According to official statistics, British people bought 40% of all houses built on the Spanish Costas during 2003. The majority (two thirds) of those properties were bought as holiday or retirement homes by Brits who had seen the value of their first home balloon in recent years. This influx of British home buyers has greatly affected house prices around the Costas and Balearic Islands, which rose by 21% during the course of the year - three times the traditional rate of house price growth in the area.

A combination of cheap flights to varied destinations, very low interest rates and soaring house prices at home giving Brits access to large chunks of equity have combined to make buying property in Spain a realistic dream for many middle-aged or elderly Brits.

More than one million Britons now own a second home, with 550,000 of these abroad, according to research published in 2004. After Spain, France was second choice for a holiday getaway, followed by the US, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand

The most popular locations in Spain for British people to invest continue to be the popular seaside resorts along the Costa Del Sol and Costa Brava, although some people are investing in the less expensive and more varied towns of northern Spain, including Santander and Bilbao. The architecture of northern Spain shows less moorish influence than the southern cities of Cadiz and Vejer, but does contain some modern gems, such as the awesome Guggenheim Museum. For people wishing to learn Spanish Cadiz is an ideal destination (the Spanish courses Cadiz has to offer are among the best in Spain).

Learning Spanish in Spain is something that all Brits who move to the country should attempt, if they don't already have a decent level of Spanish before leaving home. It is much easier to survive in a country with a decent understanding of the language. Courses to learn Spanish in Spain are available all across the country and are known to vary in quality. The best way to choose a course is through personal recommendation, although there are a number of websites dedicated to helping you choose an appropriate Spanish course in Spain.

The influx of British homeowners to southern Spain means that many Brits study Spanish in Seville; one of the largest cities in the area. Andalucia is a famously beautiful region and attracts hundreds of foreign property investors each year.

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