Publicity

With Taylor Wimpey’s trademark quality, Lagunas del Sol II offers 2 & 3 bedroom townhouses in Rojales, Alicante, next to Ciudad Quesada and walking distance to all ameneties, with prices starting at just €114,920 (less than £100,000).

+ More information

The Valencian Government (Generalitat) is setting up a commission to study ways to sell more homes to foreigners.

Earlier this year, the Department of Housing in Madrid organised a European road-show to promote Spanish property to European markets. The initiative was a flop, confirming that the business of selling property is best left to agents and developers.

Now the regional government of the Valencian Community, home to the Costa Blanca and Costa del Azahar, is setting up a commission to study ways to sell homes to foreigners and establish “new sales formulas,” whatever that means.

In recent years, 23pc of homes sold in the region have been bought by foreigners, whilst “the purchase of homes by Spaniards is going down,” explained Isabel Bonig (pictured above), the Valencian minister responsible for housing, quoted in the Spanish press. Hence the Generalitat’s interest in stimulating foreign demand.

The commission will study the market and ways to stimulate foreign demand for both purchase and rent. “We have to find out where the housing stock is and who the potential buyers are,” said Bonig. “30pc of all sales to foreigners take place in the Valencian Region, led by Alicante province, with 85pc.”

The commission, comprised of government officials and representatives from the notaries, registrars, and chamber of commerce, will also look at ways to stimulate demand and promote property with a website, permanent information points and marketing activities.

Some abuses

The priority is to let the world know about the high “technical quality of building” and “legal security” of buying in the Valencian Region, says Bonig, exploiting a European judgement earlier this year that, she argues, gave Valencia’s town planning laws “the thumbs up” in the face of criticism from the European Parliament. She did, however, concede that there have been “some abuses.”

Her comments are bound to sadden critics of Valencia’s so-called “land grab” town-planning laws, who argue that the European judgement only concerned a technicality of public tender laws and did not justify Valencian land laws that allow corrupt developers and town halls to take land from private owners and make them pay for subsequent development.

Tripping over the same brick?

The overarching goal is to stimulate the economy and create jobs in the construction sector by selling and then building more homes. But over-reliance on construction during the boom is one reason why Valencia is in such a big hole today, even by Spanish standards.

In response to the news, the Spanish daily ‘El Pais’ noted that the Valencian Government is the only administration to “trip over the same brick twice”.

See the properties for sale at Idealista.com

Between January and March this year, Spain received 9 million international tourists; an increase of 2.9% over the same three month period last year reveals the latest data from The Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade. Some of them will end up buying a home.

Publicity

According to the figures, the UK has remained Spain’s biggest fan with 1.8 million visitors in Q1 2011, while 1.47 million German and 1.2 million French visitors travelled to Spain to sample its delights.

It is thought that improved personal finances and a decrease in holiday prices have contributed to the rising tourist numbers, helping to alleviate some of the stresses of the Spanish economy. And of course, with the continued frequency and ease of flights into Spain, particularly the Costa Blanca with its new terminal at Alicante airport opening back in March as well as the new Corvera International airport opening in Murcia later this year, this boost in tourism to Spain will undoubtedly spell good news for property owners, boosting rental occupancy levels.

Ignacio Osle, Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey de España, Spain’s leading house builder, explains,

“The Costa Blanca has been through a challenging period but the situation is improving with tourism to the area picking up. Seeing the Government and financiers investing in the infrastructure of the province is also immensely reassuring for both current and prospective property owners”

One of the most famous coastlines in Spain, the Costa Blanca attracts millions of visitors each year and is traditionally a favourite destination for foreign buyers drawn to the clear blue waters, miles of golden sandy beaches, quaint villages, sophisticated cafes and restaurants and an abundance of historical, cultural and leisure activities.

Stunning New Developments from Taylor Wimpey de España

Montesol

Sitting on the boarder of the Mediterranean, Calpe, famous for the Peñón de Ifach rock and renowned for being a popular beach town in Costa Blanca, is a haven for potential property buyers with Taylor Wimpey de España offering two new stunning developments.

