According to data produced by the Association of Quantity Surveyors, Technical Architects and Building Engineers of Alicante, and despite a somewhat hesitant start to the year, Alicante closed 2017 with 6,414 new homes under construction, representing an increase of 32.8% over 2016, the best record since 2008,
This is the fifth consecutive year of improvement which puts the activity much closer to the figure that experts believe would be necessary to meet the needs of the growing population, estimated at 10,000 homes per year.
However, it is still foreign demand that dictates the number of properties sold, as evidenced by the fact that most new developments are concentrated in coastal areas, but for the first time, there are also signs of recovery also in the interior’s industrial municipalities, although they are still very weak as well as in the Province’s two largest cities, Elche and Alicante
But Orihuela still leads the way with 1,100 homes started in 2017, followed by Alicante, with 779; Torrevieja, with 662; and Pilar de la Horadada, with 658. In Elche, 415 houses were started; in Santa Pola, 319; and in Guardamar, 264.
In Elche, which also includes Crevillent and Santa Pola, the volume of housing starts skyrocketed 142%, from 309 to 748; while in the Alicante area – formed by San Vicent, Sant Joan, El Campello, Mutxamel and Agost, in addition to the capital – the figure practically doubled from 585 to 1,136, according to the figures.
