Contact

News & Insights

The advantages of buying a Spanish property in 2018

We recently wrote about the likelihood of Spain’s low property prices soon soaring, but it is now clearer than ever that the market will recover and how beneficial a purchase at this time could be.

According to a report by the property-focused business school Instituto de Práctica Empresarial (IPE), there will be a nationwide average property price increase of 6.1% in 2018, meaning that a property bought last year for €400,000 is likely to increase in value by just under €25,000 by the end of the year. Madrid, Castile and León, and the Canaries are leading the way with property value increases, and are expected to see growths of 10.8%, 8%, and 7.7% respectively.

Previous market leader Catalonia is predicted a slow down to 4.9% as the recent political tensions in the region – the Catalan Crisis – takes their toll.

Since the 2008 financial crash, the Spanish property market has been gradually recovering. Over the last four years, the IPE estimated that prices had gone up by 21%, but they still have not reached their peak (they’re still a long way from reaching the heights of the prices during the property boom before the crash) and the impressive growth is forecast to continue.

In even more encouraging news, the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE) ranked Spain’s property market as the fourth most rewarding investment opportunity in the world, an improvement over its sixth place last year and one place above the UK’s market. This could partly explain why figures from the National Institute of Statistics showed that Spain’s new home sales shot up by 30% and resales by 26% in October 2017.

It’s not just the potential financial benefits of the soaring property market that make Spain attractive to expats. There are many other great reasons to move to Spain, too: its warm climate and relatively low cost of living when compared to other top European destinations to name just a few.

Proper financial planning to help achieve all your goals

Deciding to buy a property abroad and where in the country you’re going to live is one of the most important aspects of expat retirement planning in Spain.

Talking the your plans, hopes and retirement goals through with a financial adviser in Spain should help you establish some great plans for buying and moving to a new home.

Blacktower’s expat financial advisers could help you discover the most effective ways to manage your finances so that wealth management won’t be uppermost in your mind when moving overseas. Receiving expert, trustworthy and truly independent financial advice is essential to your expat retirement planning for Spain, so contact us today.

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.

Other News

Lasting Power of Attorney for Expat Investors

Research by the Alzheimer’s Society suggests that two-thirds of people who have sought financial advice have a lasting power of attorney (LPA) in place, but this, potentially, means a significant proportion of Brits do not have the protection that LPA offers.

Unfortunately, there is a common misconception among many expats (highlighted in a survey of UK expats conducted by Old Mutual International in 2017) that a spouse, child or financial professional can automatically sign documents and manage the welfare and monetary matters of a person who loses mental capacity. This is not the case; your family members could be left vulnerable should you become unable to manage your affairs without having LPA in place.

Good expat financial advice would generally advocate local legal advice to help ascertain whether or not an existing LPA, i.e. one that was drawn up in the UK, is valid in your location of residence. Generally speaking, however, common law jurisdictions will recognise a British lasting power of attorney, but it is always worth checking.

Read More

What next for UK interest rates?

Rising GraphsInterest rates finally rose above 0.5 per cent in August – almost a decade after the emergency cut to that level. The Bank of England’s MPC voted to raise rates to 0.75 per cent on 2nd August, casting aside worries over a no-deal Brexit, as it said that low unemployment merited a hike to keep inflation on target.

The 9-0 vote to raise rates was accompanied by a quarterly Inflation Report, which showed that, despite August’s hike, the market outlook was for rates to go up more slowly over the next three years than previously expected and that no further move is expected until at least the middle of next year. The recent rate rise was widely expected as the Bank had not sent out any signals to dampen forecasts of a hike, unlike in the run-up to the May decision when a move up failed to happen. The question now is whether this is a one-off hike, or the start of a slow but steady rise in interest rates. A lot will depend on how the British economy fares over the rest of this year and into 2019, before the UK’s exit from the EU. If there is a marked slowdown then it is likely that rates will stall again. Even worse, a recession would most likely see a further interest rate cut. 

Read More

Select your country

Please select your country of residence so we can provide you with the most relevant information: