Around 56% of Brits enquiring about the Spanish property market are actively interested in purchasing opportunities according to a study by Spanish real estate agent Inmoaction with 27% of respondents commenting that they would buy a second home in the Iberian nation.

Results from the survey of more than 1,500 people highlights that the decline in prices in the Spanish property market is increasingly attracting British buyers looking for a well-priced dream home. Marc Pritchard Sales and Marketing Manager of leading Spanish house builder Taylor Wimpey España comments,

“While the data shows that Brits seem to be showing a great deal of interest in Spanish property, we at Taylor Wimpey España are seeing this interest translate into action. While enquiries by Brits have increased by 5.5% in August this year compared to the same time in 2011, last month saw 53% of all our property sales in August made to British clients – the strongest sales month to British buyers since September 2010! Opportunities to purchase quality properties in good locations at low prices combined with the strength of the pound to euro and 4% VAT has meant that Brits are prepared to act in order to take advantage of the current market.”

Keen to capitalize on this activity, the Spanish government and the Spanish Property Developers Association will be working together to formulate a plan that will target foreign buyers in order to help reduce the level of real estate stock on the market in Spain with a focus on Russia and China as well as EU nations.

Among the suggestions made, the Spanish Property Developers Association propose measures that will make it more straightforward for funds to be transferred to the country when they are for a real estate transaction, as well as making it simpler for property buyers to obtain entry visas.

Marc Pritchard comments,

“This plan demonstrates a sound and logical commitment from the Spanish government and Spanish Property Developers Association to propel the property market forward in Spain. Russia presents one of the best potential growth markets with the number of Russians buying holiday homes abroad, particularly in Spain having increasing tremendously over recent years. Interestingly, at Taylor Wimpey España last month, over 11% of Spanish property sales were made to Russian buyers – this is a target market that cannot be ignored and one we have been pushing for a while.”

For property hunters looking for high quality affordable property Taylor Wimpey España has some excellent properties on offer in Spain at only 4% VAT until the end 2012.

Cala Estancia residential development located in the small bay of Cala Estancia, one of the quieter spots in the heart of the bay of Palma is the ideal place to relax.

Affording 3 bed/ 2 bath apartments next to the sea, near to Palma and walking distance to all amenities, these apartments have direct sea access as well as fully fitted kitchens, air conditioning, marble floors, double glazing, modern bathrooms, allocated underground parking space and storage rooms from just 265.200€ + 4% VAT.

El Puerto II situated in Cala d´Or, south east Mallorca has 2 bedroom apartments surrounded by generous gardens with native Balearic plants and 3 communal swimming pools.

Costing from €149,500 this sophisticated complex is within reach of the blue flag beach, Cala Mondrago and floodlit tennis courts in Cala Egos, 10 minutes from Cala d’Or .

For more information on buying in Spain contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com for more information. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 244.
 

Spain experienced an all-time high in international tourist arrivals in July this year, reaching 7.7 million visitors, an increase of 4.4% over the same month in 2011 according to the Survey of Tourist Border Movements (Frontur) prepared by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism.

As well as this, the survey identified that from January to July this year, the Iberian nation received 33 million tourists, representing a rise of 3.3% year-on-year further highlighting the positive trend seen throughout 2012.

In terms of visitor nationalities, French, German and British tourists contributed most to July’s increase in arrivals with 1.76 million British tourists flocking to Spain. French tourists represented the second biggest source market with 1.27 million tourists, a 7.7% increase over the previous year while 1.17 million German visitors also made Spain their preferred destination in July.

Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Manager of leading Spanish house builder Taylor Wimpey España comments,

“Spain is a consistently popular holiday destination; one that I believe will never lose its appeal. Tourism is vital to the Spanish economy so it is great to see that the nation still continues to break records. German tourists in particular are on the up once again – we have seen a big jump in enquiries for Spanish property from this market.”

“The construction sector is performing well too after a slump in activity. In June, Spain had the second highest increase in construction sector activity across the Eurozone with a rise of 1.3%. Currently we have approximately 135 units under construction with most of these due to be finished and handed over to the new owners by the end of this year. We are also looking to begin construction of 75 new properties before year end with more in the pipeline for 2013. Our construction rates this year will far exceed levels we saw back in 2011!”

