1. International Property Investment after Brexit
John Howell
Editor & Founder of Guides Global

2. Agenda A bit about John Howell Where will you be able to buy?
Will you be able to keep your existing EU property?
What will happen to prices?
Will you be able to bring your money back?
Will there be any difference in taxes payable?
What will be the impact on the value of the pound?
Questions
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

3. John Howell
Dealing with international legal and property issues for well over 30 years
Background as a Solicitor (English Lawyer). Now retired from practice.
Still provides some consultancy services to other law firms and a small number of private clients
Guides Global
Editor & founder of Guides Global –
Online written and video guides about how things really work in other countries
Writer
Author of The Sunday Times® Guides to buying a property in Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, the USA & various countries in Eastern Europe
Author of the Cadogan Guides to Setting up a Business in France & Spain
Author of “Don’t Jump In”
Author of the two “International Law” volumes of Butterworths’® Encyclopaedia – a leading textbook for UK lawyers
Speaker
Speaker about international law and property at events around the world
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

4. Where will you be able to buy property?
Places outside the EU:
No change at all!
A foreigner can buy property in about 170 countries around the world
Within the EU
I doubt that any new restrictions will be imposed
There are already restrictions in some places – e.g. Denmark
Residents of most countries – US, Canada, China, Russia etc – can already buy in the EU
We were buying in France, Spain etc decades before we joined
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

5. Immediate Reactions to the Brexit vote
Almost everything in the property world stopped in June 2016
Deals were lost
Some people pulled out of deals even if it meant losing a deposit they had already paid
For about two weeks!
Then people calmed down
Anecdotally:
Business in the US is back to normal
Business in Spain is back to normal
The fear now is not Brexit but the fall in value of the pound

6. A longer term view in April 2019
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

7. Will you be able to keep your existing EU property?
Yes
Everyone has the right to own, use, dispose of and bequeath his or her lawfully acquired possessions.
EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, Article 17
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

8. What will happen to EU prices?
Nobody really knows
However
In most countries, the 18 year property cycle has applied for many, many years: long before the creation of the EU
In most countries, British buyers are only a small part of the total
In some areas with large British expat communities there is likely to be a short-term drop in prices – possibly severe
This started a couple of years ago
If you believe in the 18 year cycle, this could be a good time to buy in those places
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

9. The 18 Year Property Cycle
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

10. For more about property investment and the 18 year rule, see www
For more about property investment and the 18 year rule, see
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

11. Will you be able to bring your money back?
Yes
No country in the EU prevents owners of property who are non-EU citizens from taking their money out of the country when they sell their EU property
Just like now, you will need to use a good FX dealer to get the best exchange rates
This will save you loads of money
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

12. Will there be any differences in the taxes you will have to pay?
Possibly
It is, in theory, possible that EU countries could impose different tax rates on the sale or inheritance of property located in the EU by non-EU citizens
However, the trend is the other way
France removed the higher rate for non-EU citizens in 2015
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

13. What will happen to the value of the pound?
Nobody knows
I suspect that the impact will be small – the effect has already been factored into exchange rates
I suspect that any further change will be short-term
I suspect that forthcoming problems in the Eurozone will result in a medium-term increase in the value of the pound
Your judgment on this is hugely important in your investment decision
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

14. The GBP/EUR Exchange Rate 5 years to today Source: www.xe.xom

15. The GBP/EUR Exchange Rate 10 years to today Source: www.xe.xom

16. The USD v EUR & GBP Exchange Rate Source: www.xe.xom

17. Questions

18. Contact Details Address: John Howell Guides.Global Ltd
23 Bridewell Lane
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 1RE UK
Telephone:
From the UK:
From Overseas:      
Wednesday, August 28, 2019