5 Additional Costs to Budget For When Buying Property Overseas

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Knowing the extra costs and preparing ahead will help reduce the stress of overseas property investing. Much of this boils down to targeted research. However, here is a brief overview of the extra costs you have to face.

Buying property overseas is both an exciting and a frightening prospect. The most frightening aspect is the cost. Most buyers are delving into relatively uncharted lands personally and knowledge-wise, hence they don't really have a 100% certainty about price. There are extra costs lurking here and there and the chief is foreign taxes. Foreign taxes represent the largest share of extra cost for foreign property buyers. It is important to get the advice of a property specialist on property taxes in your destination country. The key to successfully investing in foreign housing is knowing how to budget for extra costs. Putting money down for these extra costs will put you at ease and the remaining specs will come together smoothly.

Additional Costs To Budget For When Buying property overseas

Extra costs can be overwhelming and have the capacity to snuff the life out of your foreign property venture. Preparing ahead is your best bet. You will need to budget for the cost of travelling back and forth, annual carrying costs and in some cases, stamp duty when the property is eventually sold. And combining these costs can add up to 15% of the home's market value. In many cases, additional costs on foreign property investing will fall into these categories:

1. Mortgage Arrangement fees.

Your bank or private lender will charge a fee for arranging funds for your mortgage. These fees will vary according to your mortgage. In some cases, they will be added to your mortgage. You don't want this (so ask upfront). In which case, you will have to pay interest on that amount.

2. Property Purchase Taxes.

·         VAT (Value Added Tax): Property owners fail to take this into account. But it is mandatory in many countries. The VAT is similar to a sales tax for property owners in the United States or the goods and services tax that Canadian property owners have to pay.

·         Stamp Duty fee (on new properties in some countries) fluctuates relying upon the locale the property is in. It is calculated as the percentage of the price tag which varies but is normally in the range of 0.5% and 1.5% of the price.

·         Miscellaneous: In Spain, for instance, when purchasing a property from a private owner, Transfer Tax (ITP, Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales) is paid rather than VAT. The ITP rate differs from place to place, but is in the range of 6% and 10% of the purchase price. In Quebec, there is something called a welcome tax, It usually costs about 1 to 1.5% of the underlying price tag, although the cost generally depends upon the value of the property.

3. Legal fees.

Legal fees also vary from country to country. It is common for Spanish lawyers to calculate their commission for the purchase of a property based on a percentage of the purchase price of the property (generally this is 1%, subject to a minimum fee of around € 1000).

4. Notary fees and Land Registry.

These rates will also depend on the purchase price and the complexity of legal documentation. You can expect to pay around € 750 for land registration fees and € 1,000 for notary expenses.

5. Maintenance.

Beyond the issue of foreign taxes, homeowners should also plan the cost of hiring a property manager to oversee the maintenance problems and concerns of renters, especially if they plan to rent the property year-round.

By investigating all the costs associated with foreign owned property, potential buyers can focus on enjoying their home abroad without having an unexpected blow to their pockets. If a buyer does their research and saves upfront, they can eliminate stress and prevent extra costs from adding up.

 

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How Much Should I expect To Pay in Stamp Duty Fees When Buying Foreign Property?

  • 20, May 2023

When you hear stamp duty, don't run for cover! Stamp duty fees are only applicable in the Commonwealth of Nations countries, Singapore, Australia and a few states in the US. It is a tax that arises from the transfer of property, usually, you pay when you sell. In this case, there will be a transfer of documents. Stamp duty legally requires that these documents are stamped, this shows the amount of tax paid. This means you’re actually paying for government stamp. Where enforced, stamp duty is placed on transfer of lands, homes, buildings, copyrights, patents and securities.

Facts About Stamp Duty fees

Stamp duty can be one small additional cost to your home, especially if you're dealing with a second home or investment property. Here are some things you should know about stamp duty:

* In the UK, the government levies stamp duty tax on all share transactions, currently at 0.5%. This generates £4bn for the treasury.

* In the European Union, Germany, Sweden, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have no stamp duty.

* France charges stamp duty only for transactions above £5,000. In the US, stamp duty is more or less insignificant, only 0.003 percent is charged.

* When you deal with really big money, it becomes a problem. Stamp duty is the reason why influential fund manager, Fidelity, moved half of its £6bn UK special situation fund offshore in 2016.

* Stamp duty came into being 200 years ago in the UK and some people believe that it was the sparking flame for American Independence Movement. When it was introduced to the American colonies in 1765, it was met by protests.

* Stamp duty is only paid on brick and mortar of the house. It shouldn't feature fixtures and fittings, white goods or items of furniture as they are exempt. You pay stamp duty on land and property purchases.

* You also pay the stamp duty when you buy shares valued at more than £ 1,000, although it is a different system, and the rates are different as well.

* You do not pay it on properties in Scotland. Instead you have a Land and Buildings transaction tax on properties costing more than £ 145,000.

* In the UK, just because your property is below £ 125,000 does not mean you can ignore Stamp Duty. You still have to submit a Stamp Duty land tax return.

 

* Even though your lawyer usually takes care of it, it is your responsibility to make sure that the return and payment are shipped on time. If it is late, you will pay a fine of £ 100, plus any interest.

* If you are transferring a portion of your home to an ex-partner after divorce or separation, or if you are giving the deeds of your house to someone - as a gift or in your will - you do not have to pay stamp duty.

How Much Stamp Duty Should I Expect To Pay?

