Tag Archives: real estate spain

Was the Spain real estate roadshow a success?

We recently reported on the UK roadtrip by Spain’s Housing Minister, Beatriz Corredor, and Development Minister, Jose Blanco, that aimed to encourage Spain real estate investment. Our report focused on the main messages of the Ministers and how these matched recent advice from the pages of the Wall Street Journal on choosing the right time to invest in property.

Leading up to, and during, the road trip there were complaints and protests, flaming on expat forums and discussion boards, petitions, emails, a letter writing campaign, interviews, and action groups all mobilized by angry Britons who had lost property investing in Spain real estate.

While many have successfully and happily invested in properties in Spain, there were some areas that suffered from inflated housing market prices, and other areas where corrupt planners and opportunistic lawyers set up business to make money from buyers who had not done their homework.

During the May roadshow, the message of Ministers Corredor and Blanco included a tacit acknowledgement that there were some issues with Spanish property investment and the national economy (with Corredor noting that some UK expats had lost their property, and Blanco sharing that a key motivation of the roadshow was to help sell off bank-held property to speed up the national economic motors).

The pair described the level of safeguards in place for new investors wary of repeating the previous property investment mistakes. These include:

tighter planning regulation,
a public sales register listing the legal status of properties in the sales market, and
a new police unit to quickly respond to any sign of corruption in planning and sales processes.

Development Minister Jose Blanco was also quick to remind the English of all of the great things they love about Spain:

the weather,
the accessibility,
the proximity, and
the safety.

At the time, the majority of UK media seemed to accentuate the focus on the disgruntled investors and their angry complaints during the promotional trip. This would give the causal observer the impression that, overall, the mission was unsuccessful and would perhaps need for the Corredor and Blanco team to regroup before repeating the exercise in France, Germany, Sweden and Russia.

However, now that the dust has settled a week or two more, perhaps the media angle has given Corredor and Blanco the opportunity they needed to clear up any doubts about the past and start afresh. By countering the negative focus, the Ministers have had the chance to mention the strengthened regulatory environment, and to remind Britons what they love about Spain.

This may have been what was needed to clear the air and rebuild any lost confidence. Since the roadshow there has been a surge of interest in Spain property by UK residents again: A survey announced last week that 8 out of 10 Britons confirm they are planning to buy in Spain as part of their retirement strategy. The healthy tourist figures for Spain for the first quarter 2011 are set to continue throughout the forthcoming summer, bringing more visitors with the potential to assess Spain real estate for future property purchases while visiting.

With resurgent interest amongst UK buyers eyeing Spain real estate, the Ministerial roadshow team may have played just the right cards to star afresh on a new Spain property investment push: their return to London later this year will offer a chance to assess.

Moving to Spain real estate with young children

If you have a young family, there will be moments of occasional panic when you are first preparing a move from your home country to your new Spain real estate. It is perfectly normal to have a fit of the jitters after making plans to relocate with your partner and young children.

For young families with children, imagining the school environment can be a particular cause of angst. “The most common worry that parents moving to Spain have is regarding language,” confirms Alex Vaughan, Director at Lucas Fox. “Many international parents choose to send their children to international private schools where the children are taught in Spanish and English. Cities like Barcelona have some fantastic international schools, with specialized English, American, French, German, and Swiss schools amongst others.”

Parents locating to a Barcelona property do need to consider the language issue more than other parents, as there are three languages in the mix in the Catalan province. “In Cataluñya, the state schools teach in Catalan, with Castellano and English taught as electives,” explains Alex. International schools have a range of options available that depend on your expected length of stay in Barcelona, the age of entry of your children, and your education goals for them.

International schools are established in all regions, no matter the location of your new Spain real estate. Schools are easily accessible to parents wanting their children to have a global education, while ensuring that grade results align with your home country’s qualification system.

There are also international nurseries and day-care centres, with a healthy choice available in the major centres. While it is natural to worry about your children’s settlement into a new education system in a different country, seeing the benefits of raising children in Spain will soon lighten your load.

“For me, there are two main benefits of living in Spain with young children. The first is that Spanish culture really values children. This means that you can take your kids to decent restaurants without the other diners frowning at them, and that your neighbours will keep an eye on your children when they are playing outside. The other main benefit is the climate – it means that your children can play outside for most of the year and will be swimming like fishes by the time they are 4,” Alex adds. Moving to your Spain real estate and seeing the reactions of your children as they settle in – compared to any worries of their education transfer – will be one of the joy’s remembered and one of the fear’s forgotten.

Tourist numbers help stabilize Ibiza real estate market

Does Spanish tourism have a flow on effect to real estate Spain? The healthy tourist numbers since the start of 2011 could be indicative of a trend that gives further confidence to the Spanish property market.

Spain is top of the list for many holidaymakers:

Travellers love the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the cities, towns and islands of Spain.
They appreciate the consistency and comfort of the weather, and find the country an easy place to arrive at or to depart from.
Visitors talk about the delicious foods, and how easy it is to get around either within a city like Madrid, or between places, like those hopping from a Barcelona property to a holiday spot on Ibiza real estate.

2011 has already started to look like a bumper year for Spanish tourism. The first quarter of 2011 has seen a solid increase in tourist numbers compared with the same three months in 2010. Recently-released April 2011 figures for airport passenger arrivals show the trend continuing.

This April, passenger arrivals into Spanish airports were 20% higher than for the same time last year. The increasing number of visitors to Ibiza was even more pronounced, with the 266.241 arrivals adding up to a 32.9% increase on 2010 numbers.

“All the signs are that 2011 is going to be a great season on Ibiza,” confirms Alix Bond from Lucas Fox’ Ibiza office. “Holiday rental companies and hotels are already reporting an increase on occupancy from last season with a notably higher demand for luxury villas in the Cala Jondal and Es Cubells areas.”

Tourism can play an important role in increasing the stability and opportunity of a property market. This year’s tourism could be a good news indicator for real estate Spain broadly, while the first four months of the year are buoying the scene in Ibiza. As Alix points out, tourists need accommodation, so a regular flow of holidaymakers can promote a healthy Ibiza property rental market.

“In recent years, Ibiza has focused on attracting more luxury tourism to the island and the positive news for the property market on the island is that many of these holiday makers will go on to buy property on Ibiza. There is a great buzz about Ibiza and Ibiza real estate at the moment. The high level of interest in renting and buying is definitely helping to make Ibiza property an interesting investment with great rental potential and the possibility of capital growth in coming years.”

With the summer months approaching, a strategic property investor would do well to keep one eye on the tourist numbers and one on the rental property vacancies. Weighing up the two may be one of the most useful factors in identifying the best time to buy Ibiza real estate.

Luxury apartment for sale in the Costa Brava | LFCB532

Take a look at the video of this ideal luxury apartment with lovely sea views in the Costa Brava, Spain:

and for a close look through the images of this luxury apartment, flick through the photos below: