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Recap of holiday home news : 22 June 2009

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Holiday homes in Spain escape demolition – timesonline

Spanish home owners are relieved at news that thousands of homes on the Costa del Sol will not be demolished, despite being declared illegal.

The Junta de Andalusia, the regional government, is due to make a final decision on the “illegal” homes later this year but is expected to announce that it will not knock down the majority of the estimated 18,000 properties without proper building licences in Marbella and other parts of the Costa del Sol. These flats or villas were built with bogus licences after corrupt council officials and councillors took bribes from some developers to by-pass planning laws.

The article also reports that there are discounts and opportunities available for Spanish home seekers looking to invest in Spain, with discounts of 30% in some areas.

Flight search stats indicate Brits are holidaying outside the eurozonetelegraph

Skyscanner, the online flight booking website, has seen flight searches to eurozone destinations fall by as much as 15 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Spain, France and Italy, which traditionally attract large numbers of holidaying Brits, are among the destinations that have seen the biggest fall in the number of flight searches.

Palma, Spain (-6%)

Pisa, Italy (-5.5%)

Nice, France (-5%)

Bordeaux, France (-4.5%)

Menorca, Spain (-4%)

Venice, Italy (-3%)

It seems that second home owners in these areas are going to have a tough summer, although it is still early days. I expect that there will be a surge of last minute eurozone bookings this year and hopefully the recent euro climb will help holiday home bookings. How are your bookings going?

European hotel prices have increased by up to 50% in the past yeartelegraph

On a related note, average hotel prices in Europe have increased by up to a half in the past year.The price of a stay in a double room in Europe’s 50 most popular cities will cost an average of £107.

With more freedom, space and all those special touches supplied by thoughtful owners – holiday lets can often be a better and cheaper option than a hotel room.

Does your marketing convince holidaymakers why?

The pros and cons of overseas property fractional ownership – timesonline

Fractional ownership can be an inexpensive way of buying a second home without the hassles associated with maintaining a holiday home. As with any property purchase, outright or fractional ownership, there are also downsides that should be considered before signing up.

Second home burglary fears following empty homes websitetelegraph

ReportEmptyHomes.com, a new website that lists details of empty homes across Britain, has been condemned as a “burglars’ charter” and an open invitation to squatters.

The website provides addresses and photos of empty properties. Combined with Google Street View, there are security concerns that criminals and squatters could target empty second homes.

Second homes are most at risk when left empty. Ensure that your home is insured when left empty and check to see if your second home is listed on the site.

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