With a poor climate, the economic downturn and the rising cost of living, now may be the time to find a nice little European bolthole where you could ride out the storm. It’s true that in most other European countries your money goes further, the climate is better and the pace of living more relaxed. So whether it is for a holiday home, a retirement property or simply an investment – which European countries offer the most home for your money?

Avila, Spain by World Wide Gifts / License: Creative Commons

Most people, when thinking about moving abroad or investing in property think about France or Spain, but before you think about removals to France or removals to Spain, have you considered the other European countries which offer great value? For instance, Italy has seen prices fall by around 8 to 20% over the last few years and now it is possible to buy a lovely rural, stone built house set in a lovely village for around £150,000. Whilst a larger property, if you are looking to make a permanent move, will cost around £205,000 for a three bedroom hillside house with a barn and large garden in the lush hills of Lucca, Tuscany.

Turkey is also worth a look if you are looking for an affordable place to live or buy a holiday home. Istanbul has some great value apartments which could see you a healthy return for investment. Istanbul has a housing shortage estimated at around 250,000 units per year. This means that buying an apartment here would see no shortage of tenants if you are looking to invest in property as opposed to live there yourself. For instance, a one bedroom apartment in Bahcesehir, which is just 20 minutes from the city centre, will only set you back around £48,000 and makes a superb investment.

Girona, Spain by Europeana EU / License: Creative Commons

Spain has some great deals to be had too. No other European country has such a wide and varied landscape from beautiful beaches, to elegant cities and through to charming town and hidden villages. There are mountains, lush valleys and quiet hidden beaches which you could easily spend a lifetime exploring. With this in mind, it is no wonder that property sales are on the rise. The cost of living in Spain is generally cheaper than the UK and we all know the climate is much better too!

Some great value homes can now be had here such as a two bedroom home in Murcia, South East Spain could be yours for around £45,000. That’s not a lot of money for your home! Take a look on the internet at the range of properties available to buy, next decide on your budget and what you wish to gain from your property. You might be pleasantly surprised at just what you can afford in one of these bargain European destinations!

Written by Helen Mitchell, looking for the best way to move abroad.

The post Affordable Places To Live In Europe appeared first on Best of European Union.

If you are going to rent your property out when you and your family can’t be there then it’s important to research the most popular places and the places that will bring you the best income. If you have a small budget then it will make it hard to purchase a property on the beachfront of a central tourist attraction so your budget is a big thing to take into account.

Grasmere, The Lake District, UK by Richard Barrett-Small

When you’re thinking about investing in a holiday home there are a number of things that you should take into account such as, where do people you know like to go on holiday?, would you prefer to be near a beach or a city?, will your property be close to pubs and entertainment?, will the property be preferred by young or older people? And will the property be easily accessible? There are many popular areas throughout Britain that become home to holiday makers every year; some of the most popular include, the Lake District, York, Kent, Isle of Wight, Yorkshire Dales and Moors, Snowdonia, Anglesey, the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh. Of course there are many more popular destinations but, for a getaway, these are usually the first places that people will think of.

Because these areas are popular, the property can also be pretty expensive which can be a huge let down to buyers with a low budget. If you wish to buy a home in one of these areas but the budget won’t stretch then a nearby town or village is usually your best bet as although these are popular with the tourists that visit the main areas, the house prices are nowhere near as high. Although your property may not be in the centre of the tourist world you don’t want it to be too far away as this will be a put off for potential rentals. You should make sure your property is easy to get to via public or personal transport and it shouldn’t be more than a 15 minute drive from popular tourist spots – after all, how many people want to spend their holiday driving?

David Sprice shares his interest on Internet Cottages and what they have to offer as a holiday escape.

The post Advice On Buying A Holiday Home To Rent In The UK appeared first on Best of European Union.

Brighton light, England, UK by Simon

1. Ice Skating at the Royal Pavilion

The Royal Pavilion is a stunning 200-year-old palace built for King George IV as a holiday home by the sea. It has survived a lot and the interiors in particular have undergone extensive renovation, however in the winter a new rather less typical addition is placed in the gardens of the palace; an 800 square metre ice rink, complete with a smaller section for kids improving their skating skills. Another great thing about this ice rink is the attached Jamie’s Feasts restaurant which is a Jamie Oliver-birthed eatery, serving deliciously tasty meals, perfect after working up an appetite on the rink. Royal Pavilion Ice Rink tickets cost from £10 for adults and £7 for children under 12 and the one-hour skate times run from 10am to 10.15pm daily.

