Data Shows Chinese Investment Grows Four-Fold in Spain in 2016

Data Shows Chinese Investment Grows Four-Fold in Spain in 2016

More and more Chinese investors are coming to invest in Spain

Data from investment firm Baker McKenzie shows Spain has become the seventh-most attractive European country as far as Chinese investment goes, with over €1.7 billion of Chinese money entering the Spanish economy during 2016.

China, which is the second-largest economy following the United States, has started to become a more active investor in Western economies for some time now, and is a great investor in African infrastructure.

Most of the Chinese money entering Spain during 2016 went into infrastructure, entertainment, and the real estate industries. The Dalian Wanda group is one of the primary investors in real estate industries as China is purchasing commercial and residential property across Spain.

Other areas of Spain that have felt the financial clout of China are the sport industry (including a €200 million purchase of La Liga football club RCD Espanyol by toy car magnate Chen Yansheng), aviation, and the environment.

Baker McKenzie partner Maite Diez says that Chinese investors have been attracted to sectors in European countries such as the food industry because they gain access to supply chains. There is a growing demand for high-quality products in China, so these investors are keen to get their hands on them.

Chinese people are fans of Spanish products including wine, cheese, and olive oil, while the country is also beginning to embrace Spanish films and fashion. Tourism is also a major draw or the Chinese; Spanish cities are becoming hot destination for the growing middle class of China. They may still avoid the beach resorts of the country, but they are drawn by the inland areas.

Many European destinations are becoming cheaper for travel and investment for Chinese people, and this has caused an increase in demand as a result. While the typical Chinese tourist would once want to take selfies in front of Big Ben in London, the modern Chinese tourist wants to head all over Europe, including Spanish wine country and Provence in France.

Chinese firms have become quick to build up portfolios of Spanish real estate. They are investing in more than just residential properties too; picking up hotel chains, shopping malls, and movie theatres.

Much of the Chinese investment in Europe is still going to the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Finland, but Spain saw the sharpest rise in Spanish investment.

Spain Mortgage Market Records 14% Growth in 2016

Buying property in Spain has never been so easy or cheap

While it’s hard to accurately gauge the growth of the Spanish property market in 2016 because there are a lot of different metrics involved in measuring it, mortgages are one area where the growth is obvious.

After all, mortgages are always mortgages. The data from the Spanish central statistics institutes shows that 14% more mortgages were approved in 2016 over 2015. There were a total of around 281,328 mortgages issued last year in Spain, with December welcoming the 29^th year-on-year increase across 30 months as 20,747 mortgages were taken out by new homebuyers.

December alone saw a 6.9% increase over December of 2015, and continued the welcome trend of increased confidence in the Spanish property market. It also served as more proof that the boom is supported by foreign and domestic buyers alike.

Referring to the trend as an “upturn” would be a little unfair though. The word “upturn” suggests that it’s just temporary, while the reality is that things have been looking good for 30 months now. That’s hardly a temporary boost.

Something else interesting about the data is that the average loan was around 2.8% higher than it was in 2015, which shows not just an increase in property prices (an increase that ranges depending on who you ask) but also the growing confidence of banks and other lending institutes in the solvency of borrowers. This basically means that more Spaniards are employed in secure, well-paying jobs, leaving them in better positions to buy homes and reassuring banks that the economy is doing well.

In terms of numbers, the average mortgage in December was €112,680, with an average of €109,759 for the entire year.

Data from Notary Reveals Spanish Property Prices Increased 5.67% in 2016

Data from Notary Reveals Spanish Property Prices Increased 5.67% in 2016

Spend enough time on the internet and you’ll be able to find some headline, statistic, or opinion that matches any kind of preconceived notion you might have. The Spanish property market is no exception.

Spanish Property continues to sell and increase from previous years

Several media outlets are all too happy to keep painting their picture of grim desperation. One source even tried to claim that Spanish property prices are in the middle of an alarming freefall.

It’s quite easy to debunk these stories, mostly because every respected economist and analyst in the country has examples of reliable data showing that property prices continue to increase across the country following 2014, when they hit rock bottom.

The actual figures might differ between establishments such as the Deutsche Bank to the National Statistics Institute, the trend is clear and unchanging; prices are on the rise, and have been so for three years now.

The latest figures published this week by the Spanish Notaries Association further confirms the trend, as it shows the average price per square metre in Spain increased 5.67% during 2016 compared to 2015.

