There's rarely been a better time to bag a bargain abroad! How to find your place in the sun

There's rarely been a better time to bag a bargain abroad! How to find your place in the

On the Continent many property values have barely recovered after the steep falls of the financial crisis - and mortgage rates are still low there, too. Here, we look holiday homes and how you can find your place in the sun.

Found the dream home abroad? Six perils to avoid when buying a place in the sun

Found the dream home abroad? Six perils to avoid when buying a place in the sun

After months of searching, you have finally found it - your dream home in the sun. But before you get too excited about moving in, there's the hard work of paperwork. Here are overseas property expert Simon Conn's six pitfalls to avoid when buying a home abroad.

Thinking about joining the buy-to-let boom? Britain's property hotspots for landlord returns revealed

Britain's buy-to-let property hotspots revealed

Most new landlords look to buy their first property in a town they know, but there may be better locations for returns out there.We reveal the towns and cities that generally produce the best income for landlords.

Are you on trend with home improvements or in line for disaster? Loft conversions and bathrooms most likely projects to go wrong

Loft conversions and bathrooms most likely home projects to go wrong

With TV property programmes ringing in their ears, many homeowners are tempted to improve rather than move. Loft conversions are often considered the easiest way of adding an extra bedroom, but 36% of builders surveyed said they are the most problematic home improvements.

A repossessed cannabis farm, the Profumo affair and Miami fraud...how you can learn from 'My SCANDALOUS house move'

A repossessed cannabis farm, the Profumo affair and Miami fraud...how you can learn from

Buying and selling property is always eventful. My own recent experience was no exception but at least it was fast, with just 12 weeks between the date my husband Rob and I put our two-bedroom house in South-East London up for sale and the date we moved into our new home in the Midlands. Confusion, stress and surprise were dominant themes. But the lessons from my experiences could help make yours go more smoothly. So welcome to my scandalous house move, says Laura Shannon (pictured).

London landlords gained the most last year - but if you want to start or expand a buy-to-let empire now it's time to look North

London landlords gained the most last year but the North place to start empire

Data from Kent Reliance's latest Buy to Let Britain Report shows the capital had the highest annual total returns at 15.1 per cent, but the yield over the past year was 4.3 per cent, while you would have got 7.1 per cent in the North West.

Not exactly a drop in the ocean! Salcombe in Devon is Britain's priciest seaside town with the average home costing £670,000

Salcombe in Devon is Britain's priciest seaside town

Salcombe in Devon is the most expensive seaside town in Britain in which to buy a home. The exclusive area is home to celebrities and more than 40% of properties there are second homes.

A lovely place to put your feet up with a brew: Farmhouse which features in Yorkshire Tea advert up for sale for £500k

Farmhouse in Yorkshire Tea advert up for sale for £500,000

The current owners moved to the house more than ten years ago and have completely renovated the house with bespoke fixtures and fittings. They wanted to spend the rest of their lives there, but are moving because an elderly relative is now living with them and they would like more space. Pictured: The exterior (top left), patio area (top right), kitchen (bottom right), sitting room (bottom left), and Yorkshire Tea advert (centre).

Extra room, home office or even a holiday let? What could you do with your garage (if you clear out the junk)

Garages that give you extra vroom in the property department 

Do you still park your car in your garage? If so then you are in a minority. According to RAC Insurance, 62 per cent of motorists don't feel the need to tuck their cars away every night, preferring to use a garage to store junk, tools and garden equipment. Plenty are now converted into extra rooms. Little wonder - it can make sound financial sense.

Time Team Towers: Unique home that starred on TV has remarkable 1,800-year history

Time Team Towers: Unique home that starred on TV has remarkable 1,800-year history

Whitestaunton Manor, near Chard, Somerset, a seven-bedroom Grade I listed 15th Century manor house, is on the market for £6.25million. In 2003, Channel 4's Time Team uncovered Roman ruins in the grounds. It also includes a three-bedroom lodge and outbuildings constructed of stone from Whitestaunton Manor's own quarry, comprising six stables, two garages and a gardener's WC, as well as a workshop.

Want a sea view? You'll pay a premium as the average home within 100m of coastline sells for £25k more - and we reveal the hotspots

Homes with a sea view come with a 12.4% premium Savills data shows

Properties which sit close to the sea fetch £25,000 on average more than those further afield, research by Savills has revealed. Homes within 100m of British coastlines typically fetch £230,382 - 12.4 per cent more than those located 100m and 1km away, the analysis of 2014 Land Registry figures by the upmarket estate agents shows.

Double the commute, halve the deposit: Homes £185k cheaper just one hour away from London 

London commuter belt homes are £185k cheaper and only one hour away

People looking for a home could save as much as £185,000 by buying a property an hour away from London. While the average price of a two-bedroom property in London's zone two is around £440,000 in commutable areas such as St Albans or Tunbridge Wells, a similar home can be snapped up for around £254,000, saving buyers £185,456, HSBC suggests.

House hunters starved of choice will soon get more to pick from, as post-Election surge in properties for sale is forecast

Post-Election surge of property for sale tipped by Rightmove after prices dip

House hunters starved of choice should soon be set for plenty more homes to pick from, with a post-Election surge of people putting their home on the market forecast. In the three months after the last election, properties coming to market increased by 17 per cent, Rightmove said. It has tipped a fresh burst of activity this year too.

The great divide: Buy a £165k house on the left side of this road and you own it outright but buy on the right and you don't

How property developers are selling properties as leasehold instead of freehold

These new estates are almost identical in every way - but there is one key difference. If you buy a home at The Sycamores (top) you'll own it outright and take on the freehold. But if you buy at The Edge (bottom), all the houses are leasehold. This means that instead of owning your home outright, you'll essentially be renting the land the property stands on - and have to pay a £150 annual fee.

Avocado bathroom suites, woodchip on the walls, strip lighting... Beware the 10 worst property 'improvements' that turn off buyers

Beware the worst top 10 property 'improvements' that turn off buyers

With homeowners living in their property for an average of 14 years, over 50 per cent of respondents said they would choose 'home improvement over making a move'. But over the last 50 years households plumping for the latest artex ceiling fad or pebbledash cladding have run the risk of diminishing the value of their home.

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