Article written by The Overseas Guides Company
Exciting homes in Portugal, Italy, Spain and Florida will be showcased at the Ideal Property Show in Kent this month, giving the British public access to discounted overseas property and the chance to discuss their buying requirements with experts. The event, organised by property specialist Ideal Homes International, will take place at the Kent Showground near Maidstone on 17th October 2013.
Visitors to the free-to-enter Ideal Property Show will be able to browse villas, apartments and townhouses for sale at heavily reduced prices – in some cases up to 60 per cent, as well as receive one-to-one specialist advice on overseas mortgages, taxation, the legalities of buying abroad and currency transfers. There will also be the opportunity to sign up for a trip to Portugal to view carefully selected properties, with all inclusive prices starting at just £99.
MD of Ideal Homes International Chris White commented: “We believe in meeting clients in person and building a relationship with them, which is why we invest in these shows. The conditions for buying an overseas property remain highly favourable to British people, with prices in many destinations still depressed and exchange rates moving back in Sterling’s favour, making your money stretch further. Against the dollar, Sterling has been at a 10-month high recently at £1/$1.62, while the euro is hovering around £1/€1.19 and creeping back to the highs seen at the very start of the year.”
Highlighting the value of viewing trips are British couple Tricia and Vincent Hemens, who visited the Algarve with Ideal Homes International last year. The Hemenses, from Bickley in Kent, were hosted for three days, during which time they visited and decided to buy a four-bedroom villa in Algoz and a one-bedroom apartment in Albufeira – pictured below.
“Ideal Homes International were very helpful,” said Tricia. “They arranged a four-star hotel for us and showed us a good variety of properties, so we could get an idea about what we really wanted, as well as the local area. And once we had found our properties through them, they not only guided us through the buying process, but also introduced us to recommended service providers, such as a local handyman, satellite company and furniture supplier.”
The Hemenses are taking advantage of the Algarve’s appeal as a tourist destination and renting out both of their properties to holidaymakers. However, they make sure that they and their friends and family – they have four children – get plenty of use too. Tricia and Vincent are due out to the Algarve at the end of October, which will be their sixth visit this year! Reaching either of their properties is easy, thanks to the convenient 30-minute transfer time to Faro Airport, which has EasyJet and Ryanair flights from either London Stansted or London Gatwick.
Concluded Chis White at Ideal Homes International: “We’d welcome anyone interested in property in Portugal, Italy, Spain or Florida to our exhibition at the Kent Showground. Hopefully we’ll be able to help you find your ideal property, like we did for the Hemens.”
A simple way to save money when buying property in Portugal and other foreign destinations is to use a currency exchange specialist when transferring your pounds into euros or other currency. For more information on this, download Smart Currency Exchange’s free report or visit the Currency Zone.
For more information on buying property successfully in Portugal download the Overseas Guides Company’s free Portugal Buying Guide – and start receiving free news updates by email. Or to see property for sale all over Portugal, visit Rightmove’s Portugal listings.
