luxury.

What is so special about a thatched roof?

Martin Weiß:

Reed is a historical building material, a natural building material that has proven to be a robust material for covering due to its properties as a water plant. The first thatched roof houses were built in the settlement area of the Germanic tribes in the Neolithic period in what is now Schleswig-Holstein and southern Denmark.

Susanne Hauf:

And why are the thatched roofs just in the north so strongly represented?

Martin White:

Yes, that is also historically conditioned. Origin was the settlement of people in the fertile region between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea and the then presence of reed as a natural material on site. Reet primarily characterizes the rural regions here on site.

Susanne Hauf:

Is there perhaps also any funny names?

Martin Weiß:

Yes, there is a project here on the island, where one has coined the affectionate term thatched cap. But there, the roof has also become a façade, so to speak. A thatched roof is actually strict and simple in its construction. We have no gutters, we have no curlicues. Ultimately, it is simply a natural material that also needs regular care and maintenance.

Susanne Hauf:

And simply a cap without frills. And who covers a thatched roof?

Martin knows:

Yes, here locally we have special companies. These are just thatchers. So that's also a sub-sector of roofing, so to speak. Of course, up here very specialized. The companies go hand in hand in the family. So that means they are all very old companies. Ultimately, however, the number of thatchers up here is also limited. And who wants to cover a new thatched roof here, must have patience.

Susanne Hauf:

Okay. What must then be considered in the care and maintenance of a thatched roof?

Martin Weiß:

Yes, thatch is just nature. And nature of course interacts with the weather, with the sun, with the rain, with the beautiful wind that we perceive here so. And depending on the compass direction, there are special requirements. On the north side, where even in winter there is little sunlight, mosses, algae form on the thatch. On the south side, which may be more dry, the thatch becomes brittle faster. That is, each compass direction must be considered individually by the professional.

Susanne Hauf:

That is, one must also maintain quite differently, perhaps the one side times differently than the other.

Martin White:

In fact, you also have to rake, just as you have to care for the hair with a comb, you also have to rake the thatch, so to speak. That is, the mosses must be raked down, so that ultimately the thatch underneath can also breathe properly again.

Susanne Hauf:

Is that necessary more often or is that enough once a year? Or how do I imagine that?

Martin White:

So usually that is actually enough every five years. Yes, so a thatched roof is a little more delicate, but the times how long a roof lasts, go already also in the ranges between 30 and 50 years.

Susanne Hauf:

And how many thatched roof houses are there on Sylt?

Martin Weiß:

Yes, for the interested parties of course always too little. But I would say, so we are there already at 40 to 50 percent. It also always has something to do with the property size, because thatched roofs simply need more space.

Why is that? It's simply because a thatched roof naturally burns much more easily than a hard roof. And that's why we have to keep distances for fire safety reasons.

Susanne Hauf:

Yes, then we have now talked all outside under the thatched roof about the thatched roof. Now we're back in here, in the beautiful entrance hall. About the location and the real estate market Sylt - a villa on Sylt is undoubtedly a statement. The demand is unbrokenly large. Little surprise is it in this context that the islands of the North Sea coast lead the ranking of the most expensive real estate prices.

What makes the location of a property in Kampen so desirable for prospective buyers?

Martin White:

Yes, if we now look at this property here as an example. It is located directly on the Kampen mudflats on the North Sea with secluded access. Interested parties will find here a discreet, but high-quality location. And at the end of the day, we only have five more of these houses. That means we have a very exceptional location, which is ultimately extremely sought after. Yes, with Kampen we have just a place in the premium segment, which combines many, many special features, where Germany's celebrities meet, where ultimately everyone is looking for the perfect property.

Susanne Hauf:

So that means the high demand for residential property is reflected in the rising real estate prices. How have the prices on the Sylt real estate market developed?

Martin Weiß:

Yes, we are now talking about the post-Corona period. Sylt is as desirable as ever. However, the supply has been reduced to about one third just because of this hype we had after Corona. And this naturally causes a price spiral upwards. On the other hand, it has to be said that not every potential buyer is willing to pay any price for a beautiful property. Because in the end that must fit for it, which is important. And that is here again and again also the location, which the prospective customer also wishes and imagines.

