luxury

Bugatti once again defies the laws of physics. This time with a 250,000 euro stabilized pool table for luxury yachts

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There are Bugatti customers who are not satisfied with having a hypercar in the garagethey also want a Bugatti on the yacht. Having it does not always mean having to get a car several million dollars on board (although some have no problem doing it), sometimes the answer is a pool table. But not just any table. A pool table that defies the laws of physics and of the tidesstaying flat while you play, even if the ship moves. And it does so with the same technical obsession and extreme care for every detail that Bugatti puts into each one. their supercars. Solution to a very specific problem. Playing pool on a yacht may seem simple until you realize that you are on a structure that never stops rocking. Therefore, it would be impossible to play a game without the balls starting to roll by themselves to the sound of the swaying waves. That was the real problem that Bugatti wanted to solve. Superyacht owners wanted a pool table on board, but the swell made it almost impossible. The result is called Bugatti Pool Table and is part of Bugatti Lifestyle, the brand’s luxury objects division, which has also launched luxury watches and even televisions that look like a sculpture. The table was manufactured in a limited edition of only 30 units and its price starts at 250,000 euros with accessories included. In addition, it meets the specifications of a table approved for professional competition. The technology that wins the battle against the waves. The heart of the invention is a gyroscopic system that detects any inclination of the boat instantly. When the waves move the boat, servomotors correct the position of each leg to keep the table surface completely horizontal. According to the brand, “the sensors carry out the measurement and order the correction in just five milliseconds” so the balls are not influenced by the swing of the tide. Everything happens silently, without perceptible vibrations. This type of stabilization is reminiscent of the boat stabilizerswhich reduce hull roll with gyroscopes or moving fins. Bugatti applied a similar idea, but on the scale of a table. This way the balls stay still where you leave them. A Galician with a French accent. Although the table is signed by the French supercar manufacturer, the design was actually developed in Vigo. The company in charge is IXOa Galician firm specialized in carbon fiber that also works for the aeronautical industry, and has repaired Ferrari and Lamborghini bodies. Its founder, Pedro Sánchez, assures that “We have not skimped on anything; everything has been risked and sacrificed to create something unimaginable.” The table structure combines carbon fiber with CNC machined aluminum. The screws and nuts are made of titanium, designed to resist corrosion in the marine environment. The embrasures are made of stainless steel covered in leather. Each table also has a numbered plate, just like the cars at the Atelier de Molsheim. No two tables are the same. Accessories that cost more than a car. The table does not arrive alone. The pack includes a matching carbon fiber cue holder, with a 13-inch touch screen for keeping score. It also has an adjustable LED lamp and a leather suitcase to store the balls. Those balls, by the way, are signed Aramith Tournament Prothe Belgian brand that makes the standard used by most professional tournaments. In addition, each table includes a USB memory with photos and videos of its manufacturing process, stored in a machined aluminum box. This attention to detail turns a simple game of pool into an exercise in pure engineering, extreme luxury and enormous financial muscle. First to buy a yacht, and then to decorate it with a billiard table signed by Bugatti. In Xataka | In 1995, one of the most iconic Bugatti in history mysteriously disappeared. Now it has appeared again Image | Unsplash (jericaglasserphoto)

They stay for free in luxury houses and castles throughout France

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Every few months, Claudine and Jean-Louis, a retired couple living in Aveyron, in the south of France, pack their bags to start some somewhat peculiar vacation. Sometimes their destination is a castle in the Saône-et-Loire region. Others, a house with a pool in French Provence. They are not millionairesbut no one charges them to stay in those luxurious properties. In return, the retired couple only has to give to eat a catwater a garden and collect mail from people they barely know. They have been doing it for twelve years and they told it in Le Figaro Emploi like someone describing any routine. Behind these apparent luxury vacations, there is a system with clear rules and an unexpected reason: they have to go spend the summer in palaces and mansions with pool because your retirement pension it wasn’t enough for them to go on vacation. The trick has a name: home-sitting The name sounds very modern, but in reality the idea is as old as asking a family member, neighbor or friend to stop by from time to time to water your plants or feed the cat during your vacation. In the case of home-sitting, that caregiver is not your neighbor, but rather they may have to travel across the country to water your plants, so the incentive is to allow them to stay free in your house while the order lasts. It is an exchange in kind in which there is no money involved. The retired couple has been using DomSittinga French platform specialized in this type of situation, designed only for retirees. Each assignment lasts from a few days to several weeks, and the owner usually explains the tasks to be carried out and shows the house in person before leaving on vacation. “Without DomSitting, we simply would not be able to travel,” Claudine declared to the French digital. They don’t put just anyone in your house Entering this world is not automatic. At the end of the day it is about bring a stranger into your house. As a control measure, they ask for a clean criminal record and insurance to cover possible damage to the home. Nomadorthe most used platform in France outside the exclusive circuit for retirees, requires verification of the DNI or passport and covers the home with insurance of up to 50,000 euros for damages. Once the profile is approved, the retiree can choose between assignments spread throughout France, and sometimes also extend to Switzerland or the Netherlands. Before each stay they sign a contract with specific rules, such as not receiving guests in the “borrowed” house. The assigned tasks are simple: walk the dog, water pots, make sure everything works. Nothing that a seventy-year-old retiree can’t do without effort. Word of mouth of this “trick” to stay in luxury villascastles or mansions during the summer has made it spread like wildfire. A French travel YouTuber posted a video from a villa in Nantes with a jacuzzi that, according to her, she “could never have afforded” on her own. His only tasks were to water a huge garden and feed Melchior, the house cat. He paid about 30 euros for three months of access to Nomador and chained five weeks of free accommodation in different destinations. Vacations within reach of retirees As indicated in their interview with the French media, Claudine and Jean-Louis’ joint pension is around 2,400 euros per month. It is not a low figure, but it does not leave much room for frequent getaways, taking into account the prices in France. According to the latest data As of 2025 from the French Government’s statistical agency, the average pension of a retiree in France is 1,666 euros gross, about 1,541 euros net. And today the country has 17.2 million retired people. The home-sitting alternative allows them to travel to other cities in the country, they do not pay rent, electricity, gas, or water in the place where they stay. They also hardly spend any money on their own home while they are away. Your vacation expenses only involve day-to-day gas and food. Claudine calculates that They save about 5,000 euros a yearmoney that previously went into hotels or vacation homes that never they could have afforded. In Xataka | Billionaires and celebrities have a new way to make money with their mansions: renting them to their fans Image | Unsplash (Alejandra Cifre González, 冷毛)

