• Demand for Spanish properties under £50k more than 4 x supply levels
• Ruins available from as little as £5k
• Politics and pressures of modern life pushing many to live the rural renovation dream

New Year is a time for making changes and taking on new projects – and few projects bring with them the challenges, excitement and rewards of renovating a ruined property.

In fact, data from Spanish property portal Kyero.com has revealed that demand for properties below £50,000 is hugely outstripping supply. The portal’s latest figures show that demand for such properties is more than four times supply levels.

Richard Speigal, Head of Research at Kyero.com, explains why 2017 looks set to be a big year for property renovations in some of the most beautiful parts of rural Spain,

“There are a host of factors pushing buyers towards ruin renovation at the moment. We’ve seen from the huge boom in searches for Spanish property that the Brexit vote seems to have, if anything, whetted Brits’ appetite for Spanish homes rather than driving down interest. At the same time, buyers from the UK are looking for cheaper solutions as a result of the pound’s decline, so buying a dilapidated farmhouse and doing it up is an attractive option.”

Owning a property in Europe ‘just in case’ is certainly something that appeals to many of those facing the UK’s rather uncertain, post-Brexit future.

The advantage of buying a ruin is undoubtedly the price: a tumbledown, four bedroom, two bathroom farmhouse in Maella, Zaragoza province, can be picked up for just €6,500. Naturally, it needs a lot of work, but the walls are in good condition and the tranquil setting is the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern-day life. The coast is an hour’s drive away and the bright lights of Barcelona can be reached in around two and a half hours.

Those feeling the strain of the UK’s overcrowded cities, daily routine and chilly winter weather may well yearn for a simpler life, breathing in air scented by hundreds of mature fruit trees under the Spanish sunshine while coaxing a ruin back to life. The dream is certainly achievable to those who approach it with a keen eye for detail.

Kyero.com’s Richard Speigal explains,

“It’s essential when buying a finca to know what can and can’t be done with the property before you sign a contract. Find out whether there are any restrictions to building on the land, if water and electricity are already connected or could be connected in the future, if internet connectivity will be possible, and so forth.

“Think through what materials you will need, where you’ll get them from and whether you’ll do the work yourself or rely on local labour. Careful planning is essential with a project of this nature, but the rewards can be well worth the time it takes to find the perfect property.”

This six bedroom country house in Capse, also located in Zaragoza province, is an excellent example. The two storey property costs just €19,000 and enjoys a stunning setting just 200m from the Guadalope River. Utilities include bottled gas, water and the possibility of an internet connection. While the walls and much of the roof are in good condition, a complete renovation is recommended. To a buyer with the right vision (and approach), the property could offer an extensive country home in the sunshine at incredibly good value.

Even a ruin with a swimming pool isn’t out of the question – €31,000 is sufficient to buy a rural ruin complete with large balsa (open air water storage area), which can be converted into a charming, rustic swimming pool.

For further details, visit www.kyero.com.

• 2017 will see lower value destinations emerge as most in-demand locations
• International demand will remain fundamental to market strength
• UK buyer numbers unlikely to drop much due to Brexit
• Almeria, Alicante, Tenerife and Ibiza to attract most interest in 2017

2016 has been a good year for the Spanish property market. Spanish properties enjoyed steady price growth and an encouraging transaction rate during the year. House sales in Spain have recorded a 15% rise on the previous year and ten consecutive quarters of growth, which means that the Spanish property market crash officially ended in Q2 2014. According to the experts at innovative Spanish property portal Kyero.com, the country hasn’t looked back since.

As well as being a good year for Spanish property in general, 2016 was also a record-breaking year for Kyero.com. Despite Spain’s stubbornly high unemployment rate, weak economy, restricted credit and a period of almost no government, the property portal has flourished – much like the country’s housing market.

Richard Speigal, Head of Research at Kyero.com, explains why,

“Spain’s market has two unusual advantages. Firstly, it had nowhere to go but up. The 2008 crisis completely shredded the housing market, and little short of a zombie apocalypse could have sent it lower. Secondly, Spain has incredible international appeal; with one in five property sales going to foreigners, it can endure weak local demand. British, French, German, Dutch, Belgian, Italian and Swedish buyers are picking up the slack, which has been good news for the wider market and for those involved in selling property in Spain.”

