Study Finds Spain Most Active EU Country

While Spain is currently being cooked by the kind of sweltering heat that is good for exercising in, the fact Spain sees so much warm weather all-year-long is no doubt one of the reasons that it is the most active country in the European Union.

Researchers from the Stanford University in America tracked average step counts of people across 46 countries based on data from their smartphones.

The study showed that the average Spaniard walks 5,936steps, putting the country ahead of every other country in the EU. Hong Kong was the most active country on a global scale, with China and Japan coming in second and third. Indonesia came in last.

The Spanish proved to be much more active than the rest of Europe. The rest of the top five was made up of Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Britain. The Greeks came in last for Europe, averaging around 4,400 steps each day.

The reason behind the research was to assess the correlation between activity and obesity and heart disease rates. This is one example where correlation is in fact causation. Hong Kong is one of the most active countries and also the country with some of the lowest heart disease and obesity rates there is. Hong Kong was also the country that saw the smallest gap between the most and least active walkers. The study showed there was also a connection between the size of this gap and obesity rates.

The Stanford professors refer to it as an “activity in equality” and say that it is a good indicator of the general health of the population of a country. Hong Kong scored top in the world with a rating of 22.2, while Spain was able to place in the global top 10 with a rating of 26.1.

Following the data would make the least active countries the USA, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Canada – which also happen to be the countries with the largest carbon footprints in the world per capita.

Given the active nature of Australians however, it looks like step-count data isn’t enough by itself to determine the health of a nation.

For Spain however, the combination of an outdoors lifestyle, Mediterranean diet, and solid balance between work and life have apparently created one of the healthiest countries there is.

Survey Finds Spaniards are More Confident About Economy

Survey Finds Spaniards are More Confident About Economy

Spain is back and every sector is on the up.

Over half of Spanish people now believe that the economy of the country is doing well almost a decade after one of the worst recessions to ever hit the country.

The survey was carried out by international consulting firm GAD3 and it showed 52.5% of Spaniards had confidence that Spain will be one of the best-performing economies of Europe, a claim supported by leading economists who believe the country really is leading the way for growth.

This represents an 11.3% increase in optimism since the survey was put out last year, and it reflects the experiences of the average Spaniard, as more jobs and improved job security are becoming reality for many people across the country.

A poll that covered just Barcelona conducted by the City Hall discovered Barcelona residents no longer consider being employed and their working conditions to be their primary concern. This is the first that job security hasn’t been the main concern since 2009.

However, the poll also showed that Barcelona residents are starting to feel the pressure of tourism. The city continues to grow as a cultural, beach, and party hub of the world. It’s bringing plenty of prestige and money to the city, but it’s also starting to infringe on the livelihoods of residents.

Tourism concerns hit the top of the polls for the first time in history, causing Deputy Mayor Gerardo Pisarello to declare that the issue has nothing to do with some kind of “tourism phobia” ad that people in Barcelona remain fans of travel and seeing tourists. The condition is one of concrete malaise caused by overcrowding.

Barcelona recorded nine million official overnight stays in 2016, but the City Hall estimates that the real number is closer to 30 million after accounting for rental options including AirBnB and private lets.

Barcelona famously announced that they planned to limit tourism numbers; as the city council have begun to refuse to grant new hotel licenses.

Barcelona’s success has been great for the economy of the city – as it has been great for the entire country – but, much like with the improved job market, the country needs to do some additional work to ensure as many people as possible are helped by the economic benefits.

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.

Study Finds People in Spain Don’t Drink Enough Water

Study Finds People in Spain Don’t Drink Enough Water

Its a fact, we all need to drink more water

As the temperature in Spain continues to rise for the summer, there’s a strong urge to throw yourself into the nearest body of water. There’s also the temptation to find a sweet shaded spot and enjoy a chilled wine or a fruity sangria.

Such are the simple pleasures of life in Spain that have been embraced by the Spanish and expats alike. Heat also brings dehydration however, and a recent study by the Spanish Royal National Academy of Medicine has discovered Spanish men and women aren’t getting enough water. The issue could quickly give rise to serious health problems down the line.

