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Spain and Portugal have suffered one of their worst droughts on record this summer, with consequences from empty swimming pools for the tourist to economic disaster for farmers losing their crops and livestock.

Roger Munns, Managing Director of Tribune Properties, predicts that property prices in the two European countries could drop as much as fifteen per cent in some areas as more owners decide to put their villas and apartments on the market.

‘For many owners of second homes the original motivation to buy was to have somewhere they could spend time in a relaxing environment. Coupled with the thought of a good investment for the future, the market for overseas homes from buyers in the UK, Germany and Scandanavia has really taken off in the last twenty five years.

But soaring temperatures and a strain on the water supply could have consequences for their rental returns next year, which many owners rely on to meet their overseas mortgage.

Many holidaymakers want to rent a villa with a pool - but the attraction soon goes if the pool is empty. Some golf courses are having to cut down on watering their greens too, and it won’t take a big fall in tourism to mean the difference between breaking even and not being able to meet the mortgage commitments for some overseas property owners.

This autumn could see more properties than usual being put on the market, with a consequential fall in prices’.

Early warning signs of a potential fall in property prices have already been seen on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Menorca, which has enjoyed better rainfall this year than the Spanish mainland and no water restrictions, but some villas being cut in price by over ten per cent.

Water restrictions on the mainland are having an impact on potential villa buyers, with many questioning the value of a swimming pool when they might not be able to use it.

Portugal has recently asked Spain for 6 million Euros in compensation, as water levels in the River Douro which runs through both countries fell below limits established in a bilateral agreement,with Portugal coming close to accusing her neighbour of stealing her water.

Good Time to Buy

‘For anyone considering buying a property in Portugal or Spain, this September and October could be the ideal time to buy’, say Tribune Properties. ‘Unusually many properties were being reduced in price in August, traditionally a good month for sales.

We normally see villa and apartment prices being dropped mid September onwards when the tourists and potential buyers are thinner on the ground as some owners are keen to sell and don’t want to wait until the following Easter before having a real chance of selling again.’

The drought isn’t the sole cause of property prices falling add Tribune Properties, saying it has accelerated price falls and come on top of an already poor year for many estate agents in Europe.

‘A good barometer for European property are the tax havens of Monaco and Andorra which don’t rely on ‘tourist’ buyers, but usually have a steady supply of buyers interested in taking advantage of the zero income tax rate. Andorra is in the Pyrenees and has no water supply problem - but estate agents were twiddling their thumbs this summer waiting for buyers to show - and they didn’t.

Monaco similarly has had no water supply problems, but has also seen a lack of buyers. The tourists are still visiting the Principality and hotels in Monaco and Monte Carlo have been as busy as ever, but again there is a lack of serious property buyers, and negative property inflation is quite possible in Monaco this year for the first time in a decade.

With more property available on the market we would suggest buyers draw up a list of three or four villas they have viewed and liked, and then suggesting to the owners that they would consider buying at fifteen per cent below the advertised asking price to see which ones are prepared to consider it.’

Sea Water

One possible answer to secure the long term tourist trade and consequential property market is to follow Malta’s example of building desaliniation plants, converting sea water to drinking water, sometimes known as ‘reverse osmosis’.

The Mediterranean island competes with Portugal and Spain for the attention of second home buyers, and has a healthy tourist industry - despite having no rivers and low rainfall, allowing the island to function normally even in drought conditions.

The water from this source can be used for agriculture and ensuring adequate reserves to fight forest fires for example - it might just be the answer too for the swimming pools and golf courses - and would allow a plentiful supply of high quality for domestic use.

For details of hotels in Monaco, Monaco’s weather, a map of Monaco, the Grand Prix and direct contact details for the Hotel de Paris, Columbus Hotel and others visit http://www.yourmonaco.com

For property and real estate in Malta http://www.maltaproperty.info and for Andorra property http://www.propertyandorra.com

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Birmingham is beautiful English city, one of the main centers of technical education. It’s the second biggest city in Britain, located in the very heart of the country, in Warwickshire County. It’s not one of the most popular tourist destinations in England, but it’s a big city with a long history and has a lot to offer.

The first settlement on the place of the present Birmingham dates back to XI century. Since XIII century Birmingham is known for its trade fairs.

Modern Birmingham presents a unique combination of the contemporary architecture, restored buildings of the city center hardly damaged during World War II and old industrial and residential buildings where jewelers and craftsmen once lived. Among the historical buildings survived till now are - gothic-style Saint Martin church (XIII century), Cathedral (1710-1715), classic-style City Hall (built in 1832-1852), Aston Hall (XVII century) and Soho House (XVIII century).

As for culture, Birmingham is known for its famous orchestra and Royal Birmingham Ballet. The city also has fabulous City’s Alexandra Theatre and modern Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Birmingham has always been a progressive city and became one of the main meeting centers in Europe. It boasts three Europe-best conference venues. National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is Britain’s biggest collection of exhibition halls and hosts many of the largest shows in Europe.
The National Sea Life Centre in the heart of the city was built in the last ten years and provides an amazing display of over 3000 aquatic creatures as well as the world’s first 360 degree transparent tunnel.

One of the newest Birmingham attractions is Millennium Point, made up of ten themed galleries of interactive, informative exhibits. It was opened in September 2001 and since that has attracted about 280,000 visitors.

Birmingham has over 8,000 acres of parks, and public open spaces - it’s more than in any other European city. Sutton Park is Birmingham’s largest park, covering 971 hectares (2,400 acres) consisting of woodlands, heathlands and wetlands. Another park worth mentioning is Cannon Hill Park, few miles from Birmingham city centre. It’s the most varied and attractive of all Birmingham’s parks.

Another symbol of Birmingham is Cadbury chocolate factory offering excursions and tours to the history of chocolate. Day trips to this chocolate paradise can become an unforgettable experience for the whole family.

Nearby Bromsgrove (museum of the historic buildings under the sky), Wolverhampton (housing art masterpiece Wightwick estate), Stourbridge (well-known glass center) and Coventry (with beautiful old and new cathedrals) are located.

For booking a hotel in Birmingham, please, go to Birmingham hotels page

For booking a hotel in any other city, please, go to Hotel reservation site

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Sultanate of Brunei is on the Island of Borneo along the South China Sea. Surrounded by water of South China Sea Brunei has a lot of attractions. Most of the part of Island has unspoiled rainforest which is the limelight of this place. Brunei is considered to be jewel of Borneo Island. Brunei is split in two parts by the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. One of the richest countries in the world, Brunei is famous for the extravagant lifestyle of its Sultan. You have many amazing attractions to visit in the state of Brunei.

The capital city Badar Seri Begawan possesses many architectural excellence of modern time. However, you will not notice any significant change in rest of the part of the state. Some of the significant places where you can head towards are Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, Kamung Ayer, The Istana Nurul and Taman Persiarian Dauman and Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation Complex. All these destinations have been of great interest of tourists in the world. Any destination would no longer be a favorite of visitors it they are not provided with proper accommodation.

However, Brunei never gives you any reason for lodging any complaint in this respect. There are fabulous hotels in different parts of Brunei. And all of them are very well equipped with latest amenities. Brunei hotel and Sheraton Utama hotel are some of the famous names in the list of Brunei hotels.

For more information on Malaysia and near by destination please visit: http://www.stayresmalaysia.com

Niraj Singh is working as Sr. SEO in Binary Semantics Ltd. Gurgaon, India. He has 5+ yrs. of experience in the field of Search Engine Optimisation. His expertise is in the travel domain make him specialist in the field of Websites related to Travels.

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