Spain is No 1 destination for Britons wanting property advice

Spain emerges as Number 1 destination for Britons wanting expert, property buying advice  – British Embassy Press Release.

Expats urged to point friends and family towards Foreign Office information.

Spain has emerged as the Number 1 destination for people seeking expert advice about buying a home in the sun.

Two thirds of prospective purchasers who sought advice from Foreign Office property experts at the ‘A Place In The Sun’ show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham last weekend said their preferred destination was Spain.

Foreign Office advisers from Spain and France, including Alicante Consul Paul Rodwell and British Embassy Madrid property expert Bernadette Gallagher, spoke to a total of 2,209 people who were considering buying a place abroad.

Two-thirds (66%) wanted advice about purchasing in Spain, with a quarter (24%) considering France and the rest (10%) looking at other countries or undecided.

More than four out of five people said they found the advice very useful and would use it when buying their home. They particularly liked the fact that the advice was impartial and free.

Most advice given by the Foreign Office team concentrated on three key areas:

• the value of following the Foreign Office property buyers’ checklist before moving abroad (take your time, rent first, access healthcare correctly, consider the impact of moving exchange rates on your savings, etc.)
• the importance of getting good independent advice around your purchase (legal advice, following the buyers’ checklist)
• the wealth of information on www.GOV.UK about pensions and benefits abroad and living in a specific country

Expatriates who have friends or family who are considering buying a property here in Spain can help them by pointing them towards a new Foreign Office video on YouTube and the Foreign Office’s How to buy property in Spain guidance on www.GOV.UK.

Spain also features heavily in an ITV programme at 20.30 Spanish time (19.30 BST) on Thursday 3^rd October. ‘Bargains in the Sun’ looks at how, with property prices falling in southern Europe, many people in Britain are starting to think again of owning a place in the sun.

Organisers of the ‘A Place in the Sun’ show said visitor numbers were well up on last year, suggesting increasing interest among Britons in buying abroad. More than 12,000 homes in Spain have been bought by Britons over the past three years.

British Embassy Press Releases

The British Embassy and its network of consulates in Spain work with local and expat partner organisations to assist British nationals.
Consular enquiries – 902 109 356 (in Spain) / +34 913 342 194 (outside Spain)
British nationals who need emergency assistance outside normal office hours should call +34 902 109 356 where they will be given details on how to proceed and how to contact a duty officer if needed.