Couverture de Expat UK Property Story

Expat UK Property Story

Expat UK Property Story

De : The Expat Property Guy
Écouter gratuitement

Offres de saison | 0,99 € par mois pendant les 3 premiers mois

5,99 €/mois par la suite. Des conditions s’appliquent. Annulation mensuelle possible.

Expat Property Story is a UK property podcast for expats, overseas investors, foreign nationals and digital nomads who want to build and manage a UK property portfolio remotely.

Host John, The Expat Property Guy, has been investing in UK property from Hong Kong since 2018, and the show shares what he and his guests have learned along the way, mistakes included.

Each week, John talks to expat property investors, mortgage brokers, accountants, letting agents, sourcers and auction specialists about the practical realities of UK property investing from abroad.

Topics include expat buy-to-let, expat and non-resident mortgages, HMO investing, UK property auctions, refurbishments, buy-refurbish-refinance (BRR), bridging loans, deal sourcing, remote project management, UK landlord tax, Section 24, the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme and the Renters' Rights Act.

Monday Mini-sodes bring regular UK mortgage updates, property auction roundups, tax tips and deal reviews, while the longer Thursday episodes cover everything else you need for remote property investing.

The show is sceptical of property gurus and hype, and focuses on what actually works for investors buying and holding UK buy-to-let from overseas.

With a back catalogue of 330+ episodes, this is the podcast for anyone building UK property wealth from outside the UK.

This show is for you if you find yourself asking questions such as:

• How do I build a UK property portfolio from overseas?

• Can I buy a buy-to-let property in the UK while living abroad?

• Can I get a UK buy-to-let mortgage as an expat?

• How do I find people I can trust in the UK when I live abroad?

• How do I avoid property scams and gurus when investing from abroad?

• Is UK buy-to-let still worth it for expats?

• Should I buy UK property in my own name or through a limited company if I live abroad?

• How many UK properties do I need to reach my financial goal?

• Can I buy a UK property remotely without flying back?

• How do I manage a UK rental property from overseas?

• Where is the best place in the UK to buy a buy-to-let?

• How is UK rental income taxed if I live abroad?

• Should I rent out my UK home or sell it when I move abroad?

• What should I do with savings sitting in the bank while I live abroad?
• Can non-UK residents buy property in the UK?

• Can I get a UK mortgage if I earn in a foreign currency?

• Do I need a UK limited company to buy buy-to-let as a non-resident?

• What is the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme?

• How do I find a reliable letting agent from abroad?

• Is hands-off property investment safe?

© 2026 Expat UK Property Story Economie Finances privées
Épisodes
  • 339: UK Buy-to-Let: The Estate Agent Kickback That Cost a Seller £100K

    339: UK Buy-to-Let: The Estate Agent Kickback That Cost a Seller £100K
    Oct 29 2026

    #339

    A seller paid their estate agent a 2% fee to get the best possible price for their property.

    They lost out on £100,000 because the branch manager had taken a kickback from another buyer.

    Damian King was working in that office, and he was paid a couple of grand to keep quiet.

    Take our 2 min Survey
    Discovery Call
    Access Resource Library
    Our WhatsApp group
    Get in Touch
    Property Engine discounts (Code: EXPAT)
    Starter: 30 day trial
    Pro: 30 day trial/3 mths 1/2 price, Ultimate: 1/2 price 3 months
    Our Sponsors: Finnigan McNeill Property Group
    YouTube
    ExpatPropertyStory.com

    Damian King's Book:
    Morally Corrupt: Confessions of an Ex Estate Agent


    Inside the Brown Envelope Culture of Estate Agency

    Damian became a trainee negotiator at 17, and a developer handed him his first envelope of cash soon after.

    He explains why it can be easy for an ordinary agent to accept a “drink” from a developer or investor, and why he believes it still happens today.

    You’ll also hear about the unofficial “hands-off” policy at one agency, where some properties were shown at their worst to steer them towards a favoured buyer.


    Choosing an Estate Agent When You Sell UK Property

    If you flip UK property or sell a buy-to-let, Damian’s advice on choosing an agent is worth hearing.