The UK’s Brexit vote looked set to disrupt the market balance in mid-2016, given that British buyers top foreign demand in Spain, but the anticipated drop-off in UK demand never materialized. Instead, overseas searches for Spanish property via Kyero.com hit all-time highs after the vote, up over 50% on 2015. The portal’s largest agents also reported seeing record attendance at UK investor shows. Buyers were certainly talking about Brexit, but still looking for Spanish in their droves while they did so. Q3 2016 figures from the Spanish land registry confirmed the trend – foreign sales in Spain were close to all-time highs.

The situation in the UK goes some way to explain this, according to Kyero.com’s Richard Speigal,

“The British housing market is currently moribund, with prices rising way beyond all the laws of affordability, and transactions at historic lows. The winners of this situation are older Brits who find themselves sitting on a vast trove of property wealth (while homeownership becomes a dying dream for their kids).

“In short, the 50+ British buyers who so love Spain are sitting on huge equity piles and Brexit didn’t diminish their wealth. As a group, British buyers are getting richer. Q3 sales to Brits may have slowed, but they are only blinking rather than quitting. The fundamentals remain healthy.”

The one area that Brexit has impacted is the hunt for value and this will translate to a key trend in the Spanish property market in 2017: the search for good value properties that offset the drop in sterling’s value. Evidence is already emerging of the benefits of this on lower priced destinations, which look set to boom in 2017.

With this in mind, and using completed sales data (via land registry statistics) and search data from Kyero.com (as a forward indicator of buyer sentiment), along with the international mix of buyers in each destination, and relative property prices, Kyero.com has identified the top four Spanish property market gems for 2017.

1. Almeria

Having seen much less development than its neighbours, Almeria retains an authentic charm that has proven popular with almost every nationality of European buyer. Q3 sales rose a massive 93% YOY, and with an average price of €129,000 it is nearly half the cost of Kyero’s national average.

Almeria is charming, well connected and very affordable and expectations are that an ever larger number of overseas buyers will discover it in 2017. Trending destinations include Vera, Mojacar and Albox.

2. Alicante

International investors buy more houses in Alicante each year than any other province of Spain, driving over half of all housing transactions. While this could make it susceptible to shocks, it’s strengths are hard to beat: excellent connections, fabulous beaches, steady sales growth and prices 10-15% lower than Kyero.com’s national average.

Alicante is a solid performer, and very hard to bet against. Trending destinations include Torrevieja, Alicante and La Marina.

3. Tenerife

The western Canaries have had an excellent year, with average prices growing steadily at 5% to €249,000 – almost exactly in line with the national average. This is the first destination in Kyero.com’s portfolio to see Italians overtake British buyers as the dominant international buyer group. Low cost flights, year-round sunshine, and a penchant for building the holiday apartments that foreign buyers crave have all made Tenerife a property hotspot. Trending destinations include Playa de las Americas, Costa del Silencio and El Medano.

4. Ibiza

This is a final – and more speculative – pick for 2017. The gravity defying housing market in Ibiza saw average prices grow 20% in 2016 to over €1.1m, with similar growth in sales. The data is hard to follow, but that’s because Ibiza has something that can’t be boiled down to a number: cachet.

This picturesque island has become a hub for international wealth, helped in no small part by Spain’s benign tax environment for high net worth individuals. With their numbers on the rise, we expect Ibiza to continue being the place they’ll show it off. Trending destinations include Ibiza Town, Sant Josep de sa Talaia and Santa Eulalia del Rio.

For further details, visit www.kyero.com.

• Top notch presentation generates 54% more leads
• Use a professional photograph to capture a property’s unique charm
• Use images that sell the lifestyle, not just the building

The phrase ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ originated in America and has been used frequently in the US press since the 1920s. It remains true to this day and is particularly relevant to those wishing to advertise a product or service, where both space to advertise and time to catch potential customers’ attention are limited.

