Gone are the days when people would spend only a short time inside their homes.
Often was the case that homes were meant for rest, sleep and—if there’s enough time—communing with family during a weekend brunch. But the COVID-19 pandemic has changed all that. It, in fact, forced people to view their homes in a different light.
As more people are now either constrained or compelled to stay at home for safety reasons, it has become a must to find a dwelling that will still allow them to thrive amid and beyond this crisis.
The new normal has thus encouraged people to look at home investments beyond mere face value and location. The goal is to find the most efficiently planned estates, which could provide a safe sanctuary and all the essentials needed to enable one to survive amid unforeseen events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, there are a few property developers that could stand up to the challenge and provide individuals with the much needed peace and assurance of a future-proof home.
A comfortable suburban setting with urban living conveniences
Integrated ecosystem
Ayala Land Inc. has long proven its capacity to build premium, sustainable and future-ready communities for decades now, providing many hardworking Filipinos with safe, comfortable living spaces. And even today, amid the pressing issue of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayala Land has again proven why its various estates continue to be the benchmark in property development.
One of its projects that has definitely made a mark in this time of the pandemic is the 2,290-hectare mixed-use development Nuvali in Laguna. A perfect showcase of the company’s expertise in creating sustainable estates, Nuvali is the biggest among the masterplanned developments of Ayala Land, offering a peaceful suburban setting infused with all the conveniences that come with urban living—a perfect fit for the demands of today’s new normal.
More importantly, Nuvali has proven that it was a development built ahead of its time. It’s an integrated, self-supporting ecosystem that is home to businesses, shopping centers, educational institutions, offices like the LEED silver certified Nuvali One Evotech, medical facilities, a Seda Hotel and recreational facilities, including a mountain bike trail, a multi-functional lake, hiking paths, a wildlife and bird sanctuary and teambuilding and camping grounds, among others. All these ensure social, ecological and economic sustainability in all aspects of living.
Lush open spaces
Residential communities in Nuvali were further designed to have lush open spaces, enabling one to commune with nature, foster community interactions and lead an active, eco-friendly, holistic lifestyle. Communities are likewise given recreational and outdoor parks, and are near the estate’s other developments such as Ayala Malls Solenad and Lakeside Evozone.
Ayala Land brought four of its brands to Nuvali ensuring homebuyers are afforded multiple, diverse residential communities to cater to a wide spectrum of lifestyle needs and preferences. Ayala Land Premier has brought Cerilo, which offers lush open spaces to allow residents to experience the beauty of nature; Alveo Land’s Mondia fosters a dynamic living environment; Avida Land has the Avida Southfield Setting; while the Amaia Steps Parkway offers an eight-cluster residential community.
There are, indeed, more than enough reasons why one should consider to invest and live in Nuvali. With its unique value proposition and guaranteed high returns, Nuvali remains to be a top-of-mind choice among investors and individuals.
Leah Castañeda delivers fresh produce donated by the village to neighboring communities.
Perks of a ‘Nuvalizen’
Among those currently enjoying the benefits of living in this masterfully planned estate amid the COVID-19 pandemic are homeowners Abby Go-Ogilvie and Leah Castañeda.
“I heard about Nuvali back in 2009 from a colleague who mentioned about an up and coming Ayala development in the South. My family was already living in Santa Rosa and back then, I was already looking for a long-term investment,” Go-Ogilvie recalled. “My dad also heard about it from a friend and when I told him I am interested to check it out, his friend introduced us to an agent. My family and I checked out the development and we all liked the environment and the growth potential of the area. With a little encouragement from my parents, I decided to purchase the property.”
It was primarily an investment for Go-Ogilvie then, but after getting married, she decided to reside and raise her family in Nuvali, especially after various developments in the area had started to flourish as well.
“We saw how Ayala’s promise of building a community slowly came to life, from the commercial developments to the schools, and even the church nearby,” she said.
“I cannot help but feel gratitude–to my parents for their encouragement and support, to my spouse for giving me the courage to go for it (living here), to my job for providing me with the means, and to God for giving me a good life. Things like these give me a sense of pride of being a Nuvalizen and reinforce that I made the right decision,” Go-Ogilvie further shared.
And as a way to give back to her parents, she tapped a business opportunity that fortunately thrived within the Nuvali community despite the pandemic. Since they had to close her parents’ store for bakery supplies, Go-Ogilvie turned to deliveries to generate revenues.
“I also formed a Viber community for home bakers so I can start coordinating deliveries of baking supplies to the village,” she added.
Rewarding investment
Sharing the same story of fulfillment is Castañeda who first learned of the property through her brother, an avid cyclist who came across the Nuvali property when he joined a 2008 duathlon.
“I wasn’t in the market for real estate but I reserved my property before I went home that day. I was sold when the sales associate talked to me about the efforts to make the air clean, that Xavier was going to build a coed school and that it was an Ayala development,” she shared.
But the biggest reward of investing in Nuvali according to Castañeda, was realized during the lockdown, when her home became her office, her bakeshop and her children’s classroom.
“Since the lockdown and I have been working from home, I have come to appreciate being away from the chaos in Manila. Our village is so safe and secure that the lockdown became easier to bear. I am truly grateful for living in a village where the sense of community is so strong. The homeowners association, with the help of the admin office, had done everything they could to make the lockdown not so bad for us. They arranged for vendors to come on a weekly basis so we do not have to venture outside,” Castañeda explained.
“I am grateful for my neighbors who will lend a hand to each other, supporting homemade food sales, etc. You just need to post something in the village Viber group and you will be answered helpfully in moments. I am grateful for the opportunity to help our neighboring communities through projects that our village spearheaded. I am grateful that my kids could still step outside the house during the ECQ without worrying about infection because all our neighbors abided by the ECQ rules that the village strictly implemented. Everybody is so cooperative,” she added.
Nuvali has no doubt created the ideal community that has thrived and continues to be dynamic despite the pandemic.
With all the perks, values and conveniences that it offers, Nuvali does not only offer a holistic lifestyle in a perfect residential setting, but also creates a rewarding investment for its buyers.