dorishaslop

According to the Daily Snail, 34% of ex pats in Spain now want to sell their homes and move back to the UK. due to the instability of the Euro and the mess Greece is in.
Maybe I am crazy but I still want to move to Spain.
I can't imagine any of my favourite regulars on here want to sell up and move back here, you all seem very happy with your lot.

jackytoo

I am sure some on here will be selling. Not all will say will they...they have to keep the dream alive

Fred James

I can believe that 34% of British owned property is for sale but to suggest that implies that 34% of expats want to move back is complete rubbish. Most of the 34% will be holiday homes.

Typical DM journalism.

missile

For as long as I can remember there have been people dreaming of buying and those wanting to sell in spain.

I would be interested to know where DM get the 34%, possibly like those adverts on TV from a sample of 100?

Dick Dasterdly

Absolute cobblers.

Maybe we should do our own little survey and see how it compares with theirs.

fionamw

My guess is a press release from an estate agency.

missile

That would be even more accurate than a sample of 100 <LMAO>

I have no doubt there are many who want to return to the UK, but I doubt 34% would cite as the reason.

fionamw

It appears to be a survey by HiFX. Though a survey of how many I wouldn't know.

steviedeluxe

If anything I would have thought the increase in the strength of the pound would encourage a few waverers to stay, as their UK pension/earnings would now stretch further?
What may be forcing the issue would be those people who rent out accommodation, and finding the number of Brits taking traditional holidays are now taking weekends in Madrid, Riga or Prague instead.

missile

On a UK website, one person posted property is 10% of what it once was and now would be a good time to invest in Greece. Two posters told him he was an idiot.

No doubt DM would report that as 33+% of people in the UK want to buy property in Greece.

snikpoh

Recently, few weeks ago, I was told that where we live (inland) 99% of British expats have their property up for sale so that they can move back to UK.

I pointed out that I was most certainly not one of them and he assured me that he wasn't either - as there can be no more than 100 brit families in and around here, that figure is clearly wrong straight away!

bobd22

That's as maybe but it also means that 66% of expats prefer to stay! Also there will always, have been a percentage wanting to sell up and return i.e. those that bought for early retirement and wish to return later in life for whatever reason. Plus the ones that bought and found it wasn't for them just as many who emigrate say to Australia do, to me like most statistics means nothing.

missile

You may be right, but I could not find it. This is one HiFx "survey" I did find.
HiFx conclusions appear to be no more than wild speculation, e.g. The quality of investigative reporting in HiFx magazine THE WEEK appears to be even lower than DM.

fionamw

If you google along the lines of 34% of expats in spain want to sell you'll find it .... on a n other expat outlet!!

Lynn R

I read this report in The Sunday Times yesterday and at first I thought it sounded ridiculous. Then I did a quick count up of the British-owned properties I know of in my town (didn't take long as there aren't that many of them!) and realised that it isn't far off the mark. Some are people who live here who have had their properties on the market for years, some used to live here full time and have already gone back to the UK leaving their houses on the market unsold, and others are holiday homes that people want to sell.

And then there are those of us who live here and don't want to sell (including me) and other holiday home owners who aren't selling.

What percentage of homes being up for sale would be regarded as "normal"?