Indeed, in the 12 months to July 2012, Miami accounted for 10.67 per cent of all US-related searches on TheMoveChannel.com: 1 in 10 people buying property in USA were looking specifically for Miami. It’s just a small indicator of the level of demand for real estate in The City.

But what exactly makes Miami’s market so special?

Part of the city’s appeal lies in its lifestyle. A sun-soaked metropolis located on the Atlantic coast, Miami is an important figure in finance, media and culture – but its beaches alone bring in millions of visitors every year. Indeed, the city’s large port has long been one of the busiest on the planet, earning Miami the nickname the “Cruise Capital of the World”.

Museums and parks also attract people to the area, meaning that residents are never bored during their stays in their holiday homes – while buy to let investors can guarantee rental income from the regular wave of visitors across the city.

Investment and lifestyle appeal is a hard thing to juggle, but Miami property offers both to domestic and international buyers. Its low prices help too, offering affordable bargains to profit-hungry investors and low-priced second home hunters. The demand has pushed values up though, with some condos in the area breaking price records in recent years.

Indeed, high-end real estate is no stranger to Miami, with luxury condos and villas located particularly around the exclusive Miami Beach neighbourhood.

Balancing low prices and prestigious appeal as well as investment and lifestyle potential, Miami’s housing market genuinely has something for everyone – and that makes it very special indeed.

For more information on investing in the Sunshine State, visit http://www.floridaproperty.org.uk

However you choose to decorate you need to purchase a bed that suits your needs and your budget, while comfort is an obvious must you need to ascertain whether you need a bed with added storage, a bed that can serve another purpose, or an ordinary frame. To understand what is on offer visit http://www.dreams.co.uk/beds/, their selection of beds will leave you spoilt for choice and will be kind on your wallet. Once you have the bed you can match it to a furniture range that will compliment its design; if you decide on the Venice Bedstead with its modern statement features then you want to invest in a range like Olona Wenge to finish off the room. By complimenting and coordinating the right pieces your bedroom will have a fluidity that will eliminate elements that detract from comfort and calm.

Furthermore with such dramatic and powerful pieces you might want to add a touch of subtly when deciding upon bedding; a powerful duvet set combined with dramatic furnishings could overwhelm the room and unbalance the tranquillity you’re striving for. To avoid this invest in neutral, muted tones such as the Egyptian Cotton range from Dreams. Tranquil, understated, exquisite and affordable it will finish off your room and provide a comfortable and refreshing night’s sleep. Once you have the necessities from bedroom specialists you can then move on to the smaller touches such as lighting and ornamental decoration, for tips and further inspiration take a look at http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/bedroom/modern-bedroom-ideas-00100000088439/page21.html#2.

Ad sales teams would rub their hands with glee as property companies spent millions on huge colour display ads running every day of the week in the national press. MD of PR agency AB Property Marketing, Charlotte Ashton, knows first-hand as this is where she started her career, but things have changed.

Exacerbated by the recession, companies have for a while now struggled to justify the ROI of their printed marketing especially in the fickle world of property. Should you really be spending all that money on print advertising when online marketing offers so much?

Well, something could change all of that and this something is called Augmented Reality (AR).

AR is the ability to make part of the real world, “Augmented” or put in simpler terms, imagine having the ability to have a property video shown directly from your print adverts or a 3D model of your development pop out of the floor.

This might sound like Tomorrow’s World but it is in fact already here today and all your clients need is a tablet or smartphone and suddenly printed media takes on a whole new dimension.

A colleague of AB Property Marketing who has years of experience in the property industry and now is Founder of The Digital Marketing Bureau, James Dearsley is helping clients fathom out how to get involved in AR.

A pioneer of AR within the property world, James can:

• Embed Videos into printed media (adverts, billboards, business cards etc)
• Embed Calls to Action into printed media (including Call, SMS and e-mail options)
• Build 3D models of developments with interactive walk throughs; putting the client in control of selecting the colour of the walls and which sofa to purchase.

The glory of this technology is that it can be applied to a range of sectors and printed materials and is exceedingly cost effective.

Charlotte Ashton comments, “The property world is notoriously slow at cottoning on to the latest technological advances. It took years to move away from print to online marketing, from signboards to QR codes but the world is changing and fast! Property buyers are tech savvy consumers and with AR poised to become an everyday feature of our lives, it is essential that property companies embrace this incredible technology and use it to their own advantage.”

