Inflation begins to bite

Representatives of UK nationals who are uncertain as to what to do with their expat regular savings assets have called on MPs to take urgent action so that they do not have to go through a period of extended limbo while waiting for Brexit negotiations to be finalised.

The list of concerns is becoming increasingly longer, particularly now that Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated that she may pursue a hard Brexit, with pension uprating, healthcare and expat regular savings at the forefront of the issues currently challenging British expats living in the European Union.

If you are serious about receiving the best financial advice in Spain, chances are any adviser you choose will recommend that, in the absence of a committed property investment strategy, you do not invest too heavily in Spanish real estate.

However, for the enthusiastic expat who has recently fallen in love with the country and the idea of owning a small piece, or perhaps a larger chunk, of its picturesque and romantic charms, it can be hard to resist.

But the truth is that there is often a reason why a property might be going at a bargain basement rate. For example, investment in whole abandoned villages in isolated locations such as Aragón and Galicia has recently become something of a phenomenon, when the reality is that the outlay, which can be under €100,000, will buy you little more than a dilapidated shell without water, gas, electricity, telephone or internet services. So, making your bargain purchase habitable in these circumstances is likely to cost at least ten times as much the initial purchase price.