IT'S a typically grey British day and a stream of incessant drizzle is the unappealing view from your window.

Close your eyes and where do you escape to? Sunny Spain? Florida's Gulf Coast? The French countryside? Or maybe you dream of a new life Down Under?

While many of us make do with a spot of wishful thinking every now and again, more and more disgruntled Brits are choosing to live out their dreams.

According to pensions' firm Prudential, a staggering 14.7 million Brits want to make the move and retire abroad, with Spain, Australia and France top of the wishlist.

But anyone preparing to turn their back on Britain is being warned of potential pitfalls that could turn their dream into a nightmare.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Graham and Sonia Higginson, of West Moors, are proof that the house-buying process can be just as fraught abroad as it is in this country.

The newly-married pair dreamed of retiring in Spain with the proceeds of the sale of Graham's bungalow in Barton-on-Sea.

But they have now been forced to rethink their entire future after their Spanish estate agent Audrey Dixon vanished with £130,000 of their life savings.

Graham, 60, said: "We went out for four days to complete the sale but were told there were one or two problems that would take a week or so to sort out. Dixon said we could pay the full amount to her to help things along.

"We didn't see any problems with this. The company Oasis Spanish Properties were a big firm and we didn't even think about being ripped off."

Dixon, believed to have conned at least 21 other UK victims, was summoned to appear before a judge in Vera, Almeria, but failed to turn up and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.

Toby Ashton, sales and marketing manager at Charminster-based Vera Gold, said people need to consider the golden rules when moving abroad.

Vera Gold sells properties in Almeria, the spot the Higginsons fell in love with, and are seeing an increasing number of people looking to leave Britain.

He said people should be wary of buying homes off-plan that have not yet got full planning permission and watch out for developers selling the worst plots first.

He said: "I would urge people to choose their agent wisely, preferably someone with a UK office and someone who has been in business for at least a couple of years.

"There's definitely a lot to be said for moving to Spain. Spanish law is not so different from English law so if you keep your head on your shoulders there's every chance you could find your dream home in the sun."

Jim Atkins, past president of the National Association of Estate Agents, helps people buy properties in Florida, Spain, Cyprus and Turkey at his chain of Atkins estate agents.

He said Cyprus and Turkey are particularly popular at the moment.

"If you're looking to buy abroad, don't just go out there and meet an estate agent," he warned.

"You're better off with a point of contact in the UK, preferably a member of the National Association of Estate Agents or the ombudsman scheme. Hopefully that way you are going to be dealing with a reputable firm.

"The next rule is to always consult a lawyer before you part with any money.

"You do get some people who go abroad, see the sunshine, property and lifestyle and think 'This is wonderful, let's do it.' You need to just be a bit more cautious and go about things in the right way."