Older people from the UK are increasingly choosing to relocate to Spain, experts have stated.

According to ShelterOffshore.com, the European country is still one of the most popular foreign locations for British retirees.

The website partly attributed this to its good climate, as it offers much warmer and sunnier conditions than the UK.

However, Spain was also praised for offering a relaxed lifestyle that is highly conducive to enjoying a leisurely retirement.

ShelterOffshore.com added that all this can be achieved at an affordable price, as the cost of living is much lower than in the UK.

The website commented: “It’s famed for its laidback lifestyle and relatively low cost of living, and what’s more, the weather truly is glorious for the majority of the year.”

This comes soon after the appeal of the country highlighted by the Association of International Property Professionals.

According to the body, Spanish towns and cities were the chosen destinations of more than a quarter of British property buyers last year.

Overseas property investors have been urged to take advantage of low prices in prime Spanish locations.

According to Property Showrooms, the European country currently has a number of good investment opportunities for foreign buyers.

This is despite the impact of the ongoing global financial crisis in the Spanish market, such as a drop in the rate of house price inflation.

While this may appear to be a negative development, industry figures insist that this is actually good news for prospective investors.

Danny Bance, managing director of Property Showrooms, commented: “Spain is now a great buyers’ market.

“Wise money is being spent by astute investors who can still make profits by seeking out exceptional opportunities.”

He added that this year could a good time for “shrewd” property buyers to seek out “smart” and “timely” investments.

Meanwhile, Reuters has cited official figures showing that during the first quarter of 2008, house prices in Spain went up by 3.8 per cent.

Overseas property investors could be set to benefit from new opportunities in Spain, it has been revealed.

According to a study by estate agency Engel & Volkers, Malaga is currently seeing high levels of investment by local authorities and developers, reports Homes Worldwide.

Money is being pumped into a number of projects across the region, including the creation of new facilities and buildings.

Furthermore, new jobs are also being created due to the recent influx of international businesses.

This has resulted in positive economic growth across Malaga and the Costa Sol, thereby enhancing its appeal to foreign property buyers.

Commenting on the state of the market, Engel & Volkers said it currently offers plenty of potential for property buyers.

This comes after Homes Worldwide stated that the Spanish Costas are currently benefiting from the so-called “Ryanair Effect”, which means that areas serviced by low-cost airlines tend to have relatively high rates of house price inflation.

Overseas property buyers have been advised to consider purchasing a residence in the Costa del Sol.

Sean Collins, managing director of Pure International, stated that growing competition from emerging markets have made some people turn their backs on Spain.

Speaking to the Telegraph, he said this has resulted in lots of people missing out on potential opportunities within the country.

Mr Collins praised the “great value” of some properties in areas such as the Costa del Sol, as well as the fact that it is a safe place in which to invest.

This, he said, gives it a distinct edge over less-established locations such as those in eastern Europe.

He commented: “Values in emerging markets have accelerated at such a pace that there’s no real reward compared with the risk.”

Mr Collins added that whereas some emerging markets lack modern infrastructure and direct flights, the Costa del Sol has “excellent” facilities and is easy to reach.

The Telegraph recently described the Costa del Sol as a “hugely popular location” for British property buyers.

Tourist officials in Spain have revealed that they plan to open an outlet in India before the end of the year.

The National Tourist Office is establishing a base in Mumbai as part of its efforts to attract more Indian holidaymakers to the country, reports the Indo-Asian News Service.

If the plan is successful, it could prove to be highly lucrative for the Spanish economy and encourage growth in sectors such as tourism and construction, as well as the country’s housing market.

This may also serve to enhance its appeal among foreign property buyers who are seeking a good buy-to-let investment overseas.

Commenting on the move, Spanish ambassador to India Ion de la Riva said he is “looking forward” to increasing tourism in Spain.

He remarked: “We would like more people to visit the country from India.”