The study showed that less than one in five Spanishresidents was getting the daily recommended amount of 2.5 litres of water per day (for men) or 2 litres of water per day (for women).

The snarky among you might comment that they drink more than 2 litres of beer in a few hours, but the truth is wines and spirits, and even tea and coffee, are diuretics. This means that they cause you to pee more, leaving you dehydrated rather than rehydrated.

The way to stay hydrated is to drink juice and water, but the study showed that the average Spanish man drinks 1.7 litres of water a day, while the average woman consumes 1.6 litres.

Both sexes can expect to be left feeling tired and dehydrated when consuming just 20% less than the recommended amount. This can impair their work performance and increases the risk of a fatal road accident.

Being thirsty is a prime sign that your body is already dehydrated. It shouldn’t be considered a sign that you’re good to crack open another beer and drink some wine.

There’s no need for things to stay this way however. Spanish tap water is completely safe to drink, and can actually be quite delicious – as long as it’s not from Majorca! Bottled water is cheap and plentiful in Spain as well. If you feel that 2 litres of water is just too much, then remember that it’s just four bottles of 500ml or three pints of water. Anyone can fit that into their day.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on the colour of your urine. Yellow urine – to the point it’s darker than straw – is a sign that you’ve become dehydrated and should grab a glass of water.

Staying hydrated is a major issue in Spanish summertime, when being dehydrated can lead to sun and heatstroke, especially as the temperatures reach up to the mid-30s; which they do every single Spanish summer

Poll Finds 70% Of British Expats Unlikely to Return Home

Poll Finds 70% Of British Expats Unlikely to Return Home

With the wonderful sunshine and Mediterranean lifestyle

its no wonder why no one wants to go back to the cold of

northern europe

The decision to become an expat is not something one takes lightly. It can be stressful to uproot your entire life. If you plan carefully however, then you’ll likely have a positive experience. Things are so good for expats, in fact, that a recent poll of British expats suggested that 69% of them had no intention of ever returning home.

The survey was conducted by the financial services organisation deVere Groups. It found that many British expats are very happy with their current lives as only 10% said that they would consider moving back home to the UK, with only 21% answering “maybe” they would go back.

One of the main reasons that Brits move abroad is to findwork, with just under a quarter of those polled saying they moved for their jobs.

The survey looked at around 1,000 Brits living abroad in countries such as Spain, Australia, the UAE, and South Africa. It shined a light on the main motivating factors behind Brits moving abroad, what the expat life is like, and their long-term plans.

One thing of note was the discovery that 72% of Brits still send some money back the UK regularly, either adding to their savings account or supporting their family members. Of the people polled, 87% of respondents said that they had an easier time saving money after moving, while the majority added that they had a better quality of life compared to life at home.

The CEO of deVere Group Nigel Green says that more Brits than ever are living outside of the UK. There are now officially 5 million Brits living overseas, but it’s believed that the real number is higher as many expats don’t take the time to register themselves with the authorities of their new countries.

Green added that if one were to extrapolate the data from the poll and put it against the number of official British expats, it would mean that around 3.5 million Brits living outside of the UK had no desire to ever come home.

Green said the survey shows that many people considering a move abroad can expect to have a fulfilling and rewarding experience. There are a number of reasons for this, including better career opportunities, a lower cost of living, a higher quality of life, top-notch education and childcare, lower crime levels, and great weather.

Even though many expats currently believe that they will stay outside of the UK – and precious few studies have been conducted on the return rate of long-term expats – there is evidence that suggests more than the 70% of expats indicated in the survey will come home to the UK one day. ManyBritish retirees living in Spain will usually return to the UK when they near the end of their lives, in order to spend time with their family.

Study Finds Costa del Sol One of the Best Value Beach Destinations in Europe

Study Finds Costa del Sol One of the Best Value Beach Destinations in Europe

There are 100's kilometres of fantastic beaches on the Costa del sol

A study from the UK Post Office of 19 European beach destinations discovered the Costa del Sol is the third-most affordable resort in Europe.