The notary data shows that foreign interest was as strong as ever in Spain during 2016, as 13.25% of all homes sold in Spain were sold to non-Spaniards. In terms of real data, this is around 53,000 homes; 19% of which were sold to British buyers.

This means that Brits are responsible for 2.5% of every homesold in Spain in 2016; double the amount of properties purchased by the Germans; who are the second-strongest foreign market.

Spanish Exports Reach All-Time High in 2016

Spanish Exports Reach All-Time High in 2016

Living in Spain is at an all time high and Spanish exports totalled €254.53 billion last year, which was not just a 1.7% increase on 2015, but also the best year ever for Spanish exports.

Everything in Spain is moving in the right direction.

Last year Spain was the best-performing country in the EU and Eurozone as a whole in terms of exports. This incredible performance also allowed Spain to reduce the trade deficit by 22.4%; bringing it to €18.7 billion; the second-best it’s been since 1997.

Imports were down 0.4% to €273.28 billion, suggesting that the country is shifting towards being more export-based; a model similar to the one Germany has. Germany has always been considered to be a country that knows how to handle business.

There was a rise in the balance between exports and imports, bringing the balance to 93.1% for 2016; another sign of this changing trade and a friendly reminder that there is demand for Spain and Spanish goods around the world.

Through posting this 1.7% year-on-year increase in exports, Spain was able to outperform the average of the EU (0..7%) and even outperformed Germany; which only managed to increase exports by 1.2%.

Exports were down during 2016 in several countries, including the UK, France, China, and the US.

The goods that were most commonly exported from Spain were ships, medicines, olives and olive oil, and electronic devices. Spain has become the third largest exporter of wine, fruits and vegetables in the world. Around 70% of the goods exported from Spain stay within the European Union.

The most popular imports of Spain, on the other hand, include machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foods, and medical instruments.

Everything in Spain is on the up even buying property.

2016 Saw Increase in Number of British Holidaymakers Heading to Spain, and More are Expected in 2017

2016 Saw Increase in Number of British Holidaymakers Heading to Spain, and More are Expected in 2017

It looks like the relationship between Brits and Spain can survive just about anything; from economic crashes and the f

Spain continues to be one of the most visited

country's in the world

allying pound, to the TV show Benidorm and the Brexit.

The strength of the bond was shown in 2016, as the official data from travel market analysts GfK proves that just under 18 million Brits headed to Spain for their holiday last year. Even though this figure is a record breaking number, it’s expected the record could be broken as early as this year. GfK are reporting that there are already 16% more Brits making early summer holiday bookings compared to last year.

There are a number of reasons behind the never-ending demand; Spain has much warmer and settled weather than the UK; it has cheaper leisure options including food and drink; accommodation is cheaper in Spain; and the Spanish property market is much better value for money than the British one.

There are also some more abstract reasons for this love affair. Success begets success, and it can feel like stepping foot on a Spanish runway for the first time ever is almost a traditional thing for Brits to do. While Brits “might” visit countries such as France, Italy, and the US, Spain is one of those countries that they “must” visit.

Spain has also built up a reputation as being a bit of a safe haven from the terrorism problems found in rival nations in the Mediterranean such as Tunisia, Turkey, and Egypt. This has made the country much more appealing for tourists around the world; particularly the Brits.

The VC of Tourism in the Canary Islands Cristóbal de la Rosa spoke about being pleased with the figures. It was expected that numbers could fall following the Brexit and the drop in value for the pound. However, figures have only risen. There have been some uncertainties, but all they did was strengthen the British need to visit Spain and enjoy a holiday in the country.

It’s Confirmed; Spanish Property Market grew 13.6% in 2016

It’s Confirmed; Spanish Property Market grew 13.6% in 2016

As new data came in each month during 2016, it seemed to be painting an incredible picture; the likes of which one might expect to find in the Louvre. As each month passed, the news continued to get better, so it’s not surprising at all that the data from the end of the year, published just last week by the central statistics unit, showed that the property market in Spain grew 13.6%in 2016.

Its fantastic news for Spain and confirms the up trend in property

This impressive figure is based on the transaction data from all 17 autonomous regions in Spain; showing that 403,866 homes changed hands in 2016.

As if being 13.6% higher than in 2015 wasn’t impressive enough, this figure also represented a 26.7% increase over 2014.

One of the most significant figures, however, was that there was a sales increase in each of the autonomous regions in Spain. Some flew high, and some only climbed a little, but this still represents a 100% positive trend, which is definitely good news for the real estate industry in 2017, and the Spanish economy as a whole.

