Our independent property expert Mark Stucklin analyses the present state of the property market in Spain.

In March I travelled the entire Spanish Mediterranean coast, from Begur in the north near the border with France, to Sotogrande in the south, overlooking Gibraltar at the very western tip of the Costa del Sol.

As usual it was research into the Spanish property market that powered my engines. I went to see the most expensive villa in Spain in Sotogrande, and then some of the cheapest villas in Spain in Almeria (price of cheap villas in Almeria just 1 percent of the price of an expensive villa in Sotogrande).

A tad pricey: This property in Sotogrande will set you back EUR 1 million

Everything is fresh, vibrant and colourful, and although the sun blazes away the summer heat hasn't yet kicked in. In front of you the sparkling blue Mediterranean and behind you, fragrant countryside and mountains.

Meantime it's cold and rainy in northern Europe – there was even a blizzard raging in Zurich - so one can see why people might rush into buying a property on a quick trip to Spain at this time of the year.

My point, therefore, is don't let all this natural beauty and sunshine get the better of your judgement if you are Spain-bound to find property.

The market is nothing like as tight as it was, so you can take your time, do your research and get things right. But beyond that, happy house hunting.

Non-resident property owners get justice

The European Commission is taking Spain to Court for discriminating against non-resident vendors, who are forced to pay more capital gains tax than resident vendors. This opens up the possibility of non-resident vendors claiming back taxes from the Spanish government.

The most expensive property in Spain

If the Great Gatsby were house hunting in Spain today, he would probably buy Casa La Manzana in Sotogrande, at the western tip of the Costa del Sol.

On the market for EUR 24 million (GBP 16.5 million), it's the priciest place in the country.

Radio Liberty antennae in Pals (Costa Brava) finally torn down

Unbelievable as it may seem, the Radio Liberty antennae that have been both disfiguring and protecting (from development) the beach at Pals for decades have finally been torn down. Pals beach, on the Costa Brava, is one of the most beautiful, and least built-up beaches in Spain. It remains to be seen what will happen with the land. Don't believe it? See for yourself

Secluded beauty: The quiet cove of Begur on the Costa Brava

A new report from La Caixa - Spain's largest savings bank - forecasts that Spanish property prices will rise by on average 10 percent this year.

High cost of holiday homes

As a group, foreign owners of holiday homes in Spain spend EUR 1 billion a year on maintaining their properties, according to new figures from the Spanish bank BBVA.

Record number of new Spanish homes in 2005

According to the Spanish government there were a total of 729,652 new homes in Spain during 2005, 6.2 percent more than in 2004 and an all time record for Spain.

The most expensive cities in Spain

A new study by the appraisal company Tasamadrid shows that Barcelona, San Sebastian and Madrid are still the most expensive Spanish cities for buying property.

Euribor rises to 3.105 percent

Euribor - the rate used to calculate the vast majority of Spanish mortgage interest payments - rose to 3.105 percent in March, the highest level since October 2002.

Mark Stucklin

If you want to find out more about issues raised in this article go to Mark's website.

Copyright Expatica

April 2006

Subject: Spain; Property expert's analysis