A holiday home in Spain could help combat winter SADness

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) as a result of lack of daylight is surprisingly common, leading to lethargy, feeling gloomy and craving junk food, since natural light raises cortisol levels in the brain and leads to better concentration, mental sharpness and feelings of wellbeing.

In fact, the Online Psychology Degree website says exposure to additional daylight alleviates symptoms for between 50% and 80% of SAD sufferers.

Add to this that the Mediterranean and southern areas of Spain, and even the Canary Islands which are an hour behind, have record amounts of annual sunshine, including when the weather is cold, a break on the Costas could be the key to beating winter blues.

According to www.holiday-weather.com, the east coast from Castellón to Almería has the most sunlight at 325 days a year, and other sources reveal that the Balearic Islands and the southern coast of Andalucía have an average of 300 days of sunshine per year.

Even though this does not mean beach and pool weather year-round, these areas still have milder winters than northern Europe and sunlight instead of grey skies makes life easier to bear in the chillier months of the year.

The vast majority of property buyers who choose Spain say the better weather is one of the many factors they opt for either a holiday home or permanent residence there.

And cloudy skies and dark nights elsewhere in the northern hemisphere could well have something to do with the fact that sales of homes in Spain have risen in the last month, pushing property values up.

Foreign buyers shelled out just over €6 billion on property in Spain between January and September inclusive last year, according to the country's ministry of public works and infrastructure, a rise of 30% on the same period in 2013.

They accounted for 13% of homes bought in Spain in 2014, the ministry reveals, and British purchasers continue to lead the way with 17% of non-Spaniards buying a home in the country being from the UK.

The weather aspect means that, not surprisingly, the regions of Andalucía and Valencia were the most popular with buyers - areas that include the Costa del Sol, Costa Tropical and Costa de la Luz in the case of the former, and Costa Blanca, Costa del Azahar and the Gulf of Valencia in the case of the latter.

Home values were up by 0.2% in February this year - the most recent statistics available - compared to January, according to price index website www.idealista.com, with an average property price across the country of €1,595 per square metre - approximately €159,500 for a large, three-bed apartment or a small villa or townhouse.

But these prices varied vastly across the nation, with the Basque Country in the lead: the average property here cost €2,638 per square metre, followed by Madrid at €2,338 per square metre and Catalunya at €1,878 per square metre.

However, the great news for SAD sufferers seeking a bolthole in sunlight is that one of Spain's 'brightest' regions has some of the lowest home values, meaning bargains galore.

Land-locked Extremadura may not allow sunseekers to chill on the beach, but a terrace with a pool can be just as refreshing in summer and, in autumn, winter and early spring, the fact that temperatures are often higher in the southern part of this relatively unspoilt, verdant region means it is an ideal part of the country for a second home - and these come in at a bargain €1,009 per square metre, meaning you could get a duplex or large apartment for €100,900 on average.

Central Castilla-La Mancha is chilly in winter, but hot and dry in summer and a great place to relax by the pool - and its properties are the cheapest in Spain at €984 per square metre, meaning the duplex or large apartment would cost you €98,400 - and again, this vast region is practically untouched by mass tourism.

But if you are seeking sea air as well as your 300-plus days of sunshine, some of the mildest winters in Spain are to be found in the region of Murcia, parts of which remain unspoilt and other parts, especially the Mar Menor with its thermal, healing waters, are very geared up to tourism and to a cosmopolitan society.

And best of all, property in the Murcia region was found, in February, to be the third-cheapest in Spain at just €1,074 per square metre - bringing you the typical large apartment, duplex or townhouse at €107,400.

A home in Murcia might just be the remedy SAD sufferers are looking for - and although anti-depressants are cheaper, bricks and mortar are a much more sound, long-term investment, as shown by current prices remaining at a record low but creeping up very gradually and consistently.