Lithuania is growing in popularity with each year, and comparisons between Vilnius and Prague are becoming all the more common. The economy is stable and has been so since the country attained independence – barring a slump during the Russian financial crisis in 1998, which Lithuania bounced back from admirably. GDP has been growing constantly for the last few years, property prices are on the rise – averaging around 25 percent increases and the Lita is pegged to the Euro: it really is an economically viable option for the potential off plan investor. Recent membership to the EU and NATO has only strengthened the economy and looks set to help the country grow even more in coming years, and proposed adoption of the Euro would mean the economy would be bound to grow even more. Growth in the last 12 months in the real estate sector for the Baltic States was the biggest of any country in the EU. There certainly are a lot of good reasons from a purely monetary point of view.

The capital Vilnius has seen property prices increase consistently over the last few years, with city centre properties experiencing growth rates of up to 50 percent. The modern city is full of a young, enthusiastic and intelligent workforce, and prices are more than reasonable – though they are not at the simply ridiculous levels they were at in the early ‘90s. New houses and apartments are constantly being built, and demand far outstrips supply meaning most properties sell out before they have even been built. Prices in Kaunas are comparable to those in Vilnius, but elsewhere things are cheaper, with rural retreats offering up some absolute steals.

Lithuania is a country popular with foreign investors, and the strategic location of the country shows why – it is an arterial route from Western Europe to the East, Scandinavia and Russia. The people are friendly, the country is relatively cheap and the property market is easy to navigate for foreigners thanks to liberalising reforms implemented through the last decade. A potential off plan investor could do a lot worse than putting their money into Lithuania, and the beautiful country is growing in popularity more with each year.