Retiring Britons looking abroad for second homes

Where to go

Growing numbers of Britons are swapping cold and rain for warmer climes abroad when it comes to purchasing a second home. Retiring Britons are purchasing properties abroad and currently one million British pensioners draw their state pension from outside of the UK, according to the Department of Work and Pensions.

Among the popular destinations are Australia, where just under half a million Britons have moved to and Canada with 151,000. Closer to home, Spain has attracted 71,000, Italy 32,000 and France 31,000.
According to the estate agent, Knight Frank, owning a property abroad is not as daunting a prospect as one might think; "There has been a shift from a second home for retirement being regarded as a luxury to it being something attainable by most people with the drive to achieve it".