The Balaerics saw the largest year-on-year growth in property sales, registering an increase in transactions of 31% in 2016 over 2015. Great performances were also seen in Catalunya, Asturias, Málaga, and Extremadura.

On top of this, an increase in sales volume was reported for 23 of the past 24 months, which would suggest the trend will continue into 2017 and potentially even 2018.

Something else that was interesting about the data was that analysis shows a majority of the sales were resale's property; as only 18.6% of the homes sold in 2016 were new builds. This marks the third year in a row with falling new home sales, which suggests that there could be a drop in supply of new home builds; great news for the construction industry in Spain.

Spanish Manufacturing Finishes 2016 on a High

Spanish Manufacturing Finishes 2016 on a High

Spain is sill beating records in manufacturing

The Spanish manufacturing sector grew by the fastest rate in nearly a year during December 2016; a growth spurred by surging output and new factory orders. The data from a survey by Markit’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) shows that the index rose by 0.8 to 55.3 in November. This means that the index has stayed above the 50 line – which is the difference between growth and contraction – each month since November, 2013.

On top of this, new vehicle sales in spain were up 11% in 2016, despite fears that the government terminating the scrappage scheme (PIVE) at the end of autumn would mark the end of the recovery for the new cars market. A total of 1.14 million new cars were sold in 2016; up 10.9% over 2015 and the highest annual number since 2008.

Additionally, the data also shows the three car models that were most popular with the Spanish audience in 2016 were the Citroen C4 (34,615 sold), the Seat Leon (33,653 sold) and the Seat Ibiza (31,836 sold).

Spain continues t punch above its weight in all aspects of growth and anyone moving to Spain can see positive signs in all industries.

Spain Officially Smashes Tourism Records in 2016

Spain Officially Smashes Tourism Records in 2016

All Tourist record were broken month by

month in Spain in 2016

The heads of some 75 million people were turned towards Spain in 2016. This is a record figure and is up 10% over 2015, when Spain become the third-most visited country in the world. The official tourism figures haven’t been published by the UN body just yet, so we can’t say for sure if Spain was actually the most popular country in the world. That fight usually comes down to a Spain, France, and the USA.

Even so everyone welcomed the Spanish surge of 2016. It boosted the economy and improved international standing during a year when many other popular destinations lost tourists due to the threat of terrorism.

Spain saw a record-breaking 68 million tourists during 2015, with many people attributing that to the safety of Spain. However some dispute the claim that the only reason Spain did so well is because other countries were facing terrorism; arguing that Spain succeeded because of how well it promotes itself as being an ideal destination.

Spain is also helped out by the great climate, culture, andcuisine. There is also a broader range of holidaymakers heading to Spain. Some of them are just after a cheap holiday and others are looking to explore everything Spain has to offer.

Spanish Mortgage Approvals are up 16.8% in October 2016

Spanish Mortgage Approvals are up 16.8% in October 2016

The recovery is working well in Spain and the next 7 years

look fantastic

October 2016 marked the third consecutive month of Spanish mortgage approvals increasing following increases of 6.4% and 10% in August and September respectively.

The Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) released provisional data last month that showed that the amount of mortgage approvals noted by the Property Registers was 22,581 in October; an increase of 16.8% compared to October 2015.

This marks the third consecutive month with rising mortgage approvals after a 6.4% increase in August and a 10% rise in September. It won’t come as a surprise to learn that the most approvals occurred in the autonomous regions of Andalucía (4,513), Madrid (3,904), and Catalunya (3,561). In terms of where the most money was lent the leaders were Madrid (€593.7 million), Catalunya (€450.3 million) and Andalucía (€423.8 million).

71.4% of the mortgages approved in October were made under variable rates, with 26.8% of them being fixed rate loans.

Part Two of Our Year in Review for Spanish Property in 2016

Part Two of Our Year in Review for Spanish Property in 2016

The second half of 2016 continued the positive momentum of the first half, proving anyone who thought the optimism would be dented by the political strife of Spain and Europe as a whole. How wrong they were…

The Costa del Sol continues to recover and confidence has returned

July Was Just Marvellous

There were a lot of positive words said about the Spanish property market during July; including how things were performing and where things could go in the future. It was suggested during July that the market could be headed to five incredible years of growth, beginning with 2016. These positive words came straight from the director of the real estate programme in the University of Barcelona Gonzalo Bernardos. They were echoed by Mark Stucklin of the UK, who added that Barcelona, Marbella, Madrid, Ibiza and the other hot spots of Spain are guaranteed to achieve growth.

