• Knight Frank hails “dramatic effect” of hybrid working on holiday home usage
• Taylor Wimpey España launches new homes for the New Year in Mallorca
• Spain tops list of best countries for digital nomads in 2024

With 2024 now in full swing, holiday home buyers are putting their plans into action after the Christmas/New Year hiatus. But holiday home usage isn't what it once was. According to Knight Frank, the old model of only using a second home for short periods of leisure is firmly in the history books:

“The rise of hybrid working has had a dramatic effect on how owners use their holiday homes. Historically somewhere to visit for short periods, these properties are increasingly becoming far more important year-round bases, used almost as much as the primary family home. This means purchasers are thinking more carefully about both the location and property type they choose before taking the plunge.”

It's a trend that leading Spanish home builder Taylor Wimpey España has seen evolve first-hand. The company has had a busy 2023, selling a selection of beach, golf and urban homes in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands to buyers of 50 different nationalities. British reservations grew by 6% during the year, with many buyers purchasing second homes with hybrid leisure/work use firmly in mind.

“The increasingly embedded acceptance of hybrid working means that many buyers can now achieve far greater value from a second home. Extended stays that combine work with leisure deliver a richer, deeper experience of the location in question.”

Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Director, Taylor Wimpey España

Spain is already a popular location with those who are free from the ties of the office. Visa Guide World recently ranked it as the best country in the world for digital nomads. Sunshine, world-class cuisine, an incredible natural landscape and a practical approach to visas – including a year-long residency visa launched in 2023 for remote workers and their families – are all part of the appeal.

Having a swimming pool on hand for a quick dip before work, or to wash the working day away after closing the laptop, can deliver a very different quality of life to commuting during rush hour. At Taylor Wimpey's new development in Mallorca – called Es Voltor – owners can do precisely that. The three-bedroom townhouses, which have an A-rating for their energy efficiency, feature large, southwest-facing terraces and private gardens, along with a generously sized communal pool. Prices start from €750,000 plus VAT.

The properties are located in Esporles, at the foot of the Tramuntana mountain range, providing owners with stunning natural views, as well as the chance to spy one of the rare black vultures that live in the mountains. The impressive birds can grow to have a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres. In recent years they have been brought back from near-extinction thanks to a range of conservation measures, meaning they are no longer classified as 'endangered'. The black vultures, which were the inspiration for the name of Taylor Wimpey España's latest development ('voltor' means 'vulture' in Catalan) are one of several protected species in the Tramuntana mountains. Others include the osprey, the Egyptian vulture, Bonelli's eagle, the booted eagle and Eleonora's falcons.

Hiking through the mountains can be an enriching experience at any time of year – one which second home owners at Es Voltor can use to balance out the stresses of the working week. Esporles is a charming, peaceful town with a lively weekly market, packed not just with local produce but with handicrafts, plants, flowers and more.

With 555 km of coastline, Mallorca is also a superb choice for families looking to spend time on the water and Es Voltor is just 8 km from the nearest beach. Mallorca's capital city of Palma, meanwhile, is only 13 km away, making Es Voltor ideal for second home buyers seeking an idyllic rural location combined with easy access to all that urban life has to offer.

Es Voltor is one of several new developments that Taylor Wimpey España is launching in early 2024, as the company experiences strong demand from second home buyers from around the world. A waiting list is already open for buyers interested in two- and three-bedroom apartments at Allure at Alenda Golf in Alicante, as well as for apartments at Altura 160 in Benahavis, near Marbella in the Costa del Sol.

For more information, please contact Taylor Wimpey España on 08000 121 020 or visit https://www.taylorwimpeyspain.com/. If you reside outside of the UK, you will need to call 00 34 971 706 972.