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Hi all, great to be part of the group. I have been based overseas for some years and with at least another 18 months in the same situation before a return to the UK permanently, my wife and I are keen to start a BTL property portfolio... BUT.. with the extra 2+3% SDLT and knowing that we'll be back in the higher rate tax bracket on return, struggling to make the numbers stack up on the monthly yield. The income is not a requirement at the moment and more to leave in the bank and build towards the next property deposit. I would welcome any thoughts as to what should be a good target yield (or monetary figure) net all payments and taxes that should be considered 'safe', as we have no real knowledge of potential maintenance costs etc of apartments / houses in the UK. Considering that the Ltd Co would be the best route to go , any recommendations of companies / accountants that have provided a good service for individuals in a similar situation? Many thanks in advance Grant

Hi all, great to be part of the group. I have been based overseas for some years and with at least another 18 months in the same situation before a return to the UK permanently, my wife and I are keen to start a BTL property portfolio... BUT.. with the extra 2+3% SDLT and knowing that we'll be back in the higher rate tax bracket on return, struggling to make the numbers stack up on the monthly yield. The income is not a requirement at the moment and more to leave in the bank and build towards the next property deposit. I would welcome any thoughts as to what should be a good target yield (or monetary figure) net all payments and taxes that should be considered 'safe', as we have no real knowledge of potential maintenance costs etc of apartments / houses in the UK. Considering that the Ltd Co would be the best route to go , any recommendations of companies / accountants that have provided a good service for individuals in a similar situation? Many thanks in advance Grant

Hi, can somebody please help me. It has not happened yet, but if we moved abroad (and I was to become a resident in another country) - how will I be taxed on my property income? The portfolio is split and we have some in personal name and some in the limited company. It is an option in the next few years that we relocate to Europe and I wanted to know how that would impact my tax position as I currently use the portfolio as my main source of income. Any advise would be much appreciated.

Hi. I am a British expat living in Dubai and I’m looking to buy a retirement property for my grandmother to live in but I’m struggling to get a mortgage - not had any positive feedback from my broker yet! I am told the key factors are the following: The property I’ve found is only £90k It’s a retirement home I’m an expat Its in Scotland and the rules are different for retirement homes Any advice or suggested lenders would be welcomed. Not sure if I’m best going for residential or BTL. Thanks in advance

Hi! My partner is considering a job in China. We have one property in the UK where we live. It's on a residential mortgage and currently 3 years into a 5-year deal. We need to run the numbers to understand where we will stand if we go ahead with the move. I'd appreciate any feedback on the initial checklist I have... Speak to our mortgage broker about options to switch to a buy to let or getting permission to let. Speak to an accountant about the income tax that will be due on the property given my our circumstances (working/paying tax in China). Check-in with a few agents to see if our rental expectations are realistic. I've been an accidental landlord in the past so got a good handle on maintenance/management etc. My main concern is that was a long time go without the complexity of being an expat, joint property owner and when tax on interest payments was deductible. Would also be great to hear from anyone who's been in a similar situation Cheers!

Hi All, I am new to Property Hub. I am about to purchase my first BTL property. I am a UK citizen however have been working outside the UK since 2014. I have read up quite a bit about Section 24 and other tax on landlords / BLT income etc. however have not been able to find anything that reflects my situation. I do not have any earnings in the UK or EU and therefore am not paying any income tax. I have also completed a P46 upon leaving the UK registering myself as no longer living in the UK. I want to know if I be liable for tax on my BTL earnings if they are in a personal name? Also what would the threshold be before I start paying tax and what are the triggers that lead to taxation for someone in my situation? Thanks in advance for any advice received.

Hi PH, I had started listening to the Podcast last year for the first time and almost caught up now and in a position to (try) and buy my first investment property in the UK. Without going into too much detail, I'm an expat and looking for a BTL expat mortgage for a property that is likely to be between GBP75,000 - 85,000. I have a deposit (25%/30%) for a property in this purchase price range, otherwise I would consider a more expensive property. I'm looking to take action which the deposit I have and purchase something this year. However, I am struggling to source a Mortgage Provider who is willing to lend on such a 'low' purchase price. I'm in discussions with a Broker but they have only given two providers who would consider this price range. Is anyone able to advise/recommend any other providers who would consider this price range or a broker who specializes in BTL expat mortgages? Appreciate any constructive comments and feedback. Thank you. Regards, Andrew

