As well as all the essentials you’ll need to include when equipping your holiday property, it’s always good to include a few added extras, home-to-home comforts or special touches that will make their holiday memorable. For example:

• Tourist brochures and leaflets of things to do are great, but if you’re really keen you could produce your own guide to what to see and do in the area. A personal touch like this makes a good impression.
• Suggestions for restaurants, cafes, where to eat the best ice cream, taxi firm numbers, public transport information and directions to shops for provisions.
• If the property is likely to attract families with children, then a few toys or DVDs for them to watch go down well.
• Candles and matches may be useful in case there’s a power cut.
• Bottled water is good for foreign climes, where they may be unsure if it’s okay to drink the water. You don’t have to supply their whole stay, just something to get them started with.
• A few snacks left in the fridge, some teabags, milk and a loaf of bread are good starters and appreciated after a long journey. Or you could include some local delicacies for them to sample.
• If you have equipment that may be tricky to use or windows where you need a certain knack to open them, then include operating instructions.
• If your property is in a hot country, then perhaps include a fan in case the temperature soars. If it’s a ski property or in a cold country, then maybe some extra blankets would be good.
• Wifi, so checking email is made easy.
• Emergency numbers, for example for hospitals or doctors, or even for the property management agency, should a problem occur.

Once your property is fully equipped, it’s a good idea to ‘test’ it out for a few days to see if you’ve got it right. If you feel too familiar, then find some friends who’ll try it out for you and be prepared to give a critical review. They may be able to highlight what works and what doesn’t (e.g. there would be more preparation space if the kettle moved to another work surface, you could do with putting the saucepans nearer the oven or another hook in the bathroom would be handy) and any extras that the property could benefit from.

Being in a royal sort of mood today, I’ve kicked off our keyword search series with ‘castle’. Punching it into our international property search, these are the little gems we’ve uncovered.

£16,842,000

Parma, Italy

Built circa 846AD, this castle in Parma, Italy has a few noteworthy features, including an internal courtyard with columns made of Botticino marble, an entire floor dedicated to wine distillation, and of course an underground torture chamber with matching prison cells. These charming original features were presumably requested by the original owners, the bishops of Parma. So… they seem like nice guys.

£16,656,150

Haute Vienne, France

This medieval chateau (build in 1179) would do nicely for an aging rock star or celebrity chef. Features include a professional kitchen, grand hall with seating for 1,000 people, 16 bedrooms, a working tavern, lifts, central heating, six additional houses, five barns, five lakes, 200 hectares of land (meadow and woods), private cinema in a vaulted cellar, chapel, billiard room, smoking room (!), music room, library, breakfast room, dining rooms and an eight-hold gold course. Jeepers.

£1,586,300

Palazzo Cardinali, Mondavio, Italy

Or there’s this little gem if you’re on a budget. Perfect for someone who loves art and history, Palazzo Cardinali has 22 bedrooms and features a library with fireplaces and frescoed arched ceiling.

£3,172,600

Baroque chateau, Czech Republic

Just two hours’ drive south of Prague, this massive 38-bedroom baroque chateau was originally built for the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and features a 20-hectare park filled with statues. The agent suggests it would be good for a hotel, country club or casino. If you’ve been meaning to build that casino you’ve always wanted but your day job just keeps getting in the way, now’s your chance.

Offers in the region of £210,525

Schloss Wiesenburg, Brandenburg, Germany

If you’re not quite ready or able to fork out several million pounds for a castle of your own, you could always share one. Within the historic walls of Schloss Wiesenburg are several ultra-modern, high-tech, designer apartments for sale. You’ll get your own pad with all the trimmings, plus direct access to the castle’s public park, and communal areas that include a terrace, garden hall, sauna with whirlpool and ‘relaxation area’, whatever that means.

P.O.A.

Kinnitty Castle Hotel, Kinnitty, Ireland

This Neo-Gothic castellated mansion currently functions as a hotel – a pretty big one too, with 37 bedrooms, 38 bathrooms, 10 reception rooms, a banqueting hall, two restaurants, a couple of bars, and 61 acres of landscaped gardens, grassland and forest. However, the lucky buyer of Kinnitty Castle could make it even bigger if they wanted to – it’s not just any castle, it’s a castle with planning permission. For a conference centre. Plus you can convert the stables if you want. You know, do a Kirstie Allsopp, break through a wall or two, make a new bathroom. Think of it as a fun weekend project.

P.O.A.

Crabbenburg Castle, Brussels, Belgium

This is my favourite. Built between 1821 and 1823, Crabbenburg Castle is set on 17 acres of landscaped grounds with ponds, and features include a library, eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, caretaker’s residence, indoor swimming pool, gallery and workshop. Gallery and workshop! Think about it! You could get yourself a beret, a paintbrush and a slightly temperamental disposition and hey presto – you’re an artist, and you know you are because you’ve got your own gallery and workshop to prove it.

So you’ve invested in a foreign property and are intending on letting it out for short holiday rentals. Now comes the important task of equipping it with all the essentials that holidaymakers will need – and a few added extras that they’ll appreciate.

