Brits Spent €3.25m an Hour in Spain During August

Brits Spent €3.25m an Hour in Spain During August

Brits love affair with Spain continues as they send

a record amount in August

The value of British tourism to Spain has been clearly defined with the latest official data showing that holidaymakers from the UK spent an average of €3.25 million an hour during August.

Tourism, which accounts for 11% of Spanish GDP, is set to break records once again in 2017, with the visitor numbers from August showing 10.43 million people visited the country during the month – the highest monthly figure ever.

The National Statistics Institute (INE) data showed that holidaymakers spent €11,324 million in Spain during August; which works out at €15.25 million each and every hour.

British tourists alone threw €2,418 million in the Spanish economy during August, which is an increase of 6.3% over last year and accounts for over a fifth of all economic activity from foreign tourists.

French and German holidaymakers increased their spending as well; by 3.1% and 4.1% respectively. The highest increase was found with Scandinavian tourists, who spent a total of €558 million in Spain during august, a whopping 31% increase over last year.

Outside of the strongest markets, the rest of the world spent an average of 16.7 more in Spain; accounting for 45.5% of the total amount spent in the country.

When looked at as a year-to-date figure, the first eight months of the year saw €60,461 million spent in Spain by tourists, a 14.2% increase over last year and a great indication that 2017 will set new records. Brits are set to account for around 20.4% of overall foreign spending in Spain for 2017 (€12,316 million), an annual increase of 10.9%.

Data Shows 48% of Brits who Moved to Spain Last Year were Retired

Data Shows 48% of Brits who Moved to Spain Last Year were Retired

Regardless of Brexit, Spain continues

to be the choice of retirees

The latest data from the Spanish Office of National Statistics (INE) showed around half of the 300,000 British citizens that moved to Spain in 2016 were retired. 48% of them were retired.

According to the data, three times as many Brits moved to Spain across 2016 than Spaniards moving to the UK. The demographics were also vastly different. Most of the Spaniards moving to the UK are aged 40 or under.

The amount of retirement-age Brits living in Spain has more than doubled across the past decade. Spain has become the destination of choice for British retirees because of the warm climate, affordable property, cheap flights, and EU membership, ensuring that pensions are index-linked to inflation and grow each year.

British pensioners also stand to receive free healthcare in Spain due to reciprocal agreements between Spain and the UK. The UK has become an attractive choice for young Spaniards seeking to advanced their careers and improve their English skills.

The data from the INE showed 22% of Brits registered in Spain were also employed in the country, with most of them working in hospitality or catering.

It seems that Brits like to live on the coast, with the Malaga Province – where the Costa del Sol can be found – is a perennial favourite; bringing in over 100,000 new UK immigrants across 2016.

The data also revealed Brits took an astonishing 13 million visits to Spain in 2016 (with a “visit” classed as any stay under 28 days), much higher than the 849,000 visits Spaniards made to the UK.

Amount of Pension-Age Brits Living in Spain Doubles Across Past Decade

Amount of Pension-Age Brits Living in Spain Doubles Across Past Decade

Living in Spain has become so easy all the pensioners just 

love the lifestyle

A recent study from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK and the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE) in Spain has revealed that the number of Brits aged 65 and over and living in Spain has increased bymore than double in the past decade. 

The report from the ONS/INE showed that over 121,000 Brits of a pensionable age are living in Spain – which is around 40% of the entire British community of Spain. 

Some 108,433 of these 121,000 Brits are believed to receive a state pension in Spain, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. 

Even though the number of British pensioners has more than doubled since 2007, the number tends to slowly rise each year. There hasn’t been a year that saw a sudden spike in numbers. It’s much more likely that the reason for the increase is just a matter of ageing. Brits have been living in Spain so long that they are reaching pensionable age. 

According to the official data from the ONS/INE, there were 296,000 British citizens who had spent more than 12 months living in Spain by the end of 2016. This is more than double the 116,000 Spaniards living in the UK between 2013 and 2015. 

The official figures for the amount of Brits in Spain are quite below the expected 1 million+ Brits actually living in Spain. The higher estimate comes from a report from the UN in 2015 that suggests over two-thirds of Brits are not officially registered at their local town hall in Spain. 

However, even if you use the lower official figure, there are plenty more Brits living in Spain than there are in other foreign countries. The second and third most popular countries are France and Ireland. 

When it comes to Spaniards living in Britain, the data showed 59% of them were employed in the UK, while 78% of them were working in the education, finance, health, and hospitality industries.

Brits Grabbing Spanish Package Holidays in Record Numbers

Brits Grabbing Spanish Package Holidays in Record Numbers

With the fantastic climate and wonderful Mediterranean cuisine

its no wonder more and more Brits are coming to Spain. 

