Andalucia now favourite for Brit real estate purchases

Andalucia’s beachside cities of Marbella and Mijas as well as Torrevieja in Alicante province are now top favourites for Britons considering purchasing a second home before Brexit finally kicks in.

Torrevieja topped the charts in a recent study, followed by Marbella and Mijas, with the results hinging on affordability and closeness to beaches. Marbella’s strength as a destination for expat retirees and second home owners is boosted by its year-round, superb flight connections to the UK. New routes are being added year by year, although it’s not yet certain how last week’s bankruptcy of popular low-cost carrier Monarch Airlines will affect the number of available flights.

Mijas’s main attractions are aimed at holidaymakers and avid golfers, and offer all the usual delights of sea, sun, sand, a variety of restaurant choices, bars and nightlife. Torrevieja’s reasonably priced properties as well as its superb location and beaches ensured the top spot in the study, proving its popularity with Britons looking to purchase a second home as well as with the huge number of tourists who arrive every summer. It’s long been a favourite with the UK’s cash-strapped state pensioners, most of whom are hoping against hope they’ll be allowed to remain post-Brexit.

Runners-up in the survey included Calvia on Mallorca, set in fourth place due to the high number of British visitors who purchased a home there this summer. It’s also a favourite holiday destination during the warmer months, with British construction companies busy providing even more houses and apartments suitable as second or permanent homes. Two thirds of UK buyers have no intention of renting out their purchases, while one third are more than happy to offer holiday rentals.