Although it is still not clear how Brexit will affect British expats living in EU countries – British Prime Minister Theresa May has been playing hard to get over the rights of EU migrants remaining in the UK after the country formally leaves the European Union in 2019 – luxury apartments and villas at the Costa del Sol are still selling like hot cakes.
Spain's Prime Minister has tried to reassure an increasingly worried British expat population, who fear a backlash against them, if Britain's xenophobic government decrees all EU migrants must leave, or continue to use them as hostages during trade negotiations. Mariano Rajoy has pledged again this week that he will defend British expats in Brexit negotiations. He expressed his hopes that “nothing is going to change” for them. However, many are asking themselves what will happen over every-day issues like their driving licences, passports, access to free national healthcare and permanent residency status.
Despite all these worries, there are now only 40 apartments left for eager buyers to snap up in Taylor Wimpey's luxury development in San Pedro, a neighbouring town to glamour resort Marbella. Starting from 265,000 euros for a “standard” apartment with two bedrooms, the apartments are located between the seafront and San Pedro's historic quarter. The two- and three-bedroom scheme is Taylor Wimpey's latest project in Andalucia. The British housebuilder offers the apartments with air-conditioning, private parking spaces, access to landscaped gardens and communal swimming pool.
Another project aims at the keen golfer: Taylor Wimpey are constructed homes on their Los Arqueros Golf resort, scheduled for completion by 2020 – just one year after the UK formally leaves the European Union. For people who are buying now with a view to retiring to Spain in a few years' time, the uncertainty over residency status is troubling and a reason to delay making a Spanish property purchase.
Speaking to AFP and The Olive Press in an interview last week, Spain's Prime Minister said: “I am absolutely convinced that we will reach an agreement so that these people will not be affected by political decisions.”
When he met briefly with British PM Theresa May in Malta, he told her that he wanted an early agreement on expats' rights, something every EU leader has called for, but something that Britain's government has largely ignored, although of late rebellious MPs have insisted the Prime Minister of Britain should show more willingness to settle this issue ahead of all trade negotiations. Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy stated that negotiations would start after an EU summit, to be held after the end of March, when the UK formally begins exit from the EU by triggering Article 50.
Meanwhile, the BBC is devoting its Radio 4 PM programme to field questions from worried listeners. The BBC's Europe correspondent Kevin Connolly and assistant political editor Norman Smith were at hand to work with the BBC's “Reality Check” team to answer some important questions about what effect Brexit will have on people's lives.
Asked by listener Sarah Miller, who purchased Spanish property nine years ago with a view to retiring in Spain within the next five years, Mr Connolly said that, while the negotiations over reciprocal rights were going to “play a big part of the exit negotiations”, there where “no guarantees
yet” that the thorny issue over free movement of people – the rights of EU citizens to live and work in the UK and Brits to do the same in EU countries – could be resolved amicably.
This leaves potential buyers of Marbella holiday villas or San Pedro apartments rather in the lurch until the end of March, when Britain's PM will finally reveal how hard the UK's vision of Brexit will actually be for people...so far the British government has only ever talked about the implications for international trade. Spain is naturally keen to hold on to the lucrative house buyer market in Britain, but the end of free movement of people could well spell an end of British dreams to retire to the Costa del Sol. Marbella holiday homes can, of course, be visited for up to three months a year on a tourist visa...