Wave breaks

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Carbon footprint is reduced by using local construction materials.

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One of many villas due to be handed over at The Wave.

The first owners are unpacking their bags at Muscat's premier residential-meets-tourism project and the construction pace is quickening, writes Dominic Ellis.

It's a curious thing, construction. One minute, it's all artist impressions and projections - the next, you're suddenly juggling demands of owners, tenants and a range of on-site delivery issues.

The Wave Muscat - coming up on 6km of beachfront around 20 minutes from downtown Muscat - now has a foot in both camps, as the first villa owners move in while the surrounding development goes up a gear.

The ambitious delivery target is up to four villas and five townhouses a week - there are 5,000 labourers on site and the plans are to double it - with transition now a constant ahead of the project's 2013 scheduled completion.

By then, the entire 2.5m sq m project will also have three hotels - Fairmont and Kempinski have been confirmed to date - and a Greg Norman-designed golf course.

Handover

Despite the frenzy at sand level, the management believes the key to success is adopting a rigorous approach to planning and preparation. The process is laid out in seven clear stages and investors pay at each one, meaning investors know what has been completed and still needs to be done at any one time.

It also allows sightings so buyers can see their investment taking shape.

"This is new business for Oman and it's important it's done right," said David Cummings, vice president of Construction Management. "Once everything's finished I feel we will have a true international development. I expect up to half of the Omani market will be for lettings and 90% of the expat market will be owner occupiers."

With the first nine villas now ready for handover, the move from planning to delivery is sending ripples across The Wave, with the customer service department now taking on greater importance. It employs 15 staff, which will rise to 35 by the end of next year.

Their job is not only to hold investors' hands through each of the seven stages, but also ensure buyers of delivered properties are satisfied - which isn't easy when you're aiming to deliver 150 units by the end of December, which will more than double to around 390 units next year.

"We send out a photo with each invoice, so it's bitter sweet," said Matthew O'Commore, senior customer services manager. He added that investors are protected by defect liability for up to one year, and structural liability for 10 years.

Freehold

Senior sales manager Margaret Garnsey said it has sold up to half of sector five to date - the whole project is carved up into eight sectors - which equates to around 850 properties, approximately 20% of the total.

Another launch is imminent, and if it's anything like previous ones, there will be too many people chasing too few units. An auction of exclusive beachfront villas last December recorded US$78m worth of sales, and the priciest went for US$603,900.

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