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Some estimates suggest that over 2 million Brits own a property abroad. For some it's their main home, for others it's a holiday retreat. Still others look upon these houses as investments. If you haven't yet bought abroad but are considering doing so you can reap the benefits of the experiences of others and avoid some of the pitfalls. The first thing of course is to decide what your property will be used for and assess your budget realistically. There are still places in Europe where you can buy a house for far less than the price of a mid-range car but these are unlikely to be in locations with great rental potential and the chances are you'll have to spend a fair bit on the house to renovate it. Once you've decided on location think about how you're going to find the actual house....A few brave souls have bought sight unseen via Internet auction sites. It's fair to say that this is probably only a route to choose if you're a natural gambler who can afford to take a risk. It makes sense to go and do your house hunting in person. If it's possible, make your trip long enough to see something of the country and talk to other British people living there. Any country where British people have bought in numbers is likely to have plenty of English speaking estate agents. Many of them will be delighted to organize your whole trip from airport pick-up to property hunting and maybe also some local sightseeing. Using this all in one service certainly makes the arrangements easier for you. The disadvantage is that you're putting yourself totally into the hands of someone who's hoping to take a fair amount of money from you. There's more work involved, but if you can travel independently you'll have more freedom of choice. You can hire a car, scout out regions, arrange to meet British people living locally and generally get the feel of the place where you're considering buying. This kind of house hunting gives you maximum flexibility - even more so if you're able to change your plans as you go along based on the things you may learn as you travel. For this reason it's worth hunting out the cheapest data sim you can find before you set off. The Internet is your best research tool and will aid you in making or changing arrangements as you're going along.
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home abroad, real estates, roaming,
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