For more information about AR and how you can spice up your property PR in 2013, contact Charlotte at AB Property Marketing on 00 44 845 054 7524 or email charlotte@abpropertymarketing.co.uk.

Your own private patch of grass out the back may not seem like a priority, especially with work and other commitments taking up your time, but a garden can be a big factor in your property’s appeal. For a family, for example, it could be the one big difference between clicking on a listing and scrolling down to the next.

But how can make sure people fall in love with your lawn? Sell My Property offers eight steps to get the most from your garden:

Get your timing right

If you have a garden, Spring is the best time to sell your home. The warm weather and positive vibes will be encouraging buyers to start their house hunt afresh – so you should be ready for them. Choosing bulbs that will flower in succession are a great way to maximise the colour from your garden.

But even if you’re not in the hot summer’s sun, don’t fret: just plant something else. Bedding plants will appear attractive in autumn, ensuring your back yard boosts your property’s appeal all year round.

Get the right flowers…

Flowers, great. But which ones? The right flowers can make a big difference to house hunters. Indeed, according a recent Homebase survey, roses are the most attractive flower to potential home buyers. If roses aren’t your thing, the survey’s other most popular flowers include: lavender, fuchsia, tulips, sweet peas, lilies, jasmine, geraniums, hydrangea and sunflowers.

… or grow your own veg

Vegetable gardens are increasingly popular among homeowners – it’s no coincidence that demand for allotments in the UK is on the up. So if you already have a vegetable patch in place, the chance to grow your own greens could appeal to the some of the more health-conscious, or cost-conscious, buyers.

Trim, snip and clip

Nobody likes a messy garden, so make sure yours is tidy. A quick trim around the garden, cutting the grass to a short length, will go a long way to keepings things smart. Snipping unruly hedges and clipping any wild branches will complete the effect.

Do-it-yourself

As well as the garden, don’t forget to pay attention to the things around it: fences, gates, chairs, doors. If anything needs to be fixed or oiled, a bit of DIY will create the best possible impression – and stop that annoying squeak that’s been driving you mad for years.

If it’s not green, give it a clean

Why stop at DIY? If your chairs are dirty, give them a wipe. If the patio door windows are grubby, give them a spray. Cleanliness on the inside is what counts when taking photos for a listing or organising a viewing: but it’s just as important outside.

Shed responsibility

If you have a shed, take responsibility for it: clear out any leaves, tidy any cables. If you want someone to love your home, it needs to feel loved. A tidy shed, complete with working door and clean windows, will avoid your garden looking ignored or neglected.

Keep it simple

All the above is very well and good, but remember what we said about time? No one wants to take on a huge responsibility. Extravagant borders or high-maintenance flower arrangements may deter as many people as they impress. So make sure your garden is simple as well as stunning.

For expert advice on how to sell your home and information on listing your property online, visit www.sellmyproperty.org

Torrential downpours brought towns and even cities to a standstill; roads were deemed unsafe to use, vehicles had to be abandoned, bridges collapsed, buildings were damaged, care homes had to be evacuated and many people were left stranded or housebound; not to mention the damage caused to people’s homes.

Those people living in areas that fall into boundaries prone to the risk of flooding will already be aware of high insurance premiums associated with their property and surrounding areas. Although certain precautions can be made some houses are simply unable to avoid the consequences of nature.

To many people their house is not simply a building but has become a home and despite the risks of floods they do not wish to move to areas with lower insurance premiums due to convenience. Unfortunately not only will they pay higher insurance premiums but most insurance companies attach a predetermined limit to their payouts onto their insurance policies which could leave the home owner without the sufficient cover to rebuild their much loved home. Some premiums have risen by as much as 5 times and people could also be forced to pay the first £5000 of any claims.

In some cases, properties under extreme risk from water damage through flooding are deemed uninsurable by most companies.

The amount of damage that floods can cause, as well as many other forms of damage that can befall a house really show the true value of home and contents insurance. You can find out more information about endsleigh home insurance and what it offers, and find whether the flooding in your area is a particularly significant issue.

