Buying overseas...help!

With a "not so amazing salary" and no equity in property to release, I think you're up against it and I'm not sure that self-cert, unless you lie about your income [which people do but, BTW, COULD be fraud], would make much difference. Generally there are a few options [bear in mind I'm no broker or expert, just someone who has owned abroad]:

Option 1 - remortgage & release equity is out - you don't own property.
Option 2 - borrow in the UK against the o/seas property. Check out your own bank or Building Society. Many more mainstream lenders [LTSB, Abbey to name but 2] will now lend abroad BUT generally the loan will be based on your income here and secured against the prop there. If you've got lump sum savings that may help but your income may count against you.
Option 3 - Borrow in the country you buy in. Spain, for example,you can borrow 80% of the property value so you need 20% deposit. Repayments would be in local currency so you would need to change £'s to whatever's regularly [which can be done easily but does carry exchange rate risks] or have a guarateed source of income in local currency. Without the latter [maybe a water-tight letting contract] or proof of good UK income levels, foreign banks are unlikely to lend.

Buying abroad seems like a great idea but, apart from property poss being cheaper to buy, you will also have to consider running costs on top of mortgage payments. Our apartment cost about £4k pa to run when being let full time, probably about half that if it had been standing empty.

On the plus side it paid for itself, paid our hols & some spending money, made a good return on our investment when we sold but we were both earning decent salaries when we bought and had equity in our UK prop to release.

Best of luck with your endevours.

Quicky, Teddy as I'm due out shortly.
Cheapest is probably option 3 [Euro interest rates lower] - but note drawbacks. If you have a renting CONTRACT may well be the best, if you have an agent/developer telling you they'll rent x weeks pa it's probably bullsh*t to sell the prop. If your income from letting is in £'s probably not a good idea.
Next would be remortgage your UK prop - some cracking fixed rates about at the moment, will depend on earnings and will reduce the equity you have here for other purposes [extending, downsizing etc]. Valuation will be done by lender but EA's should give you an idea - if the amount takes you over 90/95% of value, could be a problem. Read the various threads on re-mort's to get a better idea.
Last in terms of cheapness but sometimes best for other reasons is 2. Loan is secured against o/seas prop [so your equity is intact] but your earnings will be taken into account. Don't know up to date interest rates but when I did it +1 to 1.5% above BofE base was the norm. Higher fees because of o/seas lawyers etc.
Hopefully one of the very, very nice brokers who lurk will happen along with more details - but where you want to buy may influence their advice, so may be as well posting that.