August Was a Real Job

The data from August 2016 showed that Spain had their lowest drop in unemployment in over 20 years with over 84,000 jobs created in June. Many of the jobs were seasonal roles, but it was still representative of a 3% year-on-year increase of the amount of people in the workforce. Needless to say the figures represented positive trends for the economy.

September saw Expat Enjoyment

All this data wouldn’t mean much if Spain couldn’t attract people to its shores. There are many other countries that offer affordable properties and a stable economy, so what is it about Spain that attracts all the expats? There are a number of things really; the culture, the climate, the people, and the history. This balance is the reason that 92% of the expats living in Spain said they were satisfied with life; adding that Spain was a comfortable and easy country to settle down in.

October Offered Food For Thought

The climate and the friendly natives aren’t the only things bringing the world to Spain. TripAdvisor suggests that Spain is home to what is considered to be the greatest restaurant in the world in Lasarte; a three-Michelin star restaurant found near San Sebastian. Lesarte managed to hold on to the achievement for the second year in a row and was joined in the list of top-ten restaurants by neighbouring Azurmendi Gastronomic.

November Saw Sustained Sales Growth

The Office of National Statistics (INE) had seen by November how excellently the Spanish property market had performed during 2016. They unveiled data showing that almost 400,000 properties were sold in the 12 months leading up to September 30. This was an increase of 13.2% in a year, and really showcased the stability of the market which saw increases in home sales during 24 of 25 months. It looks like 2016 could be the year Spain sells the most properties since the recession.

December saw Records Broken in the Costa del Sol

December saw Spain end the year on quite the high. Some 12 million visitors flocked to the Costa del Sol in 2016; an increase of 10.2% over the previous year, and the highest number of visitors ever recorded in the region. Thanks to some 26 million overnight stays and over €11 billion spent by tourists, 2016 was truly a record breaking year for Costa del Sol. It’s expected that the region could smash all the new records as soon as 2017.

Part One of Our Review of the Spanish Property Market in 2016

Part One of Our Review of the Spanish Property Market in 2016

2016 saw an amazing year for Spain and the Costa del Sol

2016 was an overall bad year in general, marred with terror, war, conflict, and loss. Even so, it was a good year for Spain as the country underwent economic and social recovery.

2016 was a very uplifting year for the Spanish property sector, with each month proving to be stronger than the one before it. Today we’ll be taking a look at what the first half of 2016 meant for Spain, in particular the property industry.

January Saw Brits Splashing Cash

Data from January showed that €13 billion of the €65 billion spent by tourists in Spain across 2015 came from Brits. This figure represents an increase of 8.9% over 2014. The average British tourists spent around €111 per day with Brits contributing €40 million a day to the Spanish economy in 2015.

February Saw the North/South Divide Widen in Spain

An assessment of the property market in February showed that, as is the case with the UK, there is a strong north/south divide in Spain. The divide is particularly apparent with living and property costs. The Spanish one is the opposite of the British one however as the best value is found in the south, where living costs are around 15% below the national average. In terms of property an 80 square foot property would cost €131,000 in southern Spain compared to the €241,000-€328,000 average house price in the north.

March saw a 14% Increase in Arrivals

Easter fell in March for 2016, which did wonders for Spanish tourism. Data from the Spanish aviation industry shows that over 16 million people entered Spain in March; 14% more than visited the country in March of 2015. This figure was the first tangible sign of the most record-breaking year in Spain.

April Saw the GMT Issue

Spanish politics were deadlocked for much of 2016. Mariano Rajoy of the People’s Party (PP) pledged to bring Spain back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) if he were to win the re-election; an election victory that Rajoy enjoyed just a few months ago. The message appears to have stuck and it looks like Spain could soon move their clocks forward an hour to embrace the timezone appropriate for their geographical location.

May Saw Thoughts of Bill Gates

There’s a very good reason Bill Gates is called the World’s Richest Man. He has legendary investment savvy and his geeky demeanour disguises the ruthless competitor he really is. When Bill Gates took over €100 million and invested in Spanish property in 2013 it raised a few eyebrows. This investment was considered to be a bit of a bust, but nothing is average about Gates. He could see the long game; he invested knowing the country would recover and now he’s reaping the fruits of that recovery.

