Holiday property investment

Most people that own holiday homes rely on agencies and other websites in order to promote their house/villa/cottage as a potential place to rent, and most of the time that works well, but you have to make sure that you take the proper steps to ensure that your house is picked over a competitor. At the end of the day, you will always be fighting against other people in the area also renting their properties out. You’ll need to present the best house possible. So here are a few tips about how that can be done:

Albania has had a particularly troubled past. After being ruled for most of the 20th Century by various Communist and Socialist governments, it finally gained independence in 1992 when it became a republic. However, the move into capitalism was a strained one, with a large amount of the country investing in Ponzi schemes and eventually losing a large amount of savings to the scams. This resulted in a huge financial crisis for the country, which ahs struggled to develop into a prosperous and desirable country. Recently though, in spite of slow global recovery, Albania has moved to new developments and is beginning to see a bourgeoning tourist trade, with it comes investment in properties and holiday resorts. It’s not hard to see why. Albania is a stunningly beautiful country. The Lalzit Bay is an incredibly lovely view, offering sights across the Mediterranean, and Butrint gives its residents a wonderful view of Corfu, only a few kilometres off of the coast. Move inland and you fin...

Buying properties abroad can be nerve-wracking, especially in today’s economic climate. The fact that you will be dealing with a wholly different market from the UK, and you have little interaction or immersion with different areas, can make selecting and committing money to a property incredibly daunting. Now is the best time to start considering making an investment in holiday property though. The Great British Pound is slowly growing in strength against the Euro, in fact buyers can expect to buy 25% more Euros per pound than they could three years ago, when the exchange rate was almost equal. It means that you get a lot more for your money. This is coupled with a housing crash in many European countries. Spain in particular is a hotspot for those looking to purchase a holiday home. Due to the severe economic downturn in the country, house prices have plummeted, with some Spanish banks offering some properties discounted up to 70% against their 2008 price. Head of Savills ...

For those of you living the dream, with a lovely home abroad on some sunny section of paradise who are planning on leaving the Great British summer of grey clouds and rain (why would you want to go?!) The Telegraph, great British paper that it is, now provides a service for expatriates to discuss news abroad and connect with other British nationals living overseas – MyExpat The service has been running for some time now and has gained quite a following, and it’s perfect for finding out if you want to find out whether moving abroad is right for you, or meeting new people that live in the same area as you. It has great tips for dealing with overseas education, health and finance issues and it’s kept up to date by the people living abroad who have been through it all before and who know what information you need, people who are living through it now and keeping up to date with everything going on in the countries that can affect expats. You can use the service to streamline your m...

Property markets have been fluctuating all year. Some countries fared better than other but for the most part, countries saw a slight drop in property value. For those of you who own property abroad, or are considering it, here are the 5 countries that bucked the trend and prospered followed by the worst hit areas to have an estate (all figures are adjusted for inflation by Global Property Guide). THE BEST Sao Paulo, Brazil Year-on-year gain: 15.56% Norway Year-on-year gain: 6.26% Delhi, India Year-on-year gain: 6.23% Germany Year-on-year gain: 5.34% Switzerland Year-on-year gain: 4.86% The gains are incredibly impressive, and reassuring for the economies of those countries. Brazil’s development is obviously the most impressive, with the market growing far beyond anywhere else in the world. These places are great for holiday properties, if you want to purchase one you’ll have to pay more but can be confident that you’ll see a rise in the value of your chosen p...

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released its table of the liveability rankings of cities across the world. Some noteworthy changes to 2012’s copy include; the drop of London 9 places to 51st, due to the riots that plagued the city last August and the ongoing clean-up since then, and the placement of Vancouver in third. The latter came with a disappointed outcry from Canadians, as Vancouver had been ranked the best city to live for almost a decade, until the EIU dropped it two places in 2011. The EIU claimed the drop was due to increasing amounts of congestion throughout the city and surrounding areas. But for 2012, the top the 3 cities to live in the world were: 1. Melbourne, Australia Officially the most liveable city two years in a row, Melbourne is a diverse and exciting place to live. It is known as the cultural capital of Australia, as well as being the capital of the state of Victoria. It boasts a huge music and art scene, which launched the Australian impression...

