Mark Stucklin: expat home demolitions

| Friday, February 5, 2010

Tourism represents about 10% of Spanish GDP, and more than 60% of foreign tourism in Spain comes from just three countries: the UK, Germany and France. The UK alone represents about a third of the total – more than 16 million Brits visited Spain in 2006.

Mark Stucklin is the man behind Spanish Property Insight – a property information website for those interested in buying and selling property in Spain. He is also the author of the Spanish Property Doctor Column in The Sunday Times, and the book ‘Need to Know: Buying Property in Spain’ published by Collins.

Topics we cover in the podcast

• General sentiment amongst British expats in Spain on the subject of Spanish property;
• Buying property in Spain – a now tarnished dream for many as realism and a recession take hold;
• The destruction of homes owned by British people in Spain
• • effect on Spain’s image abroad;
  • legality of the demolitions;
  • Are more homes going to be demolished?
  • Marta Andreasan’s challenge to Zapatero in the European parliament;
  • What does Spain need to do to fix its image problems?
• Will property prices in Spain drop further or is it a good time to invest again?

Articles we mention in the podcast

• British couple’s Costa dream is demolished;
• Demolition of expats villa was illegal, Spanish court rules;
• Happy New Year…we’re going to bulldoze your homes: British expats in Spain face having their houses torn down;
• The end of the Spanish dream as more homes are declared illegal;
• Don’t mention the bust;
• Land grab battle.