Spain: from €248,800: Wyse & Co is the latest Irish estate agent to jump on the overseas property bandwagon. The company is now selling apartments in a front-line coastal location in the town of Altea, on Spain's Costa Blanca.

Having focused on the home investment market for the past 20 years, the company decided to look abroad for better returns. Sourcing investment properties in European capitals is their next project and, with a track record in property management, Wyse is well-placed to arrange a rental package.

Altea Hills is in the northern part of this region, 40 minute's drive from Alicante airport. At its heart is Altea, a quiet town with a reputation for crafts and theatre, a short drive from bustling Benidorm.

This large-scale project is by Ballester, a developer well-regarded in Spain and backed by bank guarantees, says the selling agent.

Wyse is currently handling Oasis Beach, one of 10 schemes to be built at Altea Hills.

As the scheme's name suggests, this is a scarce beach-front development, literally yards from the shoreline.

Prices range from €248,800 to €588,000 for 112 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, distributed among four blocks. Sizes are good, from 91-198 sq m (980-2,130 sq ft).

The finish promises to be first-class, with air-conditioning, heating and marble floors throughout. Construction is under way and completions are expected from mid-2005 onwards.

Residents will have the use of three communal pools surrounded by landscaped gardens. Nearby at Villa Gadea, Ballester is building a hotel and spa resort which is expected to open in April 2005. Also at Altea Hills is the Melia five-star hotel and spa.

In a later phase, townhouses and villas will be built on an elevated position with panoramic views of the sea and the new marina.

The benefits of this location include frequent year-round flights from Dublin and an average of 300 days of sunshine per year - a notion hard to resist on a dark December day.