Spain reclaims property crown

January 9, 2012 – 5:57 pm

Spain and Tenerife property in demand

Spain has reclaimed its property crown, according to the latest Top of the Props report from TheMoveChannel. Following America’s unexpected victory in November, US property fell in popularity last month, dropping three places in the overseas portal’s chart.

That dip was all Spain needed to soar back to top spot. Buyers seemed to flock to America to avoid Europe’s troubled markets, Spain, Portugal and France charged up the table, pushing America down to fourth. In total, the top three destinations accounted for just over a third of all enquiries on the site in December.

While US enquiries fell by 7.32 per cent, Spain’s popularity dropped by only 0.18 per cent. This steady level of attention, driven by low prices and the country’s reduction in VAT during 2011, reflects the continuing demand for Spanish property from lifestyle buyers.

This proves that holiday home demand can still buck the Eurozone’s downward trend if the prices are right.  Despite Spain’s return to form, investors are still willing to look elsewhere to avoid Europe’s more troubled economies.

Managing Director Dan Johnson comments: “As 2011 ends, the fluctuations in the Top 10 show the changing buyer demands in an uncertain market. Spain has always been a traditional choice for lifestyle buyers, as evidenced by the constant level of interest in the country. In fact, for the majority of last year, Spain was the most sought-after property destination on TheMoveChannel. so its return to the top spot seems an appropriate end to the year.

“Barbados and Morocco are equally attractive lifestyle choices that are free of Eurozone anxiety, but France and Portugal’s strong performance in December is a reassuring sign for more familiar property markets. As the New Year begins, we shall see if the popularity of these European countries will be strong enough to weather the economic climate in 2012.”

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Expat children enjoy a better quality of life says survey

September 20, 2011 – 8:11 am

Expats children in tenerife have better quality of life. states survey

It has been revealed that expat children enjoy the good life and are likely to be benefiting from better education, higher safety levels and improved health and well-being as a result of their parents decision to live overseas. Expat parents report their children are more likely to be learning new languages (84%), playing more sports (47%) and spending more time with their family (53%) while on the whole, enjoying their new life abroad (85%). Living overseas appears to have a positive impact on the lifestyles of expat families; however, the UK fared less well among parents who had relocated. Overall the UK found itself bottom of the league table of the 14 countries that formed the survey sample of 30+ respondents at country-level. The UK is the worst performing country for both the childcare and the health and well-being categories when expat parents were asked to compare it to their home countries. In addition, it appears that the UK is also among the most expensive places to raise a child, ranking bottom (14th) for both the general costs of raising children and more specifically for the costs of childcare.

Expat children in the UK also appear to have the least active lifestyle since relocating. Only 24% of parents say their children spend more time outdoors since their move and expat parents in the UK are also least likely to say their children play more sport or spend less time watching TV, ranking last (14th) on each of these measures.

However, despite these relatively poor scores, 84% of parents reported that their children are enjoying their life in the UK, scoring the country 8th out of 14 in terms of how much children enjoy their life in their new country. This may relate to the fact that the UK scores top for expat entertainment in Expat Explorer’s Expat Experience 2010 report, which suggested that children can take advantage of many attractions and excursions which will help them settle in and enjoy life in their new country.

Belgium tops this year’s charts as the best location to raise children, thanks to the highly regarded childcare system and standard of education. 81% of expats based here agreed they had seen an improved standard of education in comparison to their home country while 68% thought the quality of childcare had improved. However, Belgium-based expat parents also benefit from some of the cheapest childcare, with (65%) now paying less for childcare than in their home country.

The rest of mainland Europe was not far behind Belgium’s lead, with Spain (2nd) France (3rd) and Germany (5th) all featuring within the top five of the Offshore Offspring league table. In contrast, the USA and UK hold the bottom spaces in the league table, ranking 13th and 14th respectively.

Safety of children improves with relocation. Of course the children who relocate to Tenerife have it all, sun, sea, British TV  and Playstations!