Generation Z was told that job success was having a good salary. Having more life has become your new luxury

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Generation Z is creating a new work scenario and we have several examples of this: they have a different concept of labor relations than previous generations had and their definition of commitment is now governed by rules that they demand reciprocity to companies. It’s not strange. This generation has seen how their parents have worked non-stop and end up just as drowning at the end of the month. Therefore, when young people talk about job success, they no longer think only about the payroll, they also think about power. leave on time and to be able to dedicate time to your personal life. The strike that marks the step. To understand this shift we must first look at the reality of this generation. According to data According to the INE, youth unemployment in Spain stood at 24.5% in the first quarter of 2026. It is almost double the average Eurostat for the European Union as a whole, slightly above 15%, but half of the 42.91% we had a decade ago. As pointed out by the ‘I Barometer Challenges and Learning. Youth positions on training and professional challenges’ prepared by the Reina Sofía Center of Fad Juventud and Banco Santander, this pressure is conditioning even decisions as important as choosing what to study. The urgency of the salary, even if it is precarious. According to data from this report, 64.7% of young people admit that they decide their future thinking about making money as soon as possible, not in the future. job you would like to do really. “I want to have a kind of stability. So I feel pressured by that, because I don’t want to live constantly as if on the edge, I want to have that stability,” said one of the young participants in the study. Six out of ten also believe that there are factors beyond their control that hinder progress in their career: precariousness, lack of opportunities and economic pressure They are among the most mentioned. And yet, 67% do not contemplate throwing in the towel despite the difficulties to prosper in their career, moving away from the stereotype of unmotivated youth. Success changes its definition. With that starting point, the young people of generation Z have changed the definition of what is considered succeed at work. Before, success consisted of moving up in rank and salary every few years. Now free time, mental health and a work environment come into the equation don’t burn. Conciliation stops being an extra and becomes be entry condition. The report Workmonitor Randstad marks a turning point: the balance between life and work already weigh more than salary when evaluating a job. More than half of those surveyed would leave their position if it prevented them from living outside the office. What they ask for: financial guidance and education. According to data from the Reina Sofía Center Barometer, generation Z does not ask for a miracle either, just a guide to develop your capabilities professionals. 75.7% want to better understand what interests them before deciding their career, while 74% demand more information about job opportunities of each training option. That is, not waste time studying a career that leaves them on a siding. And more than 73% lack basic financial training to manage their daily lives. The result of all this is that in the future we will have fewer young people willing to sacrifice time in their personal lives for a little more salaryand more companies that are going to have to offer both as an incentive if they want retain talent. In Xataka | The wealth of Spaniards under 35 years of age has plummeted by 75% in recent years. And we know the culprit Image | Unsplash (Vitaly Gariev)

There was a time when having a thermometer in the car was a luxury. This is how this ingenious invention solved it in the rearview mirror