New research from leading Spanish property portal Kyero.com has emphasised the continuing relevance of images to convey messages. Kyero.com lists more than 200,000 properties each month and analyses buyer enquiries in great detail in order to have a thorough understanding of what it is that buyers want and need.

Richard Speigal, Head of Research at Kyero.com, explains,

“Viewed through this lens, it quickly becomes obvious that the best looking properties generate the most buyer enquiries. For busy local realtors, it’s easy to think it won’t hurt to cut corners on photography and sales descriptions. However, our research shows that realtors who go the extra mile on presentation generate 54% more leads. Over a year, that adds up to a lot of extra sales.”

According to Chartbeat, the average viewer spends fewer than 15 seconds on a website. The stark figure is based on a survey of mainly media sites, but nonetheless highlights the difficulty of grasping viewers’ attention in a fast-paced online world. An outstanding image can certainly make a difference, particularly in the context of a portal, where buyers are scrolling through lists of many similarly sized and located properties. The one with the attention-catching image is the one that can generate 54% more leads, according to the Kyero.com research.

Kyero.com is working closely with the real estate agencies who present their properties on the site to ensure that such feedback is available to help them improve their services, at the same time as maximizing their pool of potential enquiries. Head of Research Richard Speigal continues,

“Kyero’s lead in the international market has made us an easy choice in areas popular with buyers from overseas, such as Alicante and Marbella. We provide agents in these areas with an instant stream of leads. There are also side benefits. Our growth came from a very early decision to operate in 13 languages (a difficult technical challenge) and all our agents get the benefit of turnkey translation systems. This is unique to Kyero, and crucial for agents who are looking beyond the domestic market.”

When it comes to photography, the message is simple: tell a story. Every property is unique and a good photographer will be able to capture the particular charms of each home. Whether it’s a townhouse with a first-floor pool or a villa with outstanding coastal views, an image that captures the lifestyle that the property promises is one that will resonate most deeply with those seeking a sun-kissed second home.

Kyero.com’s Richard Speigal concludes,

“You have so little time to capture a viewer’s attention online. Superb photography is one way to do it. The right image can make you stand out from the crowd and may well make the difference between a buyer enquiring about your property rather than someone else’s.”

For further details, visit www.kyero.com.  

• Property sales in Almeria up 93% (Spanish registrars)
• Value for money is buyers’ key focus, following Brexit vote (Kyero.com)
• Younger buyers increasingly attracted by Almeria’s charms (Spanish Property Choice)

New data from the Spanish registrars has shown that Almeria is Spain’s new hotspot, racing ahead of other regions when it comes to property sales.

Richard Speigal, Head of Research and data guru at leading Spanish property portal Kyero.com, explains,

“We’ve been studying the latest sales data from the registrars, looking for patterns across the Spanish provinces in the wake of the Brexit vote. Our own data has already revealed that British buyers are increasingly focused on value for money since the referendum. Now we’re seeing Almeria emerge as the clear choice for those looking for good value Spanish property.”

On a quarterly basis, property sales in Almeria are up by 93% when compared with Q3 2015, according to the registrars’ figures. With the rest of Spain growing modestly, Almeria stands out as enjoying a significant boom.

Almeria is in Andalusia, on Spain’s southern, Mediterranean coastline. While other Costas were busy erecting high rise developments in the late 1960s, to cram in as many tourists as possible, Costa Almeria remained largely untouched. Today, the coastal towns of Almeria effuse a sun-kissed charm that their more developed neighbours have lost for good.

Sharon Garner, Sales Director for Almeria-based Spanish Property Choice, comments,

“Costa Almeria offers exceptional value for money. Property here costs a fraction of what it does in the neighbouring Costas. Our coastal towns remain full of charm and character and just a 15-minute drive away, you can find yourself in wonderful countryside. This lifestyle is sought by a new influx of foreign buyers including French, Dutch and Germans.

“Of course, there is still as steady flow of Brits still searching for their little slice of the Spanish lifestyle. We’ve been shocked at the response to the Brexit vote by British buyers. We’ve seen a sharp rise in sales and long term lets, both of which have superseded our expectations for the year.”

