Top 20
Places
to Buy
Abroad
17/01/2008 London-According
to a
survey
published
in the
overseas
property
magazine
A Place
in the
Sun,
Spain
remains
the
number
one
destination
for UK
buyers
seeking
a home
abroad.
The
magazine’s
annual
Top 20
buying
destination
report
shows
that
despite
a raft
of
emerging
markets
and USA
property
prices
down 30%
on a
year ago
and a
dollar
weakened
by 25%,
it’s the
traditional
sun-seeker’s
favourite
Spain
The poll, conducted at the recent A
Place in
the Sun
Live
exhibition
at the
NEC
Birmingham,
the
world’s
largest
overseas
property
event of
its
type,
also saw
France
with its
enviable
lifestyle
maintaining
its 2006
second
place
and
Turkey
climbing
into
third
position
on the
back of
a wide
range of
developments
marketing
in the
UK
offering
great
value
and
year-round
sunshine .
Other key trends highlighted
include
the
USA’s
leaping
six
places
into
fourth
position
as UK
investors
take
advantage
of a
buyer’s
market
and two
dollars
to the
pound,
Italy
moves up
three
spots
into the
top five
(as
Calabria
becomes
ever
more
prominent)
and the
meteoric
rise of
Canada –
the
biggest
climber
– up
seven
places
to
number
nine.
Seven of the top ten destinations
are
European,
with
Cyprus
(6) and
Greece
(7)
performing
consistently
on the
wish
lists of
UK
residents
looking
for a
home
abroad,
but
property
in Egypt
is up
three
places
and
bubbling
under
(at 11)
and
threatening
to break
through
alongside
its
North
African
counterpart
Cape
Verde
(10).
Another interesting mover is
Australia,
which
jumps
from 20
to 15 as
more UK
residents
than
ever
make a
permanent
move
overseas
(389,000
last
year
according
to the
Office
of
National
Statistics)
– as
witnessed
by the
success
of The
Emigration
Show at
A Place
in the
Sun
Live.
Says Richard Way, Editor of A Place
in the
Sun
magazine:
“What’s
really
interesting
about
our
annual
Top 20
survey
is that
it shows
UK
buyers
as
traditional
in one
respect
– in
favouring
Spain
and
France –
but also
willing
to seek
out new
hot
spots
and
investment
opportunities
elsewhere:
across
Europe,
North
Africa,
North
America,
Asia and
the
Middle
East.
When
looking
for a
second
home or
a new
life in
the sun
it seems
that
Spain’s
mix of
great
weather,
rich
culture
and
beautiful
coastline
is
keeping
the
country
at the
number
one
spot,
but
buyers
aren’t
afraid
to
consider
Germany,
Montenegro,
Morocco,
Las
Vegas,
Thailand
or
Dubai.”
Top 20 Positions from a Place in
the Sun
Magazine
1.
Spain
2.
France
3.
Turkey
4.
USA
5.
Italy
6.
Cyprus
7.
Greece
8.
Bulgaria
9.
Canada
10.
Cape
Verde
11.
Egypt
12.
Portugal
13.
Morocco
14.
Caribbean
15.
Australia
16.
Montenegro
17.
Croatia
18.
Dubai
19.
Germany
20.
Thailand
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