One of the main summer staples of Brits is the idea of the complete package holiday. They offer a well-priced week or two in the sun for the whole family to enjoy. They’re also hassle free as travel, dining, and leisure is taken care of in advance. 

Spain has been the primary destination for Brits booking holidays across the past few decades. Even so, there have been a few times it looked like the country might have been about to lose their package holiday crown.

Cheaper alternatives emerged, such as Tunisia, Turkey and Bulgaria; placing heavy pressure on the Spanish resorts. Then came Greece, Italy, and Portugal; that offered something new and exciting for Brits to enjoy by virtue of being “not Spain”. 

This period of uncertainty was not to last however. Europe and the Mediterranean alike were hit by the global credit crunch. Even though Spain had a harder time recovering than other countries, the tourism industry wasn’t nearly as badly damaged.

As prices fell across Europe following a period of employment uncertainty and job losses, cash-strapped Brits stayed starved for some sun and fun, and they continued to prove their loyalty to the Costas. Spanish tourism remained strong between 2008 and 2013 – and even increased dramatically during 2014.

After a record-breaking 2016 Spain is ready and willing to welcome even more tourists during 2017. This is partly down to the unfortunate death of Egyptian and Tunisian reports as a result of security threats and terrorism – but a good majority of it is down to the excellent weather of the country, along with the affordability, accessibility, and high quality of the resorts in the country. 

British holidaymakers have always been fans of this combination, which would explain why the number of package holidays in Spain booked as of June 24 is already 270,000 higher than for the same point last year; at least according to the data from Gfk Leisure Travel Monitor. 

The statistic represents a growth of almost double that seen in Greece; the second-most popular package holiday choice for Brits. It also puts Spain well ahead of other favourite destinations including Croatia, the Caribbean, Cyprus, and Portugal.

The data also showed that holiday bookings for the USA, Egypt, and Turkey have fallen compared to this time last year. America can put this down to the Trump Effect, while Turkey and Egypt can put it down to terrorism concerns.

Survey Finds Brits Looking for Property Abroad Still Prefer Spain

Survey Finds Brits Looking for Property Abroad Still Prefer Spain.

Costa del sol continues to be in such demand with its fantastic weather

and amazing Mediterranean lifestyle.

Ever Since the EU Referendum of last June, doomsayers have been predicting the fall of the British pound and that UK buyers would never consider investing in overseas property.

While it is true the sterling has fallen a little, there’s not been a shred of evidence to suggest that British interest in foreign property has abated. Sales continue to grow in fact, even if they are growing a little slower than before. A survey published recently by the Spanish Legal Reclaims legal firm shows that British desire for Spanish property remains high.

The survey showed that 55% of the people surveyed said that Brexit had not affected their decision to purchase property overseas. In fact, 10% said that their interest in European property had only increased following the vote.

45% of those surveyed said that they were most interested in Spanish property, with France coming in second at 37% and Italy coming third on 20%.

It’s hardly surprising that Spain remains the destination of choice for British people looking for European property. Spain has always delivered on a great lifestyle, great property prices and, of course, the stunning climate.

There’s more propping up the Spanish property market than just British buyers, however. Scandinavian, French, and German interest remains high, while interest from domestic buyers has been on the up for the past two years.

This has been shown by the sales data from April. Spanish notaries have shown that sales decreased in April 2017 by 2% compared to 2016 thanks to the Easter effect. The Semana Santa fell in April this year, meaning that banks, notaries, and mortgage lenders were closed for longer this year than last year, which means it was harder for Spaniards to make their deposits or take out their mortgages, which hobbled sales growth.

The excellent sales from March – an increase of 20-30% of last year – could also be a testament to the Easter effect. The trend going past these anomalies is one of positivity, showing the market is moving in the right direction.

Brits Are Keeping Calm and continuing to buy spanish property

Brits are Keeping Calm and Continuing to Buy Spanish Property

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Even though there is a lot of political uncertainty in Britain right now – thanks to the Brexit, the upcoming election, doubts on Jeremy Corbyn’s ability to lead a party, and a surprising fascination with Theresa May’s ability to eat chips – it’s good to know that Brits are still enamoured with Spain.

Brits continue to consider Spain as their main choice when it comes to going on holiday or buying a home. The numbers of bookings for flights and hotels has already improved on the record-breaking figures from last year.

There has still been some concern that the political turmoil and the weakening of the pound following the singing of Article 50 (officially beginning Brexit proceedings) would cause a reduction in British demand for Spanish property.

Richard Spiegal of Spanish property portal Kyero believes that many brits stubbornly cling to their ideal of buying their ideal home in the Spanish sun.

It appears that Brits are adopting a familiar approach when it comes to purchasing Spanish property; that of “keep calm and carry on”. The Brexit process is – admittedly – going quite slowly, and the UK has been held hostage by the negotiation cycle, leading many to be in no hurry to give up just yet.