Hi everybody! My husband and I are looking to get a BTL in Scotland (we have some contacts there). We're not homeowners and are wondering what's the best to do, buying through a joint personal mortgage or through a limited company. Our mortgage broker said that possibilities are very limited for us buying through a ltd, plus interest rate will be higher. Our idea is to build a small portfolio. Would it make sense to start with one property on a joint personal mortgage and see how things go? It looks that is more expensive to start with a limited company. I guess the problem would be that later we would have to sell this property to our limited company if we change mind in the future. Any advice from your side? Any recommendation for an accountant in London for a 1off consultation? What's a fair price for this kind of consultation? Thanks in advance to everybody! Teresa

Hi I've just become a member of Property Hub (and have now made a few posts!). I am an expat living in Norway and own 4 flats in Ealing in West London and am now looking to expand my small portolio. Up until now I've done my own bookkeeping and self assessment tax returns. I'm now wanting to get an accountant to give me some advice on minimising income tax, CGT and IHT and probably prepare my self assessment returns. I'm also of course looking into the possibility of making future purchases through a limited company. Through various forums and online research 2 specialist firms of property tax accountants have been mentioned and recommended: 1. Rita 4 Rent 2. Flyde Tax Accountants based in Blackpool headed by Stephen Fay I don't know whether anyone has come across either of these firms and would like to give some feedback on them - either on the forum or by private message (I think I'm eligible for this now as this is my 10th post). Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Richard

Hello Everyone, I am in the process of setting up an SPV Ltd as an expat. Looking for advice on mortgages for British expats looking to borrow into an SPV for UK property? What are the time scales for approving an application? what sort of rates/fees am I looking at? Any advice is warmly welcomed!

Hi all! I am glad to finally drop a line in this forum to introduce myself, after going through the whole back log of Property podcast... As it says in the title, I am a French citizen, leaving in Hong Kong for many years now. I have been familiarising myself with the UK property market so one day I could start diversify my property portfolio and invest overseas. My current portfolio is per below: A one bed flat near Disneyland Paris, bought off-plan in 2011, delivered in 2013 A two bed flat in Eastern Paris suburb, bought from a relative in 2017 A studio in Paris 10th arrondissement, to be refurbished and transform is a small 2 bed flat, purchased should finalise this month (Apr 2019) A 3 bed flat in Hong Kong, bought in 2019, main place of residence. I am specifically interested in the UK market because of the resilience of the economy, and strenght of the legal system. I also like the mortgage products available to property investors. In France, the model is very different, we have long tenure fixed rates, up to 25 years, but most of the mortgages are capital repayments, so very difficult to achieve positive monthly cashflows. I am primarily looking at northern England, and maybe Scotland for my first deal in the UK. I would be happy to help contribute on French property investment related topics. Anyhow, looking forward to chat further in this forum, A bientot!

Hi all, I'm new here, and found this site after a friend recommended the podcast. In short, I'm trying to find out if I should be paying tax or not. I am a UK expat of 8 years, living in the Middle East. I bought my first investment property last year for cash, through an investment company. I understand the even expats are required to pay tax if their property generates income IN the UK. However, the amount generated is below the tax threshold - around eight thousand pounds. Because the government website won't let me o my tax returns online - I have to use some third party software that they recommend. The software is telling me that I owe around one thousand three hundred pounds in tax. Does this seem correct? Also does anyone have any advice on how I can reduce the amount, or tell me if I need to pay anything at all? Thank you in advance for getting me started.

Hey im looking to invest in the uk through a ltd company with my twin sister. She'd be director and I'd be a share holder. Is this possible to do? What's the tax situation for this scenario? If im receiving rent would that go against my tax free allowance? Who do I speak to too gain more info on this

Morning property hubbers. Here's a quick note to introduce myself. I've been living in Qatar for the past five years and don't have plans to leave just yet. I'm originally from the beautiful sticks of the High Weald in East Sussex but don't see that as a place I'd like to be investing anytime soon. This has pretty much led to analysis paralysis as I've been scrolling in and out of maps of the rest of the UK. Thanks to all the great property hub podcasts I feel I've finally narrowed that search area down, but I'll save discussing that for another post. Very keen to connect with any other expats in the region so please leave a reply or get in touch Thanks for witnessing my first ever post in a forum! All the best, Dan Ramsay

