Location

It's a big world and it's easy to get distracted. So choose your country as a starting point.

From there it is important to do as much research as possible. By applying the same due diligence as if you were purchasing in the UK, you will not go far wrong.

For instance, do you prefer the town or country? How much space do you want? Where's the nearest public transport, how often does it run, what time does it end? How close are you to the airport? What social activities are available in the area? These are examples of the questions you may want to think about before you start.

Going to a property exhibition can be enormously helpful if you can sit and talk to an expert. Get together some questions so that they can help you immediately. This is also a good way of getting a feel of exactly how much they know about a given country.