Want to escape to sunnier climes? Top 10 holiday home destinations for Brits buying abroad

Each day of sunshine is a precious gift in the UK, one that leaves most Brits wistfully wishing the sunny spell would last just a few days longer.

So it's little wonder that Spain dominates the search among Brits seeking a holiday home abroad, says a new report from Rightmove.

It reveals average monthly searches for property in Spain have reached 2.5 million a month - 74 per cent more than France, the second most searched for location in Europe. Italy comes in a close third.

House hunters in Spain typically search for a property costing an average of £138,000, for which you can find a four-bedroom villa with a two-bedroom guest house and pool in the south.

Of the top five most popular Spanish locations, four have average house prices of less than £170,000 - Alicante, Malaga, Tenerife, and Lanzarote.

Only Mallorca has significantly higher prices of £350,000, which is higher than the UK average of £316,000.

Sunniest countries
All the most popular locations for a second home have significantly warmer climates than Britain, offer quick and cheap flights, and have good-value properties compared to the UK.

All of the top nine destinations are in Europe, with Turkey taking tenth place.

“Top locations that the British public search for holiday homes abroad in generally mirror the most popular holiday hotspots and the most popular holiday hotspots are those places with the highest temperatures and easy accessibility," says Chris Please, head of Rightmove Overseas.

If you're looking for sun, Cyprus has the hottest temperatures in Europe, but Croatia tops the charts in terms of most sunshine hours.

The cheapest holiday-home locations
According to the report, the average inquiry price for a house in Turkey is £82,000 - the cheapest in the top 10.

The most popular locations for home buyers is Mugla in the south-west, Antalya - known as the the gateway to the Turquoise coast - and Istanbul in the north-west.

Malta and Germany are the only two destinations on the list where searched for home average above £200,000 - but flights to Germany are relatively cheap, starting from around £28.

Quickest flight times
France has some of the fastest flight times, starting from just 55 minutes, and can be found for under £50.

However, the most popular resorts for holiday home seekers are in the south - along the coast from Nice to Montpellier - where flight times are double this length and house prices soar into the million-pound mark.

Five of the hottest countries in Europe

Highest annual sun