Spanish property expert Mark Stücklin spoke to the Guardian newspaper, saying that the uncertainty hasn’t helped by any means, but the best property markets of the country, such as Ibiza and Marbella, continued to thrive; drawing interest from Brits, along with other European countries such as Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland, and even further.

Brits Find it Cheaper to Meet in Spain Than Purchase a Return Rail Ticket

Brits Find it Cheaper to Meet in Spain Than Purchase a Return Rail Ticket

Low cost flights continue to be better value

than train tickets in the uk

A few old friends from university found themselves enjoying an impromptu flight to Malaga to catch up after finding that flying to Spain was cheaper than booking a return rail ticket to Birmingham from Newcastle.

Zara Quli and Lucy Walker got the idea after finding out the price of a last-minute train ticket. These prices are shocking, but predictable, given the expensive nature of UK rail travel.

Ms Walker says that it would have cost £105 for a return ticket between Birmingham and Newcastle; a trip of 400 miles. She looked for cheap alternatives and found it only cost £19.98 for a return flight to Malaga from Newcastle. This prompted her to find out how much it would cost to fly from Birmingham to Malaga.

The result? Only £55.29 for a return ticket. The friends agreed to meet in Malaga instead for a combined cost of £75.27, including two nights at a Granada hotel.

Walker commented that it’s a real pain to buy last minute train tickets in Britain because rail companies place high premiums on them. Instead of being stuck on a train they got to take a trip to one of the most beautiful cities in southern Spain and highlight that there are alternatives for the cash-strapped, sun-loving Brits out there who want a weekend away from the rain.

When you add in that it only takes a few hours to fly to Malaga from every corner of the country, you could be in Spain and enjoying the sun by the time your train reaches its own, rather more expensive, destination.

September Sees 12% More Brits Visit Spain

September Sees 12% More Brits Visit Spain

The Costa del Sol has broken all records yet again

Spain is still going through one of the best years fortourism ever and the latest data from the Tourism Ministry shows the good year continues on because September saw 12% more British people than September of last year.

According to the data some 2 million Brits came to Spain in September; making for a grand total of 14.4 million Brits out of 60.3 million tourists across the whole year.

Spain saw a total of 7.9 million tourists in September, which was an increase of just over 10% over 2015. During the three-month period of July to September there was a total of 27.6 million visitors to Spain, an increase of the 25 million from 2015.

The Tourism Ministry predicts that Spain will see 74 million tourists by the end of the year, which would be a new record. Almost everyone is welcoming this news from hoteliers and bar owners to anyone watching the economy.

There are plenty of resorts that have the ability to handle these visitor numbers, there are also places such as Barcelona and Majorca that are already stretched to their limits.

The good news is that there is still room in the Costa del Sol for more hotels, resorts, and anything else visitors could want without disrupting the balance that makes buying property in the Costa del Sol and the surrounding areas uch a favourite with tourists.

Tour operator Exceltur undertook their own research that suggests that the number of tourists who become “officially registered” by booking at a hotel has gone up by 2% over the past two years. During these two years there has been an increase of 75% in private rentals.

Revision to Inheritance Tax Law Could See 30,000 Brits Compensated

Revision to Inheritance Tax Law Could See 30,000 Brits Compensated

Thousands of Expats can claim Compensation so speak

with the experts at Costa Del Sol Property Group

Spanish authorities could soon compensate thousands of Brits who were taxed unfairly. The European Court of Justice ruled last year that Brits who inherited a Spanish holiday home between 2011 and 2014 were charged a high rate of Inheritance Tax (IHT). Thousands of Brits may now be eligible to claim back these excessive charges authorities forced them to pay.

It’s estimated that the charges that were ruled to be unfair and illegal were applied to 30,000 Brits. At the time of inheritance they were classed as non-residents in Spain. Even spouses of deceased property owners who spent over half of the calendar year residing in Spain were erroneously categorised like this.

EU rulings mean that Spain has been now been forced to change their IHT laws that would previously levy punitive charges (some of which could reach as high as a third of the value of the property) in the event that a home was inherited by a non-resident EU citizen.

The changes in the law mean that legal proceedings have started to reclaim back the money paid to the Spanish tax authorities. Even so experts believe that it won’t be so simple to claim back the money. Right now the compensation procedure has not officially begun, though the Spanish government has created a five-year window that claims could be made in.

Spanish legal experts say that it could take six to eight months for a claim to be filed and compensation to reach the claimant. Many Brits would consider this wait worth it; the previous IHT laws saw Spanish residents become exempt from as much as 99% of IHT, while people who were deemed to be non-residents had to foot the entire bill; which could work out as being up to a third of the value of the property.

Spanish authorities demanded that IHT be paid within six months of inheriting the property. The British were the hardest hit by these charges because they are the largest group of foreign property-owners in Spain. The changes to the law were introduced in September 2014. It took a while but it looks like Spanish authorities have begun to get the ball rolling. It looks like the average repayment will be around €25,000.

