A holiday home for all seasons – how to ensure a Spanish second home has year-round appeal
- Air conditioning that heats and year-round local services essential (Taylor Wimpey España)
- Think through off-season entertainment options, particularly with children (Taylor Wimpey España)
- Spain’s property prices up 6.8% in past year (INE), reflecting continued demand
Long, lazy summer days on the beach in Spain have prompted many to think seriously about buying a second home in Iberia. Easily accessible from the UK and enjoying far better weather, Spain is a popular choice for Brits looking to own a slice of the sunshine overseas.
Buying a second home in Spain can also make financial sense for families looking to grow their capital. Prices there rose by 6.8% during the year to Q2 2018, according to the INE Housing Price Index. For the Balearic and Canary Islands, the rises have been even more impressive, standing at 9.2% for the year to August 2018, based on TINSA’s figures.
For those taking the plunge and looking to buy a holiday home after a summer viewing, leading Spanish home builder Taylor Wimpey España has a few words of caution.
“Spain enjoys a much warmer climate than the UK. However, that doesn’t mean it is consistently warm year-round! Property buyers need to consider this when buying a property that they plan to use over the winter months.”
Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey España
While ‘Spain’ and ‘cold’ are two words you don’t hear together often, the increasing unpredictability of cold fronts over the winter months mean that property buyers need to think about seasonal variations. All Taylor Wimpey España homes, for example, including air conditioning units that heat as well as cool, providing owners with the ability to create a comfortable interior temperature whether it’s 40°C or blowing a gale outside.
Nor is it just the home itself that buyers need to consider from a seasonal perspective. Many areas that enjoy a bumper summer season can take on a distinctly ghost town-esque atmosphere over the winter months.
“While the peace of deserted towns over the winter months appeals to some buyers, those with young children – and, indeed, older children – may well struggle to entertain them off season in the wrong area! Buyers should therefore consider carefully what will be available to them in their preferred location outside of the summer months.”
Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey España
It is something that the Taylor Wimpey España take into account when looking at where to build their properties. Proximity to golf clubs with spa facilities, great restaurants that serve local crowds year-round, playparks and shops are all considered as part of the process.
“Buying a holiday home that can be used in every season is about looking at the whole package. Buying somewhere that’s booming in the summer, then spending the Christmas holidays there – and trying to pull together festive feasts from a minimally stocked local store – doesn’t always make for the treasured memories that people are looking for!”
Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey España
With a 60-year history of providing high specification holiday homes to overseas buyers, Taylor Wimpey España is well positioned to advise on such matters. The company’s La Vila Paradis development at the Costa Blanca’s Villajoyosa is an excellent example. The front-line beach apartments and townhouses, with their on-site pool and perfectly landscaped gardens, are perfect for making the most of the summer. The last, key-ready properties are available from €279,000 plus VAT.
Both a working town and a popular tourist area, Villajoyosa provides plenty of entertainment options over the winter months too, from its bustling restaurant scene to the must-see chocolate museum. The weekly market and (almost) daily fish market also mean that catering is a joy in Villajoyosa, no matter what season it may be. With so much to do and superb quality homes on offer from Taylor Wimpey España, buyers can be confident in making Villajoyosa their second home destination of choice, come rain or shine.
For more information please contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit http://www.taylorwimpeyspain.com/. If you reside outside of the UK you will need to call 00 34 971 706 972.