Some people even choose to go one better, and take advantage of France’s low land prices to invest in building their own property. Building your own home can be a great idea, providing you are aware from the start that such ventures are usually costly and time consuming, no matter how much money you manage to save on the land.

Before You Begin

The first thing you should do before you even buy some land is check that the land you are interested in has sufficient planning permission. If it doesn’t, or you are having difficulty getting the data, take a look at the other properties nearby. If any of them have been built in the last 5 years, even better.

If you end up buying a plot of land that doesn’t have planning permission, and you are unable to obtain such permission after the purchase, you will find yourself out of both time and pocket.

Hiring Contractors or Building Yourself?

When it comes to the actual construction of your property, if you don’t have any prior experience it’s a good idea to hire the services of a professional. Additionally, you will also need to hire equipment and machinery . In the UK, you would probably contact a company like Scot JCB (http://www.scot-jcb.com), however in France it will be helpful to find someone who speaks the language, who can act as an interpreter when you need to communicate with your builders.

As with any type of building work, always conduct a thorough check of your contractors’ backgrounds and resumes. This will help to ensure that you hire the right people. Negotiate a flat fee before you begin, and stick to it. This will also help to ensure that no time is wasted during construction. There are many things which can go wrong when building a home, so keeping a tight control over your budget is always sensible.

Some people even choose to go one better, and take advantage of France’s low land prices to invest in building their own property. Building your own home can be a great idea, providing you are aware from the start that such ventures are usually costly and time consuming, no matter how much money you manage to save on the land.

Before You Begin

The first thing you should do before you even buy some land is check that the land you are interested in has sufficient planning permission. If it doesn’t, or you are having difficulty getting the data, take a look at the other properties nearby. If any of them have been built in the last 5 years, even better.

If you end up buying a plot of land that doesn’t have planning permission, and you are unable to obtain such permission after the purchase, you will find yourself out of both time and pocket.

Hiring Contractors or Building Yourself?

When it comes to the actual construction of your property, if you don’t have any prior experience it’s a good idea to hire the services of a professional. Additionally, you will also need to hire equipment and machinery . In the UK, you would probably contact a company like Scot JCB (http://www.scot-jcb.com), however in France it will be helpful to find someone who speaks the language, who can act as an interpreter when you need to communicate with your builders.

As with any type of building work, always conduct a thorough check of your contractors’ backgrounds and resumes. This will help to ensure that you hire the right people. Negotiate a flat fee before you begin, and stick to it. This will also help to ensure that no time is wasted during construction. There are many things which can go wrong when building a home, so keeping a tight control over your budget is always sensible.

Polish property investment is on the up, according to new figures. Data from CBRE shows that investment in Central and Eastern Europe tripled in the first quarter of 2013 from last year to reach €2.6 billion. And Poland is leading the way, with investors rating the country the most attractive market for the year.

They certainly don’t get more attractive than Nogat Palace, a 19^th Century Country Manor House in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian province. And not just because of the gorgeous lakeside location.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” says owner Caroline Anderson, who shows me round the estate.

“The palace goes back to 1800 when it was built by the Kalkenstein family,” she explains, walking past the lake.

The tranquil beauty around the manor is surprisingly calming – the land alone spans 1.5 hectares. She assures me that we are only one hour away from Gdansk international – “just a few miles from the new A1 motorway” – but I find it hard to believe.

“We bought it with the intention of using it as a family residence,” she continues. “80 per cent of the renovation has been done and complies with all building regulations. It just needs someone to finish it off…”

Looking around the estate, they’ve clearly been busy. There’s even a new two-bedroom gate keepers house nearby with two double garages. You can tell it’s been carried out to the highest possible standard.

But the building itself is what really impresses.

“It’s nearly back to life,” she smiles. My mind is already grinning at all the things you could do with it.

A clinic, a care home, a fitness camp, a private club, a recording studio. The list seems endless. Keeping it as a family home would surely have been a waste, I tell her.

“It has previously had planning permission granted to be turned into a hotel,” she admits. Why stop there? I counter. With the massive lake next door, you could turn it into a fantastic fishing destination.

She nods. “That’s exactly the kind of vision needed to complete the project!”

We stroll away from the grand entrance and head for the gate keepers house. She tells me that’s where the heating system is located. I’m too busy thinking up names for my new fishing resort.