Hi Hubbers, I am looking for a buy to let mortgage as an expat buying through a limited company and do not currently have any other properties to my name. I've checked out some other threads on this forum and extracted some brokers to contact including: AS Financial, Liquid Financial Services; Charcol.co.uk; Vida homeloans. I would really appreciate any tips / advice if anyone has any recommendations from their own experience in a similar position (as an expat buying through limited company). I have spoken with Liquid expat who have come up with an option at 4.3% fixed but would ideally like to get a few more options on the table for comparison before moving forward. Few extra details about me: I am an expat in Qatar looking to buy in the Liverpool / Manchester areas. Hope to hear from you.

Hi, I'm currently a UK resident (previously an expat for 4 years), I am relocating again for work. Do I need to make HMRC aware the exact month I relocate (November 2018) or can I keep my UK resident status for the rest of this tax year (until April 2019)? Basically I want to try and stay as a UK resident for this entire tax year, and then become an expat only from next tax year (April 2019). Really to save on doing all the expat landlord forms half way through a tax year. Thanks for any advice. I'm also on the look out for a new accountant who can do my end of year tax returns for 3 flats I rent out, and has a good grasp of the uk resident / expat laws and processes. Thanks.

Hi All Does any have any experience dealing with Sharia Buy to Let Mortgages? I am currently an expat and Sharia mortgages seem to offer more flexibility and better interest rates. I am new to the concept and the shared ownership with the Bank owning the majority of the property makes me slightly wary of them. I gather this is the standard procedure but I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has experience in dealing with these. Thanks Ryan

Hi All I’m currently an expat in the Bahamas looking for a mortgage broker and some advice. I’m a first time buyer with no current investments so new to the market. I earn a great tax free salary (circa 100k) and have a bit north of 50k in savings. If if anyone has any advice on where to start, the best properties to be looking at as a first time buyer and what financing options are available it’d be greatly appreciated. Thanks Ryan

Hi, I have found a lender for non-Uk resident that is Ok to work with me on building my UK portfolio but the lender is requesting me to have a UK bank account. As non-Uk resident I cannot find any single high street bank willing to open a UK account for me. The only one would be the "Premium" accounts from Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC but they require 100.000GBP investment with them (I much rather prefer to invest that in properties...). Any good leads on which organisation can help me open a UK bank account? Thanks in advance for the advise. Antoine

Hello all, This is my first post as a hubber and I am currently working my way through the podcasts. I'm still in 2015 so have plenty of catching up to do. I purchased my first property in 2015 (A two bedroom terraced property just outside of Birmingham) and initially planned to live in it myself. Shortly after closing the deal I applied and successfully got a job working abroad in Dubai as a teacher. I lived in my property until August 2015, obtained permission to let from my mortgage provider and moved away. I have now been away for 3 years and have one more year left on my current contract and my permission to let arrangement so I need to begin to think about remortgaging. The only issue is I'm not entirely sure what i'm doing with my life. The current plan is to leave work altogether for a year to explore the world. However this will come with obvious repercussions for obtaining a mortgage. I have looked into expat mortgages but as my mortgage is only about 89,000 I am limited with the companies that will lend to me. The ones I do offered a very similar interest rate (4.99%) and came with over 2000 pounds worth of fees. Ideally I want to keep my property but I am starting to worry that this is not possible. Any suggestions about my options would be fantastic. Tom

Hi Everyone, I currently earn in the higher income bracket and own 1 flat in London which is my current residence. I have 195K to invest at the moment and estimate that I would have a further 200K in 2018 once I renovate my current flat and remortgage as a buy to let (at 75% LTV). My plan would be living overseas at the end of 2018 with sufficient income from BTL Investments make to be liveable but the intention would be to continue workings but doing something a little some enjoyable that the current work. The London flat would remain under my ownership and be rented but all other investments (195K and 299K) would be made through a company (SPV). Any advice on what type to property and areas would be best for me with this sort of investment captial? Is there any issues with owning properties through a SPV and not live in country? I was thinking of investing in manchester or birmingham but really i'm not bothered about any particular area other that looking for solid yields with minimal worries. M

Hi everyone, I'm from the UK but work overseas. I have a lot of free time to focus on the new property business. The problem is i'm not spending any time back home in the UK. I have money to invest for BTL properties and already have some properties in the UK but in my personal name. I want to build up good cash flow because my current UK income is small. Do you think its possible doing Lease Options back home while i'm not in the country? Do you think its possible doing Rent To Rent back home while i'm not in the country?