Royal Pavilion in Winter, Brighton, England, UK by PeppermintEvents

2. See Moscow City Ballet’s, The Nutcracker

With Christmas just around the corner one of the most perfect wintry things to do is see the ballet, and be encased in the opulent and antique surroundings of the Theatre Royal Brighton. The classic ballet The Nutcracker is on from the 29th of November until Saturday the 1st of December so there is only a short amount of time to snap up tickets to this fantastic experience.

3. Drink Mulled Cider in the Lanes

Brighton Lanes is full of quaint little pubs and bars that serve traditional mulled wine and now cider as a Christmas treat. They are all warm and cosy and in the evenings are lit by candles to create a cosy atmosphere, a perfect antidote to the cold wintery day.

Photo of Mulled Cider by billycoxon

4. French Toast at Bills

Bills is famous in Brighton as the best place for breakfast (they do serve lunches too), my recommendation is for a huge stack of French toast with bananas, strawberries, toasted walnut yoghurt and maple syrup, delicious! The lovely atmosphere and friendly staff will have you returning again before you know it.

5. Promenade

Promenading was a favourite past time of the Victorians who believed that the bracing winds were good for their health and I think they were definitely onto something! So make sure you wrap up warm and put on plenty of layers and get out onto the promenade. You can walk from the Palace pier further down towards Hove, where there are small cafes and plenty of people out walking their dogs. Run down to the sea and throw stones into the icy waves like you did when you were a kid.

Promenade in Brighton, England, UK by Chris Wright

When you know the best things to do winter can be just as fun as summer! Make sure on your next train to Brighton you wrap up and don’t hibernate through the winter months.

The post Top 5 Wintery things to do in Brighton, UK appeared first on Best of European Union.

Holy Monastery of Rousanou, Kalambaka, Greece by Dennis Jarvis

Affordability

Because of the declining tourist market, there has been an increase in the sale of holiday homes in Greece due to dwindling interest and falling rental incomes, often at a loss. This has also had the effect that there has been an increase in interest for people looking to buy a holiday home. At the moment, there has been an influx of property sales in northern Greece from people from neighbouring Bulgaria. The city of Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination for many Bulgarians, so people are snapping up the chance to purchase their own holiday home at a lower price. Us Brits are starting to take notice too; although many are employing a ‘wait and see’ tactic when it comes to Greek holiday homes, there has been a steady increase in interest.

Know your turf

If you’re thinking of taking advantage of the situation and you’re looking to buy your dream holiday home, make sure you do your research. If you can, talk to locals and ex-pats to get a feel for how the financial crisis is impacting the area. This will also put you in good stead when navigating the sea of red tape that comes with buying a second home in another country. It could be that what you see as a potential honey pot is actually going to cost you more in the long run.

Financing the dream

If you think you’re onto a winner, then you should look to protect yourself in the event that things take a turn for the worse. The current big worry is that Greece will secede from the EU and renounce the Euro as its currency, reverting back to drachma. If you borrow Euros in order to buy a Greek second home, then you will still owe Euros even if the country reverts to drachma. With fluctuating exchange rates, this could potentially put you out of pocket.

One of the most classical photos from Santorini: the boat at Firostefani by Klearchos Kapoutsis

With the current tourist market the way it is, it is likely that any holiday home you purchase will be left unoccupied for a while until things stabilise a little more. With that, it’s a good idea to look into holiday home insurance, which protects the house during periods of vacancy and can also help during times when your rental income is in jeopardy.

Depending on which area of Greece you’re looking at, going for a second home as a source of rental income isn’t going to be the best short term objective. If you’re willing to wait out the crisis, you can grab a potential bargain and enjoy a few weeks or months soaking up the Greek sunshine in your new Greek home.

Written by J. R. Gibbs,  armchair explorer and writer at large for holiday home insurance comparison site Confused.com

The post Finding a Holiday Home in Greece appeared first on Best of European Union.