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Today we have basic elements in our cars that have remained almost in the same place for decades. For example: the thermometer. For many years we have been able to know what temperature it is outside from the comfort of our car (although sometimes we wonder if the sensor works as it should). However, long before this element was incorporated into the instrument panel or the central screen of our car, some manufacturers opted for another place: under the driver’s side mirror. And at a time when analogue predominated, there was no other choice. The luxury America of the seventies The analog thermometer in the exterior mirror It was an invention born in the United States, in the context of the great American luxury cars of the seventies. A time when the most prestigious brands in the country competed to offer the most extravagant equipment possible, from Cartier watches integrated into the dashboard to garage opening systems or autonomy indicators. Click on the image to go to the post The mechanism was simple as well as ingenious. And just as they collect On the Curbside Classic forum, where owners and enthusiasts have debated this type of vehicle accessories for years, the thermometer worked using a spiral spring made of a material sensitive to changes in temperature (normally two metals with very different thermal expansion coefficients, such as brass or iron-nickel alloys). One end of the spring was fixed to the inside of the mirror housing; the other, to the small outer drum. As it expanded or contracted with heat or cold, the spring rotated the drum, which displayed the corresponding temperature on a graduated scale. There were no cables or electronics. It was pure precision mechanics. Additionally, some manufacturers included lighting built into the fixture, either through a light bulb or fiber optic which came from the dashboard (like in some Cadillacs). This last method was better, since it did not generate heat and did not alter the thermometer reading. Cadillac first, Lincoln later The brand that first offered this peculiarity was Cadillac, the jewel in the crown of General Motors. According to they count In The Autopian, Cadillacs equipped these thermometers in the side mirror around 1976, even before its direct rival Lincoln. The Cadillac Seville, the brand’s flagship model at that period, was one of those that included this accessory in its equipment, which was also available in other models in the range such as the Eldorado, the DeVille or the Fleetwood. Thermometer in a Lincoln. Image: Vanguard Motor Sales (Instagram) From Hagerty Media, in an article about the 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, they say that the thermometer in the side mirror was an option available in that year’s catalog at a price of $18, which placed it among the most affordable extras within a menu of options that included everything from cruise control ($104) to the alarm system ($114) or the radio cassette ($239). The Buick Park Avenue, GM’s other big bet in the premium segment, also carried it from its early years as an equipment package to differentiate itself from the rest. As it appears on the equipment sheetthe original Park Avenue from 1975 already included the mirror with a thermometer along with other elements such as air conditioning and automatic rear leveling in the suspension. For its part, according to account In the middle, Lincoln, Ford’s luxury division, incorporated the illuminated thermometer into its models starting in 1978. A luxury that is difficult to find today Lincoln rearview mirror with built-in thermometer and wiring for automatic mirror control. Image: eBay Just like express the middle the middle, today it is extraordinarily difficult to find these mirrors in good condition. A mirror with thermometer for a 1988 Lincoln Town Car can reach between $140 and $660 on second-hand platforms such as eBay depending on the condition of the part, while one intended for the 1976-1979 Cadillac Seville can exceed $800. The Lincoln thermometer of the eighties already incorporated the double scale Fahrenheit and Celsius, something that the models of the late seventies did not have, as they only showed the temperature on the Fahrenheit scale. However, Cadillac started getting rid of its analog thermometerssince at the beginning of the 80s they already included more advanced temperature systems in their vehicles where the outside temperature was also displayed in digital format. The leap to digital The arrival of increasingly advanced electronic systems made these thermometers obsolete. In the first half of the 1980s, manufacturers they began to integrate digital screens on the dashboards that showed, among other data, the outside temperature. It was the era of “high-tech”, and digital had enormous appeal for the luxury buyer. The first car with digital instrumentation was the Aston Martin Lagondapresented as a prototype in 1976, although its cathode ray tube technology was too expensive for the mass public (imagine how expensive, if buying an Aston Martin wasn’t exactly cheap in itself). It was the arrival of liquid crystal LCD screens, and in particular the technology TN LCDcheaper and lighter, the one that democratized digital panels in cars during the first half of the eighties. From that moment on, show the outside temperature on a display inside the passenger compartment. It went from being a novelty to an increasingly common featurefirst in premium cars and, over the years, in increasingly accessible segments. In the mid-nineties, it was already a relatively common element in mid-high range cars. And if you have ever wondered where the sensor that measures the temperature and that is reflected on your car’s screen is located, usually It’s on the front bumperaway from the heat of the engine. Seen in perspective, the thermometer in the side mirror was a product of its time, but seeing it today, even in images, gives it a glimpse of very picturesque mechanical elegance. Cover image | The Autopian (eBay) In Xataka | Eddie Hall had a Bentley and many millions in the bank: he used both to set the most unlikely … Read more

Luxury homes in the US are selling like hotcakes and experts think they know why: AI

