Investors 'to make long-term plans'

Property buyers need to make medium to long-term investments and not look for "quick wins", it has been suggested.

The global economy is making people cautious about where to buy houses and they need to understand that any purchase is unlikely to be only a short-term venture, explains Select Property.

As a result, there will be more buyers taking the time to consider off-plan properties, continues marketing director for the foreign property estate agent Helen White.

This advice might be useful to Brits planning on using an international money transfer system to buy an overseas property.

One location Ms White says will still see an increase in property value in the long-run is Dubai, but it is still not a place to buy for any get-rich-quick dreams.

"Whereas people were buying products three years ago and then flipping them, that market has certainly declined."

According to research from the Global Realty Partners, 15 per cent of property in the United Arab Emirates is owned by nationals and 20 per cent by Europeans.