Property Guides

High Court ruling says no to expat vote on UK EU Referendum

The High Court ruling today confirmed that any British expats who have been living away from the UK for over 15 years are unable to vote on whether the UK should stay or leave the EU. The case was spearheaded by a 94 year old veteran of World War II, Harry Shindler, who is resident in Italy, and a lawyer, Jacquelyn MacLennan. Their case was based on the argument that by denying them the right to vote on whether the UK should stay in or leave the EU, their right to freedom of movement under EU law was restricted, stating that their lives will be directly affected by the outcome of the referendu

EU tells Spain to ban mortgages with “abusive” contracts

The EU is threatening Spain with action unless it improves protection for the public when taking out a mortgage with a Spanish bank. In a formal notice sent out last week, the European Commission said it “is requesting Spain to bring its national laws on civil procedure regulating mortgage enforcement and payment orders in line with EU consumer law… to ensure that consumers are fully protected against unfair contract terms.” The Commission says that Spain has two months to reply to the notice.

April property market update

Latest reports suggest that the current demand for housing in Spain will continue rising by around 10% throughout 2016, stimulating further growth in house prices throughout the year.

April property market update

For the past few years, the French property market has been fairly stagnant, with little to no movement in the average house price. This has not been particularly great for the sellers across the country, but for buyers from overseas, holidaymakers and expats alike, it presented a great opportunity – forming what can only be described as a buyers’ market.

Tips on how best to renovate your new French home

There are still some wonderful bargains around in France if you are looking for a house with outside space, which may need complete or partial renovation. For many years, the French have realised that it is the Brits who love renovation, and historically, they have not been too interested in improving their properties. This means that you are unlikely to have any trouble finding a character property with original features (perhaps a barn, as well as outside space), which needs updating or modernisation in some way. But are you up for it? You need to consider how you will go about renovating th

How does driving in France differ from the UK?

Body content: Driving in France presents different challenges from those in the UK. There is plenty of good news here, though, since there is far less traffic on the roads, the motorways are well maintained and there is quite simply so much more space for everyone not to become the victim of any type of road rage! Driving in France is therefore more often than not is a pleasure rather than a stressful experience.