Where to find ruins to renovate abroad

Where in world can you buy profitable property?

The British passion for taking a ruin or a shell of a building and transforming it into a glorious home in the sun probably began in Tuscany back in the 1980s and 90s when large numbers of Britons discovered that there were farmhouses waiting to be renovated and barns waiting to be converted in this stunning region of Italy.

The numbers of Brits from the Home Counties who flocked to the Italian countryside led to parts of the nation being dubbed 'Chiantishire,' and the fashion for renovation property in Italy then spread to Umbria and it also became a passion for people from all four corners of the British Isles. The trend certainly developed in France as well; television programmes have even been made about those who were not content with mere farmhouse refurbishments but who took on the restoration of ch�teaux in France instead!

But has all the property that's ripe for renovation in France and Italy been bought up and transformed into glorious homes already? And are there other locations around the world where we might still find attractive properties that estate agents may suggest are 'in need of some modernisation?'

By Rhiannon Davies for Real Estate TV

France and Italy

Whilst renovation ruins in Provence in France and in Tuscany in Italy have been all but bought up and transformed into stunning homes in the sun for their fortunate owners, the fact of the matter is, both nations still offer up some undiscovered pockets of beautiful properties in need of restoration and repair.

If you're prepared to drive further afield than a one hour commute from the nearest international airport in either nation you will find parts of each country that are largely undiscovered by the British buyer. The one-hour transfer window is what restricts property markets in many European nations including Spain, therefore if you're prepared to just go that little bit further than your peers and delve deeper into Creuse or Haute-Vienne in France for example or Puglia or perhaps Calabria in Italy, then you will still be able to find yourself a perfect property for transformation at a price you can more easily afford.

Eastern Europe

Whilst a great deal of media attention has been lavished on the off-plan properties being developed in specific resorts in emerging Eastern European nations from the Czech Republic to Romania, little if any focus has been placed on the stunning properties that these nations already have tucked away in the countryside or overlooking beautiful lakes, rivers, mountain vistas or even the sea. If you look more closely at Eastern Europe you will also quickly realise that each nation has a unique feel, flavour and property type of its own.

If you take Croatia as an example of a successful emerging market in Eastern Europe where someone renovating a property is also buying into a market with strong levels of predicted real estate related capital appreciation over the longer term, you can find stone barns, rundown rural properties and even houses overlooking cliffs and beautiful beaches. Steering clear of Istria, Split and Dalmatia County as well as Dubrovnik and Neretva County will ensure you avoid the higher property prices, and moving away from resorts and towns where high levels of construction are taking place will ensure you find the types of property that you are looking for.

Albania, Slovenia and Montenegro are alternative Eastern European countries to tackle for an affordable ruin to renovate if you also want to be buying into nations where you'll have the best opportunity for achieving strong levels of capital appreciation over the longer term as well. Emerging Markets

Emerging property markets such as those in Turkey and Brazil as well as Morocco and Egypt all offer up a wealth of fabulous character properties ripe for restoration. And each nation has a fabulous climate, a booming tourism market and increasing levels of property related interest making them fantastic bets for the property investor as well.

If you fancy modernizing a Riad in Marrakech in Morocco you may be out of luck because this is a trend that many have discovered before you - but what about restoring wooden houses in Topkai in Istanbul or beach huts in Bahia in Brazil?

Renovation property advice

For the would-be property renovator think about why you're embarking on your project and search out suitable property accordingly. I.e., if you're buying to restore and resell to the lifestyle home seeker, think about the locations in which they will want to buy and the type of finished product they will want to live in. Or if you're buying a ruin to transform into your ideal retirement property, then you will be guided by your own personal preferences.

Property buying processes and related rules and laws differ from nation to nation, what's more, when it comes to older properties it is essential you ensure your chosen real estate has clean title before you buy it. Engage the services of an independent lawyer to guide you through the buying process successfully.

Find out about planning rules and regulations ideally before you buy, but certainly before you begin demolishing walls and fundamentally changing structures. Get surveys done and quotations up front from builders before you agree a purchase price. Remember that the availability and quality of skills and labour differs from nation to nation so ensure your dreams for your renovation property are realistic before you embark on the project.

Think about learning the language before you take on such an ambitious project - communicating with builders in Britain in your mother tongue can at times be frustrating, imagine how much more stressful it will be when you're talking to a plasterer in Poland or a bricklayer in Brazil and you can't intelligently articulate what it is you want them to do!

Finally, don't be put off by the hurdles that you may find in your path - if you have a dream to renovate a property abroad and you have done all your homework carefully, there is no reason why you can't succeed.

For more information on purchasing property abroad then tune in to "Focus" every night in June at 7.30pm or "Next Big Thing" at 8pm on RETV, Sky Channels 273 & 274, Virgin TV or on demand at www.realestatetv.tv.