June Saw Prince Increases Expected to Last Until 2025

As Spain welcome summer tourism was running wild in Spain by the time it was announced by financial management professor at the IESE business school José Luis Suárez forecast that property prices in Spain would continue to rise until 2025. The professor calculates that the price of homes in 2025 will be an average of 40% higher than they are today, and that this would drive up new builds across the country with up to 140,000 new properties being erected across Spain annually by 2025.

Spain Closes 2016 with Nine Three-Star Michelin Restaurants

Spain Closes 2016 with Nine Three-Star Michelin Restaurants

You can eat some fabulous food in Spain with Andalucía

having 6 Michelin Star restaurants

Many would describe the Spanish culinary scene as being revolutionary. While it is often meant as a compliment it can also be a suggestion that the scene is fleeting; removing old misconceptions and creating new buzzes.

There may be some truth to this – especially given the creativity of Catalonian and Basque chefs and their restaurants over recent years.

For the most part however it’s long past due for these plaudits of Spanish cuisine. Spaniards have always had a lot of creativity when it comes to food and even the lesser-known Spanish dishes are still cooked and loved around the world.

This shouldn’t take away from the strikes that Spanishkitchens have been making recently to increase quality across the board. The rewards are starting to pile up now as Spain will close out 2016 with nine restaurants that have achieved the feat of being awarded three Michelin stars.

The latest restaurant to be bestowed this honour is the Lasarte restaurant owned by Martin Berastegui. The restaurant also had the distinction of being voted as the best restaurant in the world by TripAdvisor. This year the restaurant celebrated their 10-year anniversary and their third Michelin star.

This was also the first time that a Spanish restaurant was crowned a three-star restaurant since 2014. The last restaurant before Lasarte was the Madrid restaurant DiverXO.

Spain is also closing out the year with 23 restaurants with 2 stars, up from the 18 of last year. There are also 15 restaurants with just one star in the country.

The nine restaurants that have all earned three Michelin stars are: Akelarre and Arzak in San Sebastian, Zurmendi in Bizkaia, DiverXO in Madrid, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Lasarte near San Sebastian, Martin Berasategui in Gipuzkoa, Quique Dacosta in Alicante and Sant Pau in Barcelona.

While having nine such restaurants is certainly an admirable feat Spain still has a long way to go if it wants to catch up to France and their 26 three-star restaurants, and Japan with their 25. The UK by comparison has just four of these three-star restaurants.

New Build Requests in Spain up 35% in 2016

New Build Requests in Spain up 35% in 2016

Spain is back as carinas are springing up all over the

costa del sol again which confirms the new growth.

When the Spanish economy crashed in 2016 one industry that really felt the damage was the construction industry. The years leading to the crash saw the industry enjoy incredible success that could never last and the construction of new homes in Spain stalled following 2008 as home developers went out of business, prices collapsed, and everyone lost confidence in the industry.

The construction industry was a little slower to recover than most other sectors. As the economy and housing market of Spain began to come back to life after 2012 the country entered a buyer’s market, with the low prices of the resale sector proving to be attractive. Not to mention all the unbuilt and unwanted apartments still left in the country because of the lack of demand.

Recent years have proven to be great for the real estate sector of Spain though. This means that the construction industry has also matured and become competitive once again. There are still areas of the country that have too much construction but the areas that have always been popular with purchasers are moving past the problem.

The market has moved on so far that the latest data from the Ministry of Development shows that the amount of building license applications have increased 35% over the course of a year. The data from August shows that the amount of license requests has increased 20.2% year-on-year, with 3,291 requests made during the month.

In fact the number of building permit requests has increased each month for the past 17 months, which is a very clear indication that the construction sector has truly gotten back to work. They might not be working as much as they were before the crash, but things are moving at an encouraging pace that should be able to meet the demand of both foreign and domestic consumers.

2016 has seen around 42,869 license granted. This number might not be much higher than the amount from 2015, but there were an amazing 911,000 such requests granted in the same time period in 2006. That’s almost one million property licenses granted in just nine months.

History shows us that the demand simply could last and it didn’t take long for the bubble to burst. Everyone is moving much slower and sensibly this time around.

Spanish Mortgage Activity up 19% in the First Half of 2016

Spanish Mortgage Activity up 19% in the First Half of 2016

Spain has certainly moved in the right direction and

the next 7 years are fantastic for buying property

The data from the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) is available and it shows that 146,605 mortgages were registered up to June 30^th 2016. This is an increase of 19% in a year-long period.

When you look at the past 12 months as a whole you’ll find that over 270,000 mortgages were approved in Spain during this period, which is also a 19.1% increase compared to the previous year.