The Calpesol residential complex is a brand new development consisting of spacious homes with landscaped gardens and a communal swimming pool. The properties have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and costs from €155,000. The properties include terraces, private gardens and outdoor parking all finished to a high standard; ideal for full time living or potential holiday rental opportunities.

Now in its second phase, the Montesol residential complex is situated in one of the best areas of Calpe – Maryvilla and provides 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartments with a garden, sun terrace, air conditioning and hydro massage bath. With a price tag from €251,000, this development is a perfect investment, destined to attract buyers.

For more information please contact Taylor Wimpey España today on 08000 121 020 or visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com. Outside the UK call 00 34 971 706 244.

The feeble state of the property market on the Costa Blanca has driven new home building down to levels last seen in the 60s or even before, reports the Spanish press.

The latest report (November 2010) from Alicante’s College of Technical Architects forecasts 2010 will end with just 1,851 housing starts in the province, 26pc down on 2009, and 97pc down on 2004, when Alicante’s housing starts peaked at 53,737.

You have to go back to around 1953 to find such a low level of housing starts, according to an article in the regional paper La Verdad.

Last year there were a paltry 11 housing starts in Denia, one of the most popular municipalities in Alicante. In Redován and Rafal, not a single new home was started last year.

Municipalities with less than 10 new homes started in 2010 include Benitatxell, Bigastro, El Campello, Castalla, Catral, Crevillente, Guardamar, La Nucia, Los Montesinos, Monforte, Monóvar, Pego, Polop, San Fulgencio, and San Miguel de Salinas, all familiar names in the holiday-home industry.

Alicante and the municipalities of the Costa Blanca have long been a popular destination for holiday-home buyers and snow-birds from Northern Europe. Whist the whole of Spain has been badly hit by the real estate crash, the debacle in Alicante is a sign that areas reliant on the holiday / expat home business are suffering the most.

Publicity

More stylish, quality new homes in the sun from blue-chip developer Taylor Wimpey. ‘Las Brisas de Alenda’ offers front-line golf town-houses in Alenda Golf, Monteforte del Cid (near Alicante), starting at an incredible price of just 189,000 Euros. If you are after a home in Spain, this is fantastic opportunity to buy on one of the best golf courses in Alicante, not far from the beach.

Learn more:

Las Brisas de Alenda – Montforte del Cid, Alicante, Costa Blanca

Or call now on (UK) 08000 121 020

Learn more:

Las Brisas de Alenda – Montforte del Cid, Alicante, Costa Blanca

Or call now on (UK) 08000 121 020

A recent article in El Pais reports on the problems experienced by people who bought flats in the Torre Lugano skyscraper – the 2nd highest in Benidorm with 148 metres, 48 floors, and 204 flats (it was marketed as the highest residential building in Spain, but has since been overtaken by the Gran Hotel Bali in Benidorm at 186m).

Furious owners claim the finish is far below spec and multiple construction faults have come to light since the building was delivered in June 2008, a year and a half late. A group of them are taking the developer, builder, architect, and technical architects to court demanding compensation of 28 million Euros.

The owners complain that:

- The building standards are shoddy, and corners were cut.
- The developer cut costs using inferior materials to those promised in the spec. For example, chipboard or cardboard was used in place of wood.
- Thanks to poor construction, the stairs to the offices have been sealed off in danger of collapse.
- The fire alarm never worked properly (towering inferno anyone?). Sometime it goes off up to 50 times a day.
- Construction faults in the foundations cause regular flooding in the garage, often involving waste water (sewage).
- Owners have had to spend 600,000 Euros dealing with these and other problems.

Vicente Villalba, the vice-president of the community of owners, says he feels “swindled”. “I was promised a luxury flat but it has ended up a disaster because almost nothing is up to scratch,” he told El Pais.

As a protest, the majority of owners are reported to have hung a for sale sign outside their flats.