Spanish authorities have conceded that non-residents who inherited a Spanish property within the past four-and-a-half years are eligible to claim back their taxes, but Expat homeowners in Spain only have one chance to lodge their bids for compensation.

If you  think you have been over charged then speak with Costa Del Sol Property Group today and claim your money back.

Brits Spend Over €74 million a Day In Spain During August

Brits Spend Over €74 million a Day In Spain During August

Tourist spending has been at an all time high.

Brits really dug deep into their pockets during August;spending money on drinks, food, shopping, and hotels.

If people still doubted that British were vital to the Spanish tourism industry then the recent statistics from the tourism ministry will remove those doubts. The latest data shows that British tourists accounted for 22.3% of the tourist spending in August.

This came to a grand total of €2.3 billion spent by Brits throughout Spain during August, or €74.6 million each day. This works out at around €116 per person, per day.

This data is a reflection of the strong tourism trends of Spain in 2016. All the indications are that Spain will see record visitor numbers in 2016. Though for the brits this is just a continuation of the decades-old trend. It just shows that Spain is still deep in the hearts of many UK holidaymakers.

The Spanish economy was boosted by an extra €334 million each day thanks to the tourism in August. As well as Brits the French and German tourists were spending their fair; making up roughly 14% of the tourism spend for August.

Brits spent an overall 3.5% more this August compared to last year, while German tourists spent around 0.2% more and French tourists spent a whopping 9.1% more.

The only downside to the news was that average spending per person was actually down a little compared to 2015. The average tourist spend was €116 per person, which is down 1.9% compared to last year when compared against the average time that people spent in the country.

Even though more people are coming to Spain they are spending slightly less over last summer. This is really only a tiny negative mark on what has otherwise been an incredibly positive Spanish summer season though.

Regions across all of Spain are celebrating as most places are reporting record highs in terms of tourism spending. Tourists have currently spent €53.3 billion so far this year in Spain, which is 7.1% higher than last year. A statistic to put everything into perspective is that Spanish tourists spent more in the year leading up to August than they did in all of 2012, and there’s still four months of 2016 left.

The Brits still make up the bulk of the spending in the first eight months of the year. Brits accounted for 21.1% of all spending; an increase of 11.8% over 2015.

July Saw 9.6 million Tourists Visit Spain, With One in Four Being Brits

July Saw 9.6 million Tourists Visit Spain, With One in Four Being Brits

Spain is Booming again with record numbers of Tourists

and the property market making a marvelous recover.

Records continue to be broken in Spain. With the cost of living being so low and the healthy lifestyle and warm climate. The country has recently seen its busiest July ever as the official government figures confirm that over 9.6 million tourists came to the country during the month.

This figure is an impressive 11% increase over last July and continued the trend of 2016 being a record-breaking year for Spain, with many of these records being broken thanks to the Brits.

One quarter of all the registered tourists in Spain in July came from Britain and were part of the largest shifts in tourism seen in years. Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia have seen a spate of terrorist attacks that have seriously driven down tourism numbers. Instead these millions of tourists are heading to safer destinations such as Spain and Bulgaria.

Barcelona, the Costa del Sol, and the Balearics and Canary Islands saw the biggest rises in tourism numbers. Majorca is also currently fully booked through the end of September according to the data.

The final tourism figures for August aren’t known just yet but the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) are predicting a 25% increase in visitor numbers for the month. Turkey has seen a 30% drop in tourism while Egypt has seen a 60% decrease. Tunisia has barely seen any tourists at all following a beach attack from 2015 that saw over 30 Brits gunned down.

The president of the Spanish Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association Rafael Gallego says that around 15% of the tourists that Spain welcomed would not have come to the country if it wasn’t for other destinations like Egypt and Tunisia closing down due to these tragic events.

While the country is always open to more tourists many in Spain feel that 2016 could be the peak of Spanish tourism unless new accommodation; such as hotels and apartments, are built soon.

The Spanish construction industry is already gearing up torise to the challenge, with house building reaching heights not seen in over 5years. Foreign developers are also keen to begin building real estate and hotels in the more popular regions of the country.

Things are also improving on the consumer level. Department store El Corte Inglés are reporting that they saw a 25% increase in sales over the last year. Fears before and after the Brexit about the value of the pound saw many Brits book all-inclusive packages to essentially lock in the price of their Spanish Holiday. Thomas Cook is reporting that six out of ten of the holidays they sold in Spain were all inclusive.

An ABTA spokeswoman said that the around 20% of all the Brits who go on holiday abroad now go to Spain. This means that one in five Brits who left the country to go on holiday went to Spain.