For property hunters looking for high quality affordable property Taylor Wimpey España has some excellent properties on offer in Spain at only 4% VAT until the end 2012.

Cala Estancia residential development located in the small bay of Cala Estancia, one of the quieter spots in the heart of the bay of Palma is the ideal place to relax.

Affording 3 bed/ 2 bath apartments next to the sea, near to Palma and walking distance to all amenities, these apartments have direct sea access as well as fully fitted kitchens, air conditioning, marble floors, double glazing, modern bathrooms, allocated underground parking space and storage rooms from just 265.200€ + 4% VAT.

El Puerto II situated in Cala d´Or, south east Mallorca has 2 bedroom apartments surrounded by generous gardens with native Balearic plants and 3 communal swimming pools.

Costing from €149,500 this sophisticated complex is within reach of the blue flag beach, Cala Mondrago and floodlit tennis courts in Cala Egos, 10 minutes from Cala d’Or .

For more information on buying in Spain contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com for more information. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 244.
 

What does it say on your business card?

Sales and Marketing Manager at Taylor Wimpey España, Spain’s leading house builder that has been constructing homes on the Balearics, the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol since 1958.

What has been Taylor Wimpey España’s biggest success so far this year? 

It has to be our team selling all 25 properties off plan at Cala Anguila, Porto Cristo, Mallorca which is unheard of in today’s market – nobody has achieved this over the last year. We have also sold 60% off plan at Cala Magrana III, Porto Cristo, Mallorca as of the end of July – another excellent achievement for us in 2012.

Have you got any new developments in the pipeline that we can look forward to?

Yes, regardless of what you might read about Spanish construction, we are looking to start approximately 75 new properties before year end with more to come next year. Our construction rates this year will exceed levels we saw back in 2011!

When it comes to what we have lined up, we have just pre -released Los Arqueros Beach in Marbella. This is the first phase of 24 – three bedroom/ two bathroom apartments in our brand new beach development in San Pedro de Alcantara, Marbella which is the first time in 15 years that we are able to offer properties in the Marbella beach area which are within walking distance to all amenities and the beach from just €205,000. We will also be launching another front line development on the Costa Blanca near Alicante this autumn.

In spite of the negativity of late, why should property buyers still look to Spain?           

Spain offers the best infrastructure of all possible destinations in Europe with very good flight connections, good healthcare and amazing roads and motorways. It’s a safe destination to come to and the weather is superb. At present, it is a good time to buy as long as the location of the property is good. Do not fall for cheap bank repossessed properties miles away from the coast.

In light of the bailout rumours, is it still safe to buy in Spain?                               

Of course! Sales are up 11% YTD 29th of July and I am sure the Germans wouldn’t be re-entering the market if it was unsafe.

Who is buying? Has there been a change in demographics?                    

The German market is certainly a lot stronger this year compared to the last 10 years specifically on Mallorca. Our strongest market is still the British with a market share of around 30% followed by the Germans, Belgians, Russians, Dutch and Scandinavians.

Can you still buy frontline?  

Re-sales yes but usually they’re 20 years old and need plenty of work.  Taylor Wimpey España will have a new frontline development coming up this autumn in a unique location on the Costa Blanca which will provide a very rare chance to buy a property with direct access to the beach.

With the fall in the euro, what advantage does this offer British buyers?  

If you compare the exchange rate today to the beginning of last year, property is roughly 20% cheaper now than it was then for British customers. It makes sense to buy now particularly while property is only at 4% VAT. 

For more information on buying in Spain contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com for more information. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 244.
 

Spain’s popularity as a retirement destination for Brits continues a pace as the Iberian nation takes the top spot for British retirees according to a study by annuity provider MGM Advantage.

Despite the Eurozone crisis, Spain continues to dominate as the destination of choice with France, Ireland, Cyprus and Australia also making it into the top five.

Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Manager of leading Spanish house builder, Taylor Wimpey España comments,

“Spain has been voted the number one retirement destination on a number of occasions and it’s easy to see why. Certainly the weather is a major factor in people’s decision making, who wouldn’t want to live out their golden days basking in glorious sunshine? Health too is without a doubt of great importance to this age group and Spain has an excellent healthcare system, although many overseas residents choose private healthcare to skip the queues. With an average life expectancy in Spain of over 81 years of age, they must be doing something right!”

Whilst it cannot be denied that Spain, like the rest of the world, has been hit hard by the global recession and house prices have declined but with the strength of sterling against the euro this has presented lucrative opportunities for British buyers today to purchase their ideal home in Spain for less.

It is however not just Spain’s most loyal holiday makers, the Brits who are buying second homes, German’s are beginning to re-enter the market with Pritchard commenting:

“Germans have a long history of buying Spanish property. At one stage there was a dip but now this trend is reversing as Germans begin to invest in the nation once again especially on Mallorca. We’ve actually seen a 28.6% increase in sales from German buyers between January and July this year over the same period in 2011!”

With this in mind, Mr and Mrs Haase from Brandenburg, Germany purchased a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with terrace, garden, large pool and direct sea access at Taylor Wimpey España’s biggest success story of the year – Cala Anguila, Mallorca and are completely happy with their purchase.

“The reason we chose Mallorca was because not only is it an EU country, close to Germany – just 2 hours flying time but it has a very good climate where we can get some sun and relax. Something a little hard to do in Germany! Some people might wonder if we’ve been put off by the current economic climate in Spain but for us, buying property here was more about the lifestyle Spain affords than anything else.

“We were very happy with the service we received from Taylor Wimpey España – they took very good care of us and our German representative was extremely competent and trustworthy.”

If you are considering following in the footsteps of Mr and Mrs Haase why not take a look at what Taylor Wimpey España has on offer in Spain at only 4% VAT until the end 2012.

El Puerto II situated in Cala d´Or, south east Mallorca has 2 bedroom apartments surrounded by generous gardens with native Balearic plants and 3 communal swimming pools. Costing from €149,500 this sophisticated complex is within reach of the blue flag beach, Cala Mondrago and just 10 minutes from Vall d´Or Golf Club.

Following the success of Cala Magrana I and II Taylor Wimpey España have launched phase III located just 500 metres from Cala Anguila beach and a stone´s throw from the sea on Mallorca.

The Cala Magrana III residential complex is situated very close to several golf courses and the marina of Porto Cristo and consists of 2 bedroom apartments with sea views with a Mediterranean design surrounding a communal garden and swimming pool priced from just €217,500 + VAT.

For more information please contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com for more information. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 244.

In spite of economic concerns and bailout murmurs, it seems that high spirited British travellers are overlooking the doom and gloom across Spain and other Euro nations by continuing to book holidays to the Iberian land according to Multicom’s travel booking platform FindandBook.

The findings which highlight the number of bookings made in June this year via the FindandBook system shows that the Balearic isle of Mallorca is the most booked flight-only destination and the third most popular place for package holidays.

Indeed figures based on the survey of tourist movements across boBristihrders released by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism revealed that 6 million foreign tourists visited Spain in June 2012, a 4.7% increase on the same month last year.

As far as Spanish destinations go, the Balearic Islands were the most visited by international tourists in June with an increase of 5% to 1.58 million thanks to tourist flows from Britain and the Nordic nations according to the survey.

Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Manager of Taylor Wimpey España and Mallorquin resident comments,

“Despite Eurozone concerns, Spanish destinations still feature top on holidaymaker’s wish lists thanks to easy access to the rest of Europe, superb weather and cheaper living costs. The recent  Self-Catering on a Shoestring 2012 report from the Post Office perfectly reflects just how much you can get for your money in Spain with a weekly family supermarket shop in Mallorca coming to just £57.67. In contrast, the same items purchased in the UK seaside town of Brighton were £31.41 more expensive.

“When it comes to getting more for your money, a favourable exchange rate between Sterling and the Euro combined with Spain’s dip in real estate prices have meant that Spanish property is more attractive to buyers than ever before. Although buyers are understandably a little weary we are encouraging property hunters to strike while the iron is hot particularly as Spain approved a tax increase which could see VAT payable on new property purchases increasing as of the 1st January 2013 from the current 4% super reduced rate to 10%. Buying now would mean that purchasing a property for €180,000 outright before 2013 could save you €10,800 alone in VAT!”

