AS a child growing up in east London, Jasmine Harman dreamed of travelling to far-flung places but not even a vivid imagination could have anticipated the amount of jet-setting the presenter of Channel 4 property series A Place in the Sun does these days.

“I absolutely love working on the show – I’ve been doing it for 12 years – and I still enjoy going to new places,” says the 40-year-old mother of two. “Travelling isn’t always as glamorous as people think, of course, and making television programmes can be hard work. But it’s lovely that I can take the children with me. And I get to meet so many lovely people – the part of my job I enjoy most is working with the contributors looking to find a home abroad.”

Harman and her fellow-presenters, Jonny Irwin and Amanda Lamb, have helped find overseas properties for hundreds of househunters, seen different market conditions come and go, watched the popularity of destinations rise and fall. And the trio with bring that wealth of experience to the SECC in Glasgow next weekend weekend for A Place in the Sun Live, which aims to give anyone interested in buying abroad a head start when it comes to negotiating this potentially tricky field of play.

“This is the first time we’ve brought the event to Scotland,” says Harman. “It’ll be jam-packed not only with properties, estate agents and developers from all over the world, but also the different advisory services you’ll need. There will be legal advice, currency specialists and immigration experts – these people usually charge lots of money, but once you’re in, their advice is free.

“It’ll be a mix of serious stuff and fun – we'll be meeting the people who watch the show and there will be plenty of time for pictures and chats. We’ll also be doing screen tests for people, so if you need help finding the right property, you could find yourself on the show.”

According to Harman, the type of buyer entering the market has changed over the last decade, reflecting changes in the economy.

“When the show first started in 2004, it was all about holiday homes and the rental market – people were much more flush with cash,” she explains. “After the crash of 2008, however, everything changed. People started relocating, hardly anybody was looking at second homes.

“Now it’s changed again, and buyers are mainly looking for holiday homes with a view to it becoming a permanent home. Fewer want to rely on renting out. They don’t want to stretch themselves. These buyers are looking at a long-term investment for life, they’re not necessarily worrying about exit strategies. The market is changing and evolving. Now, it's all about lifestyle choice rather than investment.”

“And here we are, post-Brexit, in another period of uncertainty,” Harman adds. “Some people are still looking for a firm rental investment, a development project. But normally I come into contact with people who have saved up or are downsizing or have had an inheritance and a modest budget. They want to buy a little place abroad and enjoy it with their family.”

What hasn’t changed much over the years, according to Harman, are the destinations that buyers find most attractive, all of which remain in Europe.

“Spain, France and Portugal are the most popular places, and you can understand why,” she explains. “Spain is still top of the list for buyers because it is sunny, it’s not too far away, it’s accessible for English speakers – there are plenty of expats – and of course it’s still relatively cheap.

“France is enduringly popular, too – the people who buy there love the culture. They are Francophiles attracted to the architecture, wine, food, the romance of it all, walking to the boulangerie every day to buy your croissants.

“Portugal and Italy are slightly less popular, probably because they are that bit more expensive. But both are very attractive and get plenty of attention from potential buyers from the UK.”

The topic on everyone’s lips when it comes to the overseas property market, and sure to be discussed in Glasgow at the weekend, is Brexit. But what does Harman believe will be the impact? With so much uncertainty in the air, are potential buyers shelving their plans?

“It’s already been very interesting,” she says. “A few people who were lined up to appear on A Place in the Sun have dropped out. People didn’t expect the vote for Brexit and agents immediately saw a dip in interest.

“But that has been pretty short-lived. Obviously your pound isn’t going as far as it did, and with that in mind it is good to exercise caution. But I’ve also met people who have said they have been thinking about moving abroad for a long time and they’ve decided to just go for it – Brexit has been the catalyst that has made them put their plans into action.

“People are looking to get in now, while they still have the same rights as an EU citizen.”

The Herald:

Jasmine Harman says her favourite spot is the Italian Riviera 

According to Harman, the primary thing affecting buyers at the moment is the poor exchange rate, which is adding thousands of pounds to most transactions. But with concrete information about the status of UK citizens abroad once the country has left the EU not yet forthcoming, she says it can be hard to plan.

“I don’t believe that UK citizens won’t be able to buy and enjoy property abroad in the future, but some things will obviously become more complex,” she adds. “As well as the exchange rate, health and education are important issues. No one knows how these will be affected yet. One way around it is private health care, though this obviously has a cost attached.”

Over the last 12 years Harman has travelled the world with A Place in the Sun, and gained a unique insight into the hottest destinations to own property. So, if money was no object, where would she invest?

“That’s a really hard question,” she says. “I’ve been lucky enough to go to so many wonderful destinations over the years. I’ve got a soft spot for Portugal. I lived there for four years, speak the language and have lots of friends there. But my favourite place and spiritual home is Italy. I must have been Italian in a previous life – I always feel really at home.

“If I won the lottery I’d buy a few different places. One would certainly be on the Italian Riviera – it’s just spectacular.

“I’d also buy in St Vincent in the Caribbean – that would be my place of choice for winter sun. It’s quite unspoilt but very friendly and hospitable, with that unique Caribbean welcome. You can’t beat the white sandy beaches, beautiful sea, wonderful food and night life. And it’s great for children.

“My final choice would be a little place in Chamonix for skiing. That area is great for summertime too. I’d better go and buy a lottery ticket.”

A Place in the Sun Live is at the SECC Glasgow on October 29 and 30. For more information go to www.aplaceinthesun.com/exhibitions

Top tips on buying abroad from Liz Rowlinson, Editor of Place in the Sun magazine

WHY are you buying?

This is a key question that will spur many more. Are you hoping to rent out your property to cover its running costs? If so, will it be crucial to have use of a swimming pool? Does the property need to be within 90 minutes of an airport? Who will manage it when you are not there and also will you legally be able to let it out?

HOW will you use your home?

How often will you go, when and who else can use it. If you want to use a home throughout the year you may need to think about locations that offer either year-round sun or dual-season activities, such as hiking and skiing. Are there off-season flights?

Research and due diligence

Do your research thoroughly and try to visit an area at different times of year. Visit property exhibitions and use all the experts gathered under one roof to ask about legals, taxes and mortgages. It is crucial that you find an agent you can trust, because your future is really in their hands.

Use independent legal advice

It is imperative we use a lawyer to protect our interests in an unfamiliar buying process and culture. They will do the legal due diligence on a property (is the vendor legally the owner, does the property have the correct planning permissions? Does it come with any debts?).

Financial planning

Apart from factoring in buying costs (which can be a lot higher than in the UK, especially in Spain where it is averages 10-14 per cent) you need to consider how you will finance your property and pay for it running costs. Use a currency broker to transfer funds.

Never buy on price alone. There can be bargains because a market is sluggish but individual homes can be cheap for good reason. Don’t forget the golden rules: look at location, location, location; and what will be your exit strategy in case you need to sell?

Find out more at aplaceinthesun.com. A Place in the Sun magazine is available in all good newsagents.