The number of Americans moving to Spain has risen since 2019

The rate of US residents rushing to buy homes overseas has risen drastically since 2019 — significantly in one European nation in particular. 

Between 2019 and 2021, the number of American expats living in Spain jumped by 13% — and the number of homes Americans bought in the southern European nation went up by 88%, according to a new study by the Spanish government.

Americans are flocking to urban areas including Valencia, Madrid and Barcelona — three of the nation’s most major cities — as well as the perpetually popular Andalusia in the far south, which is known for stunning sights including the city of Granada.

For those unfamiliar with the nuances of American travel and immigration patterns in Europe, this may not seem surprising.

But new and longtime locals say that, until just before the pandemic, Spain was hardly on many would-be American expats’ radar for living — and the trend has left many Spanish real estate markets in shock. 

“I don’t know what kind of memo went out in the US in the last four years, but we’ve noticed a huge difference with what’s happening with Americans since 2019,” Gloriana Bonillo, the brand and creative director of boutique real estate firm VDB Luxury Properties, told The Post. “They mostly come from New York, LA, Texas; they really want to leave the US because of everything that’s going on,” adding those factors include unaffordable daily expenses, a notoriously pricey healthcare system and issues with schools.

As a result, “rents have skyrocketed,” although — when compared to urban-area life in America — the cost of living remains quite affordable.

“People feel they get so much for their money here,” added Bonillo. “I think that’s what people are looking for: A quality of life they can afford.”

Affordability is a perk for former Miami resident, and current Spain homeowner, Michelle Payer.

Her move across the Atlantic was a longtime dream that started after living in Spain briefly in the mid-1990s, but more recently materialized after growing tired of her obscene stateside expenses and her neighbors’ antisocial behavior. 

“I made the decision to move fairly quickly in February 2022, bought the house by May in an Andalusian town I’d never heard of, assembled visa application paperwork that weighed almost 2 pounds, sold the condo, car and most of my belongings — and moved in September 2022,” Payer, now living in Salobreña on Spain’s far southern coast, told The Post. 

Where previously her monthly payments had included $900 in maintenance, $1,500 for her mortgage and pricey car insurance — she now finds herself enjoying lunches out for $12, $3 glasses of wine and $250 a year in property taxes.

As for her life at home, it’s still pretty sweet. She paid “under $200,000” for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house, which has a chic roof deck with views of the Mediterranean Sea, stands on a charming narrow Old World-esque street and enjoys an “open-air bohemian floor plan, as it was never a home,” she added. Indeed, the property comes with some cool history.

“The name on the outside plaque says ‘El Casino’ for its history as a card and domino casino about 100 years ago,” she added. “I’ve temporarily removed the plaque to have ‘Casa’ engraved above it, as too many people think it’s either still a casino or an art gallery, and either look through the windows or knock on the door that have ancient ‘hands of Fatima’ brass door knockers.”

Even better, she’s saving money overall. 

Indeed, when compared to European markets like Paris, which have been “very popular for a long time now and the [real estate] potential is already exploited,” homes in Spain are overall affordable, added Viola De Bellis, VDB Luxury Properties’ CEO and founder. 

Buying Spanish property for more than approximately $550,000 also earns buyers a “golden visa,” which grants them the ability to work and live in the nation — and even across the European Union. In Spain, the weather is sunny, English is widely spoken and culture is not gatekept.

Neighboring Portugal used to have the same appeal, but recent visa changes have made it relatively less popular — though that nation, too, has seen an influx of foreign residents, which has boosted rents in the city of Lisbon in particular. 

There are, however, some downsides to living in España.

“One ugly side of moving abroad that a lot of Americans don’t understand, until they step foot on foreign soil, is the amount of bureaucratic inefficiency that exists in other countries like Spain,” said Jesse Sullivan, 30, who moved from a Seattle suburb to the 50,000-person town of Villarreal north of Valencia in 2021.

Still, he’d rather live in Europe and deal with the paperwork there than with the real-estate bidding wars back in the US. 

“Many Americans seem to be moving abroad due to problems back home, namely out-of-control housing prices,” Sullivan — a teacher — said, adding that moving to Villarreal, where he now pays an affordable $600 a month for a two-bedroom apartment, was “the best decision I’ve made in my life.”

Along with the perks of homeownership that come at more of a value, Payer says there are additional benefits on her end of the Iberian Peninsula — namely quality of life.

She attends “many more dinner parties, neighbors are teaching me their ancestral Spanish recipes, happy spontaneous interactions occur almost daily and life is simply more joyful and fulfilling.”