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If you have tried to buy a home in recent months, you will surely have already noticed something: prices are through the roof. Although the joy goes by neighborhood because the real estate market is experiencing a historic split, at least in the United States, as Redfin documents. Thus, while luxury housing is reviving thanks to the gains generated by the AI ​​boom, everything else is paralyzed in a scenario of uncertainty, high mortgage rates, inflation and fear of unemployment. It is the economics in K at its peak, a term coined by economists during the pandemic to refer to a recovery in which the wealthiest segments of society prosper while the rest stagnate or regress. what’s happening. According to the Redfin report Last month, the average sales price of a luxury home in the United States rose 3.6%, to $1.39 million. This figure is more than double the increase recorded in “non-luxury” homes, which increased by 1.4 to stand at $377,734. One fact: Redfin defines “luxury” as homes in the top 5% of the price range in each metropolitan area. At the epicenter of the luxury market, San Francisco: recorded a 48% year-over-year increase in pending sales of luxury homes in April, the highest peak since June 2021. We are talking about a median sales price of $6.7 million, almost 10% more than the previous year. They are followed by other cities such as Tampa (+36%), West Palm Beach (+16%) or Miami (+15%). Why is it important. Because what is happening is not something limited to the real estate market: it is a snapshot of economic inequality in real time. The stock market and the rise of artificial intelligence are accelerating this dynamic. Thus, those who have their assets invested in technology stocks are becoming exponentially richer and then spending part of their profits on the purchase of luxury homes regardless of interest rates, something that does affect and worry the middle classes. The housing has historically been the main repository for wealth accumulation, but its access is being restricted to the richest people. The result is a real estate market that operates at two speeds, which has consequences for social stability and long-term access to housing. Context. This 2026, the energy shock derived from the US and Israeli attack on Iran has raised rates again, but as pick up Axiosthis pattern has been repeated several times in recent years: the luxury market recorded a peak in demand in 2021 with the uncertainty generated by the pandemic and also in 2023, when again mortgage rates, inflation and fear of recession stopped the average buyer. The dynamic repeats itself: in times of uncertainty, the most resilient thing is luxury. It doesn’t just happen in the United States. The luxury real estate boom is not just American. Dubai closed 2025 with 500 sales above 10 million dollars (+194% in five years) and prime prices rose 3.2% on a global average, according to the Knight Frank Wealth Report 2026. London is the exception that proves the rule: He raised taxes on large wealth groups and prime prices fell by 4.8% in 2025, so that capital looked for alternative destinations with two clear winners: Madrid and Milan. In fact, the Spanish capital boasts the highest growth in Europe: prime prices rose 6.4% in 2025 with 55% of international buyers, according to Knight Frank. In Milan, Italy’s flat-rate tax regime for new residents has skyrocketed interest: British buyers grew by 260% between 2023 and 2025, according to Il Sole 24 Ore. There is a gap between luxury and affordable housing and the only thing that can accelerate or slow it down is the fiscal framework. In detail. San Francisco real estate companies are clear about what is causing this phenomenon in 2026: “AI money”, people who have shares in those technology companies that are skyrocketing and also profiles that artificial intelligence companies hire with generous bonuses. Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, explains that these wealthy buyers have more confidence in the economy and simply move forward despite the uncertainty. The high-end home builder Toll Brothers, details that their buyers are less sensitive to price pressures because they have a good cushion. In fact, cash purchases without the need for a mortgage are reaching historic highs with one neighborhood as a star destination: Manhattan. Yes, but. Other real estate agents have another explanation for the rise in prices: a correction after years of slow sales, as reported by the San Francisco Standard. That is, we do not know how much of this boom is new demand that AI brings under its arm and how much is repressed demand. On the other hand, this phenomenon is geographically concentrated, which limits the possibility of generalizing its conclusions. If we leave the premium market, one thing is clear: global economic uncertainty is an anchor that holds back potential first-home buyers. In Xataka | Second-hand homes were one of the last refuges on the market. Now they are becoming a luxury In Xataka | The world has been searching for the formula against the housing crisis for decades. There are those who believe that the answer is in Vancouver Cover | Photo of Daniel Barnes in Unsplash

Second-hand homes were one of the last refuges on the market. Now they are becoming a luxury

