Property investment > Resources

Perfectly targeted to reach thousands of UK residents actively seeking properties overseas as principal or second homes, for holidays, retirement or as buy-to-let investments.

About the book

It is predicted that 6 million Britons will have moved to live abroad by the year 2020 and,according to American Express, foreign property ownership has increased by 85% in the last ten years,as three quarters of a million of Brits own a property in Spain and half a million in France. UK residents seriously consider buying a property abroad for many reasons - there are the ‘romantic dream’ reasons: beautiful scenery,reliable sunny weather, a quieter way of life and the fact that houses and apartments in other countries appear more exotic than those at home. Then there are newer reasons such as:cheap air travel, advances in IT and telecommunications (which allow people to keep in touch and even work from abroad), booming UK property prices making owning a second home formerly affordable only by the seriously rich now within ordinary people's grasp, the unreliable performance of UK pension schemes making property investment seem a safer alternative. And then there is the almost constant press and TV promotion of the ‘good life’ abroad.
Owning a property abroad may sound idyllic and also increasingly like good economic sense, but in reality it can be fraught with problems, and would-be homeowners need practical no-nonsense advice. Now in its sixth up-dated edition, The Complete Guide to Buying Property Abroad gives an authoritative guide to all aspects - from deciding where to buy, the legal and financial implications, letting property and many other issues. Interspersed with case studies and tips from experts, this book is a must read for anyone considering buying an overseas property. Written by leading property correspondent Liz Hodgkinson, it also offers an ideal opportunity for any organisation wishing to promote its services to an informed audience of would-be overseas homeowners.

About the author

Liz Hodgkinson is a prolific author and journalist,who has written over 40 books including, in this series: The Complete Guide to Letting Property, The Complete Guide to Renovating & Improving Property and a new Guide to Investing in Property. She writes regularly on property matters for the Evening Standard and the Daily Mail,but also contributes to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and various magazines and websites. She is well placed to provide guidance, as she herself owns and rents out a variety of properties in the UK and abroad.

About the publisher

Kogan Pageis the UK’s leading independent publisher of practical ‘how-to’ business and personal finance books.It is also a major force overseas with representatives and agents across the developed world. Koga Page has a reputation for producing high quality,authoritative books written in a lively accessible style.

Distribution and readership

The Complete Guide to Buying Property Abroad will be distributed widely through the UK book trade, libraries and railway and airport bookstalls. It will be available through all of the major chains,which include Waterstones, Borders, Ottakars and WH Smith. It will also be sold internationally through Kogan Page’s global agents (particularly in the US, Canada,and Australia). Increasingly sales of Kogan Page’s practical guides are also made directly to individuals searching for advice on Google and through Amazon and other on-line book retail outlets. Web marketing to relevant websites and through affiliate links will also direct readers to Kogan Page’s own popular website – particularly relevant to the many British expatriates who will buy this title from abroad. Further circulation will be sought through
bulk sales to companies wishing to give away copies to clients or customers. This new edition will again command considerable media attention, stimulated by the author’s ability to place numerous articles in the national and overseas press and to gain the attention of the broadcast media.

Contents will include

Introduction

•The reality of buying a property abroad
•Case studies (those who stayed and those who returned)
•Where?
•Which country and why?
•Influencing factors:climate,language ,regime,attitudes to newcomers
•To live with Brits or locals?
•Case studies (why people chose the place they did)
What type of property?

•House,cottage,flat
•Modern,new-build,ruin
•Hilly or flat,town or country,inland or coastal?
•Remote or near transport links?
•Aesthetic vs.practical
•Other factors to take into account

Important questions to ask

•How often will you use the property?
•Permanent residency or holiday home?
•What do you want from the place?
•How much work would you do on renovation?
•Could you supervise builders in a foreign language?
•What about planning permission and bureaucracy?

Money

•Extra expenses (other than the property itself)
•Legal fees,transport fees, local taxes etc.
•Buying on a mortgage
•Renovation and repairs costs
•Capital gains tax when you sell
•Maintaining the property in your absence (garden,pool,interiors needing weekly checks etc)
•How much spare cash is needed over and above the property price?
•Is it an investment or a consumer luxury?
•Foreign exchange
•Banking – offshore investment

Letting it out

•Making it pay for itself
•The 'let-ability' of the property
•Letting laws of different countries
•Making it suitable for letting
•Renting abroad vs. buying abroad
•Pros and cons of letting to strangers
•Local agents,management fees,other costs

Buying in Europe

•Facts,figures,essential know-how
•Average costs of properties •Where to look
•Case histories Including Bulgaria,Croatia,Czech Republic.

Buying in America or Canada

•What you need to know
•Case studies from people who've done it (do they think it's worth it?)

Buying in other places

•Other places such as Bulgaria,Croatia,Czech Republic
•What you need to know
•Case studies
•Timeshare properties
•Bad reputation for hard sell,but is it a good idea?
•Timeshare market update

The Complete Guide to Buying Property Abroad it available from Kogan-Page