    He explains why overpricing can mean you never reach true market value, and why an agent who drops their fee instantly may not negotiate hard for you.


    How Estate Agents Judge Buyers

    Damian describes the “ghost property” test he used to separate serious buyers from time-wasters, or “wafts” as they were known in his office.

    He then sets out how to show an agent you’re serious, and why he relies on word of mouth rather than online reviews.


    Key Takeaways

    1. Find agents by word of mouth; online reviews can be gamed.

    2. Bad press can be pushed down Google, so search beyond the first page.

    3. An agent who drops their fee instantly may not negotiate hard for you either.

    4. A good agent proves their worth after the sale is agreed, not before.

    5. Overpricing a property can mean you never achieve its true market value.

    6. Show you’re serious: know the area, your price range and exact requirements.

    7. Do your own due diligence and arrive better prepared than the agent.


    About Damian King

    Damian left school at 15, worked as a labourer, and became a trainee negotiator at 17.

    He went on to sell prestige London property before becoming a developer himself.

    He now lives on a 300-acre off-grid ranch in the mountains of northern Spain.

    His book, Morally Corrupt: Confessions of an Ex Estate Agent, is available here: [BOOK LINK]
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    34 min
  • 338: UK Property Auction: Is the Market Crashing? A Trader’s Answer

    338: UK Property Auction: Is the Market Crashing? A Trader’s Answer
    Oct 26 2026
    #338Once a month, auction specialist Jay Howard from Hammered Auctions joins us to report from the front line of UK property auctions.Jay reports that an auctioneer recently told him that it feels as if we are getting close to a crashJay, an auction trader and former auction manager, takes that with a pinch of salt and explains why.Then the conversation turns to a Thunderbirds-style house with a rocket beside the swimming pool and a railway underground, and the question of whether anyone will buy it.Take our 2 min SurveyDiscovery CallAccess Resource LibraryOur WhatsApp groupGet in TouchProperty Engine discounts (Code: EXPAT)Starter: 30 day trialPro: 30 day trial/3 mths 1/2 price, Ultimate: 1/2 price 3 monthsOur Sponsors: Finnigan McNeill Property GroupYouTubeExpatPropertyStory.comWe discuss:What the UK Property Auction Room Is SayingJay opens with a conversation he had with an auctioneer the night before a sale.According to that auctioneer, a lot of buyers were still waiting until the very last moment to register to bid, and it was shaping up to be a tough day.A second auctioneer told Jay a couple of weeks earlier that the market feels close to a crash.Jay points out that she would have been in her early teens in 2008, so she has not worked through a property crash as an adult.Is the UK Property Market Crashing, or Just Adjusting?Jay does not think there is a crash, and he goes further, saying he thinks crashes are a thing of the past.To him, a crash means people handing back keys in their droves, values falling nationally, banks not wanting to lend and owners slipping into negative equity.What he is seeing instead is a slow, sluggish market, which he describes as a market adjustment.You also hear his view on the idea of a silent crash, which he does not subscribe to.He shares a recent sale where the client agreed it was a good price for this market, while both felt it might have fetched around £10k more six months earlier.Jay also looks back at COVID, when furlough and higher savings increased buying power and pushed prices up rather than down.Why Lending Rules Make Mass Negative Equity Less LikelyJay's reasoning rests on the rules now in place around lending, loan to values and affordability checks.In his view, these make it very difficult for a market correction to push large numbers of owners into negative equity at once.He accepts that some people will still find themselves in trouble, just not on the scale seen in 2008.What Is and Isn't Selling at Property AuctionsAt recent auctions, Jay has seen far less activity around what he calls long play opportunities, such as land, garages and vacant commercial property.Light industrial units, workshops and offices are still doing well, while vacant high street and secondary shops are struggling.The Thunderbirds-Style House Going to AuctionThe BBC has reported on a house in Tilehurst, Berkshire, that is reminiscent of the home in the 1960s TV series Thunderbirds.It has a rocket beside the swimming pool, an extensive network of tunnels and underground rooms, and a hand-built underground railway.At the time of recording it was due to go to auction with Edisons, with a guide price of £300,000 to £325,000.Jay compares it with the Mole Man of Hackney, a property Auction House London was instructed to sell roughly six months to a year before he joined.Why Quirky Properties Go to AuctionJay explains that a house like this goes to auction not because anything is wrong with it, but because it is so hard to value.How do you put a price on a rocket ship, a swimming pool in the British weather or a network of tunnels?He explains why a property this unusual needs the attention an auction brings rather than a spot in an estate agent's window.Will it sell, and for how much?Jay gives his prediction, and explains why what the market will pay and what a trader will pay are two very different things.Key TakeawaysA sluggish market and a crash are not the same thing, according to Jay.Today's lending, loan to value and affordability rules are, in his view, the main reason mass negative equity is less likely than in 2008.Recent auction rooms show less appetite for long plays such as land and vacant commercial property, while light industrial units remain in demand.Hard-to-value properties often suit auction better than a traditional estate agent.A trader prices a property to the margin they need, which can be very different from what the market will pay.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    10 min
  • 337: Why Bungalows? A UK Property Strategy for an Ageing Population

