Buying Property Abroad

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Buying Property Abroad

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Overseas Property:
Buying & Selling

Whether you are thinking of selling or buying a house abroad, it’s important to understand that the process may be different from that of the process in your own country. The world is now more accessible than ever before and so, whether you are buying a second home, investing in an up and coming market, or are looking to take advantage of house prices, you need to ensure you make the right decisions to avoid the pitfalls that can await. A key factor in selling or buying property abroad is the foreign exchange rates, and transferring money overseas. When dealing with overseas property investment, especially from the UK, you will need to exchange currencies and send and receive funds from abroad. If managed well the process can be smooth and beneficial, but without expert guidance you can end up losing thousands of pounds from the transaction. This is where NewbridgeFX can help you to manage the risks and guide you through the process.

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Overseas Property
Key Factors

Speak to a specialist at NewbridgeFX who can guide you through your overseas property transaction to buy property overseas.

Exchange Rates

You want to receive the best possible exchange rate when converting currencies. For every £100,000 a 1% move will have an impact of £1,000, so not achieving the best possible rate can be expensive.

Currency Rates

Buying property overseas includes the additional process of the currency rate fluctuations, that can be a hinderance as solicitors and the notaries are conducting the legal proceedings. If you were to buy a property worth €200,000 and were putting a deposit down, where you could get €1.25 to the pound, this property would now be worth £160,000. This sounds great until the currency markets fluctuate before the legal proceeding have finished and the exchange rate is €1.10 to the pound. Your €200,000 property would now cost you £181,800, resulting in a loss of £21,800.

If you are unable to find this money it can mean losing out on the home, you’ve always dreamed of. There are ways to protect yourself from exchange rate volatility, from forward contracts, spot contracts and even a market order. Speak to one of our specialists to find out which option would be the right fit for you so you can live the dream of buying a house abroad.

Notary Fees

This can seem like a hidden fee, as it’s not something that we come across very often in the UK, but it is common when buying property overseas in certain European countries. The notary is a representative of the state who authenticates and authorises different components of the buying process.

The notaries are a third party who ensures the contracts are drawn up as intended, that the deeds are deposited correctly and, in some cases, they perform a certain level of property searches. It’s easy to see why those who are buying property abroad are happy to pay for their services, as it adds a layer of added protection to the process.

The fees differ depending upon the country you’re buying property from:
The French notaries collect both a fee for themselves and tax for the state. The amount they charge for fees is based on the value of the property, with most people paying 0.799% for a property valued over €60,000. The taxes changed depending on whether the property you bought is new or a resale, under the ‘taxe de publicité foncière’, a new property is taxed at 0.71% and a resale at 5.81% plus the additional 0.10% for the ‘contribution de sécurité immobilière’.

Portugal has a fixed fee of €153 for the transaction and a further 0.75-1% for the cadastral value (the monetary value the authorities give each property) for the deed registration.

The Spanish notarial fees are set by the government but do vary due to the different services a property can required and this is on an individual basis. You can expect to pay around €600-875 for the fees and a further €400-700 to have the Title Deed inscribed into the Spanish Land Registry.

Italy has a simple system; you pay the equivalent of 2% of the property’s value on your first home and around 9% for a second home. This can increase if you choose to buy a property in the more expensive areas.

Payments

You will need to make payments to solicitors, the owner or the seller, and anyone else involved in the property transaction. You shouldn’t be paying payment or transfer fees to send or receive money.

Timing

The process of buying a house overseas or selling can take a long time. You need to ensure that foreign exchange fluctuations do not impact you in a negative way. Risk management tools are useful to mitigate these risks and give you peace of mind.

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Overseas Property:
Considerations

What do I need to consider when buying or selling an overseas property?

Selling and buying property abroad is not a process that you undertake without prior research or before seeking advice, because there are many factors to consider. One wrong decision could impact your finances and so, you need to ensure you get the right advice and guidance. Key factors such as tax implications, the legal system, the processes, and the foreign exchange market can drive the entire process.

Having to contend with this can prove challenging and that’s why you need to get help where possible. This is particularly true when it comes to navigating the complex world of foreign exchange rates, and making or receiving payments. While the process as a whole might seem simple on the outside, it is more complex than that and that’s why you need to take control of the process of transferring money.

