Following months of research, the team at Channel 4 decided that Romania was the country most likely to produce the highest profit for investors. Let's look at what drove the analysts to this conclusion and why investing in Romania is seen as such a smart move!

Research conducted on Romania suggested that property prices are set to rise by as much as 500 percent, in the next ten years, encouraging property investors looking for excellent long-term prospects.

Investing in Romania actually offers a wide range of opportunities for investors. There are three key options when it comes to property investment, across Romania: city, sun or ski.

Bucharest, as the capital of Romania, is one of the fastest growing economic areas and has managed to attract substantial inward investment from international companies, lately. This growth has been driven largely by the increased political stability and, therefore, willingness from both the US and UK to invest in the region.

In Bucharest, most properties are geared towards professionals. Consequently, the most popular types of rentals will be one or two bedroom flats that are well finished and offer a central location for those who are making their mark in the new economic capital.

Another option for those considering investing in Romania is to look at the Black Sea coastal regions. This is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, due to the superb scenery that is largely untouched and therefore still provides a superb getaway.

Although there are now some new builds popping up and off-plan opportunities available for property investors, the vast majority of development opportunities are older style properties which are now ripe for development as holiday homes, flats or even hotel accommodation.

Skiers are also beginning to recognise the beauty and attraction of Romanian ski resorts and the numerous areas that are suitable for skiers of all abilities. In a similar way to the Black Sea resorts, off-plan properties are now starting to pop up in the ski resorts, offering state of the art apartments and tourist-style accommodation.

However, there are still plenty of larger properties available that are suitable for conversion into larger villas or holiday homes. Particularly popular resorts include Predeal and Sinaia.

Those interested in investing in Romania can strike lucky if they are prepared to carry out a substantial amount of the renovation work, as accommodation standards are not generally as advanced as in other countries such as the UK or US.

This offers those looking to make gains from renovation, as well as market growth, the opportunity to excel in this explosive region.

Romania is set to join the EU in the next few years and, following the trends of other countries that have recently joined the EU, this is likely to mean that investing in Romania is a certain way of making long-term capital gains from property.