Laura Hamilton 'I bought my first holiday home abroad and demolished it'
HOL NO A Place In The Sun's Laura Hamilton on buying her first property abroad – how she's saved thousands & avoided pitfalls
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A PLACE in the Sun presenter Laura Hamilton has been finding Brits their perfect holiday homes for the last 14 years - and now she's (kind of) living the dream, after buying her own house in Majorca.
But the six-bedroom townhouse has come with its fair share of headaches - as the property expert is keen to share with any Brits who might be looking to do the same.
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Laura Hamilton is currently renovating her first renovation project abroad
Credit: instagram/@laurahamiltontv
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Laura bought a six bed townhouse but is changing it to four beds and two baths
Credit: Instagram/@mypropertyabroad
Laura is currently appearing at the A Place in the Sun Live exhibition, where experts help property buyers find their dream home overseas - but shockingly, Laura has only just bought her first one abroad too.
In August 2024, she picked up the home in Pollensa, a town in northern Majorca and renovations are still very much underway.
Laura told Sun Travel: "It's so different when it comes to renovating overseas - a whole other ball game.
"I've done a big part of the demolition, first of all I had to strip the whole thing out because I told the owners to leave everything and I'd clear it out.
"It's a six bedroom townhouse, which sounds huge, but it isn't and it was really higgledy-piggledy. The back part of the house has now been demolished to create a courtyard garden. Inside I'm reconfiguring it all to be a four bed, two bath house."
The original plans had incorporated a pool, but now will be a hot tub instead. Laura also discovered her property had a roof terrace after she bought it, but said it was an "added bonus".
Due to her job and that she lives in the UK, Laura hasn't been able to be involved in the project 24/7.
But she has been getting out to Majorca as often as possible to help with the renovation and has been keeping everyone up to date with the progress on social media.
Laura added: "You need a lot of patience because you have to follow the rules and regulations.
"You need to do a lot of research before doing a project overseas. What I will say is like any property you buy, you should get a survey."
I starred on A Place In The Sun and bought my forever home in Spain for £45k
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Laura discovered that her property had a roof terrace after buying it
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The back of the house has been demolished to create a courtyard garden
Credit: Instagram/@mypropertyabroad
Laura added: "Something else that I would say is to get the right mortgage. There are some amazing mortgages available out there.
"Mine was three per cent fixed for 25 years. For me it was a fantastic option which has allowed me to do the project and not sink all my money into it."
Another word of warning from Laura is to be prepared to spend more than you expect, and you'll need to find your own builders and tradespeople.
Laura said: "You can't take UK tradespeople over from the UK, over to Spain or the Balearics unless they have a Spanish business."
Something else any future property owners need to be aware of when making changes is to obtain permits and approvals from local authorities first.
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The house had to be completely cleared before renovations started
Credit: Instagram/@mypropertyabroad
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Laura's children Tahlia and Rocco has taken a trip out to see the house too
Credit: Instagram / @laurahamiltontv
You still need to comply with building regulations and environmental standards before making any changes to properties.
There are possible further costs involved when buying abroad, like tax, legal fees and international bank transfer fees.
Laura has been renovating houses for years, and in 2017, she even took on a project that was a post office and cafe in Purley called Lord Roberts on the Green.
Buying a property abroad was a big decision for Laura, but there's a special reason as to why she chose Majorca.
Laura explained: "Majorca was actually the first destination that I went to with my daughter, when she was three weeks old.
"Now my children are older, Tahlia is ten and Rocco is eleven, I wanted another challenge, and the timing was right.
"That goes for lots of people who buy property overseas, it's about timing. For anyone looking, the timing is good now in terms of property prices.
"In a way I regret not buying abroad sooner because property prices have increased enormously since I joined A Place in the Sun. I'd say to anyone thinking about buying a place abroad, do it now."
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Calvari Steps Pollensa is one well-known in Pollensa and leads to a small chapel
Credit: Alamy
Laura's new Majorcan home is 10 minutes from the beach, there's also a big expat community along with traditional Spanish cobbled streets and tapas bars.
The town of Pollensa is nestled between mountains and surrounded by green fields attracts tourists because of its classic Spanish feel.
It has charming cobbled streets and views of the Mediterranean Sea.
One famous site is the Calvari Steps Pollensa, it's up a side street that has 365 leading to a tiny church called the Calvario Chapel.
Pollensa is where Laura loves, but she also lists Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa as her favourite places across the island.
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The town is known for its authentic Spanish feel
Credit: Alamy
As for what Laura will be doing with her house when it's all completed, she simply told us, "I'll enjoy it."
There will be no renting out or having it as an Airbnb, instead, Laura will be using it as her own holiday home.
She added: "I want to use it, and my brother can go there. I want to take the children there. I've said in their bedrooms they can have twin beds so they can bring a friend away too."
Currently, Laura and her A Place in the Sun co-stars are appearing at their live event for the show's 20th anniversary.
For anyone who wants their own holiday home in the sun, there are experts on hand offering advice and still two remaining shows in Birmingham and Dublin.
You can browse properties from around the world and speak to estate agents and experts who are on hand to answer all of your questions about buying abroad.
The presenters, including Laura, will also make an appearance, and you can even do a screen test for future series of the show.
For more information on the A Place in the Sun Live head to aplaceinthesunevents.com.
Another project Laura is working on is her second series of the Mile Fly Club which will air on May 19, 2025. In series two, Laura will be chatting to Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Dame Kelly Holmes, Michelle Heaton, and lots more.
She delves into travel from hacks and tips to her own experiences, and that of her guests too.
It's not just Majorca that Laura loves - she's also fond of UK staycations.
And here's an underrated European town that Laura found through A Place in The Sun that people call 'paradise'.
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