Sleepy, whitewashed villages set against a Mediterranean backdrop, with a hint of Englishness thrown into the mix. If this sounds like your idyllic overseas home destination, a trip to the often overlooked Balearic island of Menorca, once occupied by the British, could be worthwhile.

Smaller, quieter and less touristy than neighbouring Mallorca, Menorca offers converted village and farmhouses in its pretty interior, while holiday villas and apartments are available within its pretty low-rise coastal resorts. The island’s property market has historically been a resale one and, thanks to strict planning laws, it has avoided the over-development seen in parts of mainland Spain. Now the market across Spain is depressed, asking prices for property there have fallen making a home in a desirable, established area of Spain affordable.

Richard Way, Editor of the Overseas Guides Company, said: “The tranquil villages around Mahon and Sant Lluis, such as Trebalugar, are popular with retired and semi-retired Brits, while families looking for a holiday home in a beach resort should consider Cala’n Porter or the Binibeca area in the southeast of the island, or the Los Delfines and Cala’n Blanes area on the west coast.”

One example of a property currently on the market through leading agent there Bonnin Sanso is this family home in a sought after area close to San Lluis and Es Castell. The property, on the market for €475,000, has four spacious double bedrooms, a lounge with an open log-burning fireplace, dining room and a sun lounge-cum-library, which opens out on to a private sunbathing terrace. The property has a swimming pool, garden and covered barbecue area where you can while away many a warm Menorcan evening, perhaps with a gin and tonic, made with the island’s famous locally produced gin.

When buying property in Spain, it’s important to get the best exchange rates when you are transfer your pounds to a Spanish euro account. For more information, visit the Currency Zone or download Smart Currency Exchange free guide by clicking here.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in Spain, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Spain Property Buying Guide’