Three Signs Winter is Well and Truly Over in the Costa del Sol

The temperature is rising and everyone is out and about

Are there really people out there who still don’t understand the great climate that Spain has? It’s not much of a secret that the Spanish weather is delightful, but many people only know what Spain is like during the summer; when the skies are blue, the beaches are packed, and the sun tan lotion is constantly being applied.

What isn’t as well-known is the opinion of Spaniards and expats that the best times to visit Spain are actually the spring and the autumn. There are some obvious reasons for this if you were to think about it. These are the seasons when Spain can truly offer everything on a silver platter, but there’s none of the crowds, heat, or expenses that come with taking a trip in the summer.

It’s because of this that many Spaniards get excited when the winter settles down and spring kicks in. The Costa del Sol had a surprisingly sodden winter, but the time to celebrate the arrival of spring is now. Here are the three signs winter is well and truly over in the Costa del Sol.

The Beaches are Starting to Fill Up

As the temperature during the starts to reach between 16 and 24 Celsius during this part of the year, there’s a strong temptation to hit the beach. While the southwest winds are still bracing and tough to deal with, it’s hard to deny how inviting and warm a sheltered bit of sunshine can be. Not to mention it’s never too early to start working on your tan.

Don’t think about taking that dip in the Mediterranean Sea just yet though. Things are still very cold during the night, with temperatures dropping to below 10 Celsius, making the water colder than you think. You could find the air chased out of your lungs by the time you’re waist-deep. You can also expect those lengthened shadows cast by the setting sun to creep up on you, leaving you with a sudden chill that is a sharp contrast to the warm and inviting sunshine. Make sure you go prepared, but do go to the beach, as it will be pretty much all yours right now!

Everyone is Smiling

Spaniards are generally very happy people. Even expats from Northern Europe eventually become happy and cheery people by living in Spain. Even so, winter makes those on the Costa del Sol lose some of their cheer. At least until the weather warms up a little.

By the time February rolls around everyone is back and smiling as much as possible. The Spanish are smiling again whether they are on the bus, doing their shopping, waiting in traffic, getting served in a restaurant, or just making the rounds. Spaniards aren’t big fans of the cold. While some of them will still be fighting the elements until April, smiles are still fostered through the warmer temperatures, the extra sunlight, and the longer days. Embrace and enjoy that winter is over and that, from now on, you’re in for months of sunshine.

Spanish Property Performing Well in Buy-To-Let Charts

Spanish Property Performing Well in Buy-To-Let Charts

People interested in becoming landlords are being advised they should look outside of the UK to bring in the best rental yields from their property investments in Spain.

It’s been made difficult for British landlords to see a good rental yield at home thanks to policies such as the rise in stamp duty for houses bought using a buy-to-let mortgage.

WorldFirst have done a study that shows just how badly rental yields in Britain are when compared to the rest of Europe. This study also saw that Spain was doing quite well overall. Spain was among the top half of nations where people can earn steady incomes through their rental property.

The demand for rental property is outstripping supply

The study showed that properties bought and rented in the UK have rental yields of an average of 4.3%. This put them in 21^st out of 29 countries. Sweden came in at the absolute bottom. Sweden has some strict rental controls put in place to protect tenants from things like sudden rises in rent. This is something that is good for the tenant, but discourages people from investing in property there.

This kind of protectionism can be found across all of northern Europe, in particular the Scandinavian countries, and it left the countries with low rental returns. The exception to the rule proved to be the Netherlands. The Netherlands actually came in first on the list with their 6.57% average yield.

WorldFirst believe that this healthy average yield is because property doesn’t cost as much in the Netherlands. There is also a healthy mix between the amount of people that own property there and the amount of people simply looking to rent property. Belgium also performed well with 6.47% yields, followed by Portugal with 6.29%.

Spain came roughly right in the middle at 15^th with their average yields of 4.96%. There is a lot more to this than meets the eye though. This is the national average. Some areas of Spain, such as Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol, have much higher average yields.

The more popular areas of Spain have rental returns of over 5% per year. Spain is also one of the more attractive countries because of the amount of demand for rental property there and the low prices of housing. Spain is one of the most visited countries in Europe after all.

When thinking about where to invest you need to look at more than just average yields. The public demand for accommodation, along with how difficult it is to buy property in that market, need to be considered. The Netherlands currently has no banks offering buy-to-let mortgages so Spain, Portugal, and Italy become the best choices.

The recent changes to stamp duty in the UK mean that property investors in the UK who want to get the best yields on their investment may wish to look outside of the UK when they add to their profile.

Rental properties in the Costa del Sol have been in high demand for some time and the market is so buoyant that the demand has out stripped supply. Now is a great time to buy a property in Spain and make rental income.