Overseas buyers and expats are sizing up the UK property market for potential bargains, taking advantage of the weak pound and the political uncertainty over Brexit which continues, according to the latest figures released

The property portal found that searches for UK property by overseas buyers have grown steadily this year. They now account for 6.2% of all activity on the portal in the first three months of this year, compared to just 3.6% three years ago, an increase of 72%.

It said some investors are keen to capitalise on softening prices and a weak pound and are looking for discounts. This could fuel demand for UK property, alongside expats planning a return to the UK amid uncertainty.

Areas with the most interest

London is in strong demand as the third most sought-after location, but the UK’s regional cities could benefit the most from interest from overseas buyers, with Glasgow and Birmingham the most popular search locations, followed by Manchester and Leicester.

Greatest interest is from?

US house hunters are watching the market most closely, accounting for nearly 50,000 searches in the third quarter of this year, as shown by the list below of the top 3 countries/areas where buyers are searching from:

1. USA
2. France
3. Asia

Owning property in the UK is a goal of many overseas property investors including expats, it’s clear a rise in the proportion of searches for UK property which are taking place overseas since June 2018.

Can we assist you?

If you are looking for a new or re-mortgage do get in contact and one of our qualified independent advisers will be happy to help.

 

Expats living overseas are very keen to purchase property in the UK as the market continues to show good growth.

Mortgages are easier to come by than they were 2 years ago plus interest rates are at an all-time low.

Expats who own property abroad have had a worrying time of late as property prices in some European countries have fallen at alarming rates. The uncertainty in Europe is without doubt down to the weak Euro and poor economies of some countries.

First time buyers looking to break into the UK market are finding it very difficult as property prices continue to rise. A recent survey conducted for major high street estate agents shows lower end market properties are being snapped up by buy-to-let investors. It is no secret that the UK property market is currently under siege from the buy-to-let investor and looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.

What to do?

Suitable first-time purchases are almost impossible in the London and South-eastern areas so prospective buyers are looking further afield.

A major estate agent chain recently commented “It is still possible to buy a reasonably priced property in the London commuter belt if you look hard enough”. “Clients who are prepared to look outside the box are having a great deal of success”.

This coupled with some extremely good mortgage deals available have given expats a “window of opportunity” it would seem. The message that seems to come from all this is to act as quickly as possible before this avenue closes.

Mortgage advice?

If you require any assistance with your first time or re-mortgage please do not hesitate to contact one of our fully trained independent advisers who will be happy to help.

A recent survey has claimed that thousands of expat borrowers could be missing out on a better deal by not speaking to an independent mortgage adviser when looking for a mortgage.

Its survey of over 2,000 expats found that 33% of consumers who went direct to a lender didn’t understand how a mortgage adviser could help with their search.

The findings also showed that 67% of borrowers who went straight to a lender hadn’t re-mortgaged in the last five years and 74% stayed put because they felt they had ‘a good deal’. However, without seeking independent mortgage advice, these individuals would have missed out on mortgages deals that are only available through an independent mortgage adviser.

There are plans to use the research to tackle the misperceptions about independent mortgage advisers and raise awareness about how they can help borrowers to find the right mortgage for their needs.

Far more choice and much quicker

Borrowers going through an independent mortgage adviser have access to many more mortgages than those going direct to the lender, including specialist mortgages for the self-employed and later life lending solutions such as lifetime mortgages..

Homeowners who benefitted from a mortgage adviser searching the market for the best mortgage deal were more likely to have switched in the last five years (29%), compared to just 19% of those who went direct.

Borrowers who used a mortgage adviser were also overwhelmingly in favour of doing so again. 98% said that they found the support of a mortgage adviser ‘valuable’ and a further 95% said they would recommend using a mortgage adviser to family or friends.

Help required?

If you would like to review your current expat mortgage please do make contact and one of our expert independent advisers will be happy to guide you.

Eight out of ten of Britain’s hot shot fund managers – in charge of active UK investment funds – would have been better off simply investing in bricks and mortar, according to a recent financial survey.

That’s despite the strong rises seen in the stock market over the past year, with the FTSE 100 ending 2020 at over 7000 points.

Analysis revealed that only 30% of fund managers (95 out of a total of 239) have beaten average house price growth of 26% since Dec 2013, across 100 major UK towns and cities.

Long-term a better bet

The housing market has also outperformed stocks over the last 20 years. Since 1996, the average property went up in value 304% while the FTSE All Share gained 270%. Top performers over the last two decades were Brighton and Hove on 510% beating London on 485% which was followed by Watford on 460%.

Over the past few years’ bricks and mortar has once again proved itself to be an investment to rival them all, capable of significantly outperforming the riskier forays of stock market speculators.

Active fund managers use vast amounts of in-depth research to find hidden value in companies, but just by sitting on their properties, homeowners and residential property investors have beaten most of the very best investment minds in the UK.

Can we help?

If you are looking for a new or re-mortgage, please make contact and one of our qualified representatives will be happy to assist.

 

The market so far has been largely unmoved by Brexit. Lenders have continued to drop interest rates across the board since last summer which indicates a lack of concern currently.

There seems to still be a large appetite for banks to lend. The rates are very competitive and there are still plenty of high loan-to-value mortgages available to consumers.

If anything is to bring this to halt then it would be the Bank of England base rate rising. If the bank were to raise rates from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent, the impact would be greater than just a rise in mortgage repayment, because inevitably confidence will take a hit. Yet so far, there have not been any firm indications that this is the way the Bank of England wants things to go.

If you are an expat with a mortgaged property in the UK now is a great time to lock in a new deal for the next few years and make the most of the low rates on offer.

Expats re-mortgaging to secure the future

Expat re-mortgaging levels have soared to an eight-year high in September as borrowers take advantage of lower monthly repayments the latest figures have revealed.

The value of re-mortgaging fell due to a drop in the average loan size, but with overall mortgage activity down it still accounted for two-fifths of total lending in June this year.

Expats who have not reviewed their current mortgage deal recently would be well advised to do so as rates are expected to rise in the future.

Help required?

If you would like to review your current mortgage please do make contact and one of our fully experienced independent advisers will be happy to assist.