To achieve this, there are many things to consider such as exchange rates, transfer fees, efficiency, and the ability to manage what could be many different currencies.

Overseas Property:
Bank Rates

Don’t Succumb To Bank Exchange Rates

It might seem simple enough to make the relevant transfers or receive payments through your bank. But in practice, the exchange rates are not going to be favourable and you will end up paying more or receiving less. If you opt to use a foreign exchange specialist, such as NewbridgeFX, then we will help you to achieve the best results based on experience and real-time information.

What’s more, it will be possible to put in place risk management strategies. The strategies will be beneficial to our clients and based on their best interests. Such as using spot contracts, forward contracts, or market orders, or a combination of these, to achieve the best possible price, exchange rates, and service.

Along with this, if you choose to use a specialist service then you are not going to feel as only part of a large database. As a client, you are going to receive support and expert guidance tailored to your needs, which will ensure the process is effective and efficient while providing complete confidence.

The transfer of funds for overseas property investment can come with risk. Yet you can mitigate those risks by making the right decisions and relying on expertise. With competitive rates, market insight, and experience, you can ensure that you benefit and achieve the best possible price and service.

Case Study:
Buying Property Abroad

Overseas Property Purchase Case Study

This case study explores the problems faced by the Bentley Family who were buying property abroad. 

After finding their dream home in Portugal, the Bentley family had agreed on a price of 300,000 Euros with the sellers. The exchange rate offered by their bank was 1.06 Euros to the Pound, which meant that their property was costing them £283,018. They felt that the rate was quite low and the GBP price was too expensive, so they decided to consider their options.

The Bentleys came to Newbridge Foreign Exchange and we looked at their problem. It was clear that the exchange rate offered was not the best possible rate. It is common for banks to apply a high margin to the exchange rate which means the client can overpay. Using our expertise, we were able to achieve a more competitive rate of 1.11 Euros and that meant the cost of their property had dropped to £270,270. In this instance, the Bentleys immediately sent the funds to the sellers’ solicitors, yet if they were not in a position to do so then we could have booked them a forward contract to ensure the exchange rate, and the extra saving of £12,748, was secure until the completion date.

Newbridge Foreign Exchange were able to help the Bentleys to make a significant saving when buying their overseas property. This is because in most cases, a foreign exchange specialist, such as NewbridgeFX, can often offer better rates but also offer options that allow them to fix in rates to ensure that they continue to benefit for an agreed period of time.

FAQ:
Buying a property

Products:
Manage Risk

NewbridgeFX offers a specialist service in the deliverable foreign exchange market, promoting a range of products and services, available online or over the phone. Our products have been designed to meet the needs of our clients when sending money overseas, and are ways for businesses, and individuals, to manage and mitigate currency risk. 

Spot Contract

Lock in an exchange rate for immediate onward settlement. Funds can be received the same day.

Forward Contract

Lock in an exchange rate today, but for settlement at a later date that suits you, up to 12 months in the future.

Market Order

We monitor the markets real time and take action to trade between currencies when your desired rate is achieved.

Rate Alerts

Set an alert for phone or email notification when a rate has been achieved to take advantage at the best time.

Benefits:
NewbridgeFX

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Multi-Currency Account In Your Company Name

Receive funds from your customers in to your own named collection account, using one account number for all currencies, or a local in-country account number still in your company name.

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Create And Manage All Your Beneficiaries

Add and manage your beneficiaries, perform bank account validation & verification checks as you enter your beneficiary details & bulk upload multiple beneficiaries via a CSV file.

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Make Fast & Secure Payments To Over 200 Countries

Real time Swift and local payments are settled the same day, within minutes of processing (currency/country dependant), and payment tracking capabilities allow you to keep updated on the payment status.

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Multi-Currency Balances

Hold multiple currencies and access balance information in supported currencies. Receive, convert, send and move money between your multi-currency accounts without making payments.

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Convert Over 100 Currencies, 24/7, Using Multiple Devices

We provide informative, up to date market news, including updates on currency movements, upcoming economic events and announcements that impact the foreign exchange market.

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Real-time Reporting And Tracking

View and track all conversions, payments and incoming funds using our online platform, and receive email notifications when funds have been received, conversions processed and payments released.

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