Prices range from €160,000 for small lower floor flats, to €710,000 for the penthouses. The symbolic protest aside, 50 flats, or 25% of the building, are for sale, and that’s before counting those still on offer from the developer.

The owners are also suing the developer for building 5 floors more than urban planning laws permit.

The developer is a JV between Acciona – one of Spain’s biggest developers and constructors – and the Valencian savings bank Bancaja.

In recent years, 1,272 homes have been illegally built on rustic land around the town of Catral, most of them sold to British couples relocating to the region to enjoy their retirement. The town hall has plans to charge owners around 20,000 euros each for legalising their properties, whist developers and town planners involved in the scandal get off scot free.

Having consulted a legal expert in town planning at the University of Alicante, the AECU argue that the Valencian government and Catral’s town hall are to blame for failing to enforce town planning laws, and may even have encouraged illegal over-development in the area. As a result, owners may have a case to sue the authorities for damages, say AECU.

With buyer confidence damaged by illegal building scandals, the idea is to develop a government seal of approval that inspires confidence and brings back foreign buyers.

Specialists at the Valencian Building Institute (IVE) will certify the legality and quality of holiday homes, after visiting every property individually.

The Generalitat, which has also recently started certifying ‘green’ homes, hopes this ‘quality seal’ will help sell a glut of 20,000 newly built holiday homes on the Costa Blanca. The initiative is reported to have the full support of the region’s developers.

A webpage providing more information is planned, and the IVE has approached other European building organisations for their backing, focusing on the UK, France, Germany and Holland. It is thought this will add more value to the Valencian stamp of approval, and inspire more confidence amongst buyers from other European countries.

Empty gesture?

The quality seal is also a response to the negative press the Valencian Region gets in other European countries.

Sales of holiday homes have been hit hard by the economic crisis, but the Generalitat and local developers think that an “unjustified” campaign in Brussels by what Diario Información describe as “the powerful lobby group ‘Abusos Urbanísticos No! (AUN)’” is also partly to blame for the region’s property crisis.

In a case of David against Goliath, the citizens’ action group AUN has spent years drawing attention to property abuses and injustices in the Valencian Region, much to the rage of the much more powerful Generalitat.

The problem with the new seal is it will do nothing to make the bad press go away whilst the underlying abuses continue. So with the Generalitat and local developers continue blaming others for their own mistakes, it looks a bit like an empty gesture.

Marina D'Or on the Costa Azahar

The Regional Government of Valencia (the Generalitat) has given the go-ahead to a massive enlargement of the Marina D’Or development on the Costa Azahar. Marina D’Or Golf, as the project is called, is now the biggest residential planning scheme in Europe, and its approval coincides with the biggest property crash in Spain’s history.

Located north of Valencia City, in the municipalities of Cabanes and Oropesa, the self-styled “Holiday City” developed by Jesus Ger will cover 18 million square metres of land, including 3 golf courses, numerous hotels, a theme park, indoor ski slopes, and more than 30,000 homes, 20% of which will be social housing.

According to Spanish press reports, the developer plans to start building the 3 golf courses first, leaving the homes for when the property market recovers.

Marina D'Or

Mundo delusion?

The plans include a theme park called Mundo Ilusión, to be developed by the Generalitat, on 800,000 meters of land provided by the Marina D’Or Group. Mundo Ilusion is the pet project of Carlos Fabra, the long-standing president of the provincial government of Castellón.

Jesus Ger, the boss of Marina D’Or, has called on the Generalitat to start work on the Mundo Ilusión theme park to encourage tourists to visit. Ger argues the government should get behind the project like it did with Terra Mítica in Alicante.

No matter that Terra Mítica has been a commercial failure and waste of public money, as opposition politicians like Marina Albiol of the EUPV claim. “We continue to think that Mundo Ilusión makes no sense; everything suggests it will be a financial failure,” Albiol told the Spanish press, saying her party will oppose another “drain of public money as happened with Terra Mítica.”

Marina D'Or expansion site