British love for Spanish islands on the up as Valentine’s Day approaches
- 60% of top trending locations based in the Canaries (Kyero.com)
- New ‘rising star’ locations reflect British hunt for value
- Lliria, Oliva and Santa Pola all ready to boom this summer
Love is in the air across the UK as Valentine’s Day approaches, from couples opting for an evening out to families looking to fan their passion for holidays in the sunshine. And when it comes to second homes in Spain, British love for overseas property has rarely burned more strongly.
Richard Speigal, Head of Research at Spanish property portal Kyero.com, reveals,
“The Brexit referendum back in June seems to have started a snowball effect. Each month we’re seeing record-beating numbers of searches for second homes in Spain, with Brits eager to pick up bolt-holes within the confines of the EU.”
The latest data from Kyero.com (Jan 2017) reveals that enquiries into Spanish property are up by 36.07% year-on-year, while Kyero.com’s overall audience has grown by 42.32% over the same period. The most popular locations are Playa del Ingles, Torrevieja and Gran Canaria’s Puerto Rico.
Island life is certainly drawing in plenty of enquiries, with six of the top ten most popular second home destinations located across the Canaries. However, buyers are still being cautious with their expenditure while facing the uncertainties that the Brexit process holds. Of the top ten locations, only two had an average price of more than €200,000.
The latest Kyero.com figures also reveal that buyers are increasingly falling in love with areas of Spain that are less well-known as second home hotspots.
Lliria and Oliva in Valencia, and Santa Pola in Alicante, were all new entrants into the top 20 most popular destinations, at positions 16, 19 and 17 respectively. The average price is €110,000 in Lliria, €130,000 in Oliva and €159,500 in Santa Pola, again emphasizing the push for reasonably priced properties in run up to Article 51 being triggered.
“The trend is becoming clearer as each month’s figures come in,” observes Kyero.com’s Richard Speigal. “Brits aren’t letting Brexit affect them in terms of their Spanish property ownership goals. In fact, more than ever seem to be falling for the sun-kissed lifestyle that Spain can offer. But that doesn’t mean they’re not thinking carefully about the future. Caution is very much the watch-word when it comes to Brits buying in Spain these days.
“The new entrants into the top 20 trending locations definitely reflect that. It means that Lliria, Oliva and Santa Pola are all names that are going to become increasingly familiar to Brits over the coming months.”
It’s easy to see why. An average-price, €110,000 property in Lliria is enough for a smartly decorated three-bedroom villa with its own pool, terrace and orchard complete with fruit trees. In Oliva, €130,000 is enough for a stylish second line beach apartment with sunny terrace, on a complex with pools for adults and children, garden areas and communal terraces.
Meanwhile in Santa Pola the average cost of €159,500 is sufficient for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment overlooking the sea with shared pool on a gated complex, with private solarium with barbecue and kitchen.
With properties and prices like these available, the British “Brexit, what Brexit?” attitude looks set to continue working wonders for the Spanish property market over the months ahead.
For further details, visit www.kyero.com.