Even though Sunny Beach in Bulgaria was the top of the polls, it was still impressive for the Costa del Sol to come in third behind the Algarve in Portugal, especially given that the region comes with some of the most luxurious and family-friendly resorts in the world.

The Post Office survey analysed the cost of a basket of the everyday items a family would need on holiday. They found that it would cost £61 for all these items in the Costa del Sol. The basket includes 10 holiday staples such as ice cream, sun cream, and evening drinks and meals.

At the Sunny Beach of the Bulgarian Black Sea, the basket cost just £37, and £58 in the Algarve.

An interesting statistic is that the most expensive location in Europe can also be found in Spain. This shopping basket would cost £131 in Ibiza. So, by comparison, the Costa del Sol is incredible value.

While Marbella and Puerto Banús might not have the reputation and the nightlife of Ibiza, they are still able to stand their ground as far as glamorous clubs goes. In terms of theme parks, beaches, weather, restaurants, transport, choice and culture; there’s a wealth of choice in Costa del Sol.

Not far away from Cosat del Sol is the Costa Blanca, where the tourist basket would be £76; over 25% more expensive than in the Costa del Sol. It’s £89 in Majorca, around 47% higher than in the Costa del Sol.

The top five was completed by Marmaris in Turkey and Paphos in Cyprus. The five most expensive resorts of Europe were Ibiza, Sorrento of Italy, Nice of France, Zadar of Croatia, and the Lisbon coast in Portugal.

Latest Data Finds Spain is Home to 30% of Vineyards in EU by Area

Latest Data Finds Spain is Home to 30% of Vineyards in EU by Area

Spanish wine has always been placed in a bit of a unique position by the wine drinkers of the world.

Spanish wines have long been considered the best in Europe

It’s not quite as traditional or exceptional as French wine, nor is it as romantic as Italian wine. It doesn’t carry the buzz of the New World wines of Chile, South Africa, and Australia. Spanish wine is the kind of wine you take with you for a housewarming party. It says you aren’t cheap, but that you aren’t going to splash out either because your friends have a new house.

This “everyman” nature of Spanish isn’t a bad thing however. It is because of this that Spain has become the largest wine producer in the European Union, according to data released by Eurostat this week. The data shows that Spanish vineyards account for 30% of vineyards in the EU.

With 940,000 hectares, Spain has a larger area of vineyards than any other member of the EU. France came in second with 803,000 hectares (25%), with Italy snatching third with its 610,000 (19%). Portugal was a distant fourth, with only 199,000 (6%).

There’s an interesting statistic hidden in the data. Romania – which is the fifth-largest wine producer with 184,000 hectares – is also the EU country with the most individual wineries. There are 855,000 wineries in Romania, putting it well ahead of Spain, which came in second with 518,000 wineries.

Spain is still one of the most important producers of plonk in the EU however, as grapes from Spain are used not just in Spanish wine, but also in French and Italian wines. The Castilla-la-Mancha region of Spain is the largest wine producing region; housing 434,000 hectares – 14% of the entire vineyard area of the EU. The other large regions are Languedoc-Roussillon (293,000 hectares) and Aquitaine (144,000 hectares) which are in France.

The EU has a total of 3.2 million hectares of vineyards spread among 2.4 million individual sites. Most nations in the EU have some vineyards at least, all the way from Romania to the UK (553 vineyards) and Luxemburg (326 vineyards).

There are a few EU countries with absolutely no vineyards. They include Belgium – which has beer, Ireland – which has Guinness, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania – where the weather is too cold, Poland, Finland, and Sweden – with similar weather issues, and, perhaps most surprisingly, the Netherlands.

Study Finds Costa del Sol is Home to Most Accessible Airport in Europe

Study Finds Costa del Sol is Home to Most Accessible Airport in Europe

Malaga Airport is now one of the top airports in Europe

While it could not be the most scientific study ever performed, the millions of tourists expected to hit the Costa del Sol in 2017 are unlikely to care. Travel info and comparison platform GoEuro has ranked the Malaga airport as being the easiest one to access with public transport in Europe.

