Despite the global economic meltdown and the reduction in demand for real estate, which has affected business in all countries of the world and dealt a huge blow to the confidence of investors, the future looks bright for the Spanish property sector which has been in a period of consolidation for the last four years. And, recently, investors have seen an encouraging rise in the demand for rental and resale property in Spain.

Residents Northern European countries have always had a keen interest in property in Spain for both lifestyle and investment purposes but a renewed interest is now being spurred on by recent developments and announcements which have come from Spain.

For the lifestyle and overseas holiday home buyer, the coastal areas of Spain offer over 320 days of sunshine per year, and, according to the World Health Organisation, the country has one of the cleanest and healthiest environments in Europe. In addition, Spain offers countless leisure opportunities such as superb golf courses which cater for golfers of all levels and ability, kilometers of sandy beaches for people to relax on those long summer days, excellent sports centers to promote fitness and good health, superb marine facilities to enjoy watersports in the Mediterranean sea, bars, restaurants, shopping centers with 3D cinemas, and so much more for the whole family to enjoy. Spain also offers first-class medical facilities, as well as excellent connections by air, road, and sea.

For the investor, Spain offers an economic and business environment which has now stabilized following a difficult spell for the global economy, and one in which Spanish property investments are set to thrive over the next few years. Prices of property in Spain are now around 50% of their 2007 highs in some areas (at the time of writing) and are expected to show a steady increase over the next few years as the market consolidates and finds its footing once again. It is now possible to invest less than 100.000,00 € for a resale property located less than 2km from sandy beaches, beautiful marinas, and golf courses! Furthermore, property in the € 50.000,00 to € 90.000,00 is in particular demand as cash buyers are now growing more optimistic and are beginning to flip property once again. This is a good sign for the wider Spanish property market.

All the signs for positive growth in the property sector in Spain are encouraging. Significant infrastructure investments have been made in order to improve roads, airports, rail links, and hospitals. Furthermore, private constructors are becoming more bullish and are now constructing more new property in all regions of Spain. The move has been encouraged by the Government of Spain which has reduced sales tax (IVA) on all new builds from 8% to 4% until the end of 2011 in an effort to re-ignite the construction sector and encourage investment from buyers.

Major corporations are also positive about the outlook for property in Spain. Universal Pictures, for example, have recently announced that they will be developing a huge Paramount Theme Park leisure facility in the Costa Calida, on the outskirts of Murcia, which is set to create over 20.000 jobs over the next five years and provide an entertainment facility to rival that of Disneyland Paris. The project is set to be completed by 2015 and will provide a welcomed boost for tourism in the area with a projected 3 million visitors per year.

All of these positive signs would suggest that, despite the difficulties which Spain has experienced over recent years, it is now time to re-enter the property world. The market for property in Spain looks set to develop huge interest from investors over the next few years.