Has the Spanish coast had its day in the sun?

The Spanish coast has been popular with second home owners for decades; however, there is currently a huge surge of foreign interest in inland properties in Spain.

Brits and other overseas investors are making a move away from the traditional coastal resorts and are looking inland to buy, avoiding the coast because of overcrowding, the lack of “Spanish-ness” and the expense. This is supported by recent figures from Holidaylettings.co.uk who reported that over 30% of online enquiries about holiday homes in the last year related to inland Spain.

It is no longer always the case that property in Spain is cheaper than at home. The average price for a property in Malaga province is €315,000 / £206,850, compared to the average UK house price which is less at €303,770 / £199,467. In the very popular south coast, ex pat town of Marbella this amount increases again to €601,000 / £394,675, which is even more startling when the overall average Spanish house price is just €245,000 / £160,883.

Lesser known inland areas are now becoming investor and homebuyer’s hotspots and it is likely that they will shortly overtake the coast when it comes to demand for new housing.

The market town of Antequera has seen a huge 13.25% increase in foreign residents in the past year. The town is located right in the centre of Andalucia, set in a rich, fertile plain, 40km north of Malaga and 40 minutes drive to Malaga airport. The average price of a house here is just €187,670 / £123,219, but this is changing as more and more people discover the benefits of living here.

1 Casa currently has a choice of twelve properties in Antequera, including a large five bedroom family house. Complete with two reception rooms, bathroom, kitchen with open fireplace and utility room, the house also offers a storage room, some out buildings and a large rear patio with stunning views of the local mountains. Asking price: €200,240 / £136,163 (ref:875). They also have many others in towns and villages in the area all at enviable prices.

Major improvements in the transport infrastructure has opened up the opportunity to commute to Seville, Granada, Ronda and most of the coastal towns and despite the town’s acceleration into the 21st century, the area retains its Spanish culture. It offers year round sunshine, wonderful country walks, little noise or pollution and many historical places of interest to explore. All the necessary services are here too including supermarkets, restaurants, shops, health centres and Spanish school.

Foreigners make up only 4.74% of the town’s population, compared the rest of Malaga province which has a foreign population of 12%. But the numbers of overseas investors and new residents in the inland regions is increasing, over 13% in the last year. In Antequera the countries most represented are Brazil, Britain, Romania, Morocco and Italy. There are 326 Brits in the town which has increased from last year by 47 making them the biggest North European group.

Tourists too are heading inland in search of the real Spain and there are plans for a new airport in the region to cope with increasing demand.

The inner Spain that has been hiding its treasures for centuries are now is now being discovered by foreigners wanting a country lifestyle but with access to the beaches and amenities of the coast.

For further information, visit 1casa.com/1