Slovenia among best places to buy overseas property

Wednesday, 04, Jan 2006 11:05

Slovenia and Finland are the two surprise packages in Channel 4's list of the 20 best places to make money investing in overseas property.

A Place in the Sun: 20 Best Place to Make Money, which airs on Thursday, will feature old favourites like Spain, but is also set to unearth a few hidden gems for buying overseas property.

Specially commissioned statistics from a leading accountancy firm have been used to predict how quickly countries' economies are set to grow.

Then taking into account where house prices are over or under-valued at the moment, and factoring in how much money can be made from renting out a property, the programme provides a definitive guide on where to invest in overseas property.

And the top 20 has thrown up a few surprises. Presenter Amanda Lamb said of Slovenia's inclusion in the top 20 places to buy overseas property: "It might be half the size of Switzerland but it is truly diverse with ski and lake resorts as well as a buzzing capital city.

"And while property prices have certainly risen since Slovenia joined the EU in 2004, they're just a fraction of what you would pay in neighbouring countries."

Of Finland, Ms Lamb said it could be a real investment hotspot so long as you can bear the cold.

"If you spent £100k today, the total value of your investment could be £373k in ten years time. As long as you don't mind getting a little chilly, a return like that is enough to warm the cockles of any investor's heart."

As the presenter of A Place in the Sun, Ms Lamb is constantly being asked where is best to invest in overseas property. "The answer," she said, "depends on whether you're looking for a holiday home, a pure property investment or a combination of the two.

"But one thing's for sure - making money from property has never been so important to so many of us.

"This year's 20 best is really interesting - because it focuses purely on where you could make the most money from buying property abroad."

A Place in the Sun: 20 Best Place to Make Money can be seen on Channel 4, Thursday at 20:00.

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