2012

The rise of the ping-pong Pom

In a recent poll on our website, we asked where you'd buy a home abroad if money were no object. Australia came out top – despite the high numbers of us returning home. So what is the reality behind the “ping-pong Poms”, asks Australian expat Joanne Christie

IKEA steps into the housing market

For the next stage in their plan for world domination, Swedish furniture giant IKEA, has collaborated with Oregon architectural firm Ideabox to launch its first line of prefabricated houses in the USA.

Foreclosed homes account for 26% of Florida property sales

Sales of homes that are or have been in some stage of foreclosure accounted for over 26 per cent of all 2011 home sales in South Florida, with over 43,000 properties having been sold by banks according to a report released by California based real estate monitoring firm RealtyTrac.

Home from Home: Florence

Kate Middleton chose it for her gap year and David Cameron named his daughter after it. It's been a favourite amongst Britain's upper crust for centuries, but there's nothing stuffy about Florence, as we find out...

Use them or lose them: Tax breaks

The end of the tax year approaches and now is the time to make full use of your tax breaks and allowances. Those not used by 5th April are lost forever. Danny Cox, Head of Advice at Hargreaves Lansdown, offers some pointers.

The inside track: Gran Canaria

With a great climate, superb medical care and English-style education, there's much more to the island than the resort of Playa del Ingles, says the author of a new book, Matthew Hirtes...