Do your research before you buy property in spain, foreign office advises

World news story DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY PROPERTY IN SPAIN, FOREIGN OFFICE ADVISES Consular staff on hand to guide potential buyers at ‘A Place In The Sun’ show in London This was

published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government Access to healthcare, independent property advice and learning the language are all things to consider

carefully before deciding to move abroad, Foreign Office staff advised would-be buyers at the annual ‘A Place in the Sun’ show in London last week. Consular staff from Spain were on hand to

provide more than 1000 Britons with impartial advice on things to think about before moving abroad. British Consul Paul Rodwell said: > We were offering clear advice that helps people to

 think more > carefully about planning their move. We made them aware of potential > pitfalls when buying property overseas, as well as thinking about > other important issues such 

as access to healthcare and how > they’re going to integrate into local life by learning the Spanish > language. Potential buyers were encouraged to visit the wealth of information on

living abroad on the new website, as well as the property advice on Spain . New official figures show that last year some 4,148 Spanish homes were purchased by British nationals, an increase

of 3.5% compared with 2011 though still far from the peak of more than 17,000 British buyers in 2007. Mr Rodwell, Consul for the Alicante region, and Bernadette Gallagher, property expert

for southern Europe, attended the property show as part of a continuing drive by the Foreign Office to ensure that Britons who are thinking about moving abroad have all the information they

need before making a final decision. Six out of ten people who spoke to Foreign Office staff were thinking of Spain as their place in the sun, showing that the country continues to be the

most popular destination for Britons thinking about moving overseas. Media enquiries only to Press Office, British Embassy Madrid, 917 146 363 / 364 SHARE THIS PAGE The following links open

in a new tab * Share on Facebook (opens in new tab) * Share on Twitter (opens in new tab) UPDATES TO THIS PAGE Published 22 April 2013