I’m Laura Leyshon and I’m Las Palmas’ resident property expert. I work for RE/MAX Cony Overseas, one of the city’s oldest estate agencies and the first RE/MAX office to open in Europe. Cony Overseas has an excellent local reputation and has helped hundreds of foreign buyers and sellers in Las Palmas and all over Gran […]
Las Palmas Property 2020: Local Market Insight
Every year, I write a guide to the current state of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria property market and give my predictions for the next 12 months. Here’s the Las Palmas property 2020 report.
It’s a tricky job this year because there are so many factors that could affect property prices. Mostly, it has to be said, in a negative way.
On a local scale we have a deflating touristic bubble in Gran Canaria, the collapse of Thomas Cook, a decline in holiday rental investment and a big increase in new-build property. [Read more…]
Gran Canaria Property Market Healthy: Latest Figures
Property prices in Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands are rising steadily, according to Spanish Valuation Company Tinsa. [Read more…]
Living In Gran Canaria: A Guide By Laura Leyshon
My guide to moving to Gran Canaria as an expat or foreign resident is called Gran Canaria Living. It’s a useful guide to moving to the island, finding friends and settling into island life.
Over the last few years, I have written lots of articles about living in Gran Canaria here and for Gran Canaria Guru and Gran Canaria Info.
Articles like…
A guide to the best schools in Gran Canaria
How to get a Gran Canaria mortgage
The ultimate shopping guide to Las Palmas
I keep them all updated, but they are rather spread out. Several people told me that they weren’t finding the information they needed.
So, I decided to write a book with all the information in one easy-to-access place.
Here it is: Gran Canaria Living.
I’m Laura Leyshon and I’m a British estate agent living and working in Gran Canaria. I lived in Gran Canaria for over 15 years and work for RE/MAX Cony Overseas: One of the island’s most respected estate agencies.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about moving to Gran Canaria.
Las Palmas Property: Exclusivity Is A Bad Name For A Good Thing
If there’s one thing that puts people off selling their Las Palmas property with an estate agent, it’s the idea of signing an exclusive contract.
But this valid concern is due to a misunderstanding about what exclusivity means.
Exclusivity is actually a bad name for a very good thing.
All it actually means is that you get one estate agent pestering you rather than dozens of them.
Let me give you an example of how it works. [Read more…]
Luxury Gran Canaria Property: Adding Value With Quality Service
I’m very proud to be a RE/MAX Collection agent and one of Gran Canaria’s few specialist luxury property agents. [Read more…]
Fascinating Facts About The Canary Islands & Balearic Property Markets
A new study by TINSA (Spain’s largest property valuation firm) has compared the Canarian and Balearic property markets. Here’s a summary of what it said, and some interesting facts about the Canary Islands and Gran Canaria property market.
Same same but different: Islands in the sun
The property market in the Canary Islands and the Balearics has rebounded faster than most places in mainland Spain. This is to be expected as they have limited space and property and large numbers of visitors. The TINSA comparison highlights the importance of foreign demand; 35.6% of property purchases in the Balearics were by foreign buyers. The equivalent figure for the Canary Islands was 28.1%.
Overall, the Canarian property market is cheaper than the Balearic Islands. Property in Ibiza and Formentera costs an average of €2.758 per square metre while it is just €1.061/m in Fuerteventura and €1.383/m in Lanzarote. The average price in Gran Canaria in 2015 was €1156/m.
The proportion of luxury properties (over €400k) is much higher in the Balearic Islands at 17% than in the Canaries at 3%. Cheap property (under €100k) accounts for 39% of the Canarian market but just 17% in the Balearics.
Property in the Canary Islands takes an average of seven months to sell while in the Balearics it is 10.7 months. The cost of a property purchase in the Canaries accounts for 17.1% of average family income in the Canary Islands but 29% in the Balearics.
New build activity is hotting up in the Balearics and especially in coastal areas where 1053 permits were issued in 2015 (up 50%). Things in the Canaries are slower with just 701 new build permits in coastal areas (392 of them from Tenerife)
10,527 properties changed hands in Gran Canaria in 2015; the highest figure for any Spanish island.
The Gran Canaria property market
This comparison underlines the steady progress of the Gran Canaria & Canary Islands property market. We’ve now touched bottom (and bobbled along it for a few years) and are starting to see a rising demand and prices. However, I’m glad to say that we’re not seeing any signs of fast price rises or speculation. The local banks are still being cautious about lending and buyers are price conscious.
It may not be as exciting as the market before 2007 but it’s definitely healthier in the long run.
The Las Palmas property market
In Las Palmas, demand is strong in areas that are attractive to foreign buyers (a big chunk of the market) such as the Las Canteras beachfront, the Port District and old town Vegueta and Triana.
With the holiday let market booming, property prices on the beachfront and in nearby areas are rising faster than the average. If this continues, it won’t be long before flats with tourist rental potential start to sell at a premium to residential property.
I’m Laura Leyshon and I specialise in helping foreign buyers to buy and sell property in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria city. If you’re interested in Las Palmas property, contact me for a chat at any time.