The Malaga-Costa del Sol terminal got a total score of 99.9 out of 100, putting it ahead of the other 29 busiest airports in the continent as far as accessibility goes; in particular with regards to public transport.

Even though the airport doesn’t have overground and underground railway connections like other major airports in Europe, it is appealing because of its sheer simplicity; there are quick, affordable, and regular buses connecting the terminal to the centre of Malaga for just €2 (or €1.80 for the train), with fleets of coaches ready to ferry holidaymakers over to Marbella, Torremolinos, Fuengirola, and even further.

Since the Malaga-Costa del Sol airport received an upgrade in 2010, it has become one of the unsung heroes in the record-breaking success the Costa del Sol has seen with tourism, efficiently moving thousands of holidaymakers to and from southern Spain with barely any hassle.

Passenger numbers for this year are already up 18.4% compared to the same time period in 2016, suggesting 2017 is going to be another record breaking year.

While many of the arrivals will head straight for the coast, the Malaga-Costa del Sol airport is also top of the charts due to its location near a city centre, as you can be in the heart of Malaga with a short trip o a bus or train. Second and third place in proximity to the city centre went to the Lisbon and Nice-Cote d’Azure  airports respectively.

Elsewhere in the country, the Palma de Majorca airport came in ninth for accessibility, with 10^th and 11^th place taken by El Prat in Barcelona and Madrid-Barajas airports for their quick, convenient, and affordable public transport.

The study found that Warsaw airport in Poland was where the cheapest public transport airport journey could be found in Europe.

Poll Finds Most Spaniards Willing to Adopt European-Style Working Hours

Poll Finds Most Spaniards Willing to Adopt European-Style Working Hours

Spanish daily newspaper 20 Minutos conducted a poll that showed around 80% of Spaniards would enjoy taking shorter lunch breaks and finishing work earlier, which would bring Spain into line with most of Europe.

The Spanish Siesta days are looking numbered.

The Mediterranean working culture of Spain has been an anomaly in Europe for quite some time. Workers in Spain start later, have longer lunch breaks, and finish later than many other Europeans. Many Spaniards are ready and willing to change things though.

In order for the change, the government has said on many occasions that they plan to bring Spain back into Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to bring the country in line with Europe.

Even so, it would be a while before the working culture itself is changed. The good news is that the idea of a typical 9-5 working day isn’t that bad for the majority of Spaniards living in Spain, who would be happy to accept it.

The poll from the newspaper found just over two-thirds of people polled wouldn’t mind a shorter lunch break. Some Spanish workers – especially in the retail sector – can face lunch breaks of up to three hours.

People are also becoming dissatisfied with the 11:00-11:30 “breakfast break”. 64.5% of Spaniards surveyed said they would be willing to lose it, and 82% of Spaniards surveyed said that they would prefer it if the working day was more condensed.

Many European companies that are established in Spain have already adopted the European style of working hours, such as real estate companies and many others.

Study Finds Costa del Sol Holiday Costs to Fall in 2017

Study Finds Costa del Sol Holiday Costs to Fall in 2017

The demand for the Costa del Sol continues

even if prices drop slightly

The latest Post Office Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer suggests that the average price on a basket of “holiday goods” will fall by around 3% in the Costa del Sol during 2017. This annual Barometer looks at the average prices of holiday essentials like sunscreen, beer, wine, dining out, ice cream, and toiletries in 44 of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

2017 is going to see the main resorts of the Costa del Sol be a little cheaper compared to last year, meaning that holidaymakers will be able to stretch their euros and pounds a little further.

It’s expected that the cheapest destination in 2017 will be Algarve in Portugal; where it will only cost you £33.36 to pick up a basket of these staple goods. This is a price drop of £4 compared to last year.

A basket of holiday goods in the Costa del Sol will cost £38.79, putting Spain in third place behind Sunny Beach in Bulgaria at £33.53. There aren’t any other destinations below this £40 threshold. In fact, the fourth cheapest resort – Marmaris in Turkey – could cost up to £49.74 for a basket of holiday goods.

