Slovenia among best places to buy overseas property

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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