The Facts Behind Buying Overseas Property

Should you be considering buying overseas property?

Given that you are reading this web page, the chances are you are either thinking about buying property abroad, or you already have bought property abroad and you are thinking about buying more.

One of the key things to consider with international investment property, is whether the return on your investment will be higher abroad than it is in the UK.

If you are not fairly certain that the return on your investment will be significantly higher than it would be in the UK, then you need to seriously consider whether investing abroad would be a wise thing for you to do.

An exception to this rule would be if you plan to live in the property either in the future or as a holiday home. If this is the case then it is probably acceptable to bring your emotions into play a little (in fact you probably won’t be able to help yourself.)

Successful property investing, usual comes about through making none emotional decisions.

but when you plan to live somewhere you need to make sure that you are going to be happy. However, for the rest of this article we will assume that you are looking to buy property in another country purely for investment purposes and not for your own use. It will outline things to beware of and/or to consider when buying overseas property.

Rental Potential

If you are going to have the property as a long term investment you need to know what the rental potential is in the area.

You are probably going to be parting with a huge some of money in the form of a deposit and you are probably going to have a big mortgage on the property, so you need to make sure that you have done the right due diligence beforehand.

It’s amazing how many experienced investors make the mistake of buying overseas property, blindly. For some reason all the business acumen and skills they have learnt through out their years as a property investor, goes out the window as soon as they look to buy property abroad.

You have to treat buying overseas property, just the same as you would if you where buying UK investment property. The following is a small list of things to keep in mind.

• Will the rent you receive cover the mortgage and all other costs
• Who is your target tenant, is it locals or is it holiday makers
• What are the average void periods you can expect for the type of property you are buying in the location you are buying it
• Will you be managing everything yourself or are you going to get a local or non-local property management company involved
• What is the recommended type of property to let out in the area, is it furnished or unfurnished, apartments, houses, villas etc.

These are just a few of the things to consider.

Economic Climate

Is the country you are planning to invest in, economically stable?

You, have to be very careful here. The truth is that some of the best bargains can be had in countries that are not yet economically stable. Transition countries that have had a huge change, can prove to be great places to invest, for example, ex-communist countries or countries where a long term dictator has just died or given up power.

However, these countries can also prove to be the biggest risk since they are not yet economically stable and the intentions of the new government might not be clear.

Try and stick with countries that are recognised by the World powers as wanting to be part of the World community to make the World a better place.

Countries that show no inclination to join World organisations such as the United Nations or the European Union should be treated with caution. The last thing that you want is to put thousands of pounds of your money into property in a country only for the government of that country to take the property from you, whenever they feel like it, and give you no compensation in return.

It is also advisable to stay away from countries that are going through some sort of civil unrest. If there is going to be an uprising, how will you as a foreign investor be viewed if the uprising is successful. If the government in a country gets overthrown by the people, many countries go trough a period of reclaiming back land and property from foreign investors.

Tax

Just because you are buying overseas property doesn’t mean that there will be know tax to pay. You must consult with a tax specialist who is used to dealing with investors who invest abroad in the particular country you are looking at.

The rules as regards to tax can vary from country to country and some countries have an agreement with the UK that insures you don’t get taxed twice. If you don’t check, then you might be unfortunate enough to be taxed on your investment abroad as well as also being taxed on it at home as well.

So is Investing in Property Abroad a Good Idea?

If you follow the guidelines on this page and you do your research well, buying overseas property can prove to be extremely financially rewarding. However, if you make a wrong decision, then it can cripple you financially for years to come.

The Best International Property Investing Advice

The best advice is to not be complacent. Do your research well, just like you would when buying property in the UK.

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Do not blindly trust anyone. That includes international property investment companies and agents. There are huge amounts of commissions being made by people that deal in selling overseas property. Hence, when buying overseas property, you need to make sure that the people you are dealing with aren’t going to make a quick buck from you, then leave you high and dry.

Take your time; do not let anyone pressure you into investing in property abroad.

Investing abroad should probably only be undertaken if you have excess cash. No money down deals are not always as common to come by. They may exist, but you will need to learn how the local economy works and how to work these deals properly. Many professional property investors only consider venturing into buying overseas property once they have established a solid UK based property portfolio.

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