Property
Words: Emma Mahony So you’re thinking of owning property in the following bmi destinations? We present a few facts and figures to assess the investment potential Barbados, Caribbean Islands Population: 279,000 With a 15-bedroom, 30- acre estate currently on the market for £17.5 million, Barbados is a small island for large wallets. With only 166 [...]
Words: Emma Mahony
So you’re thinking of owning property in the following bmi destinations?
We present a few facts and figures to assess the investment potential
Barbados, Caribbean Islands
Population: 279,000
With a 15-bedroom, 30-
acre estate currently on the
market for £17.5 million,
Barbados is a small island
for large wallets. With only
166 square miles (265
square kilometres) to play
with, Barbados has all the
prestige and desirability
that the blue seas and coral
white sand of a tropical
island can offer. It also has
one of the highest standards
of living for a small island,
currently ranking 31st in the world. And yet, there is plenty of property
to purchase – at a price. Some agents believe that around 90% of the
new property next year will be bought by UK residents.
Expect to pay around £230,000 for a studio and from £400,000
for a three-bedroom apartment or house.
More information from: Savills International, +44 (0)20 7016 3740;
www.savills.co.uk
Edinburgh, Scotland
Population: 448,000
Scotland’s capital is often
described as one of Europe’s
most dramatic cities, thanks
to its extraordinary mixture
of medieval, Georgian,
Victorian and modern
architecture. Particularly
popular are the Old Town’s
sandstone and granite
buildings, which were built
up to 14 storeys high due to
space restrictions. In 1995
the city became a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, and
today there are more than 4,500 listed buildings.
Studios here start at £75,000 and a three-bedroom house or
apartment at £435,000. Potential buyers have to instruct a Scottish
solicitor to pick their way through the difficult legal process, which
makes an offer firm and binding from the early outset.
More information from: Stewart Saunders, +44 (0)131 226 6464;
www.stewartsaunders.co.uk
Amsterdam, Holland
Population: 743,000
Founded as a small fishing village, Amsterdam
today is the largest city in The Netherlands
and home to 177 different nationalities
– hence its claim to being one of the most
multicultural cities in the world. It is here that
you will find all the large banks and financial
houses – as well as an estate agency structure
where all brokers share information.
The most popular districts to buy are the
Old Centre and around the large canals, with
the Jordaan, Amsterdam Old South and most
recently the bohemian Pijp district topping
the up-and-coming areas.
Mortgages are difficult to come by and the
financial services industry is not regulated
like in the UK. Expect to pay from €250,000
(around £180,000) for a studio and €500,000
(around £360,000) for a three-bedroom
house or apartment.
More information from: Parker & Williams, +31
20 675 0202; www.homeinamsterdam.com
