Cathy Hawker

Travelling is in my blood. My parents worked abroad and I grew up moving between New York, Central Africa and Indonesia. For the past fifteen years I have written about overseas holiday homes, getting to know firm favourites - Southern Spain for example – but also checking out more "off-radar" locations that might appeal to a new generation of buyers.

As well as regular reports for A Place in the Sun I write weekly in The London Evening Standard and contribute to several papers and magazines including Country Life International, International Prime Property, the Financial Times and The Times.

That means that most weeks I throw a notebook into my trusty backpack to spy out not only properties abroad but also the lifestyle on offer. The lure of a second home in the sun or in the snow-covered mountains is one that’s easy to understand.

My own top picks would include the Costa Brava for the beautiful coastline, the Caribbean for the laid-back beach life and almost anywhere in Italy for the outstanding food and culture. But then there is also the Alps, the Algarve, the Balearics, Barcelona, Croatia, Florida…

A Place in the Sun Live Property Showcase Dublin 2022 - Show Highlights

A Place in the Sun Live Property Showcase, had a successful Irish debut at the RDS Dublin in October which concluded a fantastic year of exhibitions for A Place in the Sun!

17 October 2022

How much does it cost to buy a second home in France?

France is our nearest neighbour and second favourite place to buy a holiday home - find out how much it costs to buy a property across the channel

5 October 2022

How to buy property in Florida and cushion the strong dollar

There was bad news when the US dollar reached parity with the pound last week but at the time of writing it’s up to 1.11 and further good news is that there are some things you can do to mitigate the weak pound - find out our top tips for buying in Florida in the current climate

3 October 2022

Ten of the best value villas with a private pool

A villa with its own pool is top of many buyers’ wish lists for a home abroad. Here we bring you 10 cheap villas in Spain with a private pool.

27 September 2022

A Place in the Sun Live Birmingham 2022

25 September 2022

Escape to the sun this winter (and save on your energy bills!)

Energy bills are rising across Europe and many of us are dreading the sort of money we might have to pay this winter. But such rises are not equal - find out about where you could move to save money

23 September 2022

A Place in the Sun Live Birmingham - One week to go!

There's just one week to go until A Place in the Sun Live at the NEC in Birmingham! Find out what's to expect and book your tickets now!

16 September 2022

Where is the cheapest property in Cyprus?

Find out where you can buy a bargain property in Cyprus! And read our top tips for finding a cheap apartment or villa...

15 September 2022

Buyers in Portugal hit a five-year high

There's been a significant increase in the number of foreigners buying homes in Portugal so far this year

7 September 2022