Andrew Brown of the Post Office Travel Money said that holidaymakers can’t do much about the value of the sterling, but they can still do their homework and travel to places where the costs are low on things such as meals and drinks.

Europe is going to be one of the best places for value this year as nine of the ten cheapest destinations can be found in the continent. The Post Office also found that local prices fell in half of the European cities and resorts surveyed; further increasing the value of European destinations.

Study Finds Spain Smart Choice for Expats

Study Finds Spain Smart Choice for Expats

With the cost of living being so low and the excellent

Spanish lifestyle, its no wonder why more people

want to live in Spain

TotallyMoney.com; a credit comparison website, has looked at data from across Europe to finally answer the question of which countries in Spain offer Brits the best place to live. To the surprise of very few Spain scored pretty highly.

The website put together an infograph looking at the various metrics Brits consider when choosing amongst the top ten most popular countries in Europe to live.

These metrics included the average salary, weekly hours worked, and paid leave. Germany might have topped the poll – scoring well for salary and average amount of hours per week worked – Spain still came in third; just behind France.

The Infograph shows that Spain has an average annual salary of €27,000, which is equal to the average salary of the UK. While the Spanish are working slightly longer than Brits on average, and they have less paid leave, Spain is also a much cheaper place to live; ranking 73 out of 100 for cost of living (Britain ranked 100).

When you include that Spain has more public holidays than Britain and it just makes the country even more of an attractive choice.

TotallyMoney.com made surveying Brits part of the study. They asked Brits what motivates them to want to emigrate in the first place. One third of those polled felt they were overworked and half of them felt they were underpaid.

While Spanish wages might not be much higher, there is a reduced cost of living. So even if they were to earn exactly the same wage Brits would have more disposable income and an excellent Spanish lifestyle to enjoy it on.

Study Finds British Expats Getting Younger

Study Finds British Expats Getting Younger

More and more younger people are moving to Spain

The number of British expats aged between 25 and 35 has dramatically increased since 2011. For the past few decades it’s been pretty easy to imagine what the profile of the average British expat was; British people living in Spain and aboard were typically at least 50-years old and loved living a good old fashioned British live; the difference being that they had a nice tan, lived on a small bit of beach with a bar and a greasy spoon café, and about the only words of Spanish they knew were the British staples of “please” and “thank you”.

But now a survey from the British bank NatWest has shown that the demographics have changed. These days British expats are getting increasingly younger, have more upward mobility, and accept that they may only be living overseas temporarily.

The survey from NatWest also showed that, as recently as 2008, roughly two-thirds of the British expats living abroad felt that they were “lifers”; that they would stay overseas permanently and would never go back home due to many factors such as low cost of living, healthier lifestyle, warmer climate, remote working and many many more reasons.

Now the number of Brits who feel that they would never go back home is down to just one third. Back in 2008 only one in ten of the Brits who moved overseas did so for their work or another temporary assignment. Now that number is up to 50% - and these expats are getting younger.

As companies worldwide are looking to hire a more mobile staff the idea of moving to another country and working there for a few years is becoming more common. The survey from NatWest found that one in four British expats are aged between 25 to 35, compared to one in six from 2011.

The gender breakdown of these expats is becoming almost as equal as Spain itself. In 2011 only one-third of Brits who sought out a new life overseas were women. Now around half of British expats are women.

Dave Isley, head of NatWest International Personal Banking said that the typical expat doesn’t look how they used to. There was a time when moving abroad was such a huge commitment that everything would change for anyone who made the change.

He added that people are more willing to move to new shores to find adventure and start a business or advance their career thanks to the advances in remote working and the many ways that people can stay in touch with their friends and family.

Poll Finds 92% of Spanish Expats Satisfied with Life

Poll Finds 92% of Spanish Expats Satisfied with Life

InterNations recently conducted their Expat Insider survey and found that practically every expat living in Spain says they are satisfied with their life in the country.

