Let us help you narrow your search criteria, explain why portals are a great starting point and how to find the perfect property for you and your family.
What to do before you dive into the internet. You may be surprised to know how many property searches start with two or even three countries on the target list. Eek - that sounds like hard work, trawling through all this online listings in all those countries!
Make things easier on yourself, this should be a fun and exciting process not a chore. Our advice here at The Viewing, having worked with many hundreds of property buyers, is to make decisions upfront before you start searching online. Here are some key questions to ask yourself to refine your search:-
- Which months of the year will you be wanting to use the property? For example, if June to September are the key months when you want to be enjoying outdoor living then France or Italy may disappoint as the Spring and autumn can be somewhat fresh, not T-shirt weather lets say. So if you want to be enjoying a few rays for over half the year focus on Southern Spain or Morocco. And for those of you that want winter or year round sun then the Canaries, Cape Verde, Thailand or the Caribbean should be your destinations to shortlist.
- What is the maximum distance you will travel from an airport on arrival and which locations have regular flights from your closest airport back home? These travel times can be crucial to the enjoyment of your holiday home.
- How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you require? Will you have family joining you? Frequent guests? Even if ensuite bathrooms aren't essential to you and your family, if you want to maximise on rental potential the more ensuite rooms the better.
- Is a pool essential or would you be prepared to add one? Or are you more keen on days at the beach?
- Is there an absolute 'must have' you won't do without? Panoramic views? Vineyards? Waterfront? A guest house? Rental potential?
OK great, now we have answers to these questions, you are ready to go ON LINE....but where to start, so many websites to choose from!
What is a Portal?
Rather than searching through numerous agency websites head straight to the portal websiteS which aggregate all the listings of all the agents in one place. A truly great way to be sure you are not missing any fabulous properties that could fit the bill for you. Choosing the right portal may also help narrow down your search. For example head to Mansion Global for luxury listings over $1m in value or head to the portal Mer et Demeures for wonderful coastal properties, all under 20km from the beach or if it is a ski chalet you are after the specialist ski property portal Nidski is a great way to search ski chalets and apartments as well as gather essential information about the resorts, ski areas, annual snow fall and airport transfers.
Search by Feature
We recognise how important it is to find a property to find a property with those features on your 'must-have' list. That's why here at The Viewing we give buyers the opportunity to select from over 50 key features to quickly find exactly the right property for you. Features include 'wine cellar', 'sea view', 'home cinema', 'infinity pool', 'rentals scheme', 'olive grove', 'shaded parking' and 'planning permission'. That's right we have thought of it all. The Viewing understands luxury overseas real estate down to the finest detail bringing buyers and sellers together for stress-free property purchases.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your search today:-
