Overseas mortgage specialist, Conti, has experienced a 62 per cent surge in mortgage enquiries during August, its busiest month so far this year.
France is still top choice for prospective buyers, accounting for 43 per cent of enquiries received so far this year, followed by Spain with 36 per cent. Spain, in fact, accounted for more enquiries than France during the months of May, June and July.
In addition, there’s been a resurgence in interest about Turkey which has moved back up into third position, accounting for 10 per cent of enquiries, up from six per cent last year.
Clare Nessling, director at Conti, says: “Traditionally, our enquiry levels tend rise around now, as people return home from trips abroad with dreams of owning their own place in the sun. But the uplift is even higher this year, perhaps the result of the UK’s hottest, driest and sunniest summer in the UK since 2006 inspiring even more people to invest in an overseas bolthole which they can escape to during the cold winter months.”
Clare Nessling continues: “Prospective buyers are still playing it safe when it comes to location, with France and Spain still out on their own in terms of popularity. And there may actually never be a better time to buy – bargain property prices, historically low mortgage rates, good rental yields and a stronger pound are all making it more affordable for British buyers right now.”