In just June there were 25,274 mortgages approved, which was a major 15.5% increase year-on-year. The amount of money loaned was also up 7.5% over last year up to €112,516.

This data confirms what studies and market reports have been telling us all year; there is a significant boost in the amount of interest in Spanish property in 2016. 2016 also saw property prices stabilise as confidence and stability returned to both the real estate industry and the Spanish economy as a whole.

Many of these mortgages are offered at fix rates because the Euribor rate, which regulates repayment terms for much of Europe, is currently low. The result of this trend is that more people are buying homes. In fact data from the Official College of Property Registrars of Spain has shown that382,000 property transactions took place in the 12 months leading to June 2016, which is the highest number of property transactions in five years.

Number of Spanish Homes Sold in First Six Months of 2016 Highest Since 2010

 Number of Spanish Homes Sold in First Six Months of 2016 Highest Since 2010

Thanks to a combination of low interest rates, affordable property prices, solid mortgages and a strong economy, Spanish real estate has never looked so attractive.

Spanish property sales continue there upward trend

The Spanish daily El País are reporting that the number of Spanish homes sold in the first six months of 2016 is the highest it’s been since 2010.

June saw a total of 36,856 real estate transactions across all of Spain and it looks like the summer months are going to see the trend from April, a month where sales growth year-to-year topped 19%, continue.

Growth was up 19.5% in June compared to June 2015, which also marks a three-year high for June. During the first six months of 2016 around 207,593 houses have been sold in Spain, according to the Economy Ministry. Most of the real estate activity has come from the five biggest cities of Spain; Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Málaga. Málaga shouldn’t come as a surprise as they have the ever-popular Costa del Sol nearby.

VIVA already reported that foreign investment is responsible for a lot of this activity with real estate and construction making up a third of the €22 billion spent in Spain by foreign nationals.

The Institute of National Statistics did further analysis that showed the demand is increasing for luxury properties in Spain – something the Costa del Sol has in spades – as the economic recovery of the country is beginning to mirror the recovery being experienced by much of the western world.

Research undertaken by Bankinter suggests that the demand is only going to continue to increase. They released a report last week forecasting that Spain will see over 480,000 more property transactions in 2016, which would be a 10% increase over 2015. The bank also predicted that property prices will increase between 3-5% annually.

Experts are in agreement that the low interest rates are doing more than just encouraging spending. They are also making property investments in the Costa del Sol and Spain more attractive than regular savings bonds. All of this should lead to a strong 2017 and beyond for the real estate industry and Spain as a whole.

Spain Expects 74 Million Tourists in 2016

Spain Expects 74 Million Tourists in 2016

The Madrid-based tourism agency Exceltur has claimed they expect Spain will see 74 million tourists in all through 2016, which would decimate the record of 68 million visitors set last year.

The Costa del Sol is Booming and goes from strength to strength.

As the summer season truly kicks in the leading agency for tourism in Spain believes that Spain will end up being the most popular tourist destination of 2016 following the terror attacks in tourism rival France and the continued safety concerns of other formerly popular tourist destinations along the Mediterranean.

Portugal is also expected to see a rise in tourism of about 30% as tourists are choosing the safer areas on the Iberian peninsula.

While it’s true that nowhere is truly safe from terrorism Spain hasn’t seen a terror attack in around 12 years and their intelligence department is one of the best in Europe. Overall Spain is definitely the place to be for the more nervous holidaymakers that are looking for a safe space in the sun.

The amount of money visitors are spending in Spain has already gone up 7.8% per head in 2016 which is suggesting that the improved European economy is having a positive effect on tourism itself. It looks like tourists are more willing to open their wallets and spend their money.

The bulk of Spanish visitors continue to come from the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. Even so Exceltur is expecting the country will see a rise in French tourists as people are leaving the country for their holiday for the first time in a long time; having been driven away from their own French resorts by the shadow of terrorism. It’s also expected there will be a rise in tourists from the Eastern end of Europe including Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Most people come to spain due to it being one of the safest places in Europe and having fantastic beaches  low cost of living, world class Mediterranean lifestyle and a temperature that averages over 20c, no wonder Spain and the Costa del Sol is so popular with tourists and property buyers. 

Surge in Spanish Wine Expected for 2016

Surge in Spanish Wine Expected for 2016

While Spanish wine can be found on most tables in the world a lot of Spanish wine ends up bottled and labelled as being from Italy or France.

