Increasing numbers of Scandinavians are buying up and restoring Galicia’s stock of abandoned homes built in the traditional style out of stone, reports the Spanish press.

Galicia can lay claim to some of the best seafood in Europe, stunning countryside, beautiful beaches, and a low cost of living, all of which attracts a certain type of foreigner, particularly those who want to get away from the over-development on the southern coasts.

The climate may not be Mediterranean, but it’s still better than most parts of Northern Europe and the British Isles, not to mention the countries of Scandinavia.

Local agents like Mark Adkinson of Galician Country Homes report that Scandinavian house-hunters are turning up in increasing numbers looking for traditional homes made of stone that have been abandoned and need restoring, typically in rural areas.

Some of them have turned ruins into lovingly restored examples of traditional Galician homes built in the traditional style out of stone, say agents. Expats have even brought back to life some Galician villages that were heading for extinction.

Despite the increase in Scandinavian buyers, the number of foreigners looking for homes in the region is still below 2007, when the British dominated. Demand is “a third or a half or what it was up to 2007,” says one local agent. “I used to have practically one client a day. Now it’s more like one a week.”