Finance
Spain Outshines the Rest for Britons Looking to Buy Abroad in 2017
Published by Gbaf News
Posted on July 19, 2017
9 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
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Published by Gbaf News
Posted on July 19, 2017
9 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on Google· More than 2.5 million searches for property in Spain from the UK each month
· Revealed: Top 10 property destinations abroad and average enquiry prices
· UK’s 10 largest cities all searching for property in Spain and France
What buyers can get in Spain and France for the average asking price in the UK
Despite the allure of exotic faraway destinations, more than 2.5 million online searches suggest that Britons prefer the sunny shores much closer to home when it comes to buying property abroad.
According to the latest research by property website Rightmove, Spain is the most popular European country for Britons looking to relocate or buy a second home. Average monthly searches for property in Spain total 2,513,374 a month – over 74% more than France, the second most searched for location in Europe.
Top 10 Destinations for Property-Seekers
| Country | Avg. Enquiry Price | Avg. Flight Time from UK | Avg. Flight Cost |
| Spain | €156, 940 | 2h | £48 |
| France | €217,433 | 55m | £54 |
| Italy | €227,411 | 2h20m | £56 |
| Portugal | €215,001 | 2h 30m | £83 |
| Ireland | €167,537 | 1h 10m | £36 |
| Greece | €191,246 | 3h 30m | £132 |
| Cyprus | €148,082 | 4h 46m | £184 |
| Germany | €370,990 | 1h 40m | £28 |
| Malta | €264,670 | 3h | £68 |
| Turkey | €93,180 | 4h | £142 |
Countries ranked according to number of avg. monthly searches
A closer look a ta year’s worth of property search data from the largest cities shows consistent interest in Spain right across the UK. It is the number one sunny destination for Britons from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield.
Spain is most popular with sun-starved Scots, more than 54% of searches for property in Spain come from Glasgow, a close second being Liverpool with the second highest number of searches, at almost 50%.
France comes up as a consistent second on the list of hot-property destinations, according to UK interest per city, with the most searches for this sunny destination coming out of Cardiff, London, and Bristol.
Which SunnyResorts are Property-Seekers Most Interested In?
Spain and France are clear favourites for property-seekers looking to buy a second home, a closer look reveals the most searched for resorts in each.
| Top Resorts in Spain | Avg. Enquiry Price | Top Resorts in France | Avg. Enquiry Price |
| Alicante | €126,054 | Nice | €356,271 |
| Montpellier | €397,813 | Cannes | €585,754 |
| Malaga | €191,830 | Montpellier | €553,045 |
| Tenerife | €176,107 | St. Tropez | €1,523,989 |
| Lanzarote | €160,193 | Marseille | €1,399,625 |
A House in Alicante – Most Popular Second Home Destination in the UK
Alicante tops the list as the most searched for property destination in Spain and at €126, 053, it also has the lowest average enquiry price of the most popular sunny regions. According to Rightmove, 62% of enquiriesare for houses in Alicante, while 38% are looking for flats or apartments. And for UK residents looking for fast, affordable flights to their holiday home in the sun, it doesn’t get better than this port city on Spain’s south-eastern coast.
An Apartment in Mallorca – Popular with High Budget Buyers
With an average enquiry price of €397, 813, property in Mallorca is popular with high budget buyers, with 54% looking for flats and apartments and 46% looking for houses. Despite enquiries for properties in Mallorca being three times higher in price than those in Alicante, it still tops the list as the second most searched for property destination in Spain.
“Just 2.5 hours away by plane, a great climate, upmarket living, picturesque surroundings…Mallorca is perfectly positioned as the ultimate destination for high budget UK buyers looking to purchase their own slice of paradise.” – Chris Please, Head of Rightmove Overseas
Why is Property in Spain Consistently in Demand?
“Over 12 months, we received an average of 2.5 million searches a month for property in Spain, indicating just how in-demand this sunny country is for property-seekers. Whether it’s the large expat community, the sunny climate, the food or simply the easy transition into relaxed Spanish culture that has Britons enthralled, Spain’s proximity to the UK, cheap flights and short travel time has it consistently emerging as one of the most popular property destinations abroad.” – Chris Please, Head of Rightmove Overseas
Climate
With warm average temperatures of 21°C per year, Spain is one of the hottest countries in Europe making it an ideal destination for summer homes. With high average temperatures hitting 30°C in June, 34°C in July and 33°C in August, summer months in Spain are hot and the climate is mild for the rest of the year.
| Cyprus | Malta | Greece | Portugal | Spain |
| 25 c | 23 c | 23 c | 21 c | 21 c |
Distance and Affordability
Average flight time to Spain is just over 2 hours by plane, making it one of the fastest destinations to travel to after France, Ireland and Germany. With plane ticket prices increasing in summer due to high demand, visiting Spainis more affordable than visiting France, Italy or Malta, with the estimated lowest price in mid-summer costing £48 return.
| Country | Flight time | Flight Cost | |
| Germany | 1 hour 40 minutes | £28 | |
| Ireland | 1 hour 10 minutes | £36 | |
| Spain | 2 hours | £48 | |
| France | 55 minutes | £54 | |
| Italy | 2 hours 20 minutes | £56 | |
| Malta | 3 hours | £68 | |
| Portugal | 2 hours 30 minutes | £83 | |
| Greece | 3 hours 30 minutes | £132 | |
| Turkey | 4 hours | £142 | |
| Cyprus | 4 hours 46 mins | £184 | |
Estimated lowest prices July 2017 – Skyscanner prices updated every 15 days
Which European Country is the Nation’s Favourite and Why Infographic
· More than 2.5 million searches for property in Spain from the UK each month
· Revealed: Top 10 property destinations abroad and average enquiry prices
· UK’s 10 largest cities all searching for property in Spain and France
What buyers can get in Spain and France for the average asking price in the UK
Despite the allure of exotic faraway destinations, more than 2.5 million online searches suggest that Britons prefer the sunny shores much closer to home when it comes to buying property abroad.
