At the end of 2022, one of our biggest business dreams came true: we opened a Crystal House International office in Marbella, Spain. This is the next step in the development of our company, and a nod to our customers who are increasingly interested in second homes or investment properties in Spain.
Located on the Costa del Sol, Marbella is a small town that is one of the most famous (if not the most famous) resort not only in Spain, but also in Europe. If you are lucky, you will meet George Clooney, Julio Iglesias or Antonio Banderas on the street. Its luck changed for good in the 1960s, when the Franco regime opened up to foreign tourists. Its attractive location, excellent conditions for water sports, proximity to the mountains and mild climate meant that the town became more and more popular every year.
From Marbella, it is not far to Málaga, which has an international airport - you can fly to any major city in Europe. The casinos of Gibraltar are also just a few dozen kilometres away. One must not forget to mention the climate - more than 320 days of sunshine a year make it the sunniest city in the whole of Spain.
- I decided to open a Crystal House International office in Marbella because I am receiving more and more enquiries about flats and houses located in warmer corners of Europe, where the sun shines for most of the year and the daytime temperature does not drop below 15 degrees Celsius even in December or January. My clients ask me about properties in Spain, in the south of France or Portugal. I have amazing primary and secondary market properties on offer for them, not only on the Costa del Sol but on all Spanish coasts - says Dariusz Przewocki, owner and director of Crystal House.
Poles are looking for property in the south
The southern and eastern coasts of Spain have for years been colonised mainly by wealthy English and German pensioners. The Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Costa Cálida or Costa Tropical abounded in localities where English or German predominated and the customary "buenos días" was replaced by "Good morning" or "Guten Tag".
However, for the past few years, Poles have been the group among whom interest in buying property in Spain has been growing, and the number of Poles in the south of Spain is rising rapidly. Why this interest in the south of Europe? Several factors contribute to this: the attractiveness of the location, the number of sunny days per year, the mild climate, the sea and the beautiful countryside, but also the socio-political conditions, the desire to escape from the war in Ukraine, affordable prices and a relaxed fiscal policy towards foreigners settling there.
This trend is confirmed by Spanish statistics - more and more of our compatriots are choosing to tie their lives to Spain. In 2021. Poles bought 1140 properties in the country of Cervantes, according to data from Registradores de España, an organisation that collects data on, among other things, real estate. An undoubted incentive for Polish investors was the introduction by the Andalusian regional authorities of a 100 per cent discount on the wealth tax imposed on taxpayers (non-residents) whose declared net wealth in Spain exceeds €700,000. The change is effective from September 2022.
Why should you look for a real estate agent?
How does Crystal House International operate in the Spanish market? We offer three options of support to our clients.
- Option 1: we assist people who are planning to move to Spain permanently. We organise the sale of the property in Poland, search for a new house in Spain, deal with the formalities together on the spot and are also available to the client after the transaction as part of our VIP Concierge service. Our most comprehensive offer applies not only to Spain, but also to other southern European countries - Portugal or France. Thanks to our cooperation with top real estate agents from southern Europe, we are able to organise such a service throughout the south-western part of our continent.
- Option 2: the purchase of a holiday home for people who have around €500,000 and want a second home in the south. Typically, such a property is rented 60% of the time, while the remaining 40% is at the owner's disposal. It is a proposition for those who want to have a cake and eat a cake. On the one hand, they can count on a 6-7% annual return, depending on the standard and location of the property, while on the other hand, they have their holiday home in one of the most beautiful corners of Europe.
- Option 3: buying a flat or a house from the primary market, which requires a commitment of around 30% of the price. At the moment, Crystal House has properties with a completion date of Q4 2024 / Q1 2025. This is ideal for people who have a capital surplus and don't want it to be eaten up by inflation. Once you receive the keys, the property can be rented out or resold at a profit.
Beyond Spain - we are waiting for you in the south of Europe!
Sunny Spain is just one of the destinations serviced by Crystal House. We also offer properties from Portugal and France, as well as Croatia. In a little while we will also start selling houses in beautiful Tuscany.
Southern Europe is in many ways an easier place to live than Poland. Away from the war in Ukraine, with a predictable regime, sometimes with a fiscal policy favourable to well-to-do non-residents, and with beautiful weather and a mild climate, great gastronomy and amazing nature. We are looking forward to greeting you in Marbella!
