Property agents in Spain are reporting 2018 as a bumper year for British buyers. Could it be that many of us are tired of the Brexit uncertainty and embracing a ‘now or never attitude’? Meet one Brit who can’t wait to move to Spain in 2019….

Unconcerned about the on-going Brexit situation, Ian Griffiths from Cheshire is looking forward to starting a new life in Murcia next year, after reserving a new home next to the Mar Menor.

Retiring last year at 54 means Ian [pictured right and in main pic viewing a show home], who is single and worked as a publisher, is well positioned to escape the UK and make the move to the Mediterranean sunshine. To make his relocation dream a reality, in early December 2018 he did a viewing trip to the Costa Blanca with new-build specialist Medland Spain. He found just what he was looking for, so returned a few days later when he finalised his off-plan contract for a villa, paying a €5,000 reservation deposit. Meanwhile, Ian put his UK home, a two-bedroom two-bathroom apartment in Wilmslow, on the market.

“My initial viewing trip to Spain was only three days, but my agent Roy couldn’t have been better,” said Ian. “He took me up and down the coast, from the northern Costa Blanca, which I was familiar with, right down to the area around the Mar Menor, just over into Murcia, where I’d never been before. He knew the local market well and noting I wanted a villa with a pool, he highlighted the most suitable projects in each area, according to my budget and preferences.”

A new development between the traditional towns of San Pedro del Pinatar and Santiago de la Ribera, just 700 metres from the beach on the famous Mar Menor lagoon, caught Ian’s eye. He also recognised how his money would go further in this less developed corner of Murcia compared to parts of the Costa Blanca. So, after visiting the project’s show home and with guidance from Roy at Medland, he chose a plot and agreed a price for his three-bedroom villa with private pool.

“It is still cheaper in Murcia, but the region is buzzing and prices are moving upwards fast,” said Ian. “Equally, I really like the area – it’s not too touristy, easily accessible for the airport and golf courses around Villamartín. The total cost of my property works out at around €340,000 including taxes and fees. The purchase price on its own was €310,000. Medland offered me a voucher for furniture but I’ve swapped this for some upgrades, including a larger pool, summer kitchen and garden lights. So, I’ll furnish it myself.”

Ian’s villa is scheduled for completion in October 2019. In terms of payment terms, he will pay 50 per cent of the price soon after signing the contract, followed by the remainder on completion, once snagging has been completed. He has opened an account with Smart Currency Exchange, so is ready to benefit from their expert guidance when he needs to make currency transfers to pay for his villa and move money between the UK and Spain in the future.

So was Ian ever concerned about buying in Spain or moving there before the Brexit deal was sorted out? “No, I’m not worried about it one bit, it was never going to keep me from making the move,” he confirmed. “No-one knows what’s going to happen and anyway non-Europeans have never had trouble relocating there, so the worst case is we [Brits] become like them!”