One in five properties sold to foreigners in Spain are purchased by British buyers

THE number of British people buying abroad is on the rise again after leaner times during the financial crisis thanks to the strong pound and the solidUK economy.

Of all property sold in Spain in the first half of 2015, 12.7 per cent was bought by foreign buyers with British prospectors leading the way. The Colegio de Regisradores in Spain reported that 19.8 per cent of all foreign purchases in the first six months of the year were made by British people.

Spain attracts many Britons, tourists as well as expats, because of the sun and the lifestyle and these latest figures from Spain’s foreign property market show that it is still one of the most popular destinations.

The most popular locations for foreigners to buy a house in Spain are the lively holiday destinations of the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, followed by the coastal destinations of Valencia, Murcia, Andalucia and Catalonia.

In the first three months of 2015 demand from buyers outside of Spain dropped slightly but went on to recover in the second trimester rising to 12.8 per cent of all purchases.

Of all house purchases in the Balearic Islands, 33.5 per cent were made by overseas buyers. In the Canary Islands the figure was 27.5 per cent and 25.7 per cent in Valencia.