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When the real estate market gets tight, prices skyrocket and the imbalance between supply and demand worsens, one thing happens: buyers lose the few refuges they had left. In Madrid for example the ‘plan B’ Looking for a house on the outskirts, in towns like Alcobendas, Móstoles or Getafe, is becoming less and less ‘plan B’ due to the rising cost of m2 throughout the community. Another refuge that offers less and less consolation is the second-hand market, where prices are already rising faster than in the newly built housing segment. In fact, used homes are getting more expensive. faster than what happened in 2007, before the bubble burst. What has happened? That the ‘used’ housing market is increasingly tense. It is something that anyone looking for a home has probably experienced firsthand, but it is much better understood when consulting the latest statistics of the INE. They show how in a bullish scenario, marked by the general rise of prices, second-hand housing is becoming more expensive at a faster rate than brand new properties. Annual IPV rate. Total housing, new and second-hand. Percentage. What does that mean? As a good graph says more than a long explanation, the phenomenon is better understood with the infographic above, work of the INE itself. In it we basically see the evolution throughout the last months of the House Price Index (IPV), an indicator that tells us about variations in the cost of houses. If we talk about the general residential market, the IPV grew by 12.9% during the first quarter of 2026, but things change when we take out the magnifying glass and look at the differences between new and used homes. In the first case, that of brand new homes, prices at the start of the year increased by 9.1% compared to the same period in 2025. If we talk about second-hand properties, that percentage is however much higher: 13.5%. Does that mean used apartments are more expensive than new ones? No. It shows us that its market is overheating at a faster rate. And that in turn gives us a clue about where the market is tense. Can the focus be expanded? Yes. The increase in the price of the second-hand market is also clearer when we compare quarters instead of years or if we take a map of Spain and look at the different communities. In fact, there is only one where the price of new homes has risen faster than that of used homes during the first quarter of the year: the Canary Islands. In the country’s other archipelago, the Balearic Islands, the ‘photo’ is diametrically opposite. There the price of new homes rose by 2.5%, used homes by 15%. Territory Second-hand IPV 1st Q 2007 (%) Second-hand IPV 1st Q 2026 (%) National 13.0 13.5 Andalusia 15.4 13.6 Aragon 9.9 16.4 Asturias 16.4 14.8 Balearics 13.9 15.0 Canary Islands 14.2 10.6 Cantabria 12.6 14.5 Castile and León 11.6 15.8 Castile-La Mancha 15.7 11.6 Catalonia 11.6 10.8 Valencian Community 15.1 14.9 Estremadura 13.4 12.4 Galicia 13.2 14.1 Community of Madrid 11.5 14.7 Murcia Region 15.1 16.3 Navarre 11.2 12.8 the Basque Country 12.7 11.4 Rioja 9.9 15.3 What was happening in 2007? When we talk about the residential market and price increases, it is inevitable to think about 2007 because at that time Spain was immersed in an upward spiral that led to the bursting of the bubble. one year later. At that time (first quarter of 2007) the general IPV was slightly higher than now (13.1% compared to the 12.9% with which 2026 started), but new and used housing became more expensive at almost the same speed. Not today. What’s more, used properties are appreciating faster than 19 years ago. It is an important observation because it reflects the reality they live almost a dozen of communities in Spain, in which used properties are becoming more expensive today than in the run-up to the brick 2008. It occurs in the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra and La Rioja, although the clearest case is Aragon. There the IPV of used homes was 9.9% at the beginning of 2007. Now that indicator has shot up to 16.4%. Are there more sources? Yes. The Ministry of Housing provides another study on the subject that is interesting. Every so often the department headed by Isabel Rodríguez publishes a report on appraisals and, although it does not differentiate between new and second-hand houses, it does differ due to their age: it distinguishes between those on the free market that are less than five years old and those that are older than that age, so it is likely that they have had several owners. This classification gives a very similar reading. During the first quarter of 2026, the appraised value of homes less than five years old (completed in 2021 at the latest) stood at €2,685.2 per m2, 12.8% more than during the same period in 2025. Older homes were appraised at €2,303.8/m2, but their rate of increase was also higher, around 13.8%. What are the causes? To understand the data from the INE or the Ministry of Housing, several keys must be taken into account. One, fundamental one, is the shortage of new construction, which remains at levels much lower than those managed by the sector at the beginning of the 2000s. In 2025 the housing stock barely added 94,800 properties more and, although in the last months of the year they began another 34,200 (free housing), the truth is that Spain continues creating new homes much more speed of what raises new buildings. The result: a deficit that the Bank of Spain estimates at 750,000 houses. For reference, of the 700,000 operations closed last year, eight out of ten (78.1%) featured second-hand properties. Meanwhile, the stock of new houses fell by about 6%. “Second-hand housing continues to gain value steadily, reflecting that demand continues to look for opportunities in any type due to the shortage … Read more

We thought that buying a yacht was a luxury. The real luxury that they don’t tell you is another: maintaining it

