Itis Canada
Cape Verde
Cape Verde Property
Own a Home Abroad
Caribbean
Own a Home Abroad
China
Wendy Wu Tours
Cornwall
Cornwall Surf Academy
Crete
Phoenix Villas
Own a Home Abroad
Croatia
Own a Home Abroad
Cyprus (North)
Cyprus Bay Properties
Troy Lake UK (Cyprus) Limited
Seaterra Properties
Own a Home Abroad
Cyprus (South)
Cyprus Property Services Ltd
Own a Home Abroad
Devon
Lundy Island
Finance
Harrison Beaumont
Siddalls
Conti Financial Services
HiFx
Escape Currency plc
St James Place
Currencies Direct
Utopia Travel Insurance
Surveys In France
Insurance For Holiday Homes
Andrew Copeland Insurance
Blevins Franks
France
Le Moulin Rault
Francophiles
A House in Brittany
FHH Developments
French Estates
The County Homesearch Company
Canvas Holidays
PropertyQC Ltd
CAPI Mandataire Local
Select Properties
Own a Home Abroad
Kestrel Travel
Souillac Golf and country club
Goa
Premier Homes International
Own a Home Abroad
Greece
Win Win Win Ltd
Own a Home Abroad
Insurance
Insurance for Homes Abroad
Isle of Wight
Hover travel
Italy
Cresta Villas
Italica properties
My Place in Italy
Own a Home Abroad
Clasic Collection Holidays
Casa Travella
Japan
Into Japan specialist tours
Legal
Phillips International Lawyers
Suzana da Silva
Hardie & Co Solicitors
Lettings
Holidaylets.net
Holidaylettings.co.uk
Morocco
Moroccan Properties
Saffron Villas
Own a Home Abroad
Pet Travel
EASYPET Pet Transportation UK - Spain
Animal Couriers
Portugal
Elly van Hulst Real Estate
Own a Home Abroad
Quinta Jacinta
Vigia Group
Removals
Associated Moving Services
Ede Bros
Romania
PWT Overseas
Own a Home Abroad
Sailing Holidays
Setsail
Scotland
Large Holiday Houses
Seychelles
Eden Island Marina,Seychelles
Just Seychelles
Air Seychelles
Seychelles Tourism
Spain
Spanish dreams 2 reality
Salamanca Spanish Villas
Property Abroad
Ads Property
Villaquest VL
Parador Properties
PropertyQC Ltd
Breakaway Homes Ltd
Azahar Dream Homes
My Home in Spain
Own a Home Abroad
Classic Collection Holidays
Casa Del Cascoviejo
Stately Homes
Chillingham Castle
Down Hall Hotel
Ettington Park Hotel
Thailand
Phuket PRD
Travel and Property Agency
Conrad Advertising
Tunisia
Tunisia Simply Villas
Wigmore Holidays & Travel
Tunisia First
Come to Tunisia
Turkey
Spot Blue
Lets Go To Turkey
Windsor Property Management
Tulip Holidays
Spirit of Turkey
Hotel Karia Princess
Aegean Homes
Own a Home Abroad
Kent Estate Agency
Property repulic ltd
Spirit Estates
Pearl Golf Villas
UK's Best Hotels
Hotel Felix
North Lakes Hotel & Spa
New Madeira Hotel
Warner Bembridge Coast Hotel
Falmouth Beach Hotel
Green Lawns Hotel
The Carlyon Bay Hotel
The Greenbank Hotel
The Hundred House Hotel
The Priory Bay Hotel
Grand Jersey Hotel
Bovey Castle
Holiday Inn
Combe House Hotel
Northcote Manor
Double Tree Hilton
Dale lodge Hotel and Restaurant
UK Family Days Out
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Needles Alum Bay
Dinosaur Isle
UK Holiday Homes
Blossom Hill Park
Hayling Island + Havant
Island Meadow Parks
UK Holidays
Alderney Accommodation
The Western Regional Fisheries Board
Bodnant Garden
St Martin's Bakery
British International
Isles of Scilly Travel Centre
Discovering Distilleries - Diageo
Waterside Holiday Parks group Ltd
UK Luxury Homes
Chard Sales & Lettings
Villa Rental
Royal Villas Europe
Worldwide Travel
Stylish resorts
Connoisseur Travel
Youth Hostels
YMCA
Hot Property Tips
As one of the biggest investments you'll ever make, the purchase of an overseas property - whether for your retirement, for investment or as a holiday home - must be approached with caution.
To give yourself the best chance of getting things right when you exchange contracts, there can be a daunting number of steps to take beforehand. Hopefully, the five that follow will start you on the path to successful and (relatively) stress-free house hunting.
1. Do your research. When you find a property you'd like to buy, you may have to move fast to secure it. Make sure you're in a position to make a quick decision by taking your time over the early research. Use resources such as magazines, books, property exhibitions and the internet, and get a feel for exactly what you want to buy and where, before you make a move.
2. Take independent advice. Never mind 'the way the locals do it', you should have sought advice from an independent solicitor, well versed in the property laws of your chosen country, and from an independent financial advisor, long before you come face to face with any bricks and mortar. Agents and developers will often offer you the services of their own legal representative. The phrase 'conflict of interest' springs to mind.
3. Think it through. Are you looking for a holiday home, an investment property, or somewhere to retire to? How much time are you planning to spend in your overseas property? Do others in your family really feel the same way about this as you do? Are you prepared to break all ties with your current home, or should you be thinking about retaining a bolthole in the UK? All these factors will play a part in the process of buying an overseas property.
4. Get a bank guarantee. If you are planning to buy a new property, insist that the developer or agent offers you a guarantee that the construction work will be completed as agreed. That way, should the company run into financial difficulties or even become bankrupt, you will be able to reclaim any money you have already handed over. No bank guarantee, no deal.
5. Make your money go further. Brits who bought South African homes at 19 rands to the pound are sitting pretty compared with those looking now, as the rand has clawed its way back to around 11 against the pound. A similar situation currently presents itself in the USA, with the dollar floundering at just above two to one against sterling. Currency experts can advise you on when might be the best time to buy in any given currency.
So, armed with these nuggets of advice on the purchase of an overseas property, you can now narrow down your search. For detailed information on specific property hot spots, click on the destination buttons to the left.
And happy hunting.
THE 2005 WINNERS - BEST PROPERTY AWARDS
These are the results for the 2005 awards.
The winners of the categories below have been awarded the following:
4 star award
5 star award
Companies
Sapphire Cove Kilcarbery
CYPRUS PROPERTY
Kamares Villa Leptos Estates
Thalia Villa Pafilia Property Developers
FLORIDA PROPERTY
Tuscana Coldwell Banker Team Realty
GIBRALTAR PROPERTY
Villa, The Cliftons Taylor Woodrow
Cliftons Taylor Woodrow
GREECE PROPERTY
Cretan Myth Hellenic Homes
PORTUGAL PROPERTY
Casa Sandelin Vale do Lobo
SOUTH AFRICA PROPERTY
Pezula The Pezula Group
National Bank House Admakers International
SPAIN PROPERTY
Avenida Almenara 22 Amiri Developments SL
Abigail Iberian International
Aurora Atlas International
THAILAND PROPERTY
Layan Gardens Dufor Development
UK PROPERTY
Moonraker Seven Developments
54 Castelnau Brybuild
Hereford House, Mayfair Paul Davies London
USA PROPERTY
10528 Sunnyside Scottsdale Fine Properties
INTERNATIONAL WATERFRONT PROPERTY
Imperial Wharf St George Central London
Chatsworth Westbury Homes