The Great Troutdoors! As ludicrous as it sounds, part of me knows that there’s no better time to do it. With real estate investment in Poland on the up and house prices climbing again by 5.6 per cent following a bargain-bringing plummet of almost one-third, the market current is definitely streaming in the right direction.

I try the name out loud.

“The Great Troutdoors!”

Caroline doesn’t respond. The stunning silence is almost unbearable.

“You think someone else can do better?” I ask.

“Yes,” she replies confidently.

You can’t blame her. Even after two hundred years, the Nogat Palace has never been more attractive.

Looking for an attractive property investment?

The Nogat Palace can be yours for £545,000.

Find out more information and make an enquiry:

http://www.nubricks.com/archives/54221/xixc-country-manor-set-by-a-lake-id-6577024/

TheMoveChannel.com has launched an updated news service to put people at the centre of its property coverage.

The overseas property portal, powered by lead generation network Lead Galaxy, is one of the leading news hubs for the overseas real estate industry, covering the latest market statistics, investment trends, project launches and news stories as and when they break.

The new interface, which went public today, puts engagement at the heart of its content, making it easier than ever for readers to access the news that interests them – and share their passion for property via social media.

Breaking property news is clearly divided into categories, ranging from Property Investment and Global Living to Mortgage Desk and Weird World, to make it quicker to find the most important stories. A dedicated property launches channel highlights the latest For Sale By Owner listings to hit the market. Regularly refreshed polls allow TheMoveChannel.com users to vote on topical issues, and commenting directly through Facebook lets readers seamlessly blend their personal life and professional interests -or just tell all their friends about the latest Celebrity Homes gossip.

TheMoveChannel.com Editor Ivan Radford comments: “I’ve been dying to give TheMoveChannel.com news page a fresh lick of paint for ages, so it’s great to start Spring with a platform to match the scope of our editorial coverage. Whether you need the lowdown on buyer activity in Germany or just want to laugh at houses that look like cakes, we’ve got it covered. That range of topics, from the serious to the silly, sets us apart from all the other property portals out there. And now we have a platform to match it.

“With a renewed focus on interaction with our audience and clearly-defined topics (including dedicated currency and mortgage desks), this all-new news service makes sure our readers are front and centre of what we publish – and gives them the chance to get in touch with news stories of their own. As we continue to develop our news site and expand our editorial coverage, we hope TheMoveChannel.com will provide the eye-catching, easy-to-read news service that both house hunters and industry professionals deserve.”

TheMoveChannel.com is part of Lead Galaxy’s network of overseas real estate portals. For more information, contact Dan Johnson on 02079527650.

So it’s crucial to get your house at its best to take advantage of the spring bounce – and the way to do that is update your listing.

Here are Sell My Property‘s tips to preparing your house for the spring rush:

Say it with flowers

Spring is the time when flowers appear outside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have them inside as well. Place freshly cut flowers, such as daffodils or something else seasonal, around the property to create a warm, positive vibe – yellow is a good colour – and then take new photos of your property for your online listing. Once you have an enquiry and arranged a viewing, get the flowers out again to seal the deal.

Wash the windows

With the skies outside getting brighter, make sure your house benefits from the improving light. Clean windows and doors will let more sun into your living room or bedroom, making it easier for buyers to imagine your home as a holiday destination – nobody likes the idea of buying overseas property in a grey, miserable hole.

Clean the garden

Once you’ve done your spring cleaning inside, make sure you do the outside too. A tidy garden will improve any outdoors photos that you take, while simultaneously ensuring that an in-person buyer’s first impression of the property is as good as it gets.

Think light colours

Just like the flowers, bright, positive colours are an effective addition to your home’s interior decor. Neutral, white paint on the walls or something similar makes your rooms seem much bigger, while also optimising the impact from those sparkling windows.

Look up the competition

It’s not just about updating your photos. With competition increasing from other sellers on the market, online property portals make it easier to check out your rivals. View their listings and see what they have done to refresh their property – most importantly, whether they’ve changed the price. Then adjust yours accordingly.

Be flexible

Buyers are looking at a lot of houses at this time of year, so be prepared to be flexible: the right price can make you stand out from the crowd, but being open to negotiation separates the attention-grabbers from the deal-closers.

For expert advice on how to sell your home and information on listing your property online, visit http://www.sellmyproperty.org/