Overseas property-seekers targeting the sun-drenched Costa del Sol may soon find that their new home gives them a touch of Sweden rather than Spain.

Scandinavian home and furniture giant Ikea is set to open its fourth Andalusian outlet, with Jerez on the Costa del Sol identified as the next site for the shop to open its doors.

People setting up in the region are likely to be enthused by the news, with Ikea globally famous for providing good quality affordable furniture that can brighten up a new house purchase.

With regional authorities agreeing to the plans and looking forward to a boost to local job creation, Ikea’s Costa del Sol expansion comes alongside other developments that are making the region a top place to shop as well as sunbathe.

Malaga will soon be the location for a 5,400 square metre Jardiland store, with the French gardening and DIY firm joining Ikea and other multinationals in setting up in the region’s main hub.

The proposed Jerez Ikea complex is likely to become a vast and well-used shopping site, with planning requested not only for the main superstore but also outlets for two subsidiaries trading under the Inter Ikea name.

Reports have suggested that a new high-speed train service linking Malaga with other Andalusian cities is near completion.

With the property market in the Costa del Sol likely to boom as provincial capital Malaga becomes a better served transport hub, officials working on the new line said that it is now 99 per cent complete.

High speed AVE test trains reached 330 km/hour on a newly constructed stretch of line between Malaga and Antequera, according to the railway administrator ADIF, with the successful trial suggesting that problems have been overcome.

Dangers had been brought to light in the seven km-long Abdalajís tunnel along the route, but administrators claimed that the tunnel held no structural damage and that the problem was a minor one.

Affirming that plans were on target to meet the December 23rd deadline for completion, the Costa del Sol and its vast housing market could be granted early Christmas cheer by the new transport provision.

The many Brits setting up in the Malaga region may feel a sense of deja vu when the new AVE network comes into service, with regional commissions reportedly using the London underground as a model.

Although sometimes encountering problems, the London system was said to be a positive model for Malaga in its handling of numerous commuters at peak times.

Travel specialists have claimed that the tourism industry has adapted to online openings and increasingly ambitious travellers to make it easier than ever to discover other countries.

The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) claimed that UK travellers were confident booking all sorts of trips, with travel agents adapting to their needs and remaining relevant despite do-it-yourself online booking options.

Recent research from the European Travel Commission revealed that nearly a third of Brits conducted all holiday planning and booking online – with locations like Spain made easier by a wealth of cheap flight and online accommodation booking services.

Frances Tuke, spokesperson for the Abta, said that the vast amounts of UK holidaymakers with different demands meant that while online services were a popular starting point, the tourism industry still offered unique perks.

"There are always going to be people who want the security and the expertise that face-to-face can give you and as a result, the expertise on the high street has gone up."

"People have specialised in certain destinations and also many of them have gone up-market as well," she added.

Visitors and property-seekers in Spain can benefit from a huge UK services industry centred around what is the favourite destination for second-homes, with customers often seeking regional specialists to help hone in on the part of Iberia of interest to them.

Spanish property will withstand any global credit crisis and will even weather winter demand dips because of the country’s welcoming real estate and taxation policies, it has been claimed.

Spain-property.biz claimed that despite a downfall of property prices in the US and elsewhere, Spanish property would continue to boom thanks to the Iberian market’s openness to foreign investors.

The site underlined the tax advantages for foreign owners in Spain, claiming that Brits could enjoy property ownership with only two known real estate taxes to pay.

Spain-property.biz cited the annual property income tax (Impuesto Sobre Bienes Inmuebles (IBI)) and the monthly garbage collection tax (Basura y Alcantarillado) as the only direct payments on property – making Spain an easy and affordable option.

Many Brits daunted by the price of property at home and by complicated buying procedures elsewhere opt for Spain, where they know the taxation and registration system will be well adapted to British buyer needs.

Headlines have been made this week by the transfer of Eurostar services from Waterloo to St.Pancras, but property specialists have claimed that the quicker journey time will not boost French housing demand at the expense of other locations.

Real estate portal Property-abroad.com said that a location like Spain had its own established housing demand and did not need to worry about the increased access to France.

Spain and France were recently identified by Country Life Magazine as the top two locations for British second homes, but Property-abroad.com said that the two were not in direct competition.

Les Calvert, site director, said: "People who want to buy in France don’t necessarily want to buy in Spain and vice versa."

He affirmed that Spain "still accounts for more than double of any other country that we sell. The searches and enquiries about Spain are also more than double that of any other country we sell".

While some have forecast gains for France at the expense of other UK buyer markets, others have even hailed the Eurostar improvements as a boost for Spain and other locations, with the UK-Spain rail option via Paris now more viable.

