PGM Property World Spain Blog

Work which has been going on to connect the promenades at Marbella and Puerto Banus has resulted in a footbridge which Minister of Tourism, Luciano Alonso, has called ‘the longest in Spain of its characteristics’.

Standing at three metres in width and 70 metres in length, the wooden footbridge, which is known as the bridge of Rio Verde, cost a total of 850,000 euros to design and build and is just part of a program to develop the infrastructure of the area which has seen around 2.7 million euros being invested by the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Sport.

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If you are thinking about buying a home in Spain, either to live here permanently or in which to spend holidays at various times of the year, heating is probably one of the last things on your mind, especially if your experience of the Costa del Sol has been limited to the summer months.  Although the climate in winter is very temperate, however, and certainly considerably warmer than in Britain, even one summer spent in the heat of the sunshine will see you quickly becoming acclimatised, which means that the inevitable drop in temperatures in the winter will still be noticeable.  The days are often still warm and sunny, but it is in the evenings that it can feel quite cold.  There are though, a number of excellent and very cost-effective ways of heating your Spanish home.

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Aside from the terrific climate, the relaxing environment and the cheap flights, favourable exchange rates have traditionally made holidays to Southern Spain’s Costa del Sol an extremely attractive proposition for holidaymakers and Costa del Sol property hunters.  Recent times, however, have seen the euro exchange rate drop, a fact which has inevitably impacted on the tourist industry throughout most of Europe as the costs of food, drinks and other holiday essentials have risen.  Determined not to be set back by the world’s money markets, however, Spanish businesses are responding by cutting their prices, making the area once again a truly competitive choice.

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With so many British expatriates living on the Costa del Sol and so many of the locals involved in the tourist industry able to speak their language, in some ways it’s easy to see why so many fail to learn more than just a few words of the Spanish language.  According to recent reports, however, not getting to grips with the language and not understanding the laws and the regulations of the country is not only causing them problems, but can also leave them feeling socially isolated.  Help, however, is at hand.

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There is no denying that the Spanish property market, like many others around the world, has been hit hard by the current recession, but if the figures just released are anything to go by, it looks as though things may be turning the corner.

Last Friday saw the Spanish government report the first increase in house sales in three years.  In the final quarter of 2009, property sales rose by 4.1% against the same period of last year, making it the first year-on-year rise since 2006.   With a total of 130,572 properties finding their way off the market between October and December, this represented a 21.4% increase on the period between July to September.

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Whether for a better way of life or to escape the lousy British weather, the interest of Brits in buying property on the Costa del Sol certainly doesn’t seem to be diminishing if figures for the early part of 2010 are anything to go by.  With Spain’s unemployment rate running at around 19%, however, those who want to make the leap but also have a way to go before they hit retirement age are finding themselves facing a deal of frustration.  In today’s technological age though, work in the traditional sense needn’t be a barrier!

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No matter where in the world we are thinking of buying a property, it is always a big decision and often a big investment.  Even when buying in our own country where we understand the laws and the language we take sensible precautions to ensure that things progress as they should, and buying abroad requires just as much care, if not more.

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In common with many other Mediterranean countries, Easter is the main celebration of the year in Spain.  Whilst Christmas pales into insignificance compared to the four-month long frenzy of commercialism in the UK, it is during the Semana Santa, or Easter Week, that the devout Spanish citizens take to the churches and the streets to celebrate the miracle of life itself.  For those living in or visiting the Costa del Sol, not only is it a wonderful time of the year to learn about the religious traditions of the region, but also a great opportunity to join in with the local celebrations and bond with the local people.

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After years of dragging yourself into work five days a week, the prospect of retiring to the Costa del Sol is undeniably an exciting one.  Especially if you are considering moving to Spain immediately after retirement, however, there are a couple of particularly important things to bear in mind when choosing your location.

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March 15th is the date set for the grand opening of the new Terminal 3 at Malaga Airport(AGP) and no less than King Juan Carlos himself is to be the guest of honour.  Four years in the construction, the new 250,000 square metre terminal will allow the airport to double its current capacity to 9,000 passengers per hour, and will house 86 check-in desks and 20 boarding gates, as well as a variety of shops, bars and restaurants.  In addition, plans are already in place for a second runway to be built in 2011.

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