The falling value of the euro has led Britons to look at buying property in Spain, figures showed today.
Spain was the most popular country for online property searches by British residents last month, accounting for 22% of the total.
The country also accounted for five of the top 10 destinations that had the biggest increases in searches. An extra 9% looked at property in Minorca, followed by Marbella at 7% and Galicia at 6%.
Property website Rightmove, which carried out the survey, said the popularity of Spain was being driven by a combination of the euro weakening against the pound, making people's money go further, as well as sellers being more realistic about how much their property was worth following a fall in the Spanish housing market.
France was the second most popular country for overseas property searches, with 18%, followed by the US at 12% and Portugal and Italy, both at just over 6%.
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has had an impact on the property market in the south-coast US states, with 16% fewer looking at Florida and a 9% drop across the Gulf coast.
Robin Wilson, head of overseas at Rightmove, said: "May was a great result for Spain, fed by returning confidence among buyers as the bad memories and headlines of last year fade.
"It's always hard to let go of what your property was worth at the peak of the market and accept times have changed, but vendors also seem more open and have much improved realism about prices necessary to make transactions happen.
"The improving euro exchange rate is definitely playing a part, up 10% on January this year and 20% on January last year, meaning buyer's budgets can go further."
