Stephen Womack, Mail on Sunday

THOUGH Wendy Rogers-Jones has yet to make the final move to her villa near Alicante, she dreams of the day when she can quit Britain for good.

Wendy, 48, a hospice nurse from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, bought her Spanish property a few years ago using an inheritance. Since then, she and her husband, Robin, 38, have put in a swimming pool. All payments for the property have been made through foreign exchange specialist Worldwide Currencies in Bromley, Kent.

'It's a great service,' says Wendy. 'I phone and always speak to the same person. She tells me the exchange rate - it is always better than the rate available at High Street banks - and the funds arrive in my bank account in Spain the same day.'

WWC allows customers to book a slice of currency at that day's exchange rate, even if the transfer does not take place immediately.

France: Purchase costs for existing properties average eight%, while costs for buying a new home are about three% of the asking price because there is no stamp duty.

However, the price of a new home will include VAT at 18.6%. If you sell at a profit within five years, you may have to pay VAT on the profit.

Spain: Purchase costs include a transfer tax of seven% of the agreed price, plus notary and land registry fees of about £1,000 for a £150,000 purchase.

If you arrange a mortgage, there will be stamp duty (2.5% on a €100,000 loan) plus legal fees of about £1,500 and notary fees of £950. Estate agents' fees are included in the asking price, which the purchaser pays.

USA: AS a rule of thumb, allow 5% of the purchase price for transaction costs if buying with a mortgage. Cash buyers should budget for 3%. Typically, sellers pay for title searches, surveys and taxes on title deeds. Non-residents might also be asked to pay three or six months of mortgage payments up front.