Published by Jamie JemmesonBritons who bought into foreign property in Italy in recent years will have seen the sterling value of their assets appreciate considerably, research from Close Treasury has shown.According to the organisation, investors who bought property in Italy in June 2005 in an upfront sale transacted in euros will have witnessed a 65 per cent increase in value.However, buying into the American property market at the same moment would have resulted in a loss of five per cent, due to the combination of falling house prices and a weaker dollar seen in the wake of the US housing crisis.Investors who bought into property markets in countries such as Brazil and New Zealand may also have witnessed strong gains, as many high-yield currencies have fared well during the economic crisis.Close Treasury spokesperson Mark Taylor advised: "Even though overseas property prices tend to have fallen in the last year, in many cases the fall in the value of Sterling will have offset this, and many people may still have seen the value of their homes increase."For more information on purchasing currency for regular or one-off payments, visit our Personal FX site