Innovative property investments
Investment property in Spain
Buying Guide
Introduction
A northern European favourite
Most people have fond memories of family holidays in Spain and over the past few decades these memories of sun and relaxation have turned into solid, durable realities for hundreds of thousands of northern Europeans who have taken the Spanish property market and made it their own.
Some have described this foreign influx as an 'invasion', however these 'invaders' are more interested in sharing and enjoying Spain's secrets as much as their neighbouring Spaniard, rather than in ransacking a culture.
A strong and healthy market
It's true that the figures are quite startling, over 600,000 British own property in Spain with the Irish, Scandinavian, German, Dutch and French nipping at their heels.
Spain's property market remains strong and healthy and with more and more corners of Spain discovered every year, now's the time to find your perfect property amidst an incredibly diverse geography.
North and north-western Spain
North and north-western Spain is the milder and wetter region, as it is affected mainly by the Atlantic, but that means regions such as Galicia and Asturias are as verdant as an English country dale with delightfully pleasant summers, receiving up to eight hours of sunshine a day.
Central Spain
Central Spain which includes the regions of Castilla La Mancha, home of Don Quixote, Castilla y Leon and the non-coastal parts of Andalucia, is typically dry with very sharp cold winters and scorching summers: Sevilla, Cordoba and Madrid commonly reach as high as 45o C in July and August.
Mediterranean Spain
Mediterranean Spain seems to have the best of both worlds with milder winters and less rainfall than the north plus hot summers that are perfect for beach and poolside activities but won't necessarily go to heat-stroke inducing extremes.
It can be occasionally buffeted by winds from the Sahara, so whilst the temperature gauge may only say 30oC, it could feel like double.
The Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are situated off the eastern coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea and have temperatures and rainfall akin to the Mediterranean coastal areas of Spain.
The Canary Islands
The Canary Islands have an entirely different weather system.
This group of 13 mountainous, volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, a veritably tropical location off the coast of north West Africa, enjoys almost permanent springtime weather and attracts tourists looking for a winter tan without having to take a long-haul flight.
Mountain systems
Spain is also the second most mountainous European country and has six mountain systems: the Pyrenees on the French border, the Cordillera Cantábrica along the northern coast, the Sistema Ibérico in the north east, the Sistema Central cutting across the very centre, the Sierra Morena in the heart of the south and the Sistema Penibética cupping the southern coastline and including the popular ski resort of Sierra Nevada.
Connecting up the country
The government has recently committed to investing almost a quarter of a billion euros in infrastructure, primarily benefiting the road and rail network, over the next 15 years.
Its two most important airports, Madrid and Málaga, are building new terminals to cope with the increase in air traffic.
The train network has seen the extension of the high-speed train, the AVE, to include routes from Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Lleida/Huesca.
The plan is to have all provincial cities within a four-hour trip of Madrid and new routes will connect much of Andalucia, Toledo, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Barcelona and also France to the capital.
Rail network operator, Renfe, runs such a tight ship that if your train is more than five minutes' late; passengers receive a full refund, a policy that the UK would struggle to match.
Key facts
- Population: 44,395,286
- Area (km2): 505,992
- Capital: Madrid
- Languages: Castillian is the official language of Spain. Catalan, Basque and Galician are all official co-languages
- Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
- Currency: euro (since 1999)
- Dialling Code: +34
- High Season: July - August
- Happy Planet Index: 87th / 178
- Big Mac Index: 3.77 USD (EuroZone)
Downloadable Reports and Documents
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