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Owning a yacht is synonymous with luxury and opulence. It is not for less. Superyachts like the koru by Jeff Bezos or the Leviathan by Gabe Newell, they had a purchase price of 500 million dollars; he launchpad by Mark Zuckerberg about 300 million dollars. However, although buying a yacht seems the most difficultwho has been in the sector for some time knows that this initial disbursement will not be the only one, it is only the first. The true luxury (and what is really expensive) is what comes after and is repeated every year: the maintenance of that yacht. There is an unwritten rule that has been circulating around moorings and ports for decades to prepare future buyers for what awaits them. It is called the “10% rule“, and refers to the annual maintenance cost that a yacht requires: 10% of its price, each year. The inhabitants of the Caribbean island of Antigua they learned it the hard way. The price of a yacht does not come on the label When someone is going to buy a boat, it is usual to take into account whether they can afford its purchase price. That’s the easy part. You look at the price and compare it to your checking account. If it fits the budget, honey on flakes. However, there is a cost that not always taken into account in which the owner of a yacht (or any boat in general) should reserve approximately the 10% of the purchase price to cover all expenses annual operation and maintenance. Yes, 10% of the price each year. A 500,000 euro yacht will generate annual costs of around 50,000 euros; If the value amounts to one million euros, the figure rises to 100,000 euros per year. That 10% includes practically everything necessary to keep the boat sailing and in perfect condition: routine maintenance, regular repairs, average fuelannual insurance, mooring fees and, in the case of larger superyachts, crew salaries. Boat insurance alone already represents between 1.5% and 2% of the value of the yacht per year, which in a 500,000 euro boat translates into between 7,500 and 10,000 euros per year in premiums alone. At this point, it should be noted that these premiums are also calculated based on the location of the mooring. A yacht moored in the Mediterranean does not pay the same insurance as in areas like Florida where hurricane warnings and tropical storms are the order of the day. As the ship ages, the numbers change The 10% rule is stated as a reference guide for the entire life of the yacht. That is, it is an average in which some years the maintenance cost will be well below that 10%, while in other years it will far exceed it. However, above or below, the cost always remains close to that 10%: As and as they point out from WS Yatch Brokersone of the decisive factors, for example, is that this 10% varies as the age of the boat advances. When the yacht is new, the manufacturer’s warranties are in force, the mechanical systems are working well and maintenance costs can remain around 2% of the purchase price for the first few years. That 2% corresponds to fixed expenses such as insurance, mooring, or basic deck maintenance. As the years go by, parts wear out, warranties expire, and breakdowns become more and more frequent. For boats between 5 and 15 years old, the recommended percentage rises to 10%, with bad years that can reach (and exceed) 15% of the purchase value. The reason is that, as the market value of the boat goes down, its maintenance costs go up, so any calculation based on a fixed percentage loses reliability. That is to say, a 15-year-old yacht that has cost 100,000 euros second-hand will not (or at least not always) have expenses of 10% since its engine and hull begin to need major repairs due to years of use. That is, what the buyer has saved on the purchase price must then be invested in repairs anyway. Hence the 10% rule is a reference average applied to the entire life of the yacht (with its ups and downs), not a rule written in stone. The size, the crew and the place where you moor Size also determines the maintenance budget proportionally. From 25 meters in length, the yacht can now require professional crewand that 10% falls short to cover the cost of maintenance. A captain’s salary alone starts at around $50,000 per year, and a full crew for a large yacht easily exceeds $200,000 per year. On megayachts, managers usually plan 10% for operating expenses (which are included in the 10% rule), plus an additional 10% for onboard personnel, their maintenance, etc., which places the real maintenance cost closer to 20% of the acquisition price. This percentage does not apply to those yachts that, due to size, only require the services of a captain during the high season, thus reducing their annual cost. He port where it is moored It also has a decisive influence on the calculation of annual fixed expenses. It does not cost the same to moor in a small fishing town on the Catalan coast as in Puerto Banús or in the port of Monaco. In Spain, the monthly mooring fee for a boat between 12 and 14 meters ranges between 450 and 575 euros per month (about 6,900 euros per year), but it skyrockets in large tourist ports. to put a practical examplemooring in Marina Ibiza, the main recreational port on the island, for a yacht of about 15 meters in length costs between 25,000 and 30,000 euros per year, while if you opt for other secondary ports on the island, the price is reduced by half to between 10,000 and 15,000 euros per year. According to estimates of Ocean Independencea company specializing in superyacht management, the annual routine maintenance of a superyacht, which includes hull cleaning, fuel, engine inspection and electronic systems, ranges between … Read more

Sony has been aiming for the best noise cancellation in headphones for years. Now he wants to aim for something else: luxury

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One of the companies that is most committed to sound is Sony. It makes all the sense in the world considering the company’s history and they have just presented their new model of over-ear headphones. These are the Sony 1000X The Collexion, headphones apart from the WH-1000XM6 For a few months now, they have been betting on sound quality, comfort and something as palpable as it is, at the same time, intangible: luxury. Are expensive headphones always better than cheap ones? Hand finished with noble materials It seems unbelievable, but ten years have passed since the Japanese company launched the MDR-1000X. They were the first generation of what would later be renamed the WH-1000 that have given the company so much success (especially the XM3 and XM4) and, to celebrate the event, Sony wanted to look back to create your 1000X The Collexion. In terms of design, they are very similar to the WH-1000XM6, but with finishes that are reminiscent of those MDR-1000X with synthetic leather wrapping the headphones (and not just the pads). Speaking of the pads, Sony assures that they have redesigned both the part that covers the ears and the headband with a highly padded material designed so that we can wear them for hours and hours without them bothering us. But where the Japanese want to show that luxury is in the finishes. To start, the materials. All we see is faux fur and metal. Plastic is far from the rest of the family to opt for this metal that has brushed parts and others polished with a mirror effect. Furthermore, it is not just any polish, since something that they wanted to make clear during the presentation is that they are all hand finished and with several layers so that the Sony logo and the connectors between the headband and the headphones themselves have a shiny finish. At a design level, it is evident that this attempt to call for luxury that the Japanese are looking for is fulfilled, with a telescopic system to adapt the headphones to more head sizes that does not reveal their moving parts or rails. Apart from this, there is also a redesign inside the capsules to eliminate dead spaces. With this, they have managed to pass from a width of 45.4 mm on the XM6 to 40.1 mm on these The Collexion. The main idea in the design of this model is that they “resonate” with you, that they are a functional accessory, but an almost fashionable accessory with that exterior of synthetic leather, metal and with a much more premium finish. Regarding the weight, it remains at 320 grams. Sound with old acquaintances and new technologies Headphones do not live on design alone and you need a sound to accompany them. During the presentation, Sony wanted to clarify something: the XM6 series continues to be the spearhead in terms of noise cancellation. The 1000X The Collexion has 12 earcups to capture ambient sound, and the Japanese company is aiming for active cancellation comparable to its main line of headphones. In the sound part, things change. The interior redesign has also been used for a new custom diaphragm unit with which they aim to achieve greater separation between instruments and voices, as well as richer high frequencies to, in general, offer a richer sound. It supports Hi-Res Audio Wireless LDAC, a 10-band equalizer and is the first headphones with DSEE Ultimate technology that uses AI to “decompress” digital music signals. It’s something they do in real time to, according to Sony, restore the lost details and dynamic range of the songs. To round out the software section, the 360 ​​Upmix function has three modes (game, music and cinema) to create spatial audio. And regarding autonomy, Sony says up to 24 hours on a charge. Launch and price of the Sony 1000X The Collexion Given the features, it’s time to talk about the price. As we say, Sony aims at a different segment than the one they already have covered with the WH-1000XM6 that move around 350 euros and these 1000X The Collexion will arrive for 630 euros. They will be available this May and, in addition to the redesign of the headphones, the box now looks like a bag with a magnetic closure that accompanies that premium “package”. In Xataka | The best quality-price Bluetooth headphones: which one to buy for your mobile in 2026

