It’s not just tennis players who should be inspired by Wimbledon champions – anyone searching for a second home in the UK or abroad could start by seeing where the heroes of SW19’s Centre Court choose to splash their cash on property.

Article written by The Overseas Guides Company

“Both the Gentlemen’s’ and Ladies’ Singles Champions will each receive prize money of £1.76 million at Wimbledon this year,” said Richard Way, Editor of OverseasGuidesCompany.com. “And how many of us would love to go property hunting with a budget like that! It’s easy to see how the world’s leading tennis stars can afford to snap up a few homes around the world.”

Here, OverseasGuidesCompany.com highlights some of the property investments made by the four most recent men’s Wimbledon champions and suggests affordable options that would suit more average budgets.

2013 winner: Andy Murray
A few months before Murray became the first British person to win Wimbledon in 77 years, the Scottish champion acquired a country hotel three miles from his hometown of Dunblane. Reopening in Spring 2014, Cromlix is set in 34 acres of woodlands and garden grounds, with its own chapel and house loch. It boasts a Chez Roux restaurant, five suites and ten bedrooms, gate lodge accommodation, two drawing rooms, a reception hall, conservatory, dining room, and snooker and meeting rooms.
Alternative: Fractional ownership of a hotel room or suite – prices can often be below £20,000, depending on the size of the share. These often come with guaranteed returns and a buy-back option. Visit OverseasInvestorGuide.com to browse opportunities to invest in hotels in Wales and France.

2012 winner: Roger Federer Seven-times champion, Federer has a collection of boutique homes that includes a large ski property in the eastern Swiss canton of Graubünden. The property, which he had built, is in the charming resort of Valbella, near the town of Chur, and comprises two linked luxury chalets. Roger also has an apartment in Dubai.
Alternative: For a ski pad, the French Alps have more choice of affordable properties, and without the quotas on foreign owners that Swiss resorts have. France also offers the option to purchase through a leaseback scheme.

2011 winner: Novak Djokovic
Number one seed at Wimbledon this year, Serbian Novak lives in an apartment in the tax-friendly millionaire playground of Monte Carlo, Monaco. He wakes up to views of the Mediterranean and has the exclusive Monte Carlo Country Club a short lob away.
Alternative: Hop back over the border into France, and prices plummet, but the Mediterranean views remain. Centrally located apartments in the sweet resort of Menton, a few kilometres east of Monaco, are available from circa £300,000.

2010 winner: Rafael Nadal
Born and raised in Mallorca, where the legendary Boris Becker also has a property, Rafa seems nowhere more at home than on the popular Balearic island. His family still reside in the town of Manacor but Rafa has his own villa 10 minutes away in the pretty beach resort of Porto Cristo. To really escape, the tennis star also owns a villa in an exclusive corner of the Dominican Republic.
Alternative: For more choice of quality apartments available for less than £150,000 head to Cala d’Or, down the coast from Porto Cristo. Visit SpainBuyingGuide.com for help buying a home in Mallorca or mainland Spain.

If you are buying property in France or Spain, or any other overseas destination and will need to transfer Sterling to a euro – or other foreign currency – account to pay for your purchase, consider using Smart Currency Exchange, as they consistently offer better exchange rates than banks. For more information on this, visit the Currency Zone or download Smart’s free report here.