Costa del Sol receives one quarter of all British property enquiries in Spain

Properties on the Costa del Sol are proving extremely popular once more with British buyers.

Data gathered over the past three years from overseas mortgage specialists Conti has revealed that 23% of all enquiries from Brits looking to buy Spanish property have been for the Costa del Sol…

So far in 2015, 45% of all enquiries received at Conti have been for property in Spain, and over the past three years it has been the region of Marbella, Fuengirola, Puerto Banús, Benalmádena and Sotogrande – the Costa del Sol of course – that has proven a popular choice with would-be buyers.

The Costa del Sol outperformed the evergreen Balearics, which accounted for 18% of property enquiries, with the property markets of the Canary Islands attracting 15% of all British interest.

The Costa Blanca surprisingly took top spot with 27% of all enquiries, which can probably be explained by the fact that the data was gleaned over the past  three years – a period in which the higher-end homes of the Costa del Sol struggled to find buyers more than properties elsewhere, for a short period at least.

The Costa del Sol’s multitude of attractions were praised by Conti for ensuring a year-round demand among buyers. The beaches are a huge draw in the summertime, naturally, but the area’s excellent golf courses, bars, restaurants, leisure pursuits and amenities such as good schools and English-language services ensure a steady stream of interest even in winter.

“Following a tough few years, the Spanish property market is on the up again at last, and British investors are rediscovering their love for this beautiful country,” said Conti director Clare Nessling. “Although prices have generally still to come back up to their pre-2008 levels, recent reports suggest that the property market is experiencing a widespread recovery, and this is leading to increased confidence among buyers.”

Nessling added that the continued strength of the pound against the euro, and Spain’s own growing economy, is further convincing British buyers that now is the time to invest in the Spanish property market.

Prices across the country have risen by around 4% over the second quarter of the year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), with the Costa del Sol once again at the forefront of these increases.