Further highlighting the positive spirit of potential Spanish property buyers, Taylor Wimpey España has revealed that total visits to their website increased by 12.2% between May and June compared to the same period last year with 67% of total web visits deriving from the UK market.

Pritchard comments,

“Despite what you might read regarding Spanish property, our off plan sales this year have done very well across a number of developments. In just 7 months we have sold 50% off plan at Lagunas del Sol, Costa Blanca while we have sold 52% off plan in just 6 months for our Cala Magrana III development in Mallorca. Our biggest success has to be the sell-out of our off plan development at Cala Anguila recently in just 13 months.”

For property hunters looking for high quality affordable property suitable for family living Taylor Wimpey España has some excellent properties on offer in Spain at only 4% VAT until the end 2012.

El Puerto II situated in Cala d´Or, south east Mallorca has 2 bedroom apartments surrounded by generous gardens with native Balearic plants and 3 communal swimming pools. Costing from €169,000 this sophisticated complex is within reach of the blue flag beach, Cala Mondrago and just 10 minutes from Vall d´Or Golf Club.

Following the success of Cala Magrana I and II Taylor Wimpey España have launched phase III located just 500 metres from Cala Anguila beach and a stone´s throw from the sea on Mallorca.

The Cala Magrana III residential complex is situated very close to several golf courses and the marina of Porto Cristo and consists of 2 bedroom apartments with sea views with a Mediterranean design surrounding a communal garden and swimming pool priced from just €217,500 + VAT.

For more information please contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com for more information. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 244.

Families looking to make their holiday money go further this summer should look no further than the much loved destination of Spain according to recent findings from The Post Office Family Holiday report.

Currently, British families will have around 11.5% more spending money this year than last as the pound reaches a 12-month high against the Euro and with Spanish regions such as the Costa del Sol being voted one of the cheapest summer destinations for holiday extras including suncream, drinks, ice creams and meals out according to the study, there’s every reason to visit Spain this summer.

If this news wasn’t reason enough, families wondering where to take the kids this year now the long summer break has arrived might be interested in hearing that Spain has recently been voted the least stressful destination for parents looking to take their children on holiday. According to Jet2Holidays who conducted the survey, 30% of parents voted Spain as being the least stressful destination.

Meanwhile, if traveling without kids is an option, M&S Money has revealed that the average British adult will be around 25% wealthier if they take an overseas beach holiday than residing in London during the first week of the 2012 Olympic Games with Alicante revealed as the lowest priced destination at £927.

Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Manager of Taylor Wimpey España comments,

“Spain is consistently a popular choice for families due to its affordability and abundance of child-friendly Blue Flag beaches. As a parent, there’s no need to worry about a long flight and lack of activities to keep the kids entertained. Indeed, Spain was voted the most family friendly country last year (ABTA Consumer Trends survey) and it’s great to see that this accolade continues.

“At Taylor Wimpey España our properties have been designed to obtain maximum comfort with good sized and well thought out rooms all with excellent outdoor areas and suitable swimming pools. As well as this, our properties are well positioned, close to beaches and marinas where there’s plenty to do whether that’s for the children or the child inside you.”

For property hunters looking for high quality affordable property suitable for family living Taylor Wimpey España has some excellent properties on offer in Spain at only 4% VAT until the end 2012.

El Puerto II situated in Cala d´Or, south east Mallorca has 2 bedroom apartments surrounded by generous gardens with native Balearic plants and 3 communal swimming pools. Costing from €204,500 this sophisticated complex is within reach of the blue flag beach, Cala Mondrago and just 10 minutes from Vall d´Or Golf Club.

Following the success of Cala Magrana I and II Taylor Wimpey España have launched phase III located just 500 metres from Cala Anguila beach and a stone´s throw from the sea on Mallorca.

The Cala Magrana III residential complex is situated very close to several golf courses and the marina of Porto Cristo and consists of 2 bedroom apartments with sea views with

a Mediterranean design surrounding a communal garden and swimming pool priced from just €205,000 + VAT.

For more information please contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com for more information. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 244.