In Singapore, luxury is not having a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. True luxury is simply driving

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Singaporethat small city/country-state between Malaysia and Indonesia where there are barely more than five million inhabitants, is a place of contrasts. While the enclave has a high degree of government control and certain practices that can be classified as repressive, on the other hand, new technologies are embraced to the point of being a world reference in the public sphere towards AI. There, having a car is not a practical necessity, it is a statement of status. Driving in Singapore. The story was told a year ago. the new york times. In Singapore, owning a car is not practical, it is more of a statement comparable to wearing a designer suit or sporting a luxury watch. The reason? He property certificate system (introduced in 1990 to control congestion and pollution) requires citizens to pay astronomical sums just for the right to buy a vehicle. These certificates, known as certificates of entitlement (COE), can reach up to $84,000raising the total price of common automobiles to exorbitant figures more typical of a supercar. As insurance agent Andre Lee, who in 2020 paid $24,000 for a Kia Forte Second-hand, having a car was simply part of his professional image, although he later recognized that the expense was not justified and chose to sell it. The price in 2026. This year, the COE system has prices that exceed usually $100,000 Singaporeans (about 70,000–85,000 euros) just for the right to circulate for ten years. The different categories oscillate in that range, with large and premium cars reaching the highest figures, while even commercial vehicles and motorcycles have seen notable increases compared to previous years. This volatility, with biweekly auctions that can move prices by thousands of euros, reflects a deja vu: an extremely stressed market where artificial scarcity imposed by the State continues to be the dominant factor, even above the cost of the vehicle itself. An unnecessary luxury. The underlying problem is also explained from another side. With a public transport network affordable and effective, few residents They really need a car to get around the city. Long rides cost less than two dollars and transportation apps like Grab are available. widely available. Despite this, twice a month they celebrate COE auctionswith limited quotas set by the government. This policy has been very effective: Singapore has only 11 cars per 100 inhabitants, far below countries like the United States or Italy, where the figure exceeds 75. Other cities have adopted anti-congestion measures, such as urban tolls in LondonStockholm or New Yorkbut none charges as much to own a car as Singapore. The car and social classes. For the richest in the country, purchasing a vehicle with all the associated costs does not represent a problem. Su-Sanne Ching, a businesswoman, said that paid $150,000 by a Mercedes-Benzincluding a COE of $60,000. On the other hand, for the middle class, especially families with children, the car becomes a luxury that is difficult to sustain. Joy Fang and her husband told the Times that they bought a used Hyundai Avante in 2022 for $58,000 to take his two children. Every month they allocate more than 10% of their family budget to maintain the vehicle, which has forced them to reduce outings and trips. Even so, they consider that the alternative (moving with small children and bags on public transport) is unviable. Help for electricians. Regarding “electrification”, the main aid (EEAI) has been reduced by half. Previously up to 15,000 SGD, and now it has a maximum of SGD 7,500. Not only that, apparently, it already has a date of disappearance by 2027. Plus: the VES system too has been adjusted and has progressively reduced incentives. In other words, this year, the nation seems to be in the phase of progressive withdrawal of aid to electric vehicles. Sometimes not even the symbolism. There are more extreme cases. Even for those who purchase a car for symbolic or professional reasons, as Andre Leecumulative expenses can cause the decision loses meaning. Maintenance, gas, parking and insurance end up exceeding initial expectations. Lee, for example, sold his car three years after purchasing it and now commutes by public transportation, or borrows his father’s vehicle when he needs to meet clients. In his opinion, there are other priorities that ended up outweighing the image projected by having your own car. Rational choice versus chaos. Singapore’s restrictive model contrasts with that of other Southeast Asian cities like Jakarta or Bangkokwhere extreme traffic turns travel into an odyssey. For many Singaporeans, giving up the personal car is a reasonable price to enjoy clearer streets and fast journeys. In this regard and according to sociologist Chua Beng Huatthe choice is cultural and practical: the population prefers to avoid long hours behind the wheel. The man himself, despite owning a BYD SUV to transport his grandchildren, says he uses the subway when he goes downtown. Ultimately, the car in Singapore appears to have become an aspirational rather than a functional commodity, one reserved for those who can afford it without compromising their finances. Unlike other parts of the world where the vehicle represents an almost imperative need for mobility or independence, in the island-state it is, for many, a luxury that compares with the most ostentatious objects. Driving there is like having a Rolex, or almost. Image | William Cho In Xataka | Guide to know if your car will be able to circulate in the ZBEs of Madrid in 2025: labels, registrations and areas In Xataka | How to make an appointment at the IMSS online in Mexico A version of this article was published in 2025. We have updated its content with everything that has happened since then.

