A home from home: working from abroad

Has lockdown made you consider working from abroad?

The number of Britons seeking property abroad has surged since the coronavirus outbreak, with a record number of Brits searching for overseas homes according to the property portal Rightmove. Rightmove said demand for overseas property ‘rocketed’ this summer when lockdown 1 restrictions were eased, with users of Rightmove Overseas increasing by 41% in June 2020 compared to June 2019. Perhaps it was all the free time that was suddenly available, or maybe people used the lockdown to reassess their lives, but the property buying site reports that it has never before seen the volume of interest in buying overseas properties from people in the UK.

Jo Leverett, head of international sales at Cluttons has seen a particular increase in buyers who are looking to work from abroad as well as just use the purchase for holidays. She comments: “Lockdown has proved to many people that modern technology means they can work from anywhere. Furthermore, the travel restrictions have meant that having an overseas property of your own gives you more flexibility for overseas travel. People can see that a second home abroad could be used for more than just a holiday.”

According to Rightmove, the most sought-after location has, not surprisingly, been Spain. Then France, Portugal, Italy and Greece completed the top five. France is seeing an increasing interest as the pandemic goes on from buyers who want to be able to drive to their holiday home rather than rely on flights right now. Echoing what we are seeing in the UK with people looking for more outside space, houses or apartments with gardens and access to countryside, beaches or the mountains are driving demand.

Buyers who had planned to retire abroad in the future are now considering bringing the purchase forward with more flexible working conditions potentially allowing them to use the home for longer periods during the year.

Some buyers are not just looking for holiday homes, many are looking to relocate full time, driving demand for properties in European cities, especially those that have recently invested in infrastructure such as coworking offices and international schools like Lisbon, Malaga and Malta. Frederico Mendoca, head of the Cluttons Lisbon office comments: “Over the past few years Lisbon has seen an increasing demand from investors all over the world looking for a European base to live and work from. Its favourable climate, fantastic beaches, variety of housing stock, investment in infrastructure, new international schools and tax advantages have all helped fuel this interest.”

If you are planning to work abroad it is important to check the tax implications and local laws, we would always recommend speaking with your tax adviser and lawyer. Also bear in mind some employers will have their own restrictions.

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Jo Leverett

Head of international residential markets

T +44 (0) 20 7647 7243
Jo Leverett
Albion Street, W2
£5,500,000

Albion Street, W2

Berwick Street, W1F
£4,750,000

Berwick Street, W1F

Hyde Park Square, W2
£3,500,000

Hyde Park Square, W2

Park Mansions, London, SW1X
Guide Price £3,300,000

Park Mansions, London, SW1X

Sanderling Lodge, London, E1W
£2,850,000

Sanderling Lodge, London, E1W

Jermyn Street, SW1Y
£2,800,000

Jermyn Street, SW1Y

Cormorant Lodge, London, E1W
£2,750,000

Cormorant Lodge, London, E1W

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1
£2,500,000

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1
£2,500,000

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1

Spice Quay Heights, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £2,000,000

Spice Quay Heights, London, SE1

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £2,000,000

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1

Ives Street, SW3
Offers in excess of £2,000,000

Ives Street, SW3

Edgware Road, W2
£1,999,500

Edgware Road, W2

Clarendon Mews, W2
£1,875,000

Clarendon Mews, W2

The Triangle, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £1,850,000

The Triangle, London, SE1

Charlton Place, N1
£1,750,000

Charlton Place, N1

Limehouse Wharf, London, E14
£1,695,000

Limehouse Wharf, London, E14

Garrett Mansions, London, W2
£1,685,000

Garrett Mansions, London, W2

Southacre, London, W2
£1,675,000

Southacre, London, W2

Spice Quay Heights, London, SE1
£1,600,000

Spice Quay Heights, London, SE1

The Quadrangle, W2
£1,600,000

The Quadrangle, W2

Connaught Court, London, W2
Offers in excess of £1,600,000

Connaught Court, London, W2

The Quadrangle, W2
£1,500,000

The Quadrangle, W2

The Quadrangle, W2
£1,400,000

The Quadrangle, W2

St. Saviours Wharf, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £1,400,000

St. Saviours Wharf, London, SE1

Tower Bridge Wharf, London, E1W
£1,395,000

Tower Bridge Wharf, London, E1W

Sussex Mews East, W2
£1,385,000

Sussex Mews East, W2

Endlesham Road, SW12
£1,350,000

Endlesham Road, SW12

Cardamom Building, London, SE1
£1,300,000

Cardamom Building, London, SE1

Great Jubilee Wharf, London, E1W
Offers in excess of £1,250,000

Great Jubilee Wharf, London, E1W

Kensington Place, W8
£1,250,000

Kensington Place, W8

Sherwood Court, London, W1H
£1,225,000

Sherwood Court, London, W1H

New Concordia Wharf, London, SE1
£1,200,000

New Concordia Wharf, London, SE1

Vogans Mill Wharf, London, SE1
£1,200,000

Vogans Mill Wharf, London, SE1

Marylands Road, W9
£1,199,950

Marylands Road, W9

Trinity Street, London, SE1
£1,150,000

Trinity Street, London, SE1

Gowrie Road, SW11
£1,150,000

Gowrie Road, SW11

Cinnabar Wharf Central, London, E1W
Guide Price £1,100,000

Cinnabar Wharf Central, London, E1W

The Quadrangle, W2
£1,100,000

The Quadrangle, W2

Vogans Mill Wharf, London, SE1
£1,100,000

Vogans Mill Wharf, London, SE1

Sutherland Avenue, W9
£1,075,000

Sutherland Avenue, W9

Norfolk Place, W2
Offers in excess of £1,050,000

Norfolk Place, W2

Chelsea Cloisters, London, SW3
£1,040,000

Chelsea Cloisters, London, SW3

Waterside Building, London, E1W
Offers in the region of £1,000,000

Waterside Building, London, E1W

Scotts Sufferance Wharf, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £1,000,000

