Now is 'best time' to buy foreign property

The presenter of Channel 4's A Place in the Sun has stressed the bargains available in the foreign housing market for those willing to invest.

Amanda Lamb, who presents the property show, said that for those prepared to ride out the storm of economic fears, there was plenty of good investment opportunities on continental countries that were a short ferry trip away, such as Spain and France, as well as other countries further afield.

She added: "Unfortunately the whole world seems to be gripped in this recession so bizarrely enough now is probably a better time to buy than ever before because there is just so much to choose from."

Ms Lamb, who was speaking at her programme's live show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, also stated that Spain offered half a million homes in the south that hadn't been built yet.

According to Cater Allen, 2.3 million people own property abroad, with as many as 500,000 bought as investment opportunities.