British holidaymakers have spent almost 22 million hours gazing into foreign estate agent windows in search of the perfect property in the past two summers, according to new research...

The ‘Holiday Habits’ study was commissioned by property investment specialists, The Inside Track Group.  Results show that 45% of UK adults venturing out of the country for holidays each spend an average of one hour and 25 minutes looking at local listings for houses and apartments for sale.

The Inside Track Group reports that around 2.2 million UK nationals already own somewhere abroad, and many more who journeyed overseas this summer are seemingly set to join them. Many Britons look to buy a second home in their favourite country to holiday in.  According to the most recent Office for National Statistics figures, the top five most popular holiday destinations are:

1. Spain (30%)
2. France (18%)
3. Greece (7%)
4. USA (5%)
5. Italy (5%)

Such interest in foreign property investment has prompted The Inside Track Group to publish its ‘Top Ten Tips’ for buying abroad, to help British investors avoid potential pitfalls.

“It is clear from the results of our study that actually being in a foreign country makes the idea of buying property there much more appealing,” says Inside Track Group chief operating officer Anthony McKay. “Two in five (40%) of the people we spoke to said being away had made them think more seriously about investing in a property abroad, and that’s encouraging as it can provide a very good return on investment.

“What people must remember, though, is that the process can be very complicated, and a good deal of preparation must be done before parting with any money. It’s not simply a case of finding somewhere in the estate agent window and buying it. Our guide to investing in property abroad will show buyers exactly the right process for finding that place in the sun and make sure they cover all bases to secure a sound investment.

The Inside Track Group’s ‘Top Ten Tips’ for buying abroad are available to download at www.iaprops.com.