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Sun, sea and IKEA shelving ... now 300,000 Brits own a property abroad

Рубрика: General news Източник:      Retired people like France and Spain less than the familiarity of an Anglo-Saxon environment and prefer Australia, the US and Canada.

A separate government report in the summer revealed that the number of families in England who own a second home in Britain or overseas had soared past half a million for the first time. The data revealed that in 2003-04, 298,000 English families owned a second home in England, 26,000 had a second home in Scotland or Wales, and a further 178,000 owned a property overseas.

Spain has long been a favourite of British holiday and retirement home buyers, and just over a third (35%) of all overseas second homes are located there, says the department. Another 24% are in France. Only one in 100 second homes abroad are in Italy.

Most buyers say the quick and cheap access offered by budget airlines is the initial temptation. Tanya and Steve Taylor of south London bought a small home near Barcelona for £50,000 three years ago. Since then a small renovation project has included putting £500 worth of solar panels on the roof. To cut C02 emissions on summer holiday visits with their three sons they also bought a second hand camper van on eBay to drive rather than fly, though flying is still part of the deal.

"We have to pump the water by hand and use lots of candles," said Mrs Taylor.
At the other end of the spectrum, Mark Harrison, a Harley Street doctor, bought a ski chalet in Switzerland for £1m last year that allows him to ski straight on to the piste.
"It's fantastic and is so much cheaper than other places in the four valleys, especially Verbier which is just next door, and similar places in France and Italy," he said.
Mr Harrison, who has five daughters aged one to 11, will not be renting out his second home. "It's an all-year-round resort which means we can go mountain biking in the summer."

Over there

Most popular countries for second homes
1. Spain
2. France
3. United States
4. Bulgaria
5. Turkey
6. Cyprus
7. Greece
8. Italy