The endless rain. Can you really stomach another January like this?
University of Reading meteorologists report the longest unbroken spell of rain since 1908. If you live in Northern Ireland or Cornwall, we feel your pain. So, head to southern Spain where you’ll get around 320 days of sun a year — and you’ll be much more active and happier. Golf and padel tennis or walks on the beach in December and January? Yes please.
The cost of living is still less than in the UK
Inflation in the UK has remained stubbornly above target and we are feeling the pain in both the supermarkets and the pub. Yes, Spain has seen prices go up too, but the average cost of living in Spain is 31% lower than the UK in February 2026 — and rent prices 39% lower, according to numbeo.com.
House prices in Spain are still much lower than in the UK
This week a daunting milestone for first-time buyers was reached: the average UK house price is now £300,000, according to Halifax, the UK’s biggest lender. What can you get for £300k in the UK? That is £20k less than a three-bedroom house in Manchester (forget London). In Spain, that will buy a detached villa with a swimming pool.
Spanish prime minister “misses the UK in the EU”
A year ago, we were all dreading the idea of a new “supertax” on non-EU buyers of Spanish property when the Spanish PM made a vague pronouncement. Well, now a year has passed and this week, the tax seems a dead duck, and the same man has expressed strong support for the UK rejoining the EU. He apparently misses the UK in the EU.
Long-term investment: the numbers stack up
Spain’s property market has proved itself to be remarkably resilient, even when interest rates rose (they are lower now), as did inflation and there’s the ongoing global economic uncertainty. Spain is projected to lead European economic growth in 2026. Property prices have been rising steadily — and still are — but don’t wait too long or you might get left behind.
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