Spain's wine regions are some of the best in the world

https://costadelsolpropertygroup.com/Climate-spain.phpIf Spain wasn’t already thought of as a heaven on Earth with their superb beaches, wonderful climate, healthy Mediterranean diet and stunning cities and landscapes then throwing in that Spain is the largest producer of wine in the world will definitely seal the deal.

Data released this week shows that Spain is set for one of their biggest years for wine production with Spain set to make over 50 million hectolitres of wine this year. Don’t worry if you’re not sure what a hectolitre is. To put it simply one hectolitre is the same as 100 litres.

So that makes 50 million hectolitres a heck of a lot of wine.

But why is Spain producing so much wine? It’s believed by the associates and bodies of grape growers and wineries in Spain that the September harvest will be a particularly bountiful one. It’s even being suggested that there could be enough grapes harvested to surpass the old 52.5 million hectolitre record set a few years ago in 2013.

The relatively mild and wet winter and spring, followed by the intense heat of the summer, has led to a great crop this year. There has also been very little crop disease in Spain this year outside of a few incidents of mildew and other problems in Huelva, Galicia and Jerez. The majority of the wine will be coming from the hinterlands of Castilla-La Mancha however and the conditions there are said to be great for wine.

The Castilla-La Mancha isn’t the only place expecting a bumper crop though. Extremadura, Valencia, Ribera del Duero and La Rioja are also expecting great crop numbers.

The boost has also been helped by an increase in how many grapes are being grown overall. The demand for Spanish wine is on the up and wineries are responding by growing more grapes. While the domestic demand for Spanish wine is around 10 million hectolitres there’s little doubt that the increase in foreign demand could see well over 50 million hectolitres produced this year.

Another reason for the increase in Spanish production is that around half of all the wine Spain produces goes to wineries in France and Italy. The wine is then mixed with the wine in these countries and labelled as wine from there to sate the demands of people who still insist that the best wine is French and Italian; not even realising they’re purchasing Spanish!

Spain is still happy with this though because it means that almost all the wine made in Spain gets sold even if it isn’t labelled as Spanish wine. Even though Spain can’t officially take the credit for it everyone the world over is enjoying some of the best wine in the country; whether they realise it or not.

Four Questions to Shape the Spanish Summer of 2016

Four Questions to Shape the Spanish Summer of 2016

Spain is entering summer with a lot of hope and optimism, but there are some questions that are yet to be answered.

The Spanish summer is heating up and expected to

be one of the busiest ever

June means that summer is starting in Europe and Spain isn’t an exception. The hot temperatures may reach Spain sooner than the rest of Europe but it’s only during June when the resorts begin to really fill up.

Now June is here and summer is really starting. It’s expected that this summer will be one to remember for Spain, but why? Here are four reasons the Spanish summer will be spectacular.
1.      Will it be the busiest ever?

When people think of the perfect beach they think about pure white sand, palm trees along the shore, a lovely surf lapping at their toes, a waiter to give them drinks to keep them cool, and no one else around for miles.

Spain, as great as it is, will offer you almost none of that. Spanish beaches are going to be about as far from that as you can get during the summer. Spain is still likely to see its busiest summer ever this year though with more tourists than ever expected. So the beaches of Costa del Sol are going to be packed to the rafters. It seems people will rather deal with this than the alternatives though. Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia are going to have a lot more space on their beaches but this is in part due to the threat of terrorism that is keeping everyone away.

When you add in the affordability of Spain, the choice on offer, and the accessibility, it’s not hard to understand why so many people flock to Spain each year and will do so again this year.

2.      Will there be a new government?

Spain held a general election last December and the outcome was beyond what most would expect. It was known the vote would be close, but no one could have predicted that, six months later, Spain would still not have a government. Mariano Rajoy is acting as the prime minister, a status quo that many Spaniards voted to end.

Unfortunately not enough of them voted against him to secure brand new government. There are perks to each of the parties and, while some coalitions would be good, none have emerged yet. The next general election is planned for June 26^th and it looks like this one could go just how the last one did. Will this deadlock still be there after this second vote? It wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen. What is true, and is quite amazing really, is that the Spanish cost of living and economy has done a great job of recovering even without a government.

3.      Will the Brits be gone?

The UK will also be going to the polls this year just a few days before the Spaniards will. They are voting on what could very well be the biggest democratic decision seen in a generation. The British media has been filled with talk about the EU referendum for months now and there are plenty of implications for the Brits living in the European Union, including Spain.

