Overseas property buyers are increasingly purchasing homes abroad for lifestyle reasons, it has been suggested.

According to Paul Collins, property editor at BuyAssociation.co.uk, a change of lifestyle is the priority for most overseas property buyers in the current financial climate.

He stated that prospective buyers are "much more interested" in the lifestyle and leisure activities attached to a foreign property, rather than the investment opportunities.

"People aren’t tending to buy for investment these days so the lifestyle aspect of things is really coming to the fore," he remarked.

Furthermore, Mr Collins noted that in Cyprus there are plans to build more leisure attractions, such as a Disney-style theme park and 14 new golf courses, something he said will bring in new people to the country.

Mr Collins’ comments follow a report published by Cater Allen last year, which revealed that 2.3 million Britons own a property abroad and only 500,000 use it solely for investment reasons.

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