Posts Tagged ‘Property on the Costa del Sol’

Farewell 2009, Welcome 2010!

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

As the festive season comes to an end and a new year begins, on behalf of everyone at Livingstone Estates, we would like to wish all of you and your loved ones a very prosperous 2010.

2009 has seen turbulent times across the globe, but as we start a new year there is an air of optimism for the coming year. In the last month of 2009 alone we saw some impressive opportunities come onto the Costa del Sol property market, with some of the biggest reductions seen to date. 2010 will certainly be a year in which to buy that bargain property.

The beginning of a new year is always a time for planning the year ahead. Make sure you don’t miss out on some of the great savings to be made buying property on the Costa del Sol.  To see our full portfolio of reduced property in spain click here.

For those investors planning to extend their property portfolio, we have some great business, investment and rental opportunities here.

Whatever your plans may be for 2010, we wish you all the best and are here to help those looking to buy their dream property at a dream price.

For more information about property on the Costa del Sol, contact us by phone on +34 952 806 417 or +34 902 424 484 or email us at info@livingstone-estates.com

Tourism Set to Lead Growth on the Costa del Sol

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

The Costa del Sol is embarking on an impressive drive to improve tourism facilities and in turn stimulate visitor numbers to the various diverse areas of the coastal province of Malaga. 5 separate plans are currently in action by the provincial government of Malaga, which are the results of €9m euros of investment between 2006 and 2009.

The main areas of attention are the development of the range and quality of tourist services – in both rural and urban areas – and their communication to the public and tourists alike. Additional information points, centres and offices offering extensive information pamphlets will be created, along with improving signposting for areas of interest.

As well, a conscious encouragement is being promoted of the need for quality for both industry professionals and the public alike, with additional training programmes for those working in the industry.

These programmes compliment the other major infrastructure developments taking place along the Costa del Sol. The new Malaga International Airport will double its current capacity when it opens in Easter 2010 and with it, road and public transport links to and from the airport are being heavily upgraded.

Golf is one of Andalucia’s primary tourist segments and it is not surprising that the 12th International Golf Travel Market was recently held here. Andalucia is home to 25% of all Spain’s golf courses with 1 in 4 golf tourists choosing the southern region. Luciano Alonso, the Andalusian Head of Sport and Tourism, highlighted the industry and region’s ability of bucking the trend of falling tourism figures.

At the recent World Travel Market fair held in London, the Costa del Sol embarked on a substantial branding campaign highlighting the area as an all year round destination. Apart from the 325 days of sunshine a year and the 160km of beaches on offer, other tourism attractions such as golf, health and beauty, language study and conference tourism were all promoted.

With such a diversified portfolio of activities and quality services for tourists to choose from there is no doubt the tourism industry will lead the Costa del Sol into the future, with a promotion of excellence across the board. This last quarter of the year has already seen improvements, with tourism figures buoyant and British tourists returning as things at home become more stable.

Source: www.livingstone-estates.com

Spain – An Investors Market

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Spain has long been renowned as a second home destination for those looking for a lifestyle purchase. And it’s not surprising with the country’s perfect climate – mild winters and radiant summers – the sparkling Mediterranean and the country’s rich culture yet welcoming embrace of expat communities.

Yet despite all this, our relationship with Spain has developed into a love/hate affair, particularly when talking about buying property. However there is a sea of change taking hold of the Spanish property market, most notably on two fronts.

Since the country’s peak in 2007, property prices have been steadily correcting as Spain, along with the rest of the world, has gone into economic decline. But it appears the market has finally reached a turning point with property prices flattening out.

In addition, the type of purchasers looking at Spanish property has a very different profile. Spain will always remain a favourite for lifestyle buyers and even more so now property is affordable. But there is a tangible presence of investors eyeing the market.

This general consensus felt by professionals in the country has now been confirmed by Knight Frank.  A Partner from the consultancy confirmed if a property is at around 35% discount from 3 years ago and in the right location, this is the level at which property is selling and it is likely to remain there until 2011.

Although property prices are still leaning towards the optimistic, those properties at a significant discount are selling.

Knight Frank also highlighted that there is money for investment in the market, with investors taking a particular interest in commercial real estate assets and rental opportunities. As investors are no longer waiting for prices to drop further there is an air of excitement as foreign money returns to the market.

Low interest rates are serving as an additional incentive to take advantage of savings that can be made across the board.  The Euribor has fallen for 13 consecutive months and now stands at 76% lower than a year ago, at a record low of 1.243%. The Libor also saw its record low of 0.54% in September 09.

With property now selling at realistic prices combined with the lowest costs of borrowing we have seen in years, this all makes for a lucrative investment option.

Cash buyers have even more sway in the current market with substantial discounts being negotiated across the board for those with funds readily available.

Other factors are serving as a further driving force for investors on the Costa del Sol. Major infrastructure projects are set to boost tourism and in turn the property industry.  The new terminal at Malaga International Airport has been confirmed to open by Easter 2010, bringing the airport’s capacity to 30 million passengers per year, double its current capacity. Malaga will become the Spanish peninsulas 3rd largest airport.

Upgrading of the road and train links to and from the airport and a new Malaga ring road are also underway, all of which ease accessibility in the area, facilitating easy travel for tourists and residents alike.

With close analysis it is clear the Spanish property market has much to offer today’s investors. With a world very different from what we knew, finding those investment opportunities is not always so clear cut. However, upon review, Spain offers some lucrative options for those investors looking towards a longer term investment strategy.