Both sides have their share of scaremongers but in the end there is one fact that remains true; if the Brits vote to stay then things carry on how they always have. Brits in Spain have access to free healthcare, better pensions, and the right to live and work in Spain freely. If the “leave” camp wins then things could get pretty bad and, in the worst case scenario, the relationship between Spain and the UK could be so damaged it is almost impossible for Brits to live in Spain. It’s unlikely, true, but is it worth the risk?

4.      Will Spain be European champions?

Another big unknown ahead for Spain this summer is what will happen to their beloved football team. Just four years ago the Spanish football team was on the verge of winning three major championships in a row as they won the 2008 Euros, the 2010 World Cup, and the 2016 Euros.

Things came to a crashing halt two years ago when the Spanish football team was unceremoniously eliminated from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil during the group stages after being crushed by Holland in a 5-1 defeat. The Dutch aren’t in the Euros this year though and Chile, another major figure from 2014, aren’t in the Euros for geographical reasons. As a result people are questioning whether Spain can go back to what made them such a formidable team in 2012. Who knows though; perhaps this is the year for the hosts France, the World Champions Germany or maybe, just maybe, this will finally be the year for perennial dark horses England.

Sharp Rise in Spanish Property Enquiries in 2016

Sharp Rise in Spanish Property Enquiries in 2016

Buying property in Costa del Sol is taking off again

Property buyers the world over are looking for homes in  Cota del sol and Spain. This is according to data released by the Move Channel and their Hotspots Index.

The index shows that the number of searches to do with Spanish real estate has doubled in 2016 over 2015. Spain is dominating the top 50 rankings too.

Spain has 15 different locations in the list of Top 50 destinations. This is more than Italy, which has 14, and France and Portugal. Rome was the number one but Spanish Benidorm placed third, which was 13 places higher than its 2015 position. Malaga came in at sixth to help secure the best Spanish performance in the Hotspots Index.

Dan Johnson, director of TheMoveChannel.com said that Spain has gotten off to a great start in 2016 with plenty of interest from overseas buyers. The Q1 2016 Hotspots Index comes with a weakened pound against the Euro after a strong 2015 for the pound. There is a lot of optimism about the real estate market in Europe though and especially in Spain. This makes European real estate one of the best investment options on top of it being a preferred destination for people looking for a better life. Spain offers lower prices, better rents, and low mortgage rates.

Costa del Sol property for sale becoming the most popular property hotspot further shows the importance foreign demand plays in the recovery of the Spanish real estate market. British buyers are trying to find properties in already established expat communities. This is bringing up the price and reducing the supply of properties in these coastal areas. While the “Brexit” may be coming, there’s still plenty of British property buyers investing in the Costa del Sol and all throughout Europe.

Spanish Property Prices Set to Rise By 6.3% in 2016

Spanish Property Prices Set to Rise By 6.3% in 2016

Do you like the idea of living and buying a luxury home in the Costa del Sol and having the right to reside in Spain? The Golden Visa definitely appeals to many.

Whether you’re buying as an investment or to live there yourself, the Spanish property market is becoming more appealing these days.

There has been new analysis done by Spain’s Caixa bank’s property division. They found that some areas of Spain could see a property price spike of up to 6.3%.

Now is the time to buy property in Spain

In the beginning of 2015 the trend of falling house prices finally stopped. As a result house prices are set to begin rising this year. Caixa believes that house prices will increase most in the popular areas of the country such as Costa del Sol, Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearics are also set to see big house price rises.

Prices will still go up a fair bit in other inland areas of the Costa del Sol and Andalucía, where it will rise by around 3.3%. Affordability is still the key part of the Spanish property market though. Since 2007 the average house price is still roughly 40% below record levels.

House prices hit a real peak in April 2007 when house prices rose to €2,952 per square metre. Nowadays a home in Costa del Sol sells for an average of €1,619 per square metre. Overall a three bedroom apartment in Costa del Sol will cost around €161,900.

It’s difficult to come up with an average price in Costa del Sol. There are just too many variations in house prices. The data does still show how trends may change however. The data suggest that in 2016 house prices should rise in even the lowest ends of the market.

House prices in better areas such as Marbella will continue to rise. They have been on the increase since 2014.

Of course this means that more people are going to become interested in purchasing property on the Costa del Sol. The amount of houses being bought in general should increase by as much as 13%.

The conclusion is that now is the right time to buy a bargain property for sale in the Costa del Sol so contact us today for your personal service.