Property

Searches for property in Ibiza up 174% thanks to Netflix show White Lines

Rightmove has released new data showing the interest in searches for overseas property has surged during lockdown.

Emily Sergeant - 10th June 2020

Leading UK property website Rightmove has released new data showing that the interest in searches for overseas property has surged during lockdown.

If you’ve found yourself seriously toying with the prospect of buying a holiday home, contemplating a relocation, or dreaming of a trip abroad after your trip was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it turns out that you’re very much not alone.

Research by Rightmove data analysts shows that searches for overseas property in May reached their highest point for the year and were up 33% compared to this time last year.

This followed the trend from April where overseas searches increased by 50% from March.

After an initial dip when lockdown first commenced, the countries seeing the biggest uplift in searches are Spain, France and Portugal.

Searches for property in Spain were up 34% and in particular, the biggest surge was seen in searches for property on the island of Ibiza which was up a whopping 174% compared to last May.

It’s thought that this is thanks to the new Netflix series White Lines.

White Lines is a 10-part Spanish/British thriller series which aired on Netflix last month.

The show follows a young woman visiting Ibiza to learn the truth about what happened to her brother – a Manchester DJ who disappeared on the Balearic Islands 20 years prior – and it received positive reviews from both critics and fans alike.

Kieran Byrne, owner of international estate agency, HomeEspaña in Spain, said: “After a significant dip in activity and enquiries in March and early April, when lockdown measures were first introduced in Spain and the UK, we’ve witnessed a gradual resurgence of interest towards the end of April, and this gathered pace throughout May.”

“Of course, we’ve spoken to clients who are putting their plans on hold, waiting to see what life will be like post-coronavirus, which is totally understandable, but we’ve also spoken to new customers who had never previously thought about buying a property in Spain.”

“Being confined has made them reconsider their lives in cities and towns, as has the thought of returning to being crammed onto buses and trains, and they’ve concluded it would be preferable to be somewhere with more of an outdoor lifestyle, better weather, access to swimming pools and beaches.”

“Of course, we still don’t know how any of this translates into genuine interest or transactions”.

“We’re still not fully out of lockdown here in Spain – international flights haven’t resumed and we’re still in a period of uncertainty – but it does seem like there is a lot of new interest in people relocating or having a second home here”.

For more information on overseas property, visit the Rightmove website here.