Buying property abroad

Property buyers from the UK now own homes in dozens of different countries, according to an industry expert. But they tend to rush in and not always think about the rental and income possibilities.

Broadcaster Amanda Lamb, who hosts Channel 4's A Place in the Sun, said there are now a significant number of British-owned houses in more than 50 nations. But not everyone does their homework before investing.

Ms Lamb urged property buyers to remember that not all countries will offer the living standards they expect, as they are at various stages of development. She recommends that people look beyond cheap houses and find out what a country has to offer before committing to a purchase.

'Properties might be cheap but is the electricity supply reliable?' she said. She also recommends that prospective buyers go on an inspection trip in order to view the property they are considering first-hand.

She has found that the biggest concerns that a lot of people have is that they're going to get ripped off; that the builders are going to run off with their money or the deeds are going be problematic or they won't be able to deal with the language barrier.

Own a property in Southern Italy, an apartment in an old palazzo in Puglia, in the heel of Italy, means she has first hand experience of investing. She worries that people forget that they're actually buying a property. 'They'll go on holiday for a couple of weeks and think, oh isn't it lovely, and the sun always shines and lets just buy that little villa over there. If you're serious about it and its something you want to do, my advice would be to go for it, but make sure you're really sensible about it as well draw up a big list of the pros and cons first,' she said

'You need to think about what you're buying the property for - a holiday home or for retirement? If you're buying a property with a view to renting it out you have to think about who you're renting the property to. If you're renting it to families, does it have a swimming pool? Is it close to the beach? How far is it from the airport, shops and local amenities? You need to find your market and make sure you appeal to them.'

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