Posted March 22nd, 2012 by Charles Purdy
How Smart helped us buy in Corfu
Peter and Deborah had always wanted to spend time in the sun, away from the grey English weather. Greece was their country of choice so when Deborah’s mother sadly passed away they decided to use their inheritance both to invest their money wisely and to make their dreams come true.
“We wanted to do something adventurous”, Peter explains. “I was soon to retire so it seemed the perfect time to turn our dreams into reality. Our intention,” Peter continues, “is that once my wife retires we will spend six months in Greece and six in the UK – roll on the day!”
To this end Peter and Deborah became the proud owners of a 150-year-old traditional house in Corfu some 30 kilometres out of the capital. Situated near some immensely upmarket homes, they were able to get the property for the price they wanted as the home has only a limited sea view and is about fifty metres from the road. “This all conspired to drop the price and put it in our price range,” comments Peter. “But, having said that, we would never have been able to negotiate the whole purchase process without the regular emails plus the website help and support from a company that I found on the Internet.
“Searching the Internet for ‘advice on buying homes in Corfu’ the Overseas Guide Company came up,” Peter explains. “On browsing their website we found their advice comprehensive and detailed, explaining exactly the help we needed, who could provide it and why we needed them rather than using our own English equivalents. I signed up to receive informative emails from them some time before we bought and am very grateful for their helpful advice and information services.
It was from The Overseas Guides Company that the Dohertys found a recommendation to a currency company, Smart Currency Exchange. When moving money abroad, especially large sums such as those for property payments, it is advisable to use a currency company over a high street bank as money saved can add up to thousands of pounds.
“I couldn’t find anybody better,” Peter comments. “We have been very pleased with their speed and efficiency as well as their excellent rates – from now on we will continue to use the services of the Smart Currency people.”
Work continues on their new home. Peter explains: “We went over for twelve weeks last year – four or five visits in all. We did most of the work ourselves and painted much of the inside over the Easter holidays. Initially the place looked a bit of a mess, with old furniture and a rusted stove outside awaiting clearance but we had that cleared by the end of the summer. We have no intention of renting out – just having friends to stay – so we can pretty much work at our own pace.
“There is so much we wish to see and do on the island,” Peter continues. “We hope to go on Hilary Whitton Paipeti’s guided walks for instance. We have ambitions to walk the spine of Corfu – I believe there is a footpath from the North to the South of the island taking in the mountain tops and valleys along the centre of the island. We still have many bays and inlets to explore and swim and many restaurants to visit and eat in!”
Anyone who needs to transfer money to complete an overseas property transaction is advised to use a currency specialist to exchange their pounds into the local currency. For more information, contact Smart Currency Exchange or download their free guide by clicking
here
Topic: Articles, Banks, Currency exchange, Euros, Smart Currency Exchange, advertising, avoid charges, bank of england, banking, banking system, before the euro, best currency rates, currency rates, exchange rates
Posted October 12th, 2011 by Charles Purdy
Getting started with a currency specialist
We all know that when it comes to any type of financial service provider, choosing a company to look after our money deserves careful consideration, and this includes currency specialists. We need to trust the company that we are giving our hard-earned money to, and we need to feel sure they have our best interests Continue Reading…
Topic: Articles, Banks, Charles Purdy, Currency exchange, Euros, Smart Currency Exchange, advertising, avoid charges, banking, currency rates, exchange rates
Posted May 18th, 2011 by Charles Purdy
Making Property Payments Abroad.
So you’ve decided to make the move abroad. You have made various trips to the country in question, found a property you like and have made an offer which has been accepted. The time will soon come for you to pay the deposit. The initial deposit for a property abroad is usually anything between 10% Continue Reading…
Topic: Articles, Banks, Charles Purdy, Currency exchange, Cyprus, Euro exchange rates, advertising, avoid charges, bank of england, banking, banking system, before the euro, best currency rates, buy currency, buying, case study, currency market, currency rates, euro zone, foreign money exchange
Posted May 11th, 2011 by Charles Purdy
How can an International Payment Specialist save you money on your overseas purchase?