Spanish Property Choice has had to expand its staff team twice already during 2016 to cope with increased buyer demand. The company’s data also reveals a shifting clientele in the past couple of years. When the company opened in 2007, overseas buyers in Almeria were largely between 55 and 65 years old. Now, it is 45 to 60 year olds who are looking for a second home in the sunshine, with early retirees joined by those looking to bring up their family in a safe, healthy environment.

Kyero.com’s Richard Speigal echoes the findings,

“There used to be a fairly well established pattern of British buyers working until their retirement date and they spending their savings on a home in the sunshine. Modern ways of working and shifting values among the younger generation are having a significant impact on that approach. Many people struggle to buy UK property well into their 30s, if not their 40s these days. With remote working an option and property prices in Spain so reasonable – and particularly so in Almeria, where the average property costs just €129,000 – the appeal of moving overseas to raise a family has never been stronger.”

By way of comparison, the average property in Alicante costs €210,000, while the average home in Malaga costs €295,000.

For further details, visit www.kyero.com.

• Average Spanish property price is €139,924 – about £116,338 (Nestoria)
• Average UK property price is £200,251 (Nationwide)
• Free Kyero.com Expert Guide to Retiring in Spain provides comprehensive info on retiring to Spain

Spanish property portal Kyero.com is well known for connecting would-be property buyers with fantastic properties across Spain, from sun-kissed villas in Mallorca to high-end apartments with pools in Barcelona. The company is also viewed as a leading authority on facts and figures relating to the Spanish property market, thanks to its in depth Data.kyero.com site. Now, Kyero.com has launched the first in a new series of guides, which are set to cement the company’s position as the go-to resource for anything and everything relating to the Spanish property market and living in Spain.

The Kyero.com Expert Guide to Retiring in Spain is available completely free as a download for all those considering spending their later life warming their bones under the Spanish sunshine. The comprehensive guide covers everything from pension and taxation considerations to helpful hints and tips about medical care, the Spanish diet and the local lingo.

The free Expert Guide to Retiring in Spain is also packed full of luscious and inspiring imagery, designed to bring to life the dream of retiring to Spain.

Martin Dell, Director of Kyero.com, comments,

“We wanted to provide a free guide that offered real value to those who read it. Deciding to retire overseas is a big life change and one that shouldn’t be undertaken lightly, but it doesn’t have to be a stressful process. Armed with the right information in advance, moving abroad can be an incredible adventure, so that’s what we’ve tried to do with the Guide to Retirement – we’ve crammed in anything and everything we can think of that will be useful to those considering spending their golden years in Spain.”

Spain is certainly a welcoming country for Brits looking to retire abroad. According to the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security, there are 275,558 British residents in Spain, though other estimates put this figure considerably higher. The plentiful sunshine, excellent value food and drink, pristine golf courses and golden beaches have all served to attract plenty of foreigners, many of whom are retirees looking to live overseas in order to achieve a better quality of life than their pension could afford them in the UK. The fact that Spain has one of the best healthcare systems in the world also comes into play.

Property prices are of course a key factor for those looking to head overseas to enjoy their retirement. According to Nestoria’s March 2016 figures, the average property price in Spain across all regions is €139,924. That’s about £116,338 at today’s exchange rate (although the recent Brexit decision means that this is subject to a great deal of variation at the moment!). In the UK, the average home costs £200,251 according to Nationwide, so retirees can get nearly twice as much for their money when buying in Spain.

And now, thanks to the free Kyero.com Expert Guide to Retiring in Spain, they can do so in an informed and enjoyable fashion.

For further details on retiring to in Spain, visit www.kyero.com and download the free Expert Guide to Retiring in Spain. For the latest data on the state of the Spanish property market, visit data.kyero.com.

Freshly compiled data from leading Spanish property portal Kyero.com has revealed the ideal second home locations for all those with a love of Spanish wine.

The world’s third largest wine producer and its biggest wine exporter, Spain has earned a loyal following around the globe for its robust reds, crisp whites and delightfully drinkable rosé wines. Now, Spanish wine lovers can take their passion one step further and pick up the perfect property as well as the perfect plonk, thanks to Kyero.com, the main source of trusted information on buying a home in Spain.

