Property
Investment in a Warm Climate
The Spanish property market is widely predicted to continue its
growth, fuelled by the Spanish government’s policy of encouraging
tourism, international investment and domestic property.
Legislation governing property sales practices and building standards
have made buying Spanish properties safer than ever before.
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| How to find the investment property that's right for you |
If you are considering buying a property in Spain as an investment,
now is the time to make your move! Spanish interest rates are low and
property prices are rising steadily. At a time when Spain’s main
airports are predicting a sharp increase in traffic over the next few
years, many people believe that the current rate of development will
not be able to keep pace with the increased demand for private and
holiday accommodation. The result? House prices are set to rise still
further so it’s a great time to invest.
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Facts and figures for property investors |
It’s impossible to predict exactly what return you’ll get from
your investment but recent reports from various sources agree that it
will be high. For example:
Property News reports that house prices on the Costa del Sol rose by
more than 18.5% in 2002.
Agence France-Presse has recently reported that property prices in
Madrid rose by more than 30% in the last year alone.
Research by Spain's National Statistics Institute predicts that Spain’s
immigrant population will rise to as much as 5.5 million by 2010,
representing in the region of 12% of its population, compared to just
5% in 2001. The rising demand for property will continue to fuel the
growth of the property market.
Spain's ministry of development has gone on record as saying that the
average increase in Spanish house prices was 17.5 percent in the
second quarter of 2003 compared to the same period in 2002.
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What type of property to invest in |
Before you decide on what you want to buy, take the time to do some
research. Clearly, if you’re planning on earning an immediate income
from your investment you should look for an existing property
(commonly referred to as a resale property) in an area frequented by
holidaymakers. Take a look at the rental market, get a feel for how
much you can rent your villa or apartment for. Don’t forget to
factor in other costs such as maintenance and management charges
(someone will have to look after the property in your absence) and
remember that property with pools that are close to the beach will
yield higher rental incomes.
Buying a run down place for renovation has the advantage that you can
improve the property in ways that will specifically attract
holidaymakers. It’s a good way of adding value to your property, but
be aware that getting building work done in Spain can take longer than
you would prefer.
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Off-plan investments and buy-to-sell properties |
Another popular option is to buy off-plan. This is where a developer decides to build a number of properties on a large plot and needs to sell them before they have been built to fund the development. The advantage here is that you can secure the property by paying a deposit and then a percentage (usually around 30%) of the purchase
price. The disadvantage of this type of purchase is that your property
may not be ready for about a year but the advantage is that you will
pay significantly less for this type of deal.
Properties that are sold off-plan are usually very competitively
priced because the developer will want to maximize the amount of cash
he has to fund the development. In other words, the more cash the
developer has, the less he has to borrow and if he borrows less then
he pays less interest to his bank.
You can choose a prime location within the development and you can
often specify the furnishings and décor of the property, all of which
helps you to get a better return on your investment.
As the development progresses and the properties get nearer completion
their values rise because there is less urgency to sell them and
prospective buyers can get a clearer idea of what the final product
looks like.
If you sell your property before completion you won’t have to pay
any capital gains tax.
For more information, fill out our
enquiry form
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