Poll Shows Brits Favour Spain as Their Number One Retirement Spot

Poll Shows Brits Favour Spain as Their Number One Retirement Spot

The poll in question saw 19% of the people who responded say that Spain would be their ideal retirement destination and it’s not hard to understand why they would.

Costa del Sol is still the number one place to retire.

The survey that found Spain is the top choice for British retirees was conducted by financial services company Retirement Advantage.

Spain took 19.4% of the vote; the highest of any European nation. It was also the top of the polls globally, knocking the United States down into second place. France came in fourth, behind Australia, while Italy, New Zealand and Canada all struggled to get even 5% of the votes.

The survey gives us further proof that Spain has become the top choice for British retirees looking to retire in a warm, accessible and affordable location. Even though there were some concerns about how the Brexit vote might damage the appeal of Spain, it looks like Spain has never been more popular with British retirees-to-be.

The survey saw 1,200 Brits aged between 18 and retirement age asked where they would prefer to retire. Spain came out on top which was the same result Retirement Advantage saw in 2013. In 2013 France was second and the USA came in third.

The Pension Technical Director of Retirement Advantage, Andrew Tully, says that many people hope to retire to a place filled with sunshine and a slower pace. They hope to find that by moving abroad and a country with cheaper living costs and property prices than the UK becomes a major draw.

Other data that comes from the World Economic Forum over the weekend showed that there are currently just under 5 million Brits estimated to be living overseas, around half of whom can be found in the EU. As such the UK is actually the EU country with the highest number of people living abroad, beating out Poland (4.4 million) and Germany (4 million).

Brits Demand Exapts in Spain Be Given Dual Citizenship

Brits Demand Exapts in Spain Be Given Dual Citizenship

Its makes sense for Spain to allow Brits 

Dual citizenship.  

There is a petition calling for the Spanish government to give British expats who have been in Spain for over ten years dual nationality. The petition asks that the Spanish government perform an act of generosity for expats following the situation they have found themselves in after the UK voted to leave the EU. The petition goes on to say that many expats, both from Spain and the UK, are uncertain about their future and becoming desperate.

The petition was started by journalist and author Giles Tremlett, who has written for both the Guardian and the Economist. He gave an interview with The Local where he said that he started the petition because of what dual citizenship would mean to him personally and the practical benefits.

Tremlett said that after living in Spain for as long as he has he now has a dual identity. Tremlett is currently based in Madrid and has residency and lived in Spain for over 25 years. Because of this he was unable to vote in the referendum as there was a 15 year limit. He feels that he has been stripped of his European citizenship without being able to have his own say in the matter.

The petition follows the words of the German Vice Chancellor, who said that Germany should offer dual citizenship and urged other countries in the EU to do so as well. The Brexit vote has left many of the roughly 400,000 British expat wondering what will come next for them. Many of them are also worried about what will happen to their pensions and their right to buy property. Acting Prime Minister Rajoy has assured Brits living in Spain that they won’t wake up to find their rights stripped from them.

Tremett is one of the people who is deeply concerned about his pension following the Brexit vote. He has worked in both Spain and the UK and is now unsure what would happen to his pension if he was to move back to the UK to take care of his parents before returning to Spain.

He also made the argument that Spaniards living in Britain can apply for dual citizenship after five years but no such option exists for the Brits in Spain. Dual nationality doesn’t exist in Spain and to become a Spanish citizen one would have to renounce their original nationality. Tremlett is concerned that his sons, born in Spain but British nationals, do not have the right to denounce their nationality.

The petition also argues that there is a precedent for this kind of legislative change allowing double citizenship. Just last year Acting Prime Minister Rajoy granted dual citizenship to the ancestors of Jewish people who were forced out of Spain as part of the Spanish Inquisition of 1942.

Tremlett believes that dual citizenship would solve some of the problems that Brits in Spain are having, but admitted it wouldn’t solve all of them. He says that Britain was a part of the EU for 40 years, while Spain has been for 30 years now. This is more than long enough for people to buy property in Spain and build an entire life and future around being a European citizen. He feels that to have all of that suddenly stripped away is dramatic and traumatic.

Construction industry in Spain witnesses a boom as Brits are on a buying spree in Costa del Sol

Construction industry in Spain witnesses a boom as Brits are on a buying spree in Costa del Sol

Not only are the Spanish footballers preparing for a hectic summer ahead. Joining them are magnates from the construction industry, as the signs towards the start of 2016 show a bright year ahead for the industry. As per the statistics released by the Ministry of Public Works, the total number of licenses for new Off-plan homes in Spain for Q1 was 16,782.

Off-Plan property sales are on the up and booming once again

There was a significant increase of 57.1% compared to the previous year and this was the best growth recorded ever since 2011. The main reason for this boom in the construction of residential properties can be attributed to the large number of foreign buyers interested in the Spanish real estate. Even now, the demand from foreign investors is only growing and natives of different European countries have continued investing.

