We're searching in Ibiza - to buy on the island! Number of Britons virtual home hunting on the party hotspot up 174% thanks to TV show White Lines and 'dual-screening'

• Searches on Rightmove for overseas properties increased 33% in May compared to a year ago
• The biggest uplifts were seen in Spain, France and Portugal, the property website said
• It follows an initial dip when these countries went into their respective lockdowns
• Searches in Spain were up 34% year-on-year during May, 33 per cent in France and 26 per cent in Portugal 
• Rightmove said home searches in Ibiza up 174% in a year, due to Netflix show White Lines

People browsing overseas homes online while 'dual-screening' has resulted in a 174 per cent surge in searches for homes listed in Ibiza last month compared to the previous year, Rightmove data shows.

With Netflix TV series White Lines - set on the party island - being one of the most watched programmes last month, many appear to have hunted for homes there on a phone or tablet while watching the box.  

The show, centered around the mysterious death of a Mancunian who heads to the hedonistic island in the mid-1990s, features a number of stunning modern sun-soaked homes with pools, sea views and outdoor living. 

Spain, France and Portugal topped the list of the most popular places to hunt to buy a home overseas.

Rightmove claims the searches on its website for overseas properties were up 33 per cent in May compared with a year earlier.

But with people still in lockdown and likely to miss out on their holiday in the sun this summer, it may be that this figure is a more of an indication of people virtual window shopping rather than one that they're going to buy overseas.

It comes as plans to travel are being dented further as the Government announced new quarantine plans - due to come into force on Monday - for people arriving to the UK to isolate for 14 days.

Rightmove also said the 33 per cent increase was a continuation of a trend seen in April, when overseas searches increased by 50 per cent compared to a month earlier and 18 per cent on a year previously.

It said the biggest uplifts were seen in Spain, France and Portugal, following an initial dip when these countries went into their respective lockdowns.

Searches in Spain were up 34 per cent year-on-year during May, 33 per cent in France and 26 per cent in Portugal, according to Rightmove.

The website explained that the surge is a mixture of people looking seriously to buy a holiday home, those contemplating a relocation, and some who are dreaming of a trip abroad after their holiday was cancelled. 

Rightmove's property expert Miles Shipside said: 'Lockdown has allowed many people time to re-appraise their lives, which has prompted lots of home-hunters to get serious about buying elsewhere in Europe.

'In particular, countries such as Spain, France, and Portugal have cultures that are familiar to us, and their warmer climates and reasonably priced rural stock will appeal to those who have been recently denied foreign travel.

'Social distancing would be far more straightforward if you're lucky enough to be able to afford your own overseas pad.

'If other holiday-makers feel the same, then they may wish to rent your property, helping it bring in an income when you are not there.

'It's still early days as we're not out of lockdown yet and most airlines are still shut, but this is an indication that this has been a life-changing period for many who are re-appraising both how and where they want to live.'

Estate agents both at home and abroad also reported an increase in demand for international properties.

Dennis Chan, global head of international sales at Chestertons, said: 'A surge in demand has indeed been observed across our portfolio of international properties, especially coastal homes.

'Clients who had been considering a second home prior to the pandemic have now intensified their enquiries with our offices in Southern Europe.'

Kieran Byrne, of HomeEspaña in Spain, said: 'After a significant dip in activity and enquiries in March and early April, when lockdown measures were first introduced in Spain and the UK, we've witnessed a gradual resurgence of interest towards the end of April, and this gathered pace throughout May.

'Of course, we've spoken to clients who are putting their plans on hold, waiting to see what life will be like post-coronavirus, which is totally understandable. But we've also spoken to new customers who had never previously thought about buying a property in Spain.

'Being confined has made them reconsider their lives in cities and towns, as has the thought of returning to being crammed onto buses and trains – and they've concluded it would be preferable to be somewhere with more of an outdoor lifestyle, better weather, access to swimming pools and beaches.'

He added: 'Then we have a separate set of customers, who were already searching for a second home on the Costa Blanca before the coronavirus outbreak, but who were previously taking their time and happy to continue their search over a couple of years.

'This crisis has accelerated their desire to own in Spain sooner rather than later, and they now want to finalise a purchase as soon as possible.

'Of course, we still don't know how any of this translates into genuine interest or transactions, as we're still not fully out of lockdown here in Spain, international flights haven't resumed and we're still in a period of uncertainty - but it does seem like there is a lot of new interest in people relocating or having a second home here.'

Chris White, owner of Ideal Homes in Portugal, added: 'We've seen leads increase on a daily basis throughout the UK lockdown. In fact, in the last ten days alone we've sold four properties.

'We're getting lots of interest in private villas and apartments with big terraces. I think people were nervous before about buying abroad, but now they are far more determined.

'Buyers are saying to us, as soon as they can fly again they want to come out, meet the lawyers and get things done. There are bargains to be had and we're definitely seeing high levels of demand. 

'Even with the rental side of the business, we're fully booked for August and quite a lot of next year, which doesn't normally happen. People now want to buy a property, enjoy it for ten weeks of the year, and then rent it out for another 30 weeks and still make more money than if their cash was sat in the bank.'