Buy British – In Spain
Spain as a holiday destination, has been attracting the British since as early as the 1830’s when sea bathing became fashionable. Curious tourists had also started to hear of the infamous Spanish bullfights and were keen to come and witness this for themselves.
Tourism was recognised in Spain as an important economic driver worthy of government support well before World War II. A chain of official hotels, known as tourist inns (paradores), were created at historical sites across the country in the 1920’s. It was during this decade that Coco Channel capitalised on the new fashion on ‘tanning’ and introduced a very daring line of swimwear. Spain started to become known for leading a new set of social standards where strangers could display themselves to one another with very little modesty.
It was in the late 1940’s that the well-known – at the time – “Spain is different’ slogan was penned. In 1951 the Ministry of Information and Tourism was born, later becoming the Ministry of Transportation, Tourism, and Communications as it is known today.
The initial boom in Spanish tourism began in the mid 1950’s with guaranteed sunshine and warm Mediterranean waters presenting a very attractive holiday opportunity for the Brits and other Northern European countries gripped by cold damp weather. Since the World Wars the population had become far braver at travel and a week in Margate or Bournemouth was no longer satisfying the modern Britain.
In 1950 tourist arrivals to Spain stood at approximately 1 million, rising to 34 million in 1973, over 78 million in 2002 and in excess of 40 million already this year. These huge rises in tourist numbers mainly driven by charter air travel becoming routine and by 1960, several coastal centres had opened up with runways suitable for mid-sized aircraft in Alicante, Málaga, and Almería.
Entire coastal villages sprouted up during the 1960’s and 1970’s with low cost accommodation, restaurants touting “international cuisine” of varying quality and nightclubs arriving on the strip.
The savvier tourist during this period of development saw the opportunity to profit off the back of this wave of tourism. Spanish construction companies started to offer new homes to discerning holiday makers and the possibility of owning a second home overseas was born.
As with many things ‘new’ and in vogue this started with a trickle that led to a stream and became a full flood by the late 80’s. The dream of having a place in the sun at an affordable price was at last a reality for many Brits.
One company that has been present throughout Spain’s massive tourism explosion is Taylor Wimpey España.
The Spanish arm ofTaylor Wimpey plc – an international housing and property company. This developer giant employs more than 3,500 people and to date has built close to 10,000 homes worldwide. Taylor Wimpey España has been operating in Spain since 1958 with a number of new and architecturally stunning developments in the Balearic Islands, Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol.
With over 50 years experience in operating in Spain, Taylor Wimpey is perhaps one of the greatest British success stories in this land of sun, sea, sand and sangria. 2011 has seen a 70% increase in customer enquiries year on year, taking the company back to the level of enquiries pre-recession with current figures showing that the British market in Spain remains their largest for overseas investors at 32%.
Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey España who has been a member of the team for nearly 20 years, comments on where he thinks their success lies:
“Being from British heritage myself I think I am qualified to say that Brits, as a rule of thumb, are sceptics. They tend to make informed decisions after considerable research and they like to know that that their investment is secure. That is why Taylor Wimpey España is the perfect choice for British buyers.
“In the UK Taylor Wimpey is an established household name, a trusted company with years of experience and shareholders to answer to ensure performance at the very highest level. This professionalism is adhered to here at Taylor Wimpey España with customer satisfaction at the heart of our company.”
Taylor Wimpey España has built thousands of homes on the Costas and Balearic islands delivering 100% customer satisfaction time after time. They offer clients this charter:
ü Quality: Our aim is to construct quality housing with an emphasis not only on construction and design but also on fittings and finishes.
ü Personalisation: We offer a wide variety of features and finishes which can be adapted to the needs, tastes and lifestyles of our customers.
ü Professionalism: We have a team of expert professionals to help you find the home that perfectly meets your needs.
ü Advice: We search out and recommend the best financing plans and mortgages available on the market for our customers.
ü Customer service: Our mission is to serve our customers with the utmost speed and efficiency, so we offer you a 24-hour helpline to solve any as quickly as possible.
We spoke to Denis Macaid who bought his Taylor Wimpey España property back in 1981. He and his family have been visiting the island year after year from this date. The development was everything it was promised to be and still is today. “It was one of the best investments I have ever made and the build quality is still apparent now, nearly 30 years later.”
An example of a property on Mallorca is El Peurto at Cala D’Or. There you can purchase a two bedroom apartment on the south east coast of the island very close to the glamorous Marina de Cala D’Or. This development has 3 communal swimming pools and the properties are surrounded by an area of outstanding natural beauty.
An apartment on El Puerto available fully furnished will set you back just €165,000 and until 31st December 2011 there is NO VAT.
For more information about buying your home in Spain through leading house builder Taylor Wimpey España call 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 244.