In London someone has paid 310 million for the most expensive house in history. It is proof that the luxury market has no ceiling

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In the world there are expensive houses (increasingly), very expensive houses and then houses within reach only of the greatest fortunes on the planet, like the one that has just been sold in London for a whopping 270 million poundsabout 310 million euros at the exchange rate. The figure is shocking in itself (it is the same that has been paid in other parts of Europe to build a stadium), but it becomes even more interesting when another detail is known: everything indicates that it is the most expensive home sold to date in an operation of that type, focused on a single residence. To get the keys, its new owner, an influential British businessman, had to beat three royal families from the Middle East. What has happened? that the real estate market premium has just reached one of those milestones that sound almost like science fiction, at least among ordinary mortals. The British press has revealed that a wealthy businessman in the country has closed the purchase of the most expensive home sold to date. And “more expensive” can be understood in a literal sense. Although it is not easy to talk about world records in a sector in which properties do not always go on the market nor are operations advertised, the Bloomberg agency slide which is probably the largest sale in history centered on a property of its type: a single single-family home. It is not crazy if you take into account that the transaction was signed for 270 million pounds, about 310 million euros. Some sources raise the figure to more than 315 million. What is the housing like? The property is called Providence House (formerly Gordon House) and is a huge 19th century mansion located in the Chelsea neighborhood of west London. The plot once housed the residence of the British Prime Minister Robert Walpolebut for years it has belonged to Nick Candya London businessman linked to the brick sector and the Reform UK party. Beyond its privileged location, in the heart of one of the most expensive cities on the planet, the house surprises with its figures: the house stands on a plot of two acres (just over 8,000 m2) with a lake and swimming pool and Georgian style decoration. Media like Financial Times they need which has a private cinema with IMAX screen, greenhouse and the second largest garden from the center of London. It is only surpassed by the one surrounding Buckingham Palace. Who bought it? The buyer is Sunel Setiya, co-founder of Quadrature Capitala trading firm that according to Bloomberg data obtained a profit of 411 million pounds in the financial year ending January 2025. Although with Providence House he has broken all the molds, this is not the first time that Setiya has made headlines for his taste for luxury homes… and his enormous generosity in paying for them. In his day he already paid 110 million pounds for a penthouse in One Hyde Park. And that the property, of around 1,300 m2lacked interior divisions and required works. The Times details which on this occasion has had to pay more than 31 million pounds for property tax alone. The operation certainly marks a before and after in the British real estate market. The most expensive house sold in the United Kingdom before Setiya took out his checkbook was the mansion known as 2-8A Rutland Gate, awarded in 2020 for £210 million to Hui Kan Yan, founder of the Chinese developer Evergrande Group. Click on the image to go to the tweet. And who sold it? Nick Candy, another British tycoon who shares Setiya’s taste for exclusive homes. In fact, he has a penthouse in the same complex that is also for sale for around £175 million. Nick and his brother Christian are known in the sector for the development of the complex One Hyde Parkmade up of 86 apartments and duplexes in the heart of Knightsbridge. Beyond their taste for luxury homes, Setiya and Candy are at opposite poles on an ideological level. The first (Setiya) is a important donor of the Labor Party and dedicates large sums of money through his company to fighting climate change. Nick Candy however is a prominent figure of Reform UK, Nigel Farage’s far-right party. Have there been more interested parties? Ideological differences do not seem to have been an obstacle to closing the operation. In fact, to become the new owner of Providence House Setiya had to prevail over three Middle Eastern royal families also interested in the luxurious London mansion. Given its characteristics (and amounts), the operation was carried out outside the market. The operation represents a lifeline for the luxury residential market in London, which, as remember Five Daysis not going through its best moment. According to LonRes, 2025 was the second time since 2011 that no sales of more than £50 million were closed and in February transactions worth five million (or more) suffered a year-on-year drop of 55%. The puncture coincides with a tax change that directly affects properties. Image | Jaanus Jagomagi (Unsplash) In Xataka | If the question is whether house prices will rise forever, London has the answer. And it is a warning for Madrid

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