About the area of JERSEY
To live in Jersey in the Channel Islands is a pure delight.

Welcome to Jersey – the most southerly island of the British Isles. Located some 100 miles (160km) south of mainland Britain yet only 14 miles from the coast of France, Jersey provides the visitor with a kaleidoscope of sensory stimuli.

Despite its small size – Jersey measures just nine miles by five -- all your senses are made to work overtime in this tiny island.

It might be thought that an area of forty-five square miles with a permanent population of something over 85,000 would have little but buildings to explore. But approach the island by air and you see lush valleys, well-kept fields and an unspoilt coastline. Arrive by sea and the rocky grandeur of La Corbiere, the sweep of St. Aubin’s Bay and picturesque Elizabeth Castle set the scene for a grand encounter with a small but delightful island whose variety of scenery, wealth of history and sheer beauty compete with much larger and, perhaps, better-known destinations.

The sea dominates the landscape with views of the surrounding Atlantic Ocean accessible from virtually every point on the island. The coastline also offers infinite variety – majestic cliffs, exposed bays, sandy beaches and rocky coves are all immediately accessible by road or on foot and just a few minutes’ drive from any community. Due to Jersey’s unique position in the Bay of St. Malo the island grows and shrinks twice a day as the tide ebbs and flows in excess of 40 feet - one of the highest tidal ranges in the world.

Thanks to its roots in medieval Norman history, Jersey has inherited a unique community management and policing systems that is proving remarkably effective even in the 21st century.

Jersey is divided into 12 parishes, all having access to the sea. The core of parish affairs is still based on the principle of unpaid service to the community. The civil head of the parish is the Constable (Connetable) who, once elected to the role, gives his or her time for free. The title stems from the French term Conte de L’Etable or Count of the Stable and reflects their task of helping the King’s Court move around France and ensuring fresh horses were ready for the royal entourage.

Accessibility & Surrounding Areas

Some 450 miles of roadway (comprising a mix of fast roads and small country lanes) create endless opportunities to explore and discover the unexpected and impressive. Jersey also has a network of over 46 miles of Green Lanes where a speed limit of 15 mph is imposed and priority to given to walkers, cyclists and horse riders

There are a number of airlines offering regular scheduled service from the UK and a range of tour operators also organise charter flights to Jersey from a wider selection of airports and often at highly competitive rates. Condor Ferries operate a car and passenger service from the south coast of England to St Helier. You can choose to travel by fast car-carrying catamaran or the more leisurely, but comprehensively equipped, conventional car ferry.

Buying In Jersey / Residential Requirements

The Housing Law of 1949 established the Housing Committee "to administer matters relating to the housing of the population". The following should is only a summary guide and you are advised to seek legal advice before proceeding with a purchase. You can find the official text at the Housing Department site. In general terms you should either:

Be Jersey born and have lived here for 10 years (Regulation 1(1)a)

Have been continuously resident in Jersey for a minimum of 16 years. (Regulation 1(1)f)

Be "essentially employed" in the Island (e.g. Doctor, Teacher or some such professional person) providing that you can satisfy the Housing Committee that Jersey is in need of a similarly qualified person at the time of your application. (Regulation 1(1)j)

Seek residential status under social or economic grounds. Roughly translated, you should be able to satisfy the Committee that you will make a major contribution to the Island's tax revenues. From the many enquiries made under this category less than ten consents are granted each year. (Regulation 1(1)k)

However...... If you are a recognised religious body, you may be successful if you apply under Regulation 1(1)m and please note the emphasis on the word "recognised".

For further information contact:

The Housing Department,
P.O. Box 587,
Jubilee Wharf,
Castle Street,
St. Helier, Jersey JE4 8XT
Tel: +44 or 0 - 1534 884422
Fax: +44 or 0 - 1534 884488

Jersey Lowers the Drawbridge
September 23, 2005
A change to the island's restrictive residency policy means that its property market is now more 'open for business', as Country Life discovers

For years, Jersey has been perceived as somewhere where only the very rich, or the very famous—among them racing-drivers Nigel Mansell and Derek Warwick, and golfer Ian Woosnam—were welcome to pitch their tents. Stringent residency qualifications—based on the issue of '1(1) K' licences to a handful of carefully screened, rich individuals —were designed to ensure that only the most desirable members of the international community could buy into the island's small stock of high-value properties.
It was a restrictive policy which has worked all too well in recent years, for out of a total population of 89,000, only 155 Jersey residents currently hold the coveted '1(1)K' residency qualification. Now the authorities have relaxed the rules in order to boost the island's economy by increasing the intake of well heeled residents from the UK and Europe. Better late than never, say Jersey's leading estate agents, relieved that the island can finally be seen to be genuinely 'open for business'.

