There are several reasons why people choose to buy a second property abroad.
Ownership of property outside the UK is increasing in popularity. Fuelled partly by lower house prices and better climates, and made more favourable still by low-cost airlines, the appeal of a second property abroad is understandable. Once the preserve of the rich, a holiday home in Spain, Portugal, France or anywhere in the world for that matter, can now be acquired easily by the majority of the UK population.
There are three top reasons that people choose to buy a property abroad:
To live permanently in a new country
Some people move abroad for work, whilst others choose to retire outside the UK. Moving to a new country on a permanent basis is a challenge and a risk, and so many people choose to buy a property abroad, whilst keeping their UK home and renting it out. This means that they have somewhere to come back to should things not work out as planned. For many, moving to a new country is one of the best experiences of their life. The chance to live in a new culture; learning the language, eating new foods and soaking up the sun, is exactly what people are looking for.
To have a permanent holiday base
Some people like nothing more than the security of having a permanent holiday base. You know where to go, what shops are available, where the best beaches are and what attractions are nearby. You dont have to waste any of your holiday time getting acclimatised and your accommodation is a home-from-home. Whats more, you can visit it as often as you like throughout the year, and you can invite friends and family to come along and enjoy the holiday with you, or lend it to them so that they have a ready-made holiday base of their own.
To rent to other holidaymakers
Many people choose to cover the costs of buying and running their property abroad by renting it out. There are two main ways to do this; hiring an agent to rent the property on your behalf, or handling all the rentals yourself. An agent will take a percentage fee, but will handle all the bookings, cleaning and maintenance of your property. If you manage the rentals on your own, you will need to find someone trustworthy who can clean and prepare the property for your customers and handle any issues that arise when people are staying in your property. Renting is a very effective way to cover costs, and even to make a profit, but you have to limit the times when you can use the property and be prepared for damage and wear and tear to increase.