    337: Why Bungalows? A UK Property Strategy for an Ageing Population
    Oct 21 2026

    # 337

    Take our 2 min Survey

    The UK has an increasingly ageing population, and research by the Homeowners Alliance points to a large and growing demand for bungalows, yet hardly any are built anymore.

    In this episode, I talk to Jo Child, whom I met in Coventry on my recent UK property tour, about the three bungalows she has renovated with her brother, who is a builder.

    Take our 2 min Survey
    Discovery Call
    Access Resource Library
    Our WhatsApp group
    Get in Touch
    Property Engine discounts (Code: EXPAT)
    Starter: 30 day trial
    Pro: 30 day trial/3 mths 1/2 price, Ultimate: 1/2 price 3 months
    Our Sponsors: Finnigan McNeill Property Group
    YouTube
    ExpatPropertyStory.com


    We discuss:

    Why choose bungalows as a property strategy?

    Jo started with a bungalow because a small, single-storey project felt like a manageable first renovation.

    Filtering for bungalows on Rightmove narrowed what would otherwise have been a very wide search area between Leicester and Coventry.

    Many bungalows on the market need modernising, while fully renovated ones ready to move into are in short supply.


    Accessibility features in a bungalow renovation

    Jo's first buyer used a wheelchair and ripped out much of the new renovation, including the carpets, to suit her needs.

    On her third project, Jo widened the door frames, set sockets, switches and door handles at an accessible height, and fitted hard flooring throughout.

    She also kept floors level, fitted a walk-in shower instead of a bath, and reinforced the bathroom walls so grab rails can be added later.

    The style was kept neutral, modern and light to appeal to buyers of all ages.


    Checking demand and finding the deal

    Jo checked demand by looking at how many bungalows were for sale on Rightmove, how quickly they sold, and by talking to local agents.

    She found her first bungalow on a street with lots of other bungalows, after a modern method auction sale with Pattinson had fallen through.

    Before offering, she asked the auction house why the earlier sales had collapsed, and it turned out to be the buyer's circumstances rather than the property.

    Jo also shares a stamp duty lesson that cost her on a later project.


    Choosing an estate agent and pricing to sell

    Jo found three agents through local Facebook groups and chose the one she felt would offer the best service, not the highest valuation.

    Because she had bought at a good price, she could price the bungalow to sell, and it went for over the asking price within a few days.


    Working with family and finding builders

    Working with her brother brought trust and quality, along with the occasional sibling argument.

    For investors without builders in the family, Jo recommends local Facebook groups, where people are quick to say who they rate and who to avoid.


    What's next for Jo

    After three renovations alongside a full-time job and two children, Jo has built up equity and is now looking at title splitting and commercial property for more regular income.


    Key takeaways

    · Fewer bungalows are being built while demand grows, and a focused niche can make your property search easier.

    · If you are flipping, choose an estate agent based on their marketing plan, not the highest valuation.

    · Whatever your strategy, buying at a good price is the best way to reduce risk and avoid pressure to sell low.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    26 min
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Aucun commentaire pour le moment