Buying a London
property from abroad?

Unfamiliar territory, and no one
on the ground navigating for you.

Buying property in the UK from abroad: a tall ship sailing towards London

The home is in London.
You’re not.

You’ve been thinking about diversifying your asset portfolio for a while, and property is a natural place for it. Maybe your child is living and studying in London, and intends to stay. Or you want a base for your own visits or are planning to move here yourself. Either way, you’ve decided to buy property in London. But buying property in the UK from abroad comes with a whole host of processes you’re unfamiliar with. You’re unsure where to start, and you’re away, busy with your own life. You don’t know which areas would suit you, where your budget stretches further, or where you’d feel safe. Most flats are leasehold. An accepted offer binds nobody until exchange. You’ll need a solicitor, a surveyor and perhaps a mortgage broker. Stamp duty has its own rules for buyers from abroad. And the estate agent showing you round is paid by the seller. So who is looking after your interests?

Sound familiar?

I’m here to guide you, from the first call to the keys.

We start with a video call, with you, and with your child if the home is for them. If you’re not sure where you want to be, I explain how the areas I work in differ, and which would suit the way you, or your child, want to live.

If your child is here, they come to the viewings with me. If not, or if they’re busy, I view first and send you a video and my report on each property. If the home is for you, you only fly in for the ones worth seeing, and I book them back to back around your trip. If it’s for your child and you trust their judgement, the whole purchase can be done remotely.

I introduce the team you’ll need: a solicitor used to buyers abroad, a surveyor, and a mortgage broker if you need one. I tell you what the agent will ask for as proof of funds, so it’s ready before you offer, and I make sure stamp duty is in your budget from the start. Then I negotiate the price, with comparable sales behind it.

An accepted offer is only the start. Until exchange, I chase the agents, the solicitors and the managing agent, and I answer when you call. If you can’t be here on completion day, I collect the keys and walk you round on video.

I’ve guided buyers from abroad through all of this before, and some of the homes they bought are on My Buyers. How a search runs, and what it costs, is on My Services.

Questions about buying property in the UK from abroad

How long does it take?

Four to six months from starting to keys is typical. Most buyers find their property within eight to ten weeks. Conveyancing is the unpredictable part. A leasehold flat takes longer, because the management pack has to come from the managing agent, and a freehold house is quicker. A cash purchase helps, and so does having your documents and proof of funds ready early.

Can I offer on a property I’ve only seen on video?

You can, but I’d strongly advise against it. However many videos you watch, none gives you the full picture. I send videos so you only fly in for the ones worth seeing. When one is close, come and stand in it before you offer. If it’s for your child and they’re here, they can be in the room for you.

What does leasehold mean? Aren’t I buying the flat?

You are buying it, for a fixed number of years. With most London flats, you own the flat on a lease, and the building and the land it stands on are owned by a freeholder (gov.uk). In bigger buildings, the freeholder usually appoints a management company to run the building, paid for through your yearly service charge. The years left on the lease matter as much as the price, so I check them before you offer, and your solicitor reads the lease in full.

Do I have to be in London to exchange and complete?

No. Exchange and completion happen between the solicitors, so you can be anywhere (gov.uk). Your solicitor tells you which documents to sign, and how, well before the date. Plan the transfer of funds: an international transfer can take several days, so send the money to your solicitor in good time. On completion day, if you’re not here, I collect the keys, check the flat with you on video, take the meter readings, and hold the keys until you arrive.

Can I let it out while I’m away?

Often, yes, but check two things before you buy. The lease: many restrict short lets, and some forbid them. And in London, letting it as a holiday let, through Airbnb or similar, for more than 90 nights a year needs planning permission (legislation.gov.uk). Either way, you’ll need someone here to manage it. I check what the lease allows before you offer.