The annual poll was released this week and also includes what the main attractions of Spain are; people love the warmth, the landscape, the family-friendly atmosphere, and the accessibility of the country. These were the reasons most expats gave for why they choose to live inSpain.

Spain ranked 14^th out of 67 countries polled. While it performed well in a number of metrics the country was let down by the lack of employment opportunities. Only 42% of those polled said that they felt positive about their career prospects in Spain. This category has a global average of 55% but, as many expats end up moving to Spain in order to work, this figure of 42% could be misleading.

When Spain was ranked on just why it attracts expats then it scored quite well. Over ¾ of the people who were polled said that Spain was just easy to settle down in, which was well above the global average of 59%. 86% of those polled said that the Spanish people are also friendly and welcoming.

84% of those polled also praised the Spanish weather and said that it was another positive factor of Spanish life. Only 1% of those polled said that they were dissatisfied with the Spanish weather after moving to the country.

The poll was conducted on over 14,000 people across 174 nationalities living in over 191 countries globally. Only the countries that saw more than 50 responses were ranked which is why it only goes to 67. This leaderboard of 67 countries was topped by Taiwan, Malta, Ecuador, Mexico and then New Zealand.

Spain was one of the most favoured European countries after Malta, Austria, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic. Spain was certainly one of the most popular ones. Given how many people responded about Spain it’s almost a miracle that the numbers were so high.

Then again perhaps it isn’t all that surprising. Just look around and see the beaches, mountains, cities in Spain, people, infrastructure and economy of the country and you’ll soon see it really is one of the best places to live.

Study Finds The Spanish Property Market Performs Strongly in Europe’s Buy-To-Let Chart

Study Finds The Spanish Property Market Performs Strongly in Europe’s Buy-To-Let

Buy to Let out strips demand in the Costa del Sol which is good news

People looking to become landlords should consider investing outside of the UK if they want to bring in better rental yields. A British investor after good returns from their buy-to-let investment will find it more difficult after the recent hike on stamp duty.

Money transfer company WorldFirst took a look at the situation and saw how poorly British properties performed with rental yields by comparison to the rest of Europe.

This study also discovered that, on the other hand, Spain performed pretty well. Spain came in the top half of nations for bringing in money though rental income.

Going back to the UK though, the study found that a buy-to-let property in the UK would generate an average rental yield of 4.3%. This was enough to rank the UK 21^st out of 29. The bottom country was Sweden where there are strict rental controls. In Sweden a tenant is protected from having their rent hiked and this, along with other restrictions, discourage investment.

It was found that countries in Northern Europe, especially in Scandinavia, didn’t have very high rental returns. The only exception to this was the Netherlands where the average yield is 6.57%, making it the best market for buy-to-let properties.

WorldFirst believe that this is because of the low property costs in the Netherlands, and the healthy balance between the amount of people that own property and the amount of people that want to rent it.

Outside of Spain and the Netherlands other countries for the buy-to-let market were Belgium with yields of 6.47 and Portugal with yields of 6.29%.

Spain came in almost at the exact middle point by taking the rank of 15^th with their average yields of 4.96%. This was the average yield however. In some of the more desirable areas, such as Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, the yields may be much higher.

These are areas where the rental yields constantly come in at over 5% a year. They also have some very affordable properties for sale and there’s plenty of demand as Spain is one of the most visited countries in Europe. All of this goes together to make Spain a far more attractive country for the buy-to-rent market than these numbers suggest.

Overseas property specialist Simon Conn has himself suggested that when looking at these average yields it is also important to consider the public demand for housing and how easy it is to buy property in that foreign market. For example, the Netherlands may have the best yields but it doesn’t have the same amount of banks willing to lend on a buy-to-let property. Thus Spain, Portugal and Italy actually become the best choices.

In a comment about the study an analyst for WorldFirst, Edward Hardy, said that after the changes to stamp duty British investors may want to look further to find the best deal for high returns on their investment.

Buying property in the Costa del Sol is considered very bullish and the demand for rental property is very strong as many new northern Europeans come to rend first before they buy.