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People from all over
the world dream of living in the UK. After all,
the United Kingdom is one of the wealthiest
places on the planet, with a decent standard of
living, a temperate climate and great
opportunities for hard workers. A steady
economy, decent education system and subsidised
public healthcare make it an attractive place to
settle down. This hasn't stopped record numbers
of Britons from selling up in the UK and moving
abroad, to take advantage of better weather and
a more appealing pace of life.
Due to the huge
growth in UK property prices and the strength of
British currency on the international markets,
Brits are shopping overseas in record numbers,
meaning that
Canary Islands properties and
Malta properties, among others, are being
designed with this particular market in mind.
For many people, a great advantage of buying in
a place where there are many other Britons is
that there is less emphasis on learning a new
language, which is often viewed as hard work.
Other buyers are keener to integrate into a new
society and get a real taste of what living
abroad is like. This group is far more likely to
make an effort with language learning.
Traditional
destinations such as Spain and Malta, however,
are now making way to "trendier" destinations
where buyers are less likely to find whole
Anglophone communities to join. One popular
choice is Croatia. In the years following the
devastating break up of Yugoslavia, Croatia has
regained its position as one of the great
Mediterranean destinations and is now a popular
choice among people looking for a second home.
Croatia property is most in-demand around
the glorious coastal regions, while the country
has stunning landscapes inland too, with such
natural delights as the Plitvice Lakes and
Paklenica national park.
Similarly,
Estonia property and
Greece property are now becoming popular
among British buyers looking to have a home far
from the madding crowd. Britons are among the
keenest of all property investors and it is
estimated that almost 900,000 British people now
own a second home overseas. When Britons with
their primary home overseas are taken into
account, the number is more like 1.2 million.
If you are
considering buying a place overseas, be sure to
take expert advice as the rules regarding
property purchase vary from country to country.
Also, if you are buying as an investment, be
aware that
Capital Gains Tax is chargeable on second
homes, whether in the UK or overseas. |
