The initiative draws from the tenant unions already in existence in other European countries. In Barcelona, ...continue reading "Faced with soaring rents, Barcelona tenants unite to create a “union”"
Tag: real estate
Number of planned new homes on Málaga coast shoots up by over 250 per cent in a year
The Costa’s real estate sector has got off to a strong start this year, new data shows.
In figures released this week by the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos -the official body in Malaga that certifies architects’ plans for new buildings - its experts approved 1,397 new flats or houses in ...continue reading "Number of planned new homes on Málaga coast shoots up by over 250 per cent in a year"
Spain’s tourism industry ranked as the most competitive in the world
For the second time in a row, its tourism sector ranked as the most competitive in the world, according to the World Economic Forum, ...continue reading "Spain’s tourism industry ranked as the most competitive in the world"
Andalucía sees big increase in foreign tourists in January
Government statistics have shown that there were 15 per cent more foreign tourists in Andalucía in January compared to the same month last year.
...continue reading "Andalucía sees big increase in foreign tourists in January"
Brexit: What does leaving the EU mean for expats?
Just over 4.5 million Britons live abroad, with approximately 1.3 million of them in Europe, according to the United Nations.
The top destinations for British expats in the European Union are Spain ...continue reading "Brexit: What does leaving the EU mean for expats?"
Spain shattered its own tourism record in 2016
Spain has shattered its own tourism record for the seventh year in a row: 75.3 million foreign visitors made their way to the country in 2016. That’s 7.2 million more than in 2015, for a rise of 9.9%, 
according to early figures from Spain’s Energy and Tourism Ministry.
Visitors to Spain in 2016 shelled out a total of €77 billion, up 8.3% from 2015 figures, while average per capita spending was €1,023 for a more modest rise of 3.75%. The average daily amount spent by visitors was €138, some 6.5% higher than a year earlier.
...continue reading "Spain shattered its own tourism record in 2016"
Millions of home owners in line for payouts over bank loan abuse
Up to 50,000 people in Malaga province, and possibly millions across Spain, could be in line for a large refund from lenders on their mortgage payments after a surprise EU ruling. This includes 
many foreign owners with mortgages in Spain and analysts said that payouts could reach four billion euros.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg ruled that Spanish banks that had loaned money to homebuyers on variable interest rates were breaking European law when they refused to pass on the savings from the dramatic fall in interest rates after 2009 by enforcing the so-called ...continue reading "Millions of home owners in line for payouts over bank loan abuse"
British developers lead the revival of Costa del Sol’s property sector despite the Brexit
The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union in June has not discouraged London-based property developers from investing in Spain. Among the companies looking to establish a presence along the Mediterranean are Round Hill Capital, which has chosen the Costa del Sol as its launch pad into Spain. ...continue reading "British developers lead the revival of Costa del Sol’s property sector despite the Brexit"
Brexit vote dents British demand for Spanish property
The number of homes in Spain sold to British buyers has slumped since the Brexit vote and the fall in the value of the pound.
Sales in the third quarter of this year declined 16% after steadily increasing since 2011. Last year the strong pound led British buyers to purchase almost 10,000 Spanish properties, up 42% on 2014, giving them a 21% share of the number of homes acquired by international buyers.
No other nationality buys as much property in Spain as the British, and in recent years they have made a significant contribution to the recovery of the Spanish property market.
About 28% of holiday homes on the Costa del Sol are sold to Britons and 26% on the Costa Blanca. They also dominate the sales of holiday homes in Murcia, the Canary Islands and the Balearics.
...continue reading "Brexit vote dents British demand for Spanish property"
Renting vs buying a home: European statistics
According to a study by mortgage company Credit Foncier based on European Union statistics, while 65% of people are home owners in Britain, 73% are in Italy, 79% in Spain and 84% in Poland, 
with France having the same number as the UK and Germany having less at just 54%.
The study is based on eight European countries that make up 75% of Europe’s population and also shows that Dutch people spend more of their income on property at 29.4% while British people spend 25.1%, the French 18.2% and Italians 17.1%.
But the Dutch pay less for their homes as prices fell between 2006 and 2015 while they increased by just 2% over this period in France. But buyers in the UK have seen prices rise by 30% over the same period while prices in Germany increased by 30%.
However, in France buyers get more for their money. On average homes are 102 metres squared in France compared to 85 in Poland and just 76 in the UK which has overall the smallest homes in Europe in terms of floor space. The biggest homes are in the Netherlands at 119 square meters and Portugal at 112.
...continue reading "Renting vs buying a home: European statistics"