Taylor Wimpey Espana, a popular homebuilder in Spain, released statistics of the total YTD sales in April 2016 and it has shown a growth compared to the previous year. The total number of British buyers increased by a whopping 48%. This is mainly because a large number of Brits are keen to buy a property in Spain and Costa del Sol is highly popular, with the majority of them planning to buy a property in the same region.

The Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey Espana, Marc Pritchard, sees a bright future ahead for the housing industry of Costa del Sol. When asked about his opinion, he said:

“Construction within Spain’s residential sector is rising once more, as the demand from overseas buyers continues to strengthen the market. The Costa del Sol has always been a prevalent destination for Spanish holiday homes and is fast becoming the favorite once again amongst British second homeowners. As British buyers choosing Spain’s southern coastline increases, so too does the optimism surrounding the market and we would expect this positive trajectory to continue throughout the rest of the year.”

Taylor Wimpey Espana has recently developed an architectural marvel named La Floresta Sur, in the skyline of Costa del Sol. It is developed in the midst of a UNESCO reserve and it is constructed in the village of Elviria, which is close to the beach and enjoys a proximity to Marbella and Malaga.

The property is developed based on a Mediterranean style and the prices start from just €202,000 +VAT, which has configurations in 2, 3 bedroom apartments along with Italian styled penthouses with silestone worktops, thermal and acoustic insulation and central air conditioning as a part of the deal. Also, when you look out from this property, you will see an amazing view of oak and pine forest in the horizon extending into the sea and it also has two swimming pools, private parking and wonderful landscaping as a part of the project.

The development of Phase 4 is to be completed in the summer and the rest of the units are up for sale with a launch offer. They have enabled houses with fully equipped kitchens, shower area and furnishings as well which will be inclusive with the sale price.

This is one pristine property where you will get to enjoy the beautiful view along with the best possible golf courses in Costa del Sol, such as the La Cala Golf Resort and Santa Maria Golf, along with a direct access to El Soto Golf Club and a stone’s throw away from Nikki Beach Club.

Three Reasons Spain Is the Most Popular Emigration Choice for Brits

Three Reasons Spain Is the Most Popular Emigration Choice for Brits

With sunshine all year its no wonder why so many brits love Spain

Spain has always been the most popular places in Europe for Brits to emigrate to and it’s quite clear why.

There is a time where for one week a year Britain managed to have higher temperatures than Spain and the tabloids were always smug about it. They would delight in declaring that people were choosing a staycation and laughing at people who left the homeland for warmer weather. That week has now come and gone.

Temperatures in the UK are back down to their average of between 12-17ºC and things are shifting back to normal now with many Brits looking for some fun in the sun and freedom from the rain.

All of this has made the new report from MoveHub quite timely. The relocation specialists published a report showing that Spain has become the third most popular destination Brits looking for help on emigrating go to. It’s not the best overall, but it is the best in Europe. First and second place went to Australia and the US.

Those two places are definitely long-haul so it’s always best to consult specialists such as MoveHub before making any major decisions. If you’re choosing somewhere close to home, such as Spain, then it’s close enough for you to try to handle on your own. With the Cost of living so low in Spain always being the choice for Brits looking to move into the sun but still be close to their real home.

With that in mind here are three of the reasons that Spain is such a hot choice for Brits looking to move abroad.

1.      Sunshine All The Time

Spain is guaranteed to stay sunny practically all year round. Even in December the temperature can come in at around 25 degrees. No matter what time of year it is, from spring, to summer, from March to August, one thing Spain can guarantee you is the sunshine.

On the other hand the UK is one of the darker countries there is. It’s not hard to imagine someone wanting to move somewhere brighter. Spain brings this to a whole new level though by being sunny all year round. With all that sun and heat comes a relaxed attitude towards life.

2.      Not Many Cultural Differences

While Spain and Britain may be different, the way that we socialise isn’t.

Okay, yes, the traditional Spain; filled with flamenco dancing and bullfighting, is far from the country pub, Sunday roasts, and 9-5 lifestyle, but Spain and the UK have similar cultures overall.

A big part of this is, of course, that Brits have been moving to Spain for the better part of half a century. So of course Spain is becoming a little more British. Even if that wasn’t the case the two countries have some things in common. Both love bars, football, family, and having fun outdoors. The relationships between the countries and their cultures is only growing too.

3.      Many Chances to Enter the Property Market

No matter where you’re trying to buy a home in Spain you’ll find that the property market is well quipped to meet the needs of British buyers.

British buyers bought roughly 20% of the homes sold in Spain to a non-Spaniard last year. This is an impressive statistic on its own but it adds to the decades of investment in Spanish property from Brits. Brits have always been the biggest foreign investors in the Spanish market.