Hi all, I have started my investment journey over the last 2 yrs as an expat living in Melbourne, Australia - as I rarely get back to the UK I have been working remotely with sourcers to purchase a house and an apartment in Manchester. To continue with my next investments in 2018, I am currently jumping through all the hoops needed as an expat to get a mortgage, but will hopefully complete on the first one in January. Then I will be looking at Manchester or another northern powerhouse city for either multiple 2-3 bedroom properties or a small freehold block of flats. I would like to expand my network this year and am interested to hear from any other Melbourne based investors who would like to catch up and talk property.

Hi team, Been sneaking around on this forum for a while now reading all the great content so would like to introduce myself. I'm currently based in Hong Kong and am looking to add to a 2 bed terrace I have in Plymouth (my hometown) which I own outright. My aim is to move back to the UK in around 3-5 years time. Currently I have around 100k good to go for deposit(s) and I'd like to invest that in some 2-4 100K BTL properties during the next 12 months before gradually adding more to that fledgling portfolio before I return. I have my eye on one more flat in Plymouth and am also open to investing through agents elsewhere. My long term goal is to buy a holiday let setup to move back to in around 3-5 years time (whether that be a campsite, hotel/B&B, or cottages), at which point I could also do some develop and flip investing at the same time (as I could take a more hands on approach). As many expats here have also found, a big snag to phase 1 is financing whilst not in the UK. As an expat so I'd love to hear the thoughts/tactics of any other expats who have managed to successfully finance whilst away. I'd also be interested to hear if any expats have created Ltd companies or anything of that type to help them buy. Finally, I'm also lucky enough to have my parents who could act as guarantor for me whilst away - does anyone know if that would help with finance? Really enjoying the forum and am planning to attend the HK meetups in future!

Hi All, I’m new to the excellent forum here, but have been investing in property for 15 years so have a fair bit of knowledge, partly learnt from my own experiences both good and bad (Spain, Bulgaria!) and from the experiences and ideas of others. I left the UK 10 years ago and now live and work in a ‘normal’ job near Zürich in Switzerland. The property market here is very illiquid, laws very tenant orientated and properties very expensive (a 2 bed apartment in the town I live is minimum £700k) with a 20% deposit required. Due to these factors I am focusing my attention again on the UK. Other than rental income from my 2 current btl properties in the UK I have no (UK) income, so as I see it I am as a UK expat less affected by the tax changes than I would be as a salaried UK resident. I am in the process of buying a 3rd property in Manchester which I will have in my name rather than in a ltd company. I was wondering though, even for an expat, where the threshold is for this and at what point it makes sense to put property into a ltd company. Does anyone know of a simple tool / spreadsheet to assess this? As I now have a fair bit of cash saved from working abroad, this is something I’ll consider before buying another few properties in the near future. I suspect however even with around 7 properties and income around £40k it would not be worth it. One disadvantage of being an expat investor in the UK is of course mortgages. There seems to be very few expat deals on the market and as such the rates are uncompetitive. Nevertheless it still seems worth it to get a mortgage even though I could do some cash deals. According to my maths whenever the interest rate is less than the net yield of the property (also factoring one off mortgage costs) a mortgage makes more sense. Whenever this is the case it seems from my spreadsheet that the bottom line ROI is better. Anyone with good leads for expat mortgages on £100k ish property please get in touch :-). Another disadvantage being abroad is of course the ability to source properties. I will have a call with Matt from RMP to discuss this next week. For me looking on the portals for property is now no longer an option. I see for someone in my position (or who is otherwise very busy) lots of value in paying someone to source property deals and as has been discussed elsewhere by Rob and Rob, the cost of this can ultimate save and make you thousands. Ultimately with the power of the internet, I can do very good due diligence remotely even when offered a property in an area which I do not know. I can get a good estimation of the value and then only need to send round an independent person to validate detailed aspects such as the condition of the property. So any good property sourcers out there, feel free to get in touch…! Looking forward to more good discussions on the forum. Regards Iain