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Who hasn't had the dream of discovering a crumbling old wreck in an idyllic surrounding and bestowing a bit of TLC onto it in order to bring it back to its former glory? Not only is renovating a property a great way to make sure you get the home of your dreams, it can also be a fantastic money spinner. The good news is that there's never been a better time to thinking about doing up that old Spanish finca, Italian casa or French farmhouse, as the cost of restoring a property has fallen by a third, and architects are chomping at the bit to get started on interesting projects, especially as many have seen the desire for their services hit almost non-existent levels. In this month's issue we talk to those in the know about whether you can really achieve grand designs at bargain prices. Elsewhere we look at why you can still bank on Switzerland, meet an English couple who have set up a new life farming goats in Andalucia, find out more about what's going on in the property markets of Altinkum, Toronto, Georgia USA, Southern Italy and Portugal's Algarve, and discover Laura Hamilton's new favourite place - the Charente-Maritime. Enjoy this month's issue.