{"id":557140,"date":"2025-11-08T11:26:27","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T11:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/557140\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T11:26:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T11:26:27","slug":"is-now-a-good-time-to-buy-a-second-home-in-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/557140\/","title":{"rendered":"Is now a good time to buy a second home in the sun?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Homes<\/p>\n

Every year, when the clocks change and the drizzle sets in, my phone starts buzzing. Friends and clients in London \u2014 often the same ones who swore last summer they were done with EasyJet and villa rentals \u2014 begin asking the same question: \u201cIs now a good time to buy?\u201d<\/p>\n

This autumn, that question feels louder than usual. Between tax jitters, election talk and the damp reality of the London market, many homeowners are wondering whether the sun \u2014 and a bit of sanity \u2014 lies elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Since August, the UK property market has been battling a constant swirl of rumour: whispered reforms to stamp duty, talk of a mansion tax, speculation over capital gains, even a possible overhaul of council tax. Each announcement or leak sends a tremor through confidence.<\/p>\n

Buyers and sellers alike are stuck in a holding pattern, waiting to see what the Chancellor\u2019s red box might deliver.<\/p>\n

But this hesitation at home has had an unintended consequence. It\u2019s pushed many would-be movers to think more globally \u2014 and to recognise that while the domestic market feels reactive, the international one has settled into a quieter rhythm.<\/p>\n

What about changes to Spanish second homes rules?<\/p>\n

Sa Torre de la Mar, a three-bedroom house in Dei\u00e0, Mallorca is for sale through Charles Marlow<\/a> for \u20ac3.5 million<\/p>\n

Charles Marlow<\/p>\n

But on the ground, in places like Mallorca and Ibiza, the reality is far more measured.<\/p>\n

In the Balearics especially, supply remains tight, quality high, and sentiment surprisingly optimistic.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a market underpinned by lifestyle, not leverage \u2014 a far cry from the volatility that defined the post-pandemic years.<\/p>\n

The buyers we\u2019re meeting now are more thoughtful than ever. They\u2019re not chasing square footage or short-term returns. <\/p>\n

They\u2019re asking about light, flow, community and year-round rhythm. They want to know if the caf\u00e9s stay open in winter, if there are good schools nearby, if a home feels as welcoming in January as it does in July.<\/p>\n

This shift from speculation to permanence is what defines today\u2019s second-home market. It\u2019s about creating balance: a home that earns its keep but also restores its owners.<\/p>\n

Inside Sa Torre de la Mar in Dei\u00e0, Mallorca on the market with Charles Marlow<\/a> for \u20ac3.5 million<\/p>\n

Charles Marlow<\/p>\n

The great Mediterranean rebalance<\/p>\n

Across southern Europe, a new equilibrium has emerged. In Portugal\u2019s Algarve, France\u2019s C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur and Italy\u2019s Amalfi Coast, pricing has steadied. Sellers have adjusted to reality; buyers are proceeding with purpose.<\/p>\n

Yet the Balearics continue to stand apart \u2014 accessible, well-regulated and deeply international. <\/p>\n

Government data shows that while the pace of growth has cooled, prices have held firm, supported by limited supply and sustained demand from British, Dutch and American buyers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a boom, but a confident market built on fundamentals: heritage, location and quality of life.<\/p>\n

The five-bedroom Can Citrus is for sale in San Llorenzo, Ibiza for \u20ac8.85 million through Charles Marlow<\/a><\/p>\n

Charles Marlow<\/p>\n

The weeks ahead will bring more headlines, and the Budget may yet add a new layer of uncertainty to the domestic market. <\/p>\n

But if this year has proved anything, it\u2019s that clarity doesn\u2019t come from Westminster announcements. It comes from perspective – from seeing how people are actually buying, selling and living day to day.<\/p>\n

And from where I sit, that picture is becoming clearer. The Balearics \u2014 along with parts of the Algarve and the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur \u2014 have moved beyond the pandemic-era frenzy and into something healthier: a market led by genuine end-users rather than speculators. <\/p>\n

The five-bedroom Can Citrus is for sale in San Llorenzo, Ibiza for \u20ac8.85 million through Charles Marlow<\/a><\/p>\n

Charles Marlow<\/p>\n

Other Mediterranean destinations have seen similar stabilisation, but the Balearics still stand apart for their access, regulation and lifestyle depth. <\/p>\n

Mallorca continues to draw families who want schools, hiking and heritage; Ibiza appeals to those who value design, community and light. <\/p>\n

Across both islands, the best properties \u2014 those with licences, views and authenticity \u2014 are still achieving strong interest, particularly from British and northern-European buyers who see them as long-term homes, not investments.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re chasing a deal, this isn\u2019t a discount market. But if you\u2019re seeking a home that will hold its value, offer year-round joy and weather whatever politics come next, then yes, this is a good moment to look. <\/p>\n

Sellers are realistic, buyers are thoughtful, and the market feels balanced in a way it hasn\u2019t for years.<\/p>\n

For many of our clients, that\u2019s the sweet spot: less about timing the market, more about timing their lives.<\/p>\n

Because while Westminster speculates and winter settles in, the Balearics \u2014 and much of southern Europe \u2014 keep offering what London can\u2019t just now: light, rhythm and a sense of perspective.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every year, when the clocks change and the drizzle sets in, my phone starts buzzing. Friends and clients…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":557141,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,393,299,4884,12968,120917,257,104,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-557140","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-europe","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-holiday-homes","13":"tag-homes-abroad","14":"tag-london","15":"tag-spain","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115513838594223099","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=557140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557140\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/557141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=557140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=557140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=557140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}