As a result developers in Spain know just what British buyers in Costa del Sol and Spain want in a home and have built homes ready for Brits. There is something for every Brit in the Spanish property market. With the pound slowly recovering it’s never been so affordable to buy Spanish property.

Electoral Registrations on the Rise as Brits Finally Get The Message

Electoral Registrations on the Rise as Brits Finally Get The Message

The number of Brits abroad that are registered to vote has risen a massive 80,000 in the past two months in the lead-up to the EU referendum.

The biggest vote in UK for generations

There are two things said a lot about Brits that live abroad and both of them seem to be accurate. The first is that they never learn the Spanish language. The other is that they never show any interest in voting in a UK election.

Recent figures from the Electoral Commission has shown that Brits abroad are finally getting the message about making their voices heard in British matters though.

During the general election last year only 106,000 Brits in over 5.5 million living overseas were registered to vote. This was used to bash British expats with many considering them traitors who no longer care about Britain and have long since turned their back on their home country.

An awareness campaign was launched in March and it seems to have achieved some success. The Electoral Commission shows that 80,000 Brits have registered to vote and will be taking part in the EU Referendum.

While it is true that the figure is still a disturbingly low 186,000 the Electoral Commission decided to take a look at why there was so much apathy expressed by expats. They discovered that 20% of the people they asked were under the false impression that they would be ineligible to vote. It seems expats literally don’t realise they can vote.

The poll also discovered that 30% of British voters living in the cities around spain were not sure about their right to vote. This suggests that all of the campaigns for Brits to vote in the EU Referendum and get involved have failed. Roughly 22% of the Brits living abroad can be found in the EU. Most of them are in Spain. These are the people who are going to be affected the most if Britain leaves the EU.

Last month the challenge taken to the British High Court by two expats to have the 15-year voting rule thrown out was denied by the judges. This means that the only Brits abroad that can vote are those who have been registered in a UK constituency in the past 15 years. As long as they are registered to vote that is.

Brits abroad only ha until May 16^th to register to vote; If they miss out then they miss their chance to vote and have their voice heard in the election. If they do miss this chance they can also choose someone to vote on their behalf. The deadline to register a proxy is June 7^th.

The director of communications with the Electoral Commission, Alex Robertson, believes that many expats will want to have their voices heard so he is determined to give them the chance to do so. He knows how significant the EU Referendum is and wants to get everyone who can vote out there voting.

If someone registers to vote by May 16^th they could vote using a postal service vote. Postal votes are sent out early so that they can arrive in time to be counted in the UK. If people don’t believe they can cast a postal vote in time or they missed out on the 16^th May deadline it is possible to register a proxy to vote on their behalf.

It’s Not Known Just How Many Brits Live in Spain

It’s Not Known Just How Many Brits Live in Spain

There is now way of knowing the real number of Brits living in Spain

Many of the Brits who own holiday homes in Spain don’t live in the country on a permanent basis, but do still spend a lot of their time there. As a result it’s not known just how many Brits live in Spain.

It could be two million. It could be more or less. The fact is that there is no official number for the amount of Britons that currently live in Spain. This is according to official sources. They say that it is difficult to register and keep track of who is living where and for how long they do it.

When Labour leader Jeremy Corbin spoke about the EU referendum recently he claimed that there were around three quarter of a million Brits living in Spain. The BBC quickly questioned the figure and tried to find out for themselves just how many Brits could be found in Spain. The closest we can get to official data comes from Eurostat. Eurostat says that there are 306,000 UK-born people registered as permanent residents in Spain. Almost everyone else says the number is much higher.

A lot of people throw out the “750,000” figure but this is just an educated guess. There are also claims that twice this number actually spend a majority of their year in the country, especially on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca.

The BBC also claim that one third of the Brits registered as residents of Spain claim their UK state pension. This is in line with claims that the majority of British expats are retired people who wanted to live the rest of their lives in the sun.

Brits also make up the majority of the holiday travel and property sector. Over six million Brits flocked to Spain last year. There are also plenty of Brits that live and work in the coats del sol an Spain but are yet to register as residents with their local town hall. There are some estimates that the number of unregistered Brits is higher than the number of registered ones.

Whatever the case may be Spain is still the most popular home away from home for Brits and it’s not hard to see why.

British Consulate Reveals Anxieties Brits Abroad Suffer From

British Consulate Reveals Anxieties Brits Abroad Suffer From.

While people may have an image of the quintessential Brits abroad but anyone who’s ever been to Spain, whether they are on a holiday or an expat, know that Brits in Spain love to go to Costa del Sol.

The expat community of Spain provides a look at Britain as a whole with a wide range of age, orientation, class, wealth and outlook. British expats are just as diverse, open-minded, adventurous and have a great sense of self-deprecating humour than every Brit at home.

