A Place in the Sun editor Liz Rowlinson recently caught up with Heart FM DJ and aspiring Spanish property owner Toby Anstis, who reveals exclusively why Ibiza is the place for him ahead of his TV debut on A Place the Sun: Winter Sun.
Where does a club DJ buy a place in the sun for some R&R? Somewhere easy to reach from the UK, with an ‘amazing energy’ with beautiful beaches and a mix of clubbing scenes? Yep, it has got to be Ibiza.
West London based Toby Antsis has been going to the Balearic islands for years and has many happy memories of family holidays in nearby Menorca as well as Ibiza’s Pacha nightclub from around 15 years ago.
The 46-year-old presenter – who has worked in TV and theatre too, even appearing on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here! - presents the morning show for Heart FM from Monday to Saturday each week. It’s the most listened to commercial radio show in the UK, attracting 4 million listeners.
So he really needs somewhere to unwind, a place to which he can take off to for short breaks throughout the year (and even do a spot of spinning the decks there too).
The owner of two investment properties in the UK, as well as his own home, he’s been thinking about buying a home abroad for some time. He’s turned to A Place in the Sun to help him find a property for £250,000, with the help of his twin sister, Kate, with whom he’s very close. Kate lives in Ascot with her husband and three young children.
“I know the island really well but I thought I would take Kate along on our property-hunting trip to chip in with her wisdom, “ says Toby, who is currently single. “I get very excited about things, but she always brings me back to earth, plus she will be using the apartment with her family – she will have her own a set of keys and use it often too.”
So why does he love Ibiza so much? “Every time I leave the island, or am visiting somewhere else, I am thinking about when I can go back to Ibiza,” he says. “I know I might get more for my money in mainland Spain but it’s Ibiza is the only place to which I want to return time after time.
“I love the fact that some of the island is still unspoilt, I feel a rush of vitality when I get off the plane there, and I especially like the west coast, which has gorgeous sunsets, is handy for the airport and also Ibiza Town [where many of the clubs are]. There’s also a relaxed vibe and it’s family friendly.”
On an island he knows is not cheap, and where property prices are already going up again after recovering from the Spanish property crash, what does he hope to get? He’s looking for a two-bedroom property with outside space and lovely views, and his preferred areas are Cala Tarida and San Jose in the west.
Will he find his dream home there? Find out in episode one of the new series of A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun which begins on Monday 20th November at 3:00 pm GMT.
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