Susanne Hauf:

Yes, then I would say, then we look at the premium segment yet more closely. We have the great pleasure to visit here as part of our podcast this very exclusive, rare, very sophisticated and above all sought-after property. In Frankfurt, it was a premium apartment in Germany's currently highest residential high-rise, the Grand Tower. In Berlin, a charming premium old building apartment in the very best location and here on Sylt a coveted thatched house in Kampen.

How often do objects like these come on the market?

Martin White:

Yes, you can not really predict. So there are just objects that were sold ten years ago and will probably no longer come on the market in the next 50 years.

In the end, it always has something to do with what are the family circumstances? Is it a family without children or with children? Typically, today parents are already buying for their children, which means that the availability will be increasingly limited in the future.

Susanne Hauf:

Then I would say, let's take a closer look at all this - I'm already very curious. Let's get into the first nice big room here. The also has such a roundness, which is very nice.

Is that now here the living room or what is that?

Martin White:

Yes, so let's call it the large lounge with great mudflat view. And if you look closely also dune view. So here we have nature right outside the window, so to speak. The whole supplemented by a great open fireplace with real wood, no gas.

Susanne Hauf:

And how many square meters of living space are so available in total?

Martin Weiß:

So we come here in this house on a piece over 400 square meters with ten rooms and with three bedrooms.

Susanne Hauf:

The house was renovated yes. When and how elaborately was that done?

Martin Weiß:

That was rebuilt in 2010.

Susanne Hauf:

Ach, that is built completely new. So now I'm amazed, because when I stood in front of it, it all seemed so, already so, as it always was.

Martin White:

This is because in the new buildings on Sylt are always happy to use historical building materials. Especially in the area of the clinker and of course also in the area of the thatched roof, you end up with the feeling that the whole thing has been there a little longer than it does then.

Susanne Hauf:

Yes, worked. So I think it's very authentic. Yeah, then I'd like to go upstairs. Here we come again through this beautiful hall and go up the stairs.

Ach, I can see that now. There's also an elevator here.

Martin Weiß:

Yes, you can actually go from the bedroom down to the basement here. And there we get to see another little surprise right away.

Susanne Hauf:

Oh, we're excited about that. Let's move on. Very nice, again with a view of the mudflats and the dunes.

Martin White:

Yes, this is the main or master bedroom here, as we like to say. From here, they actually have a view all the way to the Danish border.

Susanne Hauf:

And there, of course, is always very interesting for us women - although for men, too - a wonderful, walk-in closet, huge.

Martin White

There you can get something under. We even have built-in cabinets around it and, of course, the special bathroom we're going into now.

With a great, free-standing bathtub.

Susanne Hauf:

This is also made so a bit on old.

Martin White:

Yes, beautiful.

And then we have a little special feature. This is the laundry drop. That is, you can dispose of the used towels directly here. The land down then directly in the laundry.

Susanne Hauf:

That's wonderful. Then there is nothing lying around. There's no need to fret.

Martin Weiß:

Whereas that's not the surprise for the basement.

Susanne Hauf:

Ah, okay. We'll stay excited about that.

Yeah, it really is a beautiful bathroom.

Now we're right on the other side of the house. That's another one of those nice rounded rooms with really nice slopes, really cozy. And now I see, what is that down there, the little box? What is that?

Martin White:

Yes, that is also a small feature of the house. You have a vacuum cleaner system here. That means you take the vacuum cleaner hose, connect it there and then you can vacuum directly in every room, so to speak.

Susanne Hauf:

That's wonderful. That means I never have to lug the heavy vacuum cleaner around, I just have my hose, put it on in every room. That's great.

And what are these buttons here?

Martin White:

These are the light switches. Yes, they are related to a lighting system that was installed here. That is, programmable lighting. If we head towards the basement right now, there's the central switch there, so to speak, and you can program different lighting scenes there.

Susanne Hauf:

Let's go to the basement. We were now on the second floor, now let's go to the basement. It is really special to have an elevator in such a house.

Martin Weiß

Yes, and above all from the bedroom directly into the basement.

Susanne Hauf:

Yes, there you have already increased the excitement, what is coming now. A swimming pool, great.

