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.

Jo Leverett

Partner, residential investment & international

Head office

T +44 (0) 20 7647 7243 Email Jo

Offers in excess of £7,000,000

Gloucester Place, W1U

£4,600,000

Sloane Street, SW1X

Guide Price £3,300,000

Park Mansions, London, SW1X

Guide Price £3,295,000

Porchester Place, W2

Offers in excess of £3,000,000

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1

£2,600,000

Hyde Park Gardens, W2

£2,500,000

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1

£2,500,000

Sussex Lodge, London, W2

£2,500,000

The Boathouse, London, SE1

£2,500,000

Sanderling Lodge, London, E1W

£2,400,000

Cormorant Lodge, London, E1W

£2,350,000

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1

£2,150,000

Godolphin Road, W12

£2,000,000

Spice Quay Heights, London, SE1

Offers in excess of £2,000,000

Cinnabar Wharf West, London, E1W

£2,000,000

Westbourne Park Villas, W2

£1,950,000

Butlers Wharf Building, London, SE1

£1,850,000

Chantrey House, Belgravia, London, SW1W

£1,850,000

Springalls Wharf Apartments, London, SE16

£1,750,000

The Quadrangle, W2

£1,749,000

Portsea Hall, Portsea Place, W2

£1,700,000

The Water Gardens, W2

£1,600,000

Southacre, London, W2

£1,600,000

Pier Head, London, E1W

Offers in excess of £1,600,000

Millers Wharf House, London, E1W

£1,500,000

Luna House, London, SE16

Offers in excess of £1,500,000

Brooksby Street, N1

£1,350,000

New Concordia Wharf, London, SE1

£1,300,000

Wheat Wharf Apartments, London, SE1

Offers in excess of £1,300,000

Springalls Wharf Apartments, London, SE16

£1,200,000

Wapping High Street, E1W

£1,100,000

The Quadrangle, W2

Offers in excess of £1,100,000

Hyde Park Street, W2

£1,050,000

The Quadrangle, W2

Offers in excess of £1,000,000

Kensington Gardens Square, W2

Offers in excess of £1,000,000

Old Town Hall Apartments, London, SE16

£950,000

Waterside Building, London, E1W

£950,000

Tempus Wharf, London, SE16

£950,000

Granary House, London, SE16

£950,000

The Jam Factory, Southwark, London, SE1

£900,000

Portsea Hall, London, W2

Guide Price £900,000

Cinnabar Wharf Central, London, E1W

£900,000

Portsea Hall, London, W2

£900,000

Chelsea Cloisters, London, SW3

Offers in excess of £900,000

Anise Building, London, SE1

£895,000

St. Luke’s Street, London, SW3

£885,000

Prusoms Island, London, E1W

£850,000

West India Quay, E14

Offers in excess of £825,000

Peninsula Court, London, N1

£800,000

Vanilla & Sesame Court, London, SE1

Offers in excess of £800,000

Hays Court, London, SE16

Offers in excess of £800,000

The Lantern Building, London, SE1

£800,000

The Quadrangle, W2

£799,000

Devonport, London, W2

£795,000

Stanhope Terrace, W2

£795,000

Juniper Drive, SW18

£775,000

Vogans Mill Wharf, London, SE1

£775,000

Boss House, London, SE1

£770,000

Balmoral House, London, SE1

£755,000

Porchester Place, W2

£750,000

Clifton Place, W2

£750,000

Granary House, London, SE16

£725,000

Porchester Place, W2

£700,000

The Water Gardens, W2

£700,000

Halcyon Wharf, London, E1W

£690,000

Halcyon Wharf, London, E1W

£675,000

Cinnamon Wharf, London, SE1

£650,000

Quadrangle Tower, London, W2

£650,000

Rotherhithe Street, London, SE16

£625,000

Cinnabar Wharf West, London, E1W

£600,000

Hermitage Waterside, London, E1W

£575,000

Eluna Apartments, London, E1W

£575,000

Wapping Lane, E1W

£565,000

Gun Place, London, E1W

£550,000

Angelis Apartments, London, N1

Offers in excess of £550,000

Westland Place, N1

£549,500

The Water Gardens, W2

Offers in excess of £525,000

Ann Street, N1

£525,000

Porchester Place, W2

£500,000

The Triangle, London, EC1V

Offers in excess of £500,000

Warley House, London, N1

Offers in excess of £500,000

Leigh Road, N5

Offers in excess of £500,000

Corio House, London, SE1

£500,000

Quadrangle Tower, London, W2

offersOver £500,000

Setchell Way, London, SE1

£499,000

Forset Court, London, W2

£495,000

Sloane Avenue Mansions, London, SW3

£475,000

Tollgate Gardens, NW6

£475,000

West End Lane, NW6

Offers in excess of £450,000

Vanilla & Sesame Court, London, SE1

Offers in excess of £450,000

Westbere Road, NW2

Offers in excess of £450,000

Seymour Street, W1H

£450,000

Old Theatre Court, London, SE1

£450,000

Kilburn Lane, W10

Guide Price £425,000

Canaletto Tower, London, EC1V

£425,000

New Atlas Wharf, London, E14

£400,000

Porchester Place, W2

Offers in excess of £375,000

Essex Road, N1

£350,000

New Caledonian Wharf, London, SE16

£350,000

Forset Court, London, W2

£345,000

Sussex Gardens, W2

Offers in excess of £295,000

Edgware Road, W2

£30,000

Curlew Street, London, SE1

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