Expat Buying Property News

22 Feb at 6 PM 2013

U turn on inheritance tax may affect British expats

With the UK inheritance tax level now frozen and £325,000 until 2019 in order to fund social care reform, expats believing they are exempt need to check the small print. In spite of a pre-election pledge by the Conservative Party that inheritance tax levels would be raised to £1 million, the limit after which the tax will become due is now frozen at £325,000. If an expat is classed as domiciled, the beneficiaries will be charged 40 per cent on the difference between the limit and the value of the deceased expat’s worldwide...

13 Feb at 6 PM 2013

Longterm residency a bonus for Middle East property buyers

The number of expats buying property in the expat hubs of the Middle East is rising fast due to real estate ownership being considered a qualifying factor for long-term residency. Dubai and Abu Dhabi property markets are seeing a return to the good old days, with revenue from property sales topping £1.7 billion in 2012. Dubai is the largest market within the Gulf States, with British expat property purchases representing 21 per cent of total sales. As well as guaranteeing a residence permit, investing in property is the smart...

28 Aug at 9 AM 2012

Buying property in Turkey risky for expat Brits

A new study has shown that British expats living in Turkey leave themselves particularly vulnerable in legal problems if they do not have a good enough grasp of the language. The survey, carried out by Queen Mary University of London and funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found that buying property was a particularly dangerous minefield for foreigners who do not speak and read enough Turkish. The Legal Adaptation of British Settlers in Turkey study interviewed mainly British expats who had moved to Mugla, a popular tourist...