The firm has 160 new developments on the Costa del Sol and the northern Costa Blanca on its books. Mr Headland says that new properties tend to attract a specific group of buyers: British investors from the South of England (Northerners prefer Portugal, he says) aged between 35 and 50. One-bedroom apartments start from as little as £80,000; £250,000 buys a new two or three-bedroom apartment with access to shared pools, golf courses and leisure centres. Airports are dotted along the coast — at Gibraltar, Málaga, Almería, Alicante and Valencia — which means most coastal properties will be no more than 50km (30 miles) from an airport.

The majority of buyers use their property for a couple of weeks a year and let them for the remainder of the season. “These aren’t the kind of buyers who want to learn Spanish and settle into village life,” Mr Headland said. “They want a bit of glamour, good shopping and a nice climate. They are a pretty affluent crowd and they don’t want any hassle — no maintenance.”

Two and three-bedroom apartments on the Costa del Sol are most popular with younger buyers, while the quieter, less developed northern Costa Blanca draws older buyers. “The marketplace has changed,” Mr Headland said. “A few years ago the dream was of a three-bed detached villa with a pool. But now most people want capital growth and convenience, so apartments are our major sell.”

El Campanario, near Puerto Banus, is typical of the kind of developments available. One-bedroom apartments begin at £157,000 and two-beds at £217,080. There is a shopping centre, hotel and nine-hole putting course on site, as well as swimming pools, landscaped gardens and a lake. The apartments all come with satellite TV, fitted kitchens and parking.