Bach, Building and the Berlin Wall – about Germany and Living There

House prices here in Germany have been stable for a long time and are beginning to rise, unlike the situation in the UK. I only discovered this some time after I had bought, demolished and rebuilt a small house in a place no-one in Britain has ever heard of. That was in 2004. I can now say definitely that it was the best and most exciting thing I have ever done, and I haven't exactly led a sheltered life.

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Expat Experiences: Portugal - Eric and Diane

We are Diane and Eric. We are both trying marriage for a second time... so far! We are both former Devonians although my wife was brought up in Cornwall. We met through our work at a local newspaper and after knowing each other for eight years and having both been divorced for ten years we decided that we could make it work. That was back in 1991. So far, so good. I have to say that it was Diane who had been hankering to get out of the U.K. She had been trying, unsuccessfully, to do so since 1960...

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Expat Experiences: Portugal - Robin and Shirley Hepworth

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

In 2007 we sold up and moved to the Western Algarve, Portugal. Why? Many reasons - better quality of life, less stressful living, nice people, good food, wine & Medronho! We first visited Portugal in 2001 to take part in a sponsored ride from Alcoutim on the Spanish Border to Cape St Vincent in aid of RDA & PSP. I was riding and Shirley part of the support crew and as a result we saw parts of the Algarve most Algarveans never see. We came home feeling that the Lagos area would be a great place to live...

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How does a QROPS UK pension transfer overseas work? (Part two)

This is the second installment of a two-part column on the process involved in transferring UK pensions to Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS). In part one we looked at the people, agencies, and costs involved in the transfer process and here we will summarize the paperwork that typically needs to be completed...

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Interview with Victoria Twead

An interview with Victoria Twead is now online here.

Victoria is one of the forums leaders of our Spain forum and author of the popular book "Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools".

Enjoy!

Share your experience of life abroad at Expat Focus!

This year we'd like to encourage as many expats as possible to share their experiences of moving and living abroad. We've created a new section called "Expat Experiences" and put together a short list of suggested topics here to give a flavour of what we're looking for. If you're interested in helping others learn from your own expat adventure, or just want to see your story published for others to enjoy, please contact Carole, our community manager, on carole@expatfocus.com

Currency warning for festive season house buyers

By Elisabeth Dobson, head of private clients, World First

Property buyers looking to buy over the festive season may be in for a shock – exchange rates can be extremely volatile during December, January and February. Many people do not plan for or even realise the impact of currency fluctuations on foreign house purchases.

The knock on effect of the Christmas and New Year period historically sees rates vary by as much as 5% between the end of November and mid-February. This means a €300,000 purchase could cost up to £20,000 more if the exchange rate moves against you and varies dramatically from the rate first used to calculate the cost of buying abroad. An extreme example is that a property valued at €300,000 would have cost £244,160 in November 2008 but the same property would have cost £287,081 at the start of January 2009. This is an increase of a massive £42,921 and all just down to exchange rate moves!

Of course there’s also the possibility that rates could move favourably for UK purchasers. However the exchange rate risk at this time of year is huge. Undoubtedly a number of Brits will be due to complete on their property purchases over the Christmas period and it is important they know the implications currency fluctuations can have. One move in the wrong direction and a dream property can climb out of reach if the price moves outside your budget...

Read more at http://www.expatfocus.com/currency-warning-for-festive-season-house-buyers