Martin Weiß:

So yes, we have our own pool here with counter-current system. There is also a whirlpool next to it. The whole thing here is Mediterranean in design with a ship's bottom. Then they still have a huge sauna on the right side and the most diverse showers.

Susanne Hauf:

But some people can already take a seat in the sauna. Already nice and big. Here you could spend now times the day, today on this windy day.

Martin White:

Yes, we have on Sylt unfortunately not always only beautiful weather. And especially in the dark winter time saunas are of course a very sought-after commodity here.

Susanne Hauf:

Yes, and then you can also go directly outside.

Martin Weiß:

You can also. So everything is available, what the sauna heart desires.

Susanne Hauf:

So it's a real wellness area here.

Martin White:

Yes and also larger than the area above. Kampen real estate often have large wellness areas in the basement, because ultimately you may just develop the basement area larger than the ground floor. And so of course you also use basement areas to the maximum.

Susanne Hauf:

So what fascinates me very much is that the house acts and is so original by the thatched roof and so on and yet such an insanely complex technology is found here.

Martin Weiß:

Yes, of course, that also means that we always have to be technically versed here on site to deal with this technology. And if you're interested, I'll show you the technical control center now.

Susanne Hauf:

Very much. That has something of a ship.

Martin Weiß:

Yes, that is the area under the pool. That's where the pool equipment is located down there. That's where the ventilation system is. After all, we also have to dehumidify a swimming pool so that the humidity doesn't ruin the building structure.

So as you can see, there is a lot of more advanced technology down here, which the owner himself naturally doesn't want to take care of.

Susanne Hauf:

And who takes care of it?

Martin Weiß:

Yes, mostly us. That is, we manage and care for such houses of course also in a corresponding quality and also have employees who are familiar with such facilities.

Susanne Hauf:

This is of course a great service.

Martin Weiß:

Yes and certainly also a unique selling point on the island.

Susanne Hauf:

Now I notice, we have not even looked at the kitchen.

Martin Weiß:

Yes, then we'll go upstairs again.

Susanne Hauf:

Very much.

This is so vast here that I didn't even notice it and I honestly don't even know where that is now.

Martin Weiß:

Yes, this is the main or master bedroom here, as we like to say. From here, they actually have a view all the way to the Danish border.

Susanne Hauf:

And there, of course, is always very interesting for us women - although for men, too - a wonderful, walk-in closet, huge.

Martin Weiß

Yes, it's behind the living room. And it is so in Kampen, the kitchen is an individual theme. There are owners who naturally prefer to spend their time on Sylt in the kitchen. And there are owners who do not spend time in the kitchen, but like to spend time in the restaurant.

Susanne Hauf:

Yes, now I think that is but actually a wonderful compromise. Tiny it is not now.

Martin White:

No. And it has a nice view outside on the terrace. You can open the windows, you can pass the drinks out. At the end of the day, it's like, they have their own great automatic coffee maker.

Susanne Hauf:

So now I don't know what else would be missing here for me.

Now we've really had a nice tour. I'm impressed by how extensive and how cleverly this is all set up.

Mr. Weiß, what do you recommend to potential buyers who are interested in a property like this today? And what are the chances of getting this or a comparable property?

Martin Weiß:

Yes, a property like this is primarily a second or third property. You spend only part of your time of the year here, usually in summer or deliberately in the quiet season, in autumn or spring. When one comes, everything should be prepared. Therefore, of course, the absolute focus is a good care and good management.

Currently there is not much offer, but still, of course, always the willingness to think about a sale. And that's why it's best to have a chat with us. So we sit in the heart of Westerland in the Bismarckstraße and are of course always happy for a conversation.

Susanne Hauf:

Many thanks, Mr. White for the time you have taken for us and the exciting insights into both the property and the real estate market on this fantastically beautiful island of Sylt.

Martin Weiß:

Yes, thank you.

Susanne Hauf:

Are you interested in this property or other apartments, lofts or houses? Then feel free to contact the VON POLL IMMOBILIEN experts at any time.

VON POLL IMMOBILIEN - the podcast. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and in the VON POLL IMMOBILIEN app. On Amazon Music and via Alexa. Just say: Alexa, play the VON POLL IMMOBILIEN podcast.