Discover the charm of village life in Cyprus
During my long years living here in Limassol, I’ve had a special affection for villages in Cyprus and the pride locals bring to make village life in Cyprus the best it can be. This stems from Cypriots’ unique welcoming hospitality and culture, which remains the bedrock of village life in Cyprus today.Read more...
Wilder weekends: exploring the US’s wildlife
Let’s face it – the UK is hardly Top of the Pops when it comes to potential for wildlife encounters. The closest we tend to get to the animal kingdom, is either a cuddle with a humble house cat, or maybe a fox making a racket behind the bins while we’re trying to sleep. When you move to the USA, it will be a different story entirely. Forget the humble badger, in some parts of the USA, you’ll have coyotes, mountain lions and bears living in your neck of the woods!Read more...
Eight reasons to buy on the Costa de Almería
The Costa de Almería’s 135 miles of Mediterranean coast and warm climate – 20ºC isn’t unusual in winter – make it a great place to move to. The sunny weather lends itself to an active lifestyle: golf, tennis, sailing and windsurfing are all popular. Plus, for the price of a flat in parts of the UK, you could be in a villa with a pool!Read more...
News update: Spanish diet world’s healthiest, number of UK buyers up in Murcia
As the UK property market slows down, savvy investors could do worse than looking over to sunny Spain: house sales reached the highest volume since 2008 last year, and even the number of British buyers is up. And if you’re moving here permanently, don’t stint on the good food: Bloomberg’s named our diet the healthiest in the world!Read more...
Why I love living in France in winter
While many of us are waiting for the springtime to head off for a viewing trip to France, some of those who have already made the break are going to miss the “off season”. British resident in France Penny Osborne is one. Penny explains why she loves living in France in winter, among her welcoming, warm-hearted French community.Read more...
How is Brexit affecting expats in France?
Theresa May has put off the vote on Brexit until March 12th, and so the uncertainty continues. Will there be a transition period, or will people moving here afterwards need to follow the visa route? And what about us already here – what is Brexit’s effect on expats in France? How can you prepare and get more certainty around your status?Read more...
Why not spend every winter in Spain?
I want to live in Spain – just not all year! There’s nothing wrong with wanting the best of both worlds, and if that means enjoying a British summer and a Spanish winter, why not? Moreover, limiting your time in Spain to winter means you can rent it out all summer for a healthy profit. Sounds tempting doesn’t it?Read more...
Finding good tradespeople in Cyprus
Buying your dream home in sunny Cyprus is just the start of the adventure. Now you have to ensure it’s perfect for you, and that’s quite likely to include a lick of paint, maybe a wholesale renovation. So where do you start on finding good tradespeople in Cyprus? Who do you ask? What will you pay? Our writer in Cyprus investigates.Read more...
Could you spend every winter in Portugal?
How would you enjoy spending every winter in Portugal, while renting out your holiday home in the summer months for a hefty profit? If that sounds like the best of both worlds – with no Brexit worries either as you’ll be under the visa time limit – here is how to do it. And a few tips on where to start looking in the Algarve.Read more...
Should you invest in Lisbon or Porto?
Portugal’s two biggest cities are among the most exciting expat hubs in Europe. As Lisbon and Porto attract Europe’s high-tech elite to start-ups in innovative work-live apartments, we spoke to Filippo Simonato of JLL. He points out the opportunities for both property investors and digital nomads, and the differences between them.Read more...
News update: James Bond filming in Italy; overseas buyers not worried by Brexit as numbers increase
‘Sono Bond; James Bond’: Daniel Craig has hopefully been brushing up on his Italian, as filming for the 25th Bond film returns to Italy, this time in Basilicata. He’s not the only one heading to Italy, as the number of British buyers here grows by almost 20% year-on-year. Oh, and did we mention that they’re looking to launch spaceships from Puglia?Read more...