According to official figures, 59.2 million foreign leisure travellers visited Spain in 2007.

Areas such as the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol are still popular locations for foreign property buyers, a British newspaper has revealed.

According to the Telegraph, the Spanish coastline is still a “big draw” for overseas investors, partly because it is so easy to get to.

This, it stated, is despite the growing trend of foreign buyers looking for possible investment opportunities further inland.

The Telegraph added that the Costas are also successfully facing off competition from les-established locations in other parts of the world, such as eastern Europe.

Commenting on its appeal to investors, the newspaper said: “It is certainly facing much stiffer competition. Nevertheless, it remains a hugely popular destination.”

The publication stated that the region is appealing to different types of buyers, such as retirees who are planning to live abroad full-time and those who are seeking financial returns from their investment.

Spain was recently identified as the most popular location among British buyers in a poll by A Place in the Sun magazine.

A British family who have lived on the Costa del Sol for the last five years have been able to make the step up from renting to owning a property in 2008, it has emerged.

Tracey Stratton-Smith and Richard Choo got on to the Spanish property ladder for the first time when they bought a four-bedroom villa close to Marbella for €690,000 (£525,000), reports Easier.

With a bit of help from Duchy Estates, the couple - who are from Polperro and London respectively - managed to purchase a property they are particularly happy they were able to find.

Commenting on their new home, Ms Stratton-Smith remarked: “The French architect had opted for 600 mm-thick walls and at nine years old the property had had plenty of time to settle so anything structural that was going to fail would have already done so.”

She added that the West Hampstead couple who owned the villa before had looked after it well, meaning no major renovation work was needed.

A number of Briton are attracted to living in the Costa del Sol, with the 300-plus days of sunshine every year playing a part in many people’s decisions to relocate from the UK.

Spain is still a dream destination for many British people looking to purchase overseas property, it has been claimed.

According to southern Spanish newspaper Sur, many UK buyers are undeterred by recent negative publicity surrounding foreign property investment and view Spain as one of the most desirable places in the world to own a home.

Sur made these comments after attending the recent Homebuyers and Property Investors Exhibition at the ExCel centre in London, where many Britons spoke to the newspaper about their hopes of moving to Spain or buying a second home on the southern Costas.

Rebekah Lowe of Livingstone Estates told Sur that although some professional investors may be tempted by emerging markets where prices are lower, people looking to buy a property for their own use will continue to be attracted to Spain.

“Spain is for living in and people will always want Spanish properties,” she commented.

According to a recent report from Spanish property website Kyero.com, coastal regions such as the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol remain “at the fore of the public psyche” for UK people hoping to move abroad.

Suggestions that the European house price boom is over are a “bit over the top”, according to an industry expert.

In reaction to Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) research that said slowing house prices across Europe meant it was the end of an era of substantial growth, Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) chief executive Paul Owen indicated this was too negative a theory.

“It is a bit apocalyptic to talk about the boom being over because prices have slowed,” he commented.

There are still people out there who would like to buy overseas property, it is just a case of them waiting to see what is going to happen to the economy in the coming months, he added.

Mr Owen also highlighted emigration statistics, saying that there are still a high number of Britons looking to leave the UK on a full-time basis.

AIPP is the industry body for the world’s property sector.

The company that developed Manchester’s Trafford Centre shopping complex is to try and recreate the plans on the Costa del Sol.

Peel Holdings has been given the go ahead to build a shopping mall similar in design to the one in north-west England, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Torremolinos will be the location for the 80-acre site, which is said to cost £500 million to construct.

Lindsey Ashworth, who is set to lead the project, told the newspaper: “While there will obviously be a flavour of the original Trafford Centre, the major difference is, because it’s in a warm climate, it can be outward-facing.”

The company representative added that bars and restaurants around the complex will have terracing, while some will be constructed around a lake.

Millions of Britons head to the Costa del Sol for their holidays every year, while many decide to purchase property in this part of Spain.