Historically, Jersey's Draconian immigration and residency laws were inspired not by xenophobia, but by the need to conserve the island's limited stock of residential property, when, following the end of the Second World War, a sudden influx of new residents sent house prices soaring. In order to prevent further dramatic price increases and the possibility of there being insufficient residential property available for future generations of local people, the States introduced the Housing (Jersey) Law, 1949. A further wave of newcomers in the late 1960s prompted more regulation, as a result of which every sale or lease of land in the island must have the prior consent of the Housing Committee.

But contrary to popular belief, the criteria for granting 1(1)K licences have never been absolutely fixed: each application has been considered on its individual merits, and 'deals' negotiated on a one-to-one basis. A general rule of thumb, however,
was that prospective residents should be able to show an annual income sufficient to produce about £150,000 in tax revenues for the island, based on Jersey's current standard rate of 20% (unchanged since 1940). That requirement has now been lowered to £100,000, corresponding to an annual income of about £500,000.

Stringent checks to verify both the applicant's net worth and the source of his wealth are an essential part of the vetting process. Not unexpectedly, residents accorded 1(1)K status can only buy and occupy properties which are also classified 1(1)K. Currently, such properties range in value from about £1 million to about £7m, with one or two of the most prestigious secretly on the market for well in excess of that.

Discretion is the better part of everything in Jersey, and prospective purchasers drawn to the island not just for its benign tax regime, but by the quality of life in this tranquil, crime-free island, may be surprised to find few of the island's most expensive properties openly for sale.

One of Jersey's longest-serving estate agents with 40 years' experience of dealing with the island's most exclusive properties, and he knows of at least 30 1(1)K houses which could be bought at the right price—of which only about half a dozen are currently being promoted on the open market.

With no more than nine or 10 classic manor houses to be found in the whole of Jersey, the sale of elegant Dielament Manor in the parish of Trinity, in the island's north-east corner, represents, in Mr Wilson's view, a rare opportunity to buy 'one of the island's premier homes'. The manor house stands at the end of a quarter-mile-long, tree-lined drive, surrounded by 24 acres of grassland, woodland and lawned gardens with a tennis court and a swimming pool. Remodelled in rendered granite round a much older building, the house has been impeccably maintained by its English owners, who have lived there for the best part of 20 years. It has four reception rooms, six bedrooms and five bathrooms, plus a number of traditional outbuildings, including a colombier to further underline its manorial status. Guide price of £3.75m.

A similar guide price for secluded Beauvoir in St Saviour parish, a few miles south of Trinity: a classical Regency house dating from the mid 1800s, it has been home to another English family for the past eight years. It stands in several acres of wooded parkland, and has light, well-proportioned rooms including a drawing room, a dining room, a library/snooker room, a family room, a kitchen/breakfast room, six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a staff flat and a two-bedroom guest cottage.

By contrast, the Domaine de St Laurent at Les Charrières Nicolle, in the central parish of St Lawrence, is described as 'a stunning modern residence'. Built in the 1990s of Jersey granite in a remodelling of a fairly ordinary 1960s house, it stands in a wonderfully private setting at the end of a long drive, surrounded by some 10 acres of picturesque woodland grounds and gardens, with glorious views over the surrounding countryside. The sumptuous accommodation includes five opulent reception rooms, six bedroom suites and a spectacular pool and leisure complex. It is on the market at £3.95m.

Meanwhile, over in St Ouen parish on Jersey's eastern flank, traditionalists will be charmed by the delightful Maison de la Ruette, an exquisite 17th-century granite farmhouse, painstakingly transformed by its present owner from a virtual wreck to a supremely tasteful, rambling, family home, using only authentic rustic materials. Approached off a little-used bye-lane, the house stands in a peaceful rural setting surrounded by landscaped gardens and farmland. It has three main reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, a family room, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a sun terrace, a wine store and a large studio/hobby room. Guide price of £1.95m.

DEGREVEMENT DEFINED

One legitimate way to bypass Jersey's stringent residency requirements is to buy a so-called 'dégrèvement property', that is, a residential property taken, prior to June 9, 1993, by a Jersey-based limited company in settlement of a debt under a court order.

A purchaser who does not hold the normal residency qualifications can then acquire the freehold of the property by buying all the shares in the holding company, and will be entitled to live in the property for as long as he wishes.

However, such occupancy does not confer a right to full Jersey residency, and should the new owner wish to move, he would be entitled to sell, but should he wish to buy again, he could only replace it with another 'dégrèvement' property.

For property search assistance, please contact Sands Home Search.

Sands are independent buying consultants specialising in finding and acquiring prime country houses & estates, farm & equestrian property and waterside homes in JERSEY and throughout the UK & Cape Town, South Africa for retained private & corporate clients.

For further information about our service please visit www.sandshomesearch.com or use the menu at the top of this page.

If your enquiry is urgent or you require impartial advice on acquiring a prime property in JERSEY please contact one of our Directors on
01425 462 549 ( +44 1425 462 549)