Martin Dell, Director of Kyero.com, comments,

“Many of those who visit Spain regularly delight in the country’s cuisine and particularly in the wines that are produced here. We wanted to take this one step further and look at how much it would cost to purchase a home in each of Spain’s main wine-producing regions. I think many people will be surprised to find out just how affordable it is to live in the perfect location for enjoying local Spanish wines within easy reach of the vineyards they came from.”

According to the Cámara de Valencia, La Rioja is “considered to be the foremost wine tourism destination in Spain and a world leader in the field.” The area is known for its vibrant and fruity and rosé wines and its distinctive, oak aged reds.

Yet according to the Kyero.com data, La Rioja is the joint cheapest wine region when it comes to purchasing property, coming in at an average of just €1,300 per square metre. Those on a budget can pick up a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment in the pretty city of Logroño – the autonomous community of La Rioja’s capital – for a mere €20,000. That’s the same price as just 70 bottles of the region’s priciest vintage, Contador.

Equally affordable, at €1,300 per square metre, is Cadiz province, in the Andalusia wine-producing region. Prices in the Andalusian city of Jerez de la Frontera – a name which fans of sherry will be familiar with – are even more affordable, at just €1,100 per square metre. But it’s not just bargain basement properties that can be picked up in Jerez. This six bedroom, three bathroom country house estate with swimming pool is priced at €768,750. The accommodation is split across two houses, with excellent equine facilities including stables, tack storage and a barn for hay and raising foals, as well as extensive meadowland and farmland.

Ourense province is the next cheapest wine region when it comes to property purchase prices, coming in at €1,400 per square metre. Home to the Ribeiro Wine Route and part of the autonomous community of Galicia, Ourense is known for its young, light wines full of fruity and floral notes. The whites are particularly good and make the perfect accompaniment to shellfish, cured meats and light cheeses – so perfect for an al fresco lunch in the Spanish sunshine.

Wine lovers looking for a base in Ourense will be delighted by this impressive finca, which comes with three hectares of vineyards and facilities to produce 70,000 litres of wine. It’s also ideal for nautical enthusiasts, being well located for enjoying the waters of the Miño Bar and Rivela areas.

Over in Burgos, one of just four provinces where Denominación de Origen Ribera del Duero wines are produced, property prices reach an average of €1,450 per square metre, according to Kyero.com. The area has more than 170 wineries and 18,000 hectares of vineyards, according to Berry Bros & Rudd. The reds rival those produced in La Rioja, with no whites permitted.

The Ribera del Duero region is famed for being home to Spain’s most expensive wine: Dominio de Pingus, which has an average Wine-Searcher listing price of $898. Not only is the wine produced from a tiny plot of extremely low-yielding tempranillo grapes, but the loss of 75 cases of the already-rare vintage in a shipwreck in 1997 saw the price nearly double.

For less than the price of just 37 bottles of Pingus, oenophiles can pick up an 18^th century country home surrounded by forest and rolling countryside in Burgos province. The €29,000 property includes three bedrooms and one bathroom. It is in need of total refurbishment. Two further houses on the same plot are for sale for €50,000, with the owners happy to negotiate for a quick sale, meaning a buyer with the right vision could bag an incredible bargain in this stunning region.

Vastly more expensive than the other regions is Spain’s priciest winemaking area: Barcelona province. Prices in the province as a whole are distorted by the high costs of real estate in the Catalonian capital city, meaning that the average price is €2,250 per square metre.

Catalonia’s wines are as fiercely independent as its people, according to Wine Enthusiast, with full-bodied reds coming from vines that soak up not just the sunshine but also the minerals of the granite, fractured slate and chalk soils in which they are grown.

Wine lovers looking to live close to the region’s vineyards will be delighted by this four bedroom country house with summer porch and pool at Vilafranca del Penedes, which is on the market for €450,000. The spectacular views extend for miles around – perfect for enjoying some of Spain’s best wines in the peace and fresh air of the countryside.

For further details on the perfect homes to buy in order to enjoy the wines of Spain, visit www.kyero.com. For the latest data on the state of the Spanish property market, visit data.kyero.com.