Moving abroad can be expensive, very time consuming, and cause a lot of stress. There is a way, however, that you can save yourself thousands of pounds, just by making the right choices when it comes to moving your money overseas. Great losses can occur when moving money between different currencies, and the first thing Continue Reading…
Topic: Articles, Banks, Currency exchange, Free report, advertising, avoid charges, bank of england, banking, banking system, before the euro, best currency rates, buy currency, buying, currency market, currency rates, euro zone, exchange rates, foreign currency, foreign money exchange
Posted May 5th, 2011 by Charles Purdy
How can you pay all your overseas bills, without losing money?
Many ex-pats living abroad may have to move money from the UK abroad (or vice versa) and when doing so, changing sterling into another currency (or vice versa). This often has consequences that many people fail to understand and they run the risk of costly losses throughout the transfer process. When transferring money between countries with different currencies, losses Continue Reading…
Topic: Articles, Banks, Charles Purdy, Europe, Euros, Smart Currency Exchange, advertising, avoid charges, bank of england, banking, banking system, before the euro, best currency rates, buy currency, buying, case study, currency rates, foreign currency, overseas
Posted April 28th, 2011 by Charles Purdy
How to relocate overseas successfully
Alan and Sue had long dreamed of moving to an overseas sunny destination, within walking distance of the beach. The long, cold winter in the UK was the final straw and they decided to turn their dream into a reality. They managed to sell their home in Aylesbury – Sue takes up the story: “We Continue Reading…
Topic: Articles, Banks, Charles Purdy, Currency exchange, Cyprus, David Cameron, Euros, Smart Currency Exchange, advertising, avoid charges, bank of england, banking, banking system, before the euro, best currency rates, buy currency, buying, case study, currency market, currency rates, exchange rates, rates, transferring money
Posted April 21st, 2011 by Charles Purdy
How does Smart help overseas property buyers – rather than a bank or competitor?
Even although there are fewer banks after the recent recession (and therefore theoretically less competition) it seems that banks still use what some would say is an almost deliberate device of making the small print so complicated that few actually read it. That means that few ever compare costs – indeed many are unaware that Continue Reading…
Topic: Articles, Banks, Charles Purdy, Currency exchange, Cyprus, Europe, Euros, Sterling, advertising, avoid charges, bank of england, banking, banking system, before the euro, buying, case study, currency market, currency rates, exchange rates, foreign currency, pounds
Posted April 14th, 2011 by Charles Purdy
Currency – Get Smart
Just looking through the channel 4 Place in the Sun article I saw this statement… Would you buy a home in the UK if you knew the price you were paying for it could rise – or fall – at any time, even after your offer had been accepted? The obvious answer is “No”. Continue Reading…
Topic: Articles, Banks, Smart Currency Exchange, avoid charges, best currency rates, buy currency, currency rates, foreign currency, foreign money exchange
Posted March 3rd, 2011 by Charles Purdy
Can you afford to lose £4,000?
By Charles Purdy, Director, Smart Currency Exchange The economic crisis is certainly causing problems for people all over the world, yet in the world of international money transfers there are actions that can be taken to safeguard your money – especially if different currencies are required. International payments include payments between countries for property, the Continue Reading…
Topic: Articles, Charles Purdy, Currency exchange, Smart Currency Exchange, avoid charges, best currency rates
Posted February 10th, 2011 by Charles Purdy
Currency – Get Smart
Just looking through the channel 4 Place in the Sun article I saw this statement… Would you buy a home in the UK if you knew the price you were paying for it could rise – or fall – at any time, even after your offer had been accepted? The obvious answer is “No”. Continue Reading…
Topic: Currency exchange, Smart Currency Exchange, avoid charges, best currency rates
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