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Spain still a top destination for holidaymakers

September 3, 2011 – 9:12 am
Spain remains one of the top destinations for holidaymakers around the
world, as tourist numbers and property enquiries both increased this
summer.
Figures released by the Frontier Tourist Movement reveal that Spain has
received 7.4 per cent more international tourists this year compared to the
same time in 2010, proving that the country’s beaches and culture are still
attracting visitors.
Around 32.3 million international tourists visited Spain between January
and July of this year, with July alone welcoming 7.5 million tourists. Up
to July 2011, Spanish airports received nearly 36.5 million passengers. The
busiest budget airline was Ryanair, which experienced a 25% increase in air
traffic to Spain.

Unsurprisingly, visitors from the UK led the way with 7.4 million
passengers (35.8 per cent), while Germany and Italy followed with 4.2m (20
per cent) and 2.2m (10.7 per cent).

The biggest rise to Spanish shores came from Swedish visitors (40.8 per
cent), who are purchasing an increasing amount of property in Spain. France
and the Netherlands also saw their number of tourists grow. Estate agent
Spanish Hot Properties comments: “Of all the tourists who chose to holiday
in the Costa del Sol, around 72% said they were attracted mainly by the
prospect of sun and sand which will come as no shock considering the
region’s exceptional climate.”

Spain continued to attract foreign interest in August too, Robin Brayne, Commercial Director of the overseas property portal, comments: “Once again, Spain is head and shoulders above the rest of Europe. People remain attracted by the country’s sunny coast and relaxed lifestyle, and further interest has been fuelled by the glut of repossessed & distressed properties being sold on by Spanish banks, offering homes at
superb value.”

Of course the Canary Islands, perticularly Tenerife remain popular for sales and purchase of propertyand holidays. As Spanish tourism soars this summer, the property market is looking increasingly sunny.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Experts notice return of UK buyers in Tenerife and Spain

July 22, 2011 – 10:55 am

Experts notice Expats returning to Tenerife property

UK buyers are returning to the Spanish market to buy high quality properties, suggest experts at the Manchester Evening News.

Unlike the distressed sales of low quality abandoned projects, the demand for quality developments is growing. Experts have noted a 24% increase in interest in the first 5 months of 2011 compared with the same period last year, with company director Kim Brown explaining to A Place in the Sun that the country’s weather, lifestyle and established expatriate community seem to be the main reasons for its enduring appeal.

While the low quality end of the market is still in crisis, with Spanish ministers touring Europe in a bid to encourage sales,when it comes to the luxury end its a much better situation. However, buyers are much more savvy compared with the years prior to the economic downturn. Looking for developments with security and other additional benefits.

Tenerife holds some great opportunities for those who are willing to explore the property market now, whether prime property, coastal , to buy or let, a good estate agent will point you in the right direction.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Tenerife, Things to Do, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Expats and problem tenants in Spain

November 3, 2009 – 5:14 pm
Problems with tenants in Spain and Tenerife may be reduced by using an agent

Problems with tenants in Spain and Tenerife may be reduced by using an agent

According to Paragon España , part of the Paragon Advance group of companies offering tenant referencing and rent warranty in Spain, reluctant landlords in Spain are increasingly experiencing problems with bad tenants hit by the economic downturn.

It is claimed that the number of defaulting tenants and evictions have tripled in the past two years and many of the landlords who are experiencing problems are expats who moved to Spain for a better lifestyle and then became reluctant landlords. They have been forced into letting out their homes in order to be able to pay the mortgage and, for those investors who jumped on the Spanish property market, buying off plan, only to see it go into freefall before they could offload their investment, they have had their fingers burned and are having to let long term and ride it out.

Many expat landlords are unaware of the different mechanisms in place to secure rental income and often fail to implement them in their rental agreements which can leave them unprotected if the tenant does not, or cannot, pay the rent, according to Paragon España. This is where the use of a rental agent pays dividends and Tenerife is no exception to this rule.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)