Insurance for a holiday home becomes a lot less straightforward when the property in question is located outside the Republic, even when it is just north of the Border.

The simple truth is that most brokers will be reluctant to handle insurance cover, even on an advisory basis, in a market with which they are not intimately familiar.

There is method in their caution since local conditions, such as weather or crime, will always impact on insurance costs. It will be hard for a broker in Bundoran to keep his finger on the pulse of Barcelona, for example, particularly if the holiday home is to be rented for part of the year.

"I always recommend people to insure locally," says Mr Michael Brown of Kidd Insurances. "It's too complicated to try and insure from here, particularly if there's a claim."

The good news is that most agents for holiday properties abroad will undertake to assist in the process of finding insurance in the relevant market, or will present insurance contacts as part of the overall purchase package.

Ms Noreen Hynes, who markets holiday properties in Spain, Portugal and Florida, says most foreign mortgage advisers will offer insurance packages as the mortgage is negotiated.

While this system may not lend itself to the practice of shopping around for the best price, it will offer an element of reliability for the home-owner.

"More or less I think it's better," says Ms Hynes, who reminds all holiday homeowners that properties being rented must be defined as such in the relevant insurance policy.