Question on this - Page 4

You pay 1800euros a month or a year? If its monthly thats way to much. Spain won't loose anything by not having British people here richest parts of spain have little to no British at all. 

Most second home owners only on average use their home for 3 to 6months anyways the rest of the time its family members using it or empty. For me people who have had one for more than a fews years should've just applied for residency then they wouldve had no issue on stay. 

Certain areas of Spain will lose out significantly if all the British left. The fact that some of the richest areas may contain few Brits is irrelevant to those areas that do.

Second homeowners contribute a significant amount to the economy even if they ONLY use the place for up to 6 months a year.

To suggest they should all have applied to become residents is ridiculous. Just because they have a holiday home and want to maximise its use does not mean they want to live there. There may be many disadvantages to doing so.

But the point made by Angebadge remains.  If these second home owners sell up then they are selling the property to someone else who will continue to use it and spend money in the Spanish economy.  Given the taxes paid on the purchase of property then Spain will actually gain in taxes paid from any extra property sales.

I accept that there are some inland villages which were dying a death with children of the residents moving away, which have been brought back to life by a community of Brits moving in and renovating derelict property, but these are few and far between, with most of the Brits who own property actually being resident there.  If people want to sell properties in these British enclaves then they may find it increasingly difficult to do so.

I think that too many Brits overvalue their contribution to the Spanish economy.  Most of that contribution is from conventional tourists and those tourists will continue to come for their fortnight in the sun.

£1800 a year but thats a lot of money especially at the moment when non residents cannot even travel. Many pay more. That's my point we are all still paying into the Spanish economy regardless. Where I am, the non residents have brought a lot of money into Spain and the area has been transformed, partly by us owning a holiday home, spending a lot of money. Its also created a lot of new jobs. I don't want to live in Spain nor do many others that have a holiday home.

Now due to the 90 /180 rule that is being enforced I won't be able to come to Spain when I would like to, do due to this rule . If had been 180 in any one year that would have been fine.  As it is for EU citizens that want to come to the Uk, they can come up to 180 days in any one year.  Even lots of pensioners who would have occupied hotels over the winter months won't be able to stay as they normally would have. That will affect certain hotels and those areas that attract those people.

Any reduction of visitors is a reduction in money going into the Spanish economy.

I don't 'over-value' my contribution but I do know that through the ownership of property and what I spend when I am there, I do contribute a significant amount. Particularly during those months out of season when businesses are not being visited by 'conventional' tourists and my support helps them to survive.

Agreed, Its the same for me as I do spend a significant amount of money into the Spanish economy as do many others who have second homes. I wanted to spend more time in Spain in my retirement but won't be able to, therefore my money will be spent elsewhere or stay in the Bank. Regretfully its the politians that have to much power over us. If the current situation hasn't told us that nothing will.  Where we can go to and where we can spend our money. Its quite ridiculous when you think about it.

Second home owners, wherever the own, are, at the moment, having to “suck it up”

I have friends who own in Scarborough, others in Cornwall. They have not been able to visit as they normally would. Just as second home owners in Spain do, they continue to pay. 

British pensioners may well continue to visit. Three months in the sunshine, during the dark, cold U.K. winter may still be very attractive to them.

The Spanish government do much to support their own retirees and hotels during the “lean” winter months; the holiday scheme “Imsero”, in their efforts to keep things if not buoyant, at least ticking over

I’m a glass almost full person and I’m hoping that rather than the one step forward, two steps back of the last year, we’re most definitely going forward. 🤪🥂

Besides the other contributions I make to the Spanish economy, whether my place is empty or occupied, I employ a housekeeper, a gardener and a pool person. If I was resident I would do those myself and these jobs for locals would be gone.

As noted above, for every seller there’s a buyer. I love everything about my place in Spain, and the fact that there are lots of English speakers like myself makes life very easy. Having said that, I would welcome more diversity, whether that is more “authentic” Spanish culture or people from other parts of Europe. If the new system doesn’t suit a proportion of British people, that’s an unfortunate side effect of Brexit for them, but the potential changes in demographics may have a positive side. 

Good post James. There's no doubt that a reduction in British 'swallows' will reduce British spend in those areas. However,  it's estimated (depending which source you read) that Tourism as a whole represents between 11 and 14% of the whole Spanish economy. It's important to remember that British visitors to Spain don't account for all of that percentage. I believe it's not even half. British people who only visit the densely English/British tourist areas might assume that the rest of Spain is similar. It isn't. Certainly if all British spend was removed, the Spanish areas most dependent on it would be badly affected but I just don't see that happening. There does seem to be an element of "I'm not coming back" due to recent Covid restrictions and Brexit entry restrictions but I don't see that being a permanent state of mind. (It possibly will be for a few who blame Spain for the UK leaving the EU!)

Once Covid is behind us I don't see British tourists suddenly stop holidaying in Spain. That will continue much as before.

What may change is the desire of some British people to hold onto a holiday home if the 90/180 rule doesn't suit them. Are they really going to sell and buy again in a country that's outside Schengen? I doubt many would. Will some sell and not re purchase, yes probably. 

Over the last 5 years in my apartment complex 5 apartments have been sold by British owners. One was bought by Poles, one by Russians, one by Canadians, one by French and one by Belgians. That tells it's own story.

There are many informed people who understand that Spain won't collapse with a reduction in British spend. The ones that think it will collapse need to reconsider that notion.

Steve