Spanish real estate specialists have claimed that UK buyers are finding top property bargains in many beautiful but as yet underrated Iberian locations.

Property forum Kyero.com identified below average house prices as a prime incentive for property seekers looking into up-and-coming regions in the north-east and south-east of Spain.

The Cuenca area of Castilla La Mancha, just north-west of Valencia, Spain’s third city, was claimed to be a bargain area, with the average property price around €41,000 (£29,000), well below the Spanish average of €248,000.

Meanwhile the Catalonian province of Tarragona on the north-east coast was also identified as a location for bargain-hunters on a slightly higher budget, with average property valued still below average at €226,000 – showing that seaside property can also be affordable.

Neighbouring north-eastern coastline the Costa Azahar has also been identified as a top location for picking up coastal property at below average prices – and in a region famed for its tranquillity and authentic Spanish lifestyle.

Martin Dell, managing director of Kyero.com, said that there was plenty available for UK seaside-seeking property hunters.

"The majority of British buyers are still looking for coastal locations and with nearly 5,000 km of varied coastline from spectacular cliff faces to white sandy beaches Spain does not disappoint."

After a wetter than expected summer, the rain has turned to the advantage of the Costa Blanca – with the area’s reservoirs now bursting with water supplies.

This means good news for the many overseas property owners in the area, whose homes will now hold a better guarantee of water supply even if next summer is a dry one.

Popular southern Costa Blanca province Alicante is the home of three large reservoirs, at Guadalest, Beniarres and Amadorio, which have all filled up rapidly – with water reaching 81 per cent of capacity at Guadalest.

Holding between them a total of 37 cubic hectometres of water, the region could now receive a new burst of property investment, with buyers likely to be encouraged by the guarantee of water supplies in such a dry area.

But despite the burgeoning reservoirs, government officials have urged caution, telling homeowners to continue being prudent with water use.

Water is a bigger issue in Spain than at home in the UK – where wet summers are becoming common – with southern Iberia attracting many with its sunny climate but at times experiencing the downside of prolonged dry periods.

Spain’s all-round lifestyle and business appeal has been recognised by a seventh place finish in a global Country Brand Index.

This year’s ratings from FutureBrand, a brand consultancy branch of the Interpublic Group of Companies, saw Spain excel in categories such as ‘Best Country for Nightlife’, while performing well against a range of criteria to finish in a top ten spot.

Other factors taken into account were the suitability of a country as a location for doing business, possibilities for family activity and cultural authenticity.

With cities like Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia adding their cultural and business weight to Iberia’s appeal, Spain finished just behind top-performers Australia, USA and the UK, ranking well against continental rivals.

Rina Plapler, executive director of FutureBrand, said: "A country’s brand reputation is in itself a powerful currency. Reputation drives financial and business investment, sustainable growth and helps add fuel to the private and retail sectors."

Spanish growth has in recent years made the country more brandable – with job creation above Eurozone averages helping to end the country’s reputation as merely a holiday destination.

Spanish property forum Kyero.com has hailed the up-coming Costa del Sol Oriental as a property and lifestyle haven waiting to be discovered.

The area, located to the east of Costa del Sol hubs like Malaga, was said to retain traditional Spanish lifestyle perks and an attractive property market full of bargains.

Less developed than Malaga, Torremolinos and more famous resorts, property in the eastern Costa del Sol towns of Nerja, Torrox, Torre Del Mar and Velez-Malaga was claimed to be cheaper than the regional average.

But Kyero.com suggested that it was lifestyle that truly distinguished the Costa del Sol Oriental – also known as Axarquia – from more developed areas.

The site claimed that whitewashed villages could be found in amongst some of the country’s most peaceful and striking countryside locations.

Regional information site AbsoluteAxarquia.com also hailed the undiscovered beauty of the province, claiming in addition that it boasted "the best climate in Europe".

Brits working in hi-tech industries who fancy a change of lifestyle could be tempted by a Spanish call to action.

It has emerged that the Spanish hi-tech sector is looking to recruit as many as 10,000 overseas workers, with Brits likely to flock to the appeal.

With fewer young people in Spain studying technical degrees, the IT-based industries have sounded the alarm, inviting foreign skilled workers to meet the opportunities in the sector.

Spanish hi-tech industry association AETIC is spearheading the appeal, with the electronics, IT and telecommunications firms comprising it looking to countries like Britain for the skilled and flexible workers they need.

Convincing people to come to Spain and adopt the local lifestyle should not be difficult, with British property-seekers and holidaymakers already flocking to Spain in greater numbers than anywhere else.

Barcelona is one of the key cities identified for the IT recruitment drive, with the bustling city and tranquil surrounding regions like the Costa Azahar making it a likely hit with those who respond to the call.