The lure of the sunshine has proved too much for many Britons, with more than half a million of them investing in second homes abroad, according to a new survey from Mintel, the market analysts. According to the research, 41%of overseas property investments are made in Spain. France is the next most popular destination, where 32% of properties are bought, followed by other European countries, America, and the rest of the world. 84,000 Spanish homes, most with swimming pools and easy access to golf courses, were acquired by the British buyers between 2001 and 2003, claims Mintel. 65% of the buyers said they were attracted by the climate, while 45% said they wanted to spend more time outdoors, and 40% sought a cheaper cost of living. Jack Hamilton, Managing Director of Parador, the firm that commissioned the research, told The Times: ?Owning a property abroad is no longer for the well off. It is an achievable goal for many people. Between 1998 and 2003 personal disposable income has risen by just over 23%. ?With house prices in Britain going through the roof, we all have more money in our pockets to spend on luxuries and investment purposes.?
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17 outstanding homes for sale across Britain, from under £250k to £6.5 million, as seen in Country LifeSomething for every budget in this week's round up of homes across the country that have come to market via Country Life.
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'We started thinking: if we were going to design a bike for Aston Martin, what would it look like? And then we simply couldn’t stop': Aston's new bike has everything you could ever dream of — except a price tagThe new Aston Martin .1R bicycle, a collaboration with manufacturer J.Laverack, leaves Paul Henderson stirred rather than shaken.
