I know that if you want a holiday home you’ll be more interested in what and where  you buy, but unfortunately if you don’t take into account the legal, tax and currency exchange details, it could become the worst purchase you’ve ever made.

Some people don’t realise that selling a flat can be very different to selling a house. The main reason for the difference is that you don’t own the whole property and the land it sits on. Most flat owners in the UK are likely to have a freeholder that they pay ground rent and a service charge to. As a result, you own the flat on a ‘leasehold’ basis only, meaning that when selling there is a lot more that your legal company and the buyer’s legal company have to do to properly transfer ownership.

With the recent credit crunch and issues with sterling falling against other currencies, many overseas owners are thinking of selling rather than buying a property abroad. However, there is little advice and help out there to know how to do this successfully.

Trying to understand what’s happening in the property market and whether it’s a good time to buy or sell is rather difficult just now! One story will tell of ‘green shoots’ the next will say prices are going to fall even further. This is confusing if you are thinking of buying or selling or currently in the market and struggling to get a result in the area YOU live. We track over 20 property statistics on a monthly basis and talk daily to property professionals so we can report on what’s happening in the market and how it might affect what you do.