Foreign buyers in Spain are making a strong comeback after a two-year hiatus. Now that things have started to return to some sort of normality after the pandemic, we're asking where foreigners are buying property in Spain in 2022 and how much they are paying. It is impossible to establish a generalised pattern of behaviour, either in terms of areas or available budget, but a study carried out by idealista shows the Spanish municipalities of most interest according to nationality, as well as the preference according to different price ranges.
The preferences of property searches from foreigners that are traditionally most interested in buying in Spain have been analysed, focusing on those from Germany, France, Morocco, the United Kingdom, Romania and Sweden in the second quarter of 2022.
The Balearic Islands most popular with German buyers
As is well known, the Balearic Islands are the favourite spot for German buyers, with three of the five municipalities with the highest number of visits from the country: in order of preference Palma, Calviá, Barcelona, Torrevieja and Llucmajor. In Palma, 45% of Germans were looking for properties under 300,000 euros, while in Calviá only 27% (rising to 46% for properties over 600,000 euros). In Barcelona, German luxury buyers (above 1 million euros) only accounted for 10%, while almost half (49%) focused on homes under 300,000 euros.
French buyers stay close to home in Catalonia
The French, on the other hand, have a preference for Catalonia thanks to its proximity to the country, and other urban environments. The most popular municipalities among French buyers are (in this order) Barcelona, La Moraleja (Madrid), Valencia and Alicante. In the case of Barcelona, 53% opt for homes for less than 300,000 euros, but in the case of La Moraleja, 95% are looking for properties worth more than one million euros. In the city of Valencia, on the other hand, 80% of French buyers were interested in properties under 300,000 euros.
Moroccans looking for properties below 300,000 euros
Moroccans looking for property in Spain from their country focused mainly in Algeciras, Melilla and Ceuta. This was followed by the municipalities of Ocaña and Ferrol. Searches in Algeciras were focused entirely below 300,000 euros, although their budget increases in the case of Melilla (6% between 300,000 and 600,000 euros) and Ceuta (11% in the same range).
Brits still buying on the coast but also in Madrid and Barcelona
Although British tourists are very visible in the coastal areas such as the Costa del Sol and Alicante, most property searches by Brits were focused in Madrid and Barcelona. This is followed by the Costa del Sol, with the municipalities of Marbella and Mijas. The British in Madrid and Barcelona are mainly looking for properties under 300,000 euros, but in the case of Marbella, one in three (32%) are looking for properties over one million euros. If you're planning on moving to Spain and want to know where most British expats live, check out our guide.
Romanians concentrate their searches in coastal areas
Romanian nationals looking for homes in Spain from their home country are concentrated in coastal areas: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Castellón de la Plana, Oropesa del Mar, Málaga and Arona. In all these markets, their preference is practically always for homes under 300,000 euros, although there is interest in those between 300,000 and 600,000 euros in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (3% of the total), Castellón de la Plana (2%) and Oropesa del Mar (4%).
Swedish buyers opt for touristy areas
The Swedish population prefers the most touristy municipalities of the Spanish Mediterranean when buying a property in Spain: Torrevieja, Marbella, Orihuela, Palma and Mijas. Depending on the destination, there are two profiles of Swedes: in Torrevieja, Orihuela and Mijas, the population mainly opts for properties under 300,000 euros, while the weight of searches over one million euros increases in the case of Marbella (25% of the total) and Palma (14%).
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