Tenerife 'invasion' as expats from UK, Italy and even Belgium buy 33% of homes

Brits are one of the biggest groups of buyers of property on Tenerife (Image: Getty)

Brits, Italians, Belgians and Germans are snapping up properties on Tenerife with one in three homes bought by foreigners, figures show. Official records cited by Spanish language news website Diarios de Avisos show 33.5 percent of homes sold in the Santa Cruz province of Tenerife since 2012 ended up in foreign hands.

Sales to foreign buyers are reported to have peaked in 2017, reaching 40.72 percent in Tenerife. This compares to 31.35 percent in Gran Canaria.

Tenerife sales appear to have seen a steady rise with just a few slight falls over the same period. In the first year numbers were collected, 27.19 percent of sales led to foreign ownership.

In 2013, this had risen to 31.5 percent, dropped slightly to 31.38 percent in 2014, rose to 35.8 percent in 2015 and 39.6 percent in 2016.

Los Cristianos is a popular spot for foreign buyers in Tenerife (Image: Getty)

Lockdowns and curbs on international travel saw the 2020 figure fall to 27.6 percent, with a small uptick in the following year (28.6 percent).

The Balearic Islands is the region where most foreigners have bought. In 2012, purchases by people from other countries accounted for 24.95 percent followed by the Canary Islands (22.11 percent), Valencia (18.01 percent), Murcia (11.24 percent), Catalonia (9.24 percent) and Andalusia (8.86 percent).

German nationals have traditionally been the largest group of buyers in Tenerife, with Italians also snapping up properties.

In 2022, Germans accounted for 18 percent of purchases, followed by the Italians (14 percent) and Belgians (10 percent).

Across the Canary Islands, the British supplanted the Belgians, ranking in third place with 12.76 percent.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is popular among expats (Image: Getty)

Estate agents Hamptons says Tenerife's clean, sea air, "consistent" sunshine and accessibility make it an attractive destination in the Canary Islands for second home seekers.

It also puts the island's appeal down to its transport links, an average temperature of 23C, "excellent" beaches and "spectacular" sea views.

Popular spots in the south of the island include Playa del Duque, Puerto Colon, Playa Las Americas and Los Cristianos, according to Hamptons.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is said to be popular among expats and different to the south's tourist resorts.

Hamptons says while there have been more cash buyers, supply of property to the market was the main issue, amid restrictions on new builds.