If you have a Holiday flat or house in London, this could be the right moment to make some extra cash. With the Olympic Games starting the 27 th July and ending the 12 th august 2012, many visitors are looking for a place to stay. Especially if you are close to the Olympic Games complex (Stratford), this could be quite profitable. The overall market prices in London have already risen by 16% from 2011 to 2012 according to some Real Estate Agencies . House prices have risen by 1.4% since 2010  in almost all areas of England.

Renting out your holiday property is not just about finding a possible tenant with the expectation that they will pay their rent on time. After careful cleanup and preparation, property owners should anticipate problems while the tenant is staying in your property. The following are the most common problems which owners have to face. We have also given some advice as to how you can effectively deal with the problem: Late payment Many tenants pay for their holidays very late which could easily cause a lot of problems to the owner, especially if it is there main source of income. But you can easily avoid this problem with the right paperwork and reminders. The document should clearly indicate the date of payment and its consequence. A friendly reminder a few days before the payment deadline should also help you to receive the rent on time. Renters locking themselves out It’s always a possibility that a renter will lose their keys for your holiday property. To avoid ...

Growing grass in your holiday property requires time, patience and money. If you do not take care of it, through regular maintenance it can be filled with weeds and grow tall degrading your property. The task of cutting the grass can become very tedious especially if you are not living in the property for the entire year. Fortunately, there are alternatives to grass that help save time and are easy to maintain. Below we have listed some of the best solutions for your lawn; Clover At first glance, clover may look like it’s a type of weed that will only make your lawn look bad. But to an experienced landscaper, clover could be easily integrated or mixed with grass and the look of the lawn remains the same. It’s a perfect alternative especially when you don’t plan to step on the lawn as clover can beautifully cover your ground. Artificial Grass Forget about cutting your lawn frequently and instead install artificial grass in your holiday home. Placing the material is relative...

Everybody pays taxes and they are very important because they ensure that public services run as expected. Without taxes, the government would not be able to provide the country with free services and assistance. For this reason, most people do not complain on the taxes they have to pay regula rly. Fortunately, the government provides some leeway for individuals and families looking for opportunities to s ave on taxes. The perfect example for families to save on taxes is the stamp duty holiday which is set to expire on the 24 th of March this year. This offer is a stamp duty exemption for individuals and families purchasing properties for the first time. The stamp duty holiday is only valid for properties valued less than £250,000. This is a very rare opportunity for first time buyers because they get to enjoy a well-priced property without paying thousands more on stamp duty. Aside from the stamp duty holiday, homebuilders are also providing additional perks for first time ho...

Opus Energy and Nordjysk Elhandel (NEAS) a Danish energy company have entered cooperation in the balancing and trading of wind power production from wind turbine generators within the United Kingdom. The agreement will allow companies to receive cleaner energy and will also increase the opportunities for you to add a wind turbine to your property and gain an extra income through power generation. Charlie Crossley Cooke, Opus Energy’s Managing Director has explained that wind power generation is expanding in the UK and Opus Energy want to secure the highest possible set-up in the production management for wind power generation. The agreement with NEAS will help Opus Energy to access state-of-the-art services in balancing and scheduling of wind power and the competencies in trading wind energy. This will provide British wind power generators with the best service and maximum value for their associated certificates and production. Currently there is over 5,970 MW installed capac...

Renting out your property during the holiday season is an ideal source of extra income, especially if your property is located in a popular tourist destination. You don’t have to exert a lot of effort but you are assured of an income because your property is practically working for you. But before renting out your property in UK, there are some things you have to remember to ensure that you will earn a considerable fee while protecting a very valuable asset. Check the Terms and Conditions of Your Mortgage If you’re still on mortgage, check if you are already allowed to lease at least part of your property. Some mortgage companies do not allow leasing their properties to protect the asset. More often than not, this information is readily available from your real estate agent. While checking the terms and conditions of your mortgage; also check out the additional tax you should pay and the exemptions you might enjoy. Visit directgov.co.uk for this type of information...