It sounds easy, doesn’t it? But it’s not always a doddle. When you’re trying to kit out and provide the perfect accommodation, there’s an awful lot to think about and do and it’s remarkably easy to miss out on the essentials (for example, I’ve stayed in a holiday property that had been kitted out with the best technology and music on demand in every room – but they’d forgotten the basics in the kitchen, like a tin opener and cooking equipment. It was the basics we needed much more than the music).

It helps to write a list of everything you can think of that people would need when staying in your holiday property. Try doing it room by room, to break it into chunks and think about all eventualities. Consider whether you need things like:

• Bedside lamps
• A hook on the back of the bathroom door
• Bath mats
• A bedside table
• A coffee table or smaller tables in the living area
• Somewhere to hang washing or dry off beach towels
• Somewhere to leave ski equipment after a day on the slopes
• A ledge in the shower to put your soap or shower gel
• Extra clothes hangers
• Electrical equipment – a TV, DVD player, CD player etc

Getting it right in the kitchen is important, as it’s frustrating to find yourself without essentials like a tin opener, especially if you’re in a foreign country and aren’t up to scratch on the lingo. Although people will be on holiday and may well eat out some of the time, part of the reason why self-catering is chosen is so they can cook for themselves and eat at the property, so a full range of cooking equipment is required.

There are likely to be the occasional breakages too, so when you’re choosing crockery or glasses for the property, then it’s best to opt for something that can be easily replaced and matched. It’s even helpful to have some extra supplies ready in case breakages do occur – they can be kept in storage in the property and, if you’re using a letting agent or management company, they’ll hopefully be able to add the replacements so future guests are not suddenly short of plates or glasses.

If you’ve got money to spend and are looking to invest in property, then Spain could be the ideal destination – especially if you love a bargain.

It’s still one of the most popular locations for property investors from the UK, not least because it’s very easily reachable and has a temptingly warm climate. Spain has previously experienced a boom in property purchases and prices rose considerably over the years in some areas. But like the UK, it’s now experiencing a fall in property sales.

Figures from the National Institute of Statistics in Spain show that in November 2008, 32,792 residential properties were sold, compared to 51,753 the previous year. Although it might not be cheeriest of news for property sellers, for buyers it’s got definite benefits.

Many properties for sale across Spain are being reduced in price, meaning that if you’ve got cash ready to spend, it could well stretch much further. Figures in the region of €50,000 are reportedly being slashed off properties in the lower to mid end of the market, with up to €1m being taken off top of the range, high end and luxury properties.

So, what can you get for your money?

• If your budget is up to £300,000, you could buy your very own two-bedroom, three storey house in the city of Barcelona, two minutes walk away from the marina and beach (£299,811).
• With a budget of up to £500,000, you could purchase a three bedroom house next to the golf course at Santa Ponsa, about 18km from Palma (£499,685).
• If you’re spending up to £800,000, you could buy a three-storey villa near the heart of Javea in Alicante, with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large garden and pool (£799,995)
• If you’ve got £1m to spend, you could buy a brand new finca in the countryside at Portol, on the island of Mallorca, with four bedrooms, two reception rooms, three bathrooms, air conditioning and a large pool (£999,369).

The latest country to join the Eurozone is Slovakia, which officially adopted the Euro in January 2009. This landlocked country in Eastern Europe has already seen prices rise by 100% since 2004 and, in the past, joining the Eurozone has had a positive effect on other countries. If you’re debating whether to take the plunge and invest in Slovakia, then here’s a look at some of the areas worth considering.

Bratislava

Located on the banks of the River Danube and near the foot of the mountains of Small Carpathians, Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, has been experiencing much growth and redevelopment over the last few years. Interest in property here has soared and so too have property prices.

A major selling point for many investors is Bratislava’s prime location. It’s within easy reach of other large cities, such as Vienna, Prague and Budapest, and is only about 45 minutes away from two major airports, yet prices are significantly cheaper than Prague or Vienna.

Kosice

Often referred to as the ‘cultural centre of eastern Slovakia,’ the city of Kosice is the second largest in the country and has a rich cultural and historical heritage. Like Bratislava, there’s been a lot of interest in property in Kosice over the last few years – but prices are notably less than those of the capital. Although still out on a bit of a limb, ease of access to Kosice will be opened up more when extensions to the D1 motorway are fully operational (this is planned to happen next year, in 2010).

Together with Bratislava, Kosice will be hosting the 2011 Ice Hockey World Championship in April and May 2011. As a result, the cities are busy updating and building new facilities, to accommodate visitors and competitors.

The Tatra Mountains

The Tatra or Tatras Mountains are a large mountain range – the highest in the Carpathian Mountains – that acts as a natural border between Slovakia and its neighbour, Poland. They’re a very popular tourist destination, especially during the winter months, when skiers flock to the mountains in their droves, and ski properties sell well here as a result.

For those interested in investing in a ski property, but who are put off by the prices in countries such as Austria or Switzerland, then this area of Slovakia is a good alternative.

If you’re keen to buy in Slovakia, take a look at what’s available.