Scotts Sufferance Wharf, London, SE1

Nightingale Lane, London, SW12
£1,000,000

Nightingale Lane, London, SW12

St. Saviours Wharf, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £1,000,000

St. Saviours Wharf, London, SE1

Edgware Road, W2
£995,000

Edgware Road, W2

Edgware Road, W2
£995,000

Edgware Road, W2

Rushworth Street, London, SE1
£995,000

Rushworth Street, London, SE1

Chronicle Tower 261B, London, EC1V
Offers in excess of £950,000

Chronicle Tower 261B, London, EC1V

Stanhope Terrace, W2
£925,000

Stanhope Terrace, W2

Portsea Hall, London, W2
£900,000

Portsea Hall, London, W2

Portsea Hall, London, W2
£900,000

Portsea Hall, London, W2

Vogans Mill Wharf, London, SE1
£900,000

Vogans Mill Wharf, London, SE1

Maida Vale, W9
£899,999

Maida Vale, W9

St. Luke’s Street, London, SW3
£895,000

St. Luke’s Street, London, SW3

Quadrangle Tower, London, W2
£890,000

Quadrangle Tower, London, W2

Quadrangle Tower, London, W2
£850,000

Quadrangle Tower, London, W2

Park Vista Tower, London, E1W
£850,000

Park Vista Tower, London, E1W

Compass Court, London, SE1
£850,000

Compass Court, London, SE1

West India Quay, E14
£850,000

West India Quay, E14

Axis Court, London, SE16
Offers in excess of £825,000

Axis Court, London, SE16

Merchant Court, London, E1W
£799,000

Merchant Court, London, E1W

Devonport, London, W2
£799,000

Devonport, London, W2

Knot House, London, SE1
£795,000

Knot House, London, SE1

Rotherhithe Street, London, SE16
£795,000

Rotherhithe Street, London, SE16

Porchester Place, W2
£795,000

Porchester Place, W2

Porchester Place, W2
£775,000

Porchester Place, W2

Spice Quay Heights, London, SE1
£770,000

Spice Quay Heights, London, SE1

Portnall Road, W9
£760,000

Portnall Road, W9

Gainsford Street, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £750,000

Gainsford Street, London, SE1

Newlands Quay, E1W
£745,000

Newlands Quay, E1W

St. Saviours House, London, SE16
£700,000

St. Saviours House, London, SE16

The Water Gardens, W2
Offers in excess of £700,000

The Water Gardens, W2

Scotts Sufferance Wharf, London, SE1
£700,000

Scotts Sufferance Wharf, London, SE1

Kamen House, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £700,000

Kamen House, London, SE1

Porchester Place, W2
£695,000

Porchester Place, W2

Halcyon Wharf, London, E1W
£690,000

Halcyon Wharf, London, E1W

The Triangle, London, SE1
£675,000

The Triangle, London, SE1

Southwick Street, W2
Guide Price £675,000

Southwick Street, W2

Cinnamon Wharf, London, SE1
£650,000

Cinnamon Wharf, London, SE1

Scotts Sufferance Wharf, London, SE1
£650,000

Scotts Sufferance Wharf, London, SE1

Cinnabar Wharf West, London, E1W
£650,000

Cinnabar Wharf West, London, E1W

Ginger Apartments, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £650,000

Ginger Apartments, London, SE1

St. Anns Villas, W11
Offers in excess of £650,000

St. Anns Villas, W11

Hermitage Waterside, London, E1W
£645,000

Hermitage Waterside, London, E1W

Compass House, London, E1W
Offers in excess of £625,000

Compass House, London, E1W

Java House, London, E14
£625,000

Java House, London, E14

St. James House, London, N5
£625,000

St. James House, London, N5

Ashmore Road, W9
£610,000

Ashmore Road, W9

New North Road, London, N1
£599,950

New North Road, London, N1

Tea Trade Wharf, London, SE1
£595,000

Tea Trade Wharf, London, SE1

Meridian Court, London, SE16
£580,000

Meridian Court, London, SE16

Base Apartments, London, N1
£575,000

Base Apartments, London, N1

Eluna Apartments, London, E1W
£575,000

Eluna Apartments, London, E1W

The Water Gardens, W2
£555,000

The Water Gardens, W2

Forset Court, London, W2
£520,000

Forset Court, London, W2

Vanilla & Sesame Court, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £500,000

Vanilla & Sesame Court, London, SE1

Canalside Square, London, N1
£500,000

Canalside Square, London, N1

Highbury Grove, N5
£500,000

Highbury Grove, N5

The Circle, London, SE1
Offers in excess of £500,000

The Circle, London, SE1

Little London Court, London, SE1
£495,000

Little London Court, London, SE1

Porchester Place, W2
£465,000

Porchester Place, W2

Portnall Road, W9
£460,000

Portnall Road, W9

Matilda House, London, E1W
£425,000

Matilda House, London, E1W

Queens Head Street, London, N1
fixedPrice £400,000

Queens Head Street, London, N1

Forset Court, London, W2
£350,000

Forset Court, London, W2

Park West, London, W2
£340,000

Park West, London, W2

Gloucester Court, London, SE1
£290,000

Gloucester Court, London, SE1

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