According to the latest research by property website Rightmove, Spain is the most popular European country for Britons looking to relocate or buy a second home. Average monthly searches for property in Spain total 2,513,374 a month – over 74% more than France, the second most searched for location in Europe.
Top 10 Destinations for Property-Seekers
| Country | Avg. Enquiry Price | Avg. Flight Time from UK | Avg. Flight Cost |
| Spain | €156, 940 | 2h | £48 |
| France | €217,433 | 55m | £54 |
| Italy | €227,411 | 2h20m | £56 |
| Portugal | €215,001 | 2h 30m | £83 |
| Ireland | €167,537 | 1h 10m | £36 |
| Greece | €191,246 | 3h 30m | £132 |
| Cyprus | €148,082 | 4h 46m | £184 |
| Germany | €370,990 | 1h 40m | £28 |
| Malta | €264,670 | 3h | £68 |
| Turkey | €93,180 | 4h | £142 |
Countries ranked according to number of avg. monthly searches
A closer look a ta year’s worth of property search data from the largest cities shows consistent interest in Spain right across the UK. It is the number one sunny destination for Britons from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield.
Spain is most popular with sun-starved Scots, more than 54% of searches for property in Spain come from Glasgow, a close second being Liverpool with the second highest number of searches, at almost 50%.
France comes up as a consistent second on the list of hot-property destinations, according to UK interest per city, with the most searches for this sunny destination coming out of Cardiff, London, and Bristol.
Which SunnyResorts are Property-Seekers Most Interested In?
Spain and France are clear favourites for property-seekers looking to buy a second home, a closer look reveals the most searched for resorts in each.
| Top Resorts in Spain | Avg. Enquiry Price | Top Resorts in France | Avg. Enquiry Price |
| Alicante | €126,054 | Nice | €356,271 |
| Montpellier | €397,813 | Cannes | €585,754 |
| Malaga | €191,830 | Montpellier | €553,045 |
| Tenerife | €176,107 | St. Tropez | €1,523,989 |
| Lanzarote | €160,193 | Marseille | €1,399,625 |
A House in Alicante – Most Popular Second Home Destination in the UK
Alicante tops the list as the most searched for property destination in Spain and at €126, 053, it also has the lowest average enquiry price of the most popular sunny regions. According to Rightmove, 62% of enquiriesare for houses in Alicante, while 38% are looking for flats or apartments. And for UK residents looking for fast, affordable flights to their holiday home in the sun, it doesn’t get better than this port city on Spain’s south-eastern coast.
An Apartment in Mallorca – Popular with High Budget Buyers
With an average enquiry price of €397, 813, property in Mallorca is popular with high budget buyers, with 54% looking for flats and apartments and 46% looking for houses. Despite enquiries for properties in Mallorca being three times higher in price than those in Alicante, it still tops the list as the second most searched for property destination in Spain.
“Just 2.5 hours away by plane, a great climate, upmarket living, picturesque surroundings…Mallorca is perfectly positioned as the ultimate destination for high budget UK buyers looking to purchase their own slice of paradise.” – Chris Please, Head of Rightmove Overseas
Why is Property in Spain Consistently in Demand?
“Over 12 months, we received an average of 2.5 million searches a month for property in Spain, indicating just how in-demand this sunny country is for property-seekers. Whether it’s the large expat community, the sunny climate, the food or simply the easy transition into relaxed Spanish culture that has Britons enthralled, Spain’s proximity to the UK, cheap flights and short travel time has it consistently emerging as one of the most popular property destinations abroad.” – Chris Please, Head of Rightmove Overseas
Climate
With warm average temperatures of 21°C per year, Spain is one of the hottest countries in Europe making it an ideal destination for summer homes. With high average temperatures hitting 30°C in June, 34°C in July and 33°C in August, summer months in Spain are hot and the climate is mild for the rest of the year.
| Cyprus | Malta | Greece | Portugal | Spain |
| 25 c | 23 c | 23 c | 21 c | 21 c |
Distance and Affordability
Average flight time to Spain is just over 2 hours by plane, making it one of the fastest destinations to travel to after France, Ireland and Germany. With plane ticket prices increasing in summer due to high demand, visiting Spainis more affordable than visiting France, Italy or Malta, with the estimated lowest price in mid-summer costing £48 return.
| Country | Flight time | Flight Cost | |
| Germany | 1 hour 40 minutes | £28 | |
| Ireland | 1 hour 10 minutes | £36 | |
| Spain | 2 hours | £48 | |
| France | 55 minutes | £54 | |
| Italy | 2 hours 20 minutes | £56 | |
| Malta | 3 hours | £68 | |
| Portugal | 2 hours 30 minutes | £83 | |
| Greece | 3 hours 30 minutes | £132 | |
| Turkey | 4 hours | £142 | |
| Cyprus | 4 hours 46 mins | £184 | |
Estimated lowest prices July 2017 – Skyscanner prices updated every 15 days
Which European Country is the Nation’s Favourite and Why Infographic
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