Most brits settle well but some do not and are a fish out of water

It’s nice to be reminded that Brits abroad join many clubs and societies in Spain and can find themselves like a fish out of water, no matter how well they manage to integrate themselves. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) released data that shows the different anxieties that Brits are likely to have when moving abroad.

The data is about different calls the British consulate receives, some of which border on bizarre. One standout is the poor man calling and asking where he could find some good quality bacon in his new country. A woman in Lebanon contacted the consulate to find out where she could get an English butler.

One caller in Malaga called and asked why there were so many nudists around him without realising that he had found his way on to a nudist beach in spain.

There was a British woman in Russia who contacted the consulate because she was disappointed she had not been given a guided tour by the embassy after arriving in St Petersburg.

Foreign Minister James Duddrige says that the consular staff do everything they can to help Brits who are struggling abroad. He did ask that Brits remember the consulate are there to help people who have genuine emergencies and shouldn’t be seen as directory enquiries.

He urged the public to really think about their problem before making the call as every time they deal with a call about nudists or butlers they miss the chance to help someone in a life or death situation.

It’s important for Brits to remember that in most places, especially in the Costa del Sol in Spain, there is a huge community of resident expats in Spain who are there to help you out. They can help you deal with most problems such as finding bacon. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and shops that are designed to appeal to Brits and help them find what they love best.

Brits In Spain Need to Speak Out Soon or Miss Their Chance With EU Referendum Vote

Brits In Spain Need to Speak Out Soon or Miss Their Chance With EU Referendum Vote

The numbers may be shocking but it’s worth taking another look at them. There are currently just 283,000 Brits officially registered as a Spanish resident with the padrón. This number is small because it’s only around one quarter of the actual Brits living in Spain. Of this number only 11,000 of them are still registered to vote in the UK.

These are statistics that should worry every Brit with an interest in politics outside of the motherland. It doesn’t matter if they are in Germany, Spain, France or anywhere else in the European Union. They need to correct this oversight.

Brits in Spain need to register their vote

David Cameron recently told the European Commission his plans to renew the terms of the UK’s membership of the EU. He set out a series of reforms, proposals and promises that he would offer British people to entice them to stay in the EU. The vote will still be left to the British people though and a referendum vote could happen as early as June.

Nobody is quite sure what the so-called “Brexit” would do for the EU or Britain itself. There is one thing for sure though. If the British leave the EU then it makes things difficult for the millions of Brits who are already outside of the UK and living elsewhere in the EU.

This is why the British emabassies in Spain and France have launched awareness campaigns to get Brits living there to go and register to vote in the referendum. It’s called the Your Vote Matters campaign and, given how much they will be affected, it’s hard to argue with the name.

Foreign Office Data suggests that only 5% of overseas voters have registered to be involved in the referendum. Other embassies, such as those in Germany, Ireland, Poland, Austria and Denmark are getting involved and using social media to further the awareness campaign.

The British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, met with a community of expats living on the Costa del Sol to show his support for the campaign.

He said that even though expats are interested in the referendum not enough of them are really aware of it. He urged the expats to become more aware about the referendum and how they can get involved. They can register to vote through the government website (www.gov.uk) and you should encourage other people you know to do the same.

Brits who have been abroad for less than 15 years are able to vote through the constituency they used to live. It is pretty simple to register from overseas but it can take longer than most people realise.

This is why expats with properties inland Spain and elsewhere are being encouraged to visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. They should have their passport with them and their previous UK postcode ready to speed up the process.

Over Three Quarters of the Spanish Homes Sold to Brits Were Resales

Over Three Quarters of the Spanish Homes Sold to Brits Were Resales

While it is still early days for 2016 it looks like three trends hinted at by the end of 2015 are coming true.

The first, and the most encouraging, trend is that the Spanish property market is recovering. It looks like both house prices and the number of properties being sold is on the rise.

Costa del Sol will always be a firm favourite place to buy property 

The second trend is that buying resales properties especially in the Costa del Sol are outpacing new properties. Second hand homes are being sold at a much faster rate than new properties. The third trend that is likely linked to the other two is that British buyers are coming back.

Brits were the buyers in one fifth of homes sold to foreigners in 2015. Data has emerged from the Spanish Ministry of Public Works that reveals that 76% of the properties that were resales were bought by British nationals.

At one point British buyers were all over the new properties being built in Spain. After the economy began tumbled during the past decade this interest went down. Now that the economy is more confident the British buyers are coming back and the property market in general is recovering.

The data shows that while there is still some interest in the new build market, especially among Scandinavian and Belgian buyers, the interest is still mostly in the resale market. Just over 69,000 homes were sold in 2015 to foreign investors. This was rise of 13% over 2014.

The reason that people are buying Spanish property has also changed a little since the market started to fall a decade ago. These days most people purchasing a house are interested in a holiday home rather than seeking to rent it out and make an income.

As a result of this shift the renting market in Spain has fallen each month for the past 35 months.