Brits buying abroad for personal, not financial, reasons

11 July 2008

In contrast to the images of wide-eyed investors looking to make a killing abroad, the average Brit buying an overseas property is doing so for personal reasons rather than business reasons, experts have explained.

Just recently research carried out by the NatWest IPB Quality of Life Report found that the average person heading for a new life overseas is a 43-year-old professional with a career of £67,000.

Now Les Calvert, director of Property Abroad, has stated: "For the majority of people buying abroad - the average man in the street - they are not buying it for an investment, they are buying because they want to live there or they want a holiday home there.

"If those markets were a lot stronger than the UK market then that may have a profound effect, but because, in general, property prices are either coming down or remaining on the same level, people are still prepared to invest and buy in those areas."

At the same time, the website RightmoveOverseas.co.uk has revealed that Spain remains the most popular destination for Brits, followed by France, the United States and Italy.

Anyone choosing to pursue a better quality of life overseas may want to make use of secure storage facilities at home to ensure their move is as smooth as possible.

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