Source: Reuters UK, Kyero.com

Spain Still Number One Destination for a Second Home Abroad

Monday, October 19th, 2009

The recent A Place in the Sun exhibition held in Birmingham has confirmed that Spain continues to hold number one position when it comes to buying a holiday home abroad.

Surveys carried out at the show of the visitors attending revealed that 60% were interested in Spain. They also highlighted that many of those interested in buying property in Spain had been waiting for “the right moment to buy”. There was a consensus that now is that time with many taking the plunge to invest in a home abroad.

Despite property exhibitions taking a toll for the worst over the last year, the A Place in the Sun exhibition was a great success. Although scaled down compared to previous years, the turnout was a positive sign that UK buyers are returning to their age old dreams of buying “A Place in the Sun”.

The exhibition included a number of seminars covering a range of topics regarding purchasing property abroad. The most popular at the event was “Emigrating to Europe” which ran a course of 6 over the weekend and received an audience much larger than expected.

Despite the negative press about buying property in Spain that has plagued the UK press over recent years, visitors to the show seemed undeterred to buy. However, there was a general attitude that buyers are seeking more information, becoming more informed to avoid potential pitfalls when purchasing their holiday home.

Source: Sur in English

New Terminal at Malaga Airport – Open by Easter 2010

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

The long awaited opening of the new terminal and second runway at Malaga International Airport is now in sight. The terminal, which is nearing completion, is expected to be open and operational by next Easter with trial operations due to take place early next year, confirmed Concepcion Gutierrez, the Secretary of State for Transport from the Ministry of Public Works.

An impressive investment of €320 million has been committed to the project, which is expected to bring the airport’s capacity to 30 million passengers per year with the ability to cope with 9,000 passengers per hour – double that of its current capacity. The addition of the new terminal means the airport will be spread over an area of 385,000 square meters, the number of check-in desks will rise to 179, there will be 48 departure gates, 7,500 pieces of luggage will be handled every hour and new car parks will provide for more than 3,500 vehicles.

The second runway is expected to be operational by the end of the year, which will double flight capacity.

The expansion will make Malaga the 3rd largest airport on the Spanish peninsula and comparable to most major European airports. In addition, the surrounding and connecting infrastructure is also being upgraded with modern facilities to access buses and a new railway station connecting Malaga to Fuengirola. New road links joining the A-7 motorway and a new Malaga ring road are in process.

Such infrastructural improvements and the ability to receive much larger numbers to the region is great news for the Costa del Sol and is expected to have an excellent impact on local industries, property and tourism in particular. New air routes are being studied carefully to boost tourism in Andalucía. In addition, it is expected that 150,000 new jobs will be created indirectly.

Source:  Sur in English, Typicallyspanish.com, Airflights.co.uk

New Opportunity for Property Buyers in Spain

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Livingstone Estates is proud to announce a unique, new way of purchasing property in Spain. Through an exclusive purchasing option only available to clients of Livingstone Estates, property buyers are now able to try living in their chosen property before they buy it.

The new ‘Try it before You Buy it’ option was recently introduced at the company’s head office in Southern Spain in response to the changing market conditions. Sales Director, Gustavo Moguilner, explains the rationale behind this new concept of buying property in Spain, “In line with our priority of transparency throughout the buying process, we decided to make our clients’ purchase that little bit easier. ‘The try it before You Buy it’ option is aimed to give our clients absolute confidence when buying in Spain.”

Livingstone Estates has a select list of properties available for interested buyers to live in for a trial period, before purchasing the property. More information about the scheme is detailed on www.livingstone-estates.com, as well as full listings of properties for sale.

Spain is still a favourite for overseas property buyers. The 2009 International Survey by Primelocation named Spain as their No. 1 search in their June report, which also highlighted that buyers tend to prefer using a local estate agent in the country of purchase. Perfectly equipped to cater for international property buyers’ needs, all staff at Livingstone Estates speak fluent English and Spanish, as well as French, Danish, German, Dutch and Swedish, to ensure complete transparency of information.

During the boom years, the buying rationale in Spain was for the high growth earnings that could be yielded from purchasing Spanish property. Although the market has now changed, British, French and Germans, amongst many other nationalities, still hold the Spanish Costas as a favourite choice for their second home. Previously out of budget for many, property buyers are now returning for the fantastic reductions and value for money that can now be found, especially on the Costa del Sol.

Official figures from Tinsa, the leading real estate valuation company in Spain, released in June 2009, revealed a year-on-year drop in prices of 10.1% for the whole of Spain, with a slightly higher reduction of 12.3% for coastal property. The Ministry of Housing quotes a more conservative drop of 8.3%. However, on the ground, reductions of up to 50% are being quoted on the Costa del Sol. Whether these reductions are actually being achieved all of the time is up to interpretation and some degree of speculation. It has to be said though; the Costa del Sol is definitely a buyers’ market.

“There is so much opportunity in the Spanish market and what sets us apart, is our continual efforts to strive for ways to make purchasing property in Spain both profitable and easy for all our clients.” says, Gustavo.

In unpredictable markets, it is not uncommon for us to seek refuge in what we know. As recently confirmed by Halifax International, the British continue to look to the established markets to buy property overseas. Spain stands the test of time – past, present and future!

Livingstone Estates is your International Property Partner based in Spain, with an emphasis on personalised assessment.  From your first enquiry through to the handover of your property, you have peace of mind throughout the whole buying process.

For detailed information on the company, the services on offer and full sales and rentals listings, please visit www.livingstone-estates.com and www.livingstone-rentals.com

Alternatively, you can contact us by telephone on +34 902 424 484 or free phone UK on 0870 8000 877, or email us on info@livingstone-estates.com