In the UK, there are several price bands for Stamp Duty. The tax is calculated by the part of the purchase price of property that falls within each band. For example, if you buy a house for £ 275,000, the tax on the stamp duty (SDLT) you owe is calculated as follows:

0% on the first £ 125,000 = £ 0

2% on next £ 125,000 = £ 2,500

5% in the final £ 25,000 = £ 1,250

Total SDLT = £ 3,750

In this case you pay £ 3,750. This will not be the case in other countries. So, it is important that you contact a lawyer in your destination country who’d give information on how stamp duty is calculated.

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5 Inexpensive Home Improvement Tips To Improve Your Homes Value

  • 29, August 2023

Depending on your home's value, your market and comps in your neighborhood, you could consider making renovations in your home before listing. In a place like New York, however, where houses are being snapped up fast and prices are over the roof, renovating your house for sale might be a crazy idea. But in suburbs with high inventory, your house needs to measure up.

 

When selling, you wouldn't be looking through the same eyeglasses as a new homeowner. Your calculations and priorities will be much different. The most important thing when you have to consider value is return on investment. What renovations will make my house sell fast and at the same time give good return on investment? Before you embark on gutting your circa 1990 kitchen, the first thing you might need to do is consult an experienced realtor who knows what works best in your particular neighborhood.

 

You might find out that minor cosmetic upgrades will get more buyers through the door. And yea, the door is important. Instead of spending money on pricey renovations like adding a deck or basement revamp, Remodeling magazine’s 2015 Cost vs. Value Report says that replacing your existing front door with a new steel door will net you a 101.8% ROI for a minimal replacement cost of $1,230. Knowing which areas to spend on will help save you a lot of money when making renovations. Let's look at five low-cost ways to increase your home's value.

 

        Inexpensive Home Improvement Tips to Improve Your Home’s Value

 

1. Consider curb appeal. Nothing says 'welcome to this lovely house' to a prospective buyer as a nicely mowed lawn, a few shrubs here and there and a well-swept walkway. The first impression buyers have as they drive to your home is truly important. So, it's necessary you set the stage right. Hiring a good landscaper will be worth the money. Not only will your home appeal to prospective buyers, your neighbor would also love the effort.

 

2. Have a cohesive kitchen. Kitchen plays a big role in home improvement. Many Realtors call it the heart of the home. Indeed it is; since an average American homeowner spends at least 37 minutes daily in the kitchen. Sprucing up your kitchen demands that you create the impression of a clean and updated kitchen. One way to achieve this impression is creating cohesiveness, especially with color. Mix and match kitchens are not the best. If your kitchen appliances don't match, consider ordering new doors, e.g new cabinet doors or face panels for them.

 

3. Work on your bathroom. Next to the kitchen, bathrooms are important to potential home buyers. You can make a difference in your bathroom at a low cost by adding new toilet seat and a pedestal sink. These are also pretty easy for homeowners to install on their own. One thing you may not be able to do on your own but which will add value to your bathroom is replacing an old, discolored, bathroom floor with vinyl tiles. Bright, energy efficient lighting will also improve your bathroom's appeal.

 

4. Update closets. Cramped storage spaces are not attractive to potential buyers. You can step up your storage by adding a do-it-yourself wire and laminate system to bedrooms and pantries.

 

5. Check the mechanics. Having a minor inspection and working on existing faults in your home like faulty outlets, loose wires and water leaks give the impression that someone has really taken care of the home.

 

 

 

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3 Types of Content Real Estate Agents should consistently Blog About

  • 02, September 2023

The most important aspect of agent-client relationship is communication. A house seller or buyer can find it stressful dealing with an agent or buyer who is not a good communicator. An agent that stays in constant contact with clients and answers their questions proves his or her proactivity.

 

Yes you need to let buyers and sellers know where they stand quickly so they can move on to another property or potential buyer. Real estate is time sensitive. Buyers and sellers need the right information and need it fast. Hence, one of the qualities of a good agent is the ability to give the right information to the right kind of buyer at the right time. What an experienced agent might deem insignificant information might be important information to clients who are new to the real estate game. Putting the right information in front of clients communicate that you're an agent who puts clients first.

 

It's the responsibility of a good agent to sort out what clients need to know and provide this information. Hence it's important that an agent has a well updated website complete with valuable information. You don't really need to pressure your clients with too much information. Just the right information will do. Here are five content types that real estate buyers and sellers find valuable.

 

REAL ESTATE CONTENT TYPES THAT WORK

 

When correctly done, real estate content marketing can be a game changer for your real estate business. You have the chance to attract thousands of new leads through well-researched, helpful content. This is why effective real estate bloggers put a lot of plan and effort into creating the right content for their real estate website. Here are some of the real estate content types you should be posting for your real estate business.

 

1. Market Reports. Writing a recap of real estate activity in your community for the month shows you as a knowledgeable real estate agent in the community. Buyers and sellers want to be informed about the real estate market in their area of residence. Even if they aren't going to take action immediately, when you post fact-based market reports, they know whom to approach for questions. Also, Google ranks market reports high. Since few realtors are posting them, your posts have less competition.

 

2. Local Community Information. A local community guide includes details about a neighborhood such as detailed information about the local real estate market, local economy, housing and population, local school information, parks and restaurants and attractions. This type of content is important because it increases your real estate website's SEO value and helps the area residents see that you have strong knowledge of the community.

 

3. Home buyer and seller tips. Both buyers and sellers have a lot of questions on their minds about real estate. Providing helpful information on your site can be timely and help you gain more leads. However, when covering the questions, your visitors would find it much more helpful if you cover the topic in 'extreme' detail and they'll love you for it.

 

Cold calling for sale by owners or door knocking is old school. A much better way of gaining trust and new leads is through helpful content.  When you consistently post content that real estate buyers and sellers love, you'll start reaping the benefits of real estate content marketing.

 

 

By Bebuzee Admin Read More