Hi Huw, If I knew how to scan I would, but sadly I don't. The article is on page 5 of the House & Home section. Next to an article on page 4 devoted to Lithuania. Pages 4-5 of this section are entitled 'Property Hotspots'. I doubt it will tell you anything you don't know already, but I guess it's always nice to see a reasonably positive article. Cheers, Dave. ps will definitely ask PS for email details.

Hi Minsk Purchase was agreed just over a year ago at 72,425 SKK per sqm (at the time around £1,300, now around £1,420 due to exchange rate). It's a 2 bed 78 sqm apartment on corner of Nedbalova and Laurinska (opposite Lexxus offices). Right in the pedestrian area and well located for trams etc nearby. Compared to a lot of older property I saw it's very proportionately and logically laid out. Full refurb including stripping out, replastering, reconstructing parquet flooring, tiles, kitchen, bathroom etc c£15k. This is to a high standard as we hope to let to expats or on short term holiday lets. Don't know what prices are doing currently but suspect they are around 15% higher. Be interested to have any feedback on this but am probably going out myself in a couple of weeks. Huw

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal there. I had wondered because I had seen a few apartments in the pedestrianised zone going for £2000 upwards per m2, VERY optimistically, but yours seems like a good price. I wish I had found something like that myself in my visits to Bratislava. My apartments are slightly outside the pedestrianised zone, although I still reckon they are well located.

Hi All Just wanted to let you know there is a Slovakia, Country Report in FT on Tues 20th Feb. I have other comments but they will have to follow. Cheers, Asher

Hi Huw Would you be so kind to forward contact details of the builder who did your refurb work in Bratislava. I am thinking of buying a flat in the old town and could do with a quote. Did the £15,000 include heating and air con ? Cheers Tim

Hi Tim Happy to do so but this would be infringing the rules of the forum. Please can you ask PS to give you my email details and email me privately and I'll give you the details. The apartment already had heating (most of the old blocks have communal heating). I explored the idea of aircon but not the norm so chose not to. I can always add it later if it proves necessary. I'm going out on Tuesday to see the finished job and can mention you if you contact me. Huw

Hi Dave: I am in the same position as you re: crossroads. I bought a 2 bed apt.It has been a total nightmare, i.e. mortgages etc. Unfortuantely,like so many props in Eastern Europe there are so many hidden costs! that just keep popping up. Anyway, I had an email from hypocentrum saying that the agency Lexxus (PS were dealing with them)wanted to buy apartments from investors on this project who were wishing to sell as there was a demand for them in the local market. I am just going to grind through this one and see what happens. Slovakia hope to convert to the Euro in 2009 and I think that things will change dramatically after that. I have been to see that block, have you.? It is only a tram ride into the centre of town. This is an area that will improve by time

Hi Lynn, I also bought into the Crossroads development (as did our CEO, Neil Lewis), so I have a strong vested interest in this development's future. I got the email from Hypocentrum as well, offering Lexxus's sales services. I agree that now isn't the time to sell. I also spotted this post by another buyer (Asher), which is good news: http: / /www .propertysecrets .net /topic /8788 .html All the best Peter

Hi Peter and Asher: How can I get hold of the FT Country Report on Slovakia dated 20 Feb? Lynn

Hi Lynn, Strange as it may seem (given my initial post), I remain very positive about the property market in Slovakia, and Bratislava in particular. I agree with you about the costs associated with the purchase. On reflection, it would have been more cost effective to have spent a bit more (say £100k) on a decent unit nearer the centre. The costs (many of which are fixed) represent quite a sizeable proportion of the total purchase price - especially for the smaller units in the Crossroads deal. Having run the numbers, it really doesn't seem to make any sense at all to sell now - even though the Slovak crown has strengthened greatly, which is good news. The price of units (thanks in no small part to favourable currency movements) is now up by about 15% by my calculations. Factor in costs, however, and it's clear that retirement pad in the Bahamas will have to wait a little bit longer... I still think it's reasonable to expect prices to double over a period of 5-8 years. Just need to sit tight and hope for the best on rentals (the latter being where the research was mainly lacking at the outset on this deal). The difficulty for PS with Bratislava is that you need to be in BA1 for a cast iron rental market - and there is next to no new build available there. I don't buy the argument put forward by PS that Bratislava is a relatively unattractive market due to max lending of 70% LTV. At least 1 bank is now offering up to 90% LTV. Also, the property price growth in Bratislava must surely be a lot more real than some of the growth we have seen in Polish cities - which is another positive for re-sale. All the best, Dave. ps - I would disregard much of what Lexxus say! There's a lot of bluff going on there.