Moving to and Living in Spain
Discover the Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol has the best weather in Europe with an average of 320 days of unadulterated sunshine every year.
One of Europe 's most dynamic markets
The Costa del Sol is recognised as being one of the fastest growing regions in Europe . There are approximately 2,500,000 people currently residing or owning property on the Costa del Sol and this is estimated to almost triple during the next 10 years. This is why investors in the Costa del Sol continue to invest here, as the region has seen fantastic property investment growth over the past 5 years, often as high as 20% per annum. While previously the typical foreign resident would have had golf or retirement in mind, increasingly it is young northern Europeans coming to live and work on the Costa del Sol, which is why Malaga's coastal region population is on its way to doubling in size between 2001 and 2007.
While the region remains one of the top holiday destinations, more than 3 million non-Spanish citizens are expected to relocate to the area on a permanent basis in the next five years. It is predicted that the demand for new first and second homes could reach as high as 850,000 and 900,000 respectively. It is easy then to see why investment properties on the Costa del Sol rented as holiday homes continue to yield the highest rental returns.
In 2004, the average price per square metre on the Costa del Sol achieved an increase of over 20% - once again outperforming predicted levels. At Spanish Property World, we understand that investors are looking for the very best opportunities, whether they are short-term, long-term or buy-to-let and we are constantly striving to give our clients opportunities to take advantage of the highest possible returns.
Why do people buy in the Costa del Sol?
There are many reasons why the Costa del Sol is so popular, not least of which is the glorious weather. With around 320 days of unadulterated sunshine every year, not to mention low cost flights to Málaga and some first class road and rail links, it is easy to begin to see why the Costa del Sol attracts so many people to holiday, work and live in the region.
For golf lovers, the Costa del Sol is simply the number one venue, with almost 100 golf clubs and the distinction of being the winter location for the European PGA, German PGA and German Golf Federation. Not surprisingly, over 800,000 golfers visit the region every year.
Similarly, a large number of Spanish tourists also head out of the cities to cool off by the sea during the hot summer months. In total, tourism boosts the local economy by over 7 billion euros per annum. The area however, still manages to retain its delightful Spanish culture, while displaying a distinctly cosmopolitan sophistication, thanks to the many nationalities that account for 90% of the investment in new development real estate in the region.