High-end destinations (that are never out of fashion)

Where would your dream home be? A Manhattan penthouse, or a historic château in the Loire Valley? Join us as we take a tour of some of the world’s most exclusive property hotspots, from the sun-kissed Mediterranean coast to the hustle and bustle of San Francisco.

Spain

It’s the most popular choice for British buyers and has something for every interest and every requirement. Let’s start with the practicalities. Buy a holiday home in Spain and you’re never more than a couple of hours’ flight from the London office. That’s all year and everywhere in the country. To anywhere in the UK. For euro-commuters, Spain cannot be beaten. And, with over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year in places, it certainly beats a winter back in Britain.

If anywhere is going to swiftly iron out any issues over Brexit it will be Spain – which has 150,000 people in the UK and as many as four times that number of British people contributing to its own economy. But if the worst come to the worst, Spain has an efficient, property-for-residence scheme, the so-called “golden visa”, for high-end purchasers.

Property-wise, you have everything from the gleaming villa on a Mediterranean headland, to Moorish townhouses dating back to the early medieval period in ancient cities like Granada. There are apartments in chic cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia or Seville. You can also have that amazing combination of ski and beach areas, where each is a short drive away; for example in Catalonia or around San Sebastian.

You’ll find areas to suit all tastes and needs. Exclusive resort areas like La Manga, a thin strip of land sitting between the calm waters of the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean, are perfect for properties where everything (including rental income) are laid on for you. Homes within the local community, such as in the buzzy atmosphere of Marbella, offer the chance to experience an authentic Spanish way of life.

Off-plan is a popular choice for modern homes that you can completely alter to your specifications, down to the tiniest detail. No wonder Scandinavian buyers, with a preference for a sleek, minimalist aesthetic, snap them up, especially in the classy northern Costa Blanca.

Don’t forget the inland areas too – your own vineyard in the Rioja, perhaps?

France

If we thought the reign of President Macron was going to usher in a more pro-business era to France, the jury is still out on that one! However, the things that make France so utterly wonderful for home buyers are eternal. That includes the finest lifestyle money can buy and the most beautiful homes in a choice of countryside, riviera, Alps or city.

George Osborne recently spend a reported €3million on a ski chalets on the Swiss side of the border, and resorts in the French Alps, like Chamonix, are perennially popular – for high altitudes offering the best snow. Paris may be suffering trouble on the streets right now, but so was London, remember, in 2011, just a year before the Olympics which gave it, and property values, such a boost. Definitely one to watch with the 2024 Paris Olympics coming into the horizon.

But it’s the classic French château that most of us dream of. In the central area of the country – such as the rural Indre – you’ll find any number of fairytale castles on the market ripe for renovation. The market is livelier in areas with easier access to Paris, the Alps or the French Riviera, where you can find beautiful, architect-designed homes alongside elegant maisons de maître.

For seaside home, the hottest spots are closer to Provence, or the top choices for Parisian second homers on the north or western coasts (Trouville, Entretat, La Baule etc). The season now extends beyond high summer, too, so you can bank on a bit of rental income too, perhaps.

USA

The USA is a land of contrasts, and you’ll find anything from chic condos in bustling downtown areas to sprawling ranches miles from the hustle and bustle of the city. Whether you’re looking to be in the thick of it, or for complete peace and quiet, you’ll find it in the US. Do you see yourself in that picture-perfect cottage with the white picket fence, in a cosy village within striking distance of New York City or Boston, or in a modern five-bedroom villa with a pool near the gates of Disneyworld?

International buyers have always looked to America, whether it’s a townhouse in the Bay area, in the world’s greatest tech hub, or a spacious ski home in Colorado – one advantage America will always have over Europe is the sheer size of properties.

You’re not just buying a home in the USA, you’re buying the rule of law; access to the world’s great centres of science, engineering and finance; perhaps an education at the world’s great universities, at the centre of the global entertainment industry….

But do visa requirements make it harder to move to than Europe? Not at all! You’ll find no shortage of immigration lawyers who will get you safely and legally into the USA, with many routes in for big investors and the truly talented. This is a nation that welcomes success.

So what will you buy? Another benefit of buying in the US is the advanced buying systems that make the purchase so much easier, such as buyers’ agents, super-efficient property portals. Buying here is a pleasure – and is often also a strong investment.

To find out more about buying your perfect home overseas, enquire about your VIP tickets to The Luxury Property Show today. It’s the only show in Europe dedicated to luxury property, so don’t miss out on your chance to meet experts from around the globe gathered under one roof.