Boost to Spanish property values
The owners of property in Europe hoping to rent them out to holidaymakers will be pleased by a series of new international flights announced by low cost airline EasyJet.
It has announced 20 new flights a week to Europe from Southend International Airport in Essex and five of the first eight routes are to the Spanish Costas, the perennially popular holiday destination for Brits.
Fares from Southend to Spain will be priced from as little as £25.99 and take off in April 2012.
Flight destinations include Alicante on the Costa Blanca, Malaga on the Costa del Sol and the Balearic island of Majorca. They will boost access for many home owners in the region, according to Ignacio Osle, sales and marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey de España.
‘For people buying property overseas it is very important that they have affordable and easy access to their property. These new flights operated by EasyJet from Essex are really terrific news for both our prospective buyers and our current Taylor Wimpey de España home owners,’ he said.
‘The 800,000 people who will be flying in to Spain from Essex will all need a holiday apartment, villa or hotel to stay in which bodes well for our existing owners who are keen to let out their homes for healthy incomes,’ he explained.
‘There is a great deal of affluence in the South East of England and we look forward to showing the more aspirational around our beautiful show homes. It is difficult not to want to buy once you have seen the fabulous opportunities available here,’ he added.
Sales of properties in Spain are also being boosted by the Paramount branded Theme Park to be built in Murcia, another popular destination for holiday makers and second home owners.
‘Property is now the cheapest it has been for a decade. If you can afford it, there’s no better time to buy. At Mercers, we have seen a small but steady increase in sales over the past 18 months. Prices do seem to have finally bottomed out, vendors either cannot or will not go any lower, and this is creating the necessary motivation for people to buy,’ said Chris Mercer, founder of Murcia based estate agent Mercers.
The proposed Paramount-branded Theme Park, tipped to open in 2014, could indeed apply upward pressure on local pricing. Predicted to attract up to three million tourists each year and located literally ten minute’s drive from Mercers’ head office in Mazarron, this Park is creating a lot of interest and excitement however this is not yet being filtered back to property prices.
‘I think the reason for this is that until work actually starts on the site, people are wary of these grand ideas coming to nothing. If the Paramount branded Theme Park does happen, and indications are certainly encouraging judging by the number of press conferences and official visits by US based Paramount Licensing personnel, then a Disney effect is certainly expected for both demand and property prices in the catchment area,’ explained Mercer.
‘In fact we’re already handling a number of clients who have decided it is time to buy a holiday home because of Paramount. Some had been toying with the idea but the Theme Park announcement pushed them ahead,’ he added.