Covid has had a sizable impact on British expats’ property purchasing. Express.co.uk spoke to Christopher Nye from Property Guides to find out his expat property predictions for 2022.
Chris told Express.co.uk: “Once inside countries, it’s hard to predict whether the drift that we saw in 2020 and early 2021 – a stampede in some cases – to move out of the city and work from home in the countryside, beach or mountains, will continue.
“UK prices have shot up in Wales, Scotland and the North while ticking only a little higher in London, and that trend has been repeated in France too, with prices rising in Brittany by as much as 40 percent since the start of the pandemic compared to Paris dropping by one percent.
“Similarly, the Swiss ski property market has rocketed higher, due not to overseas buyers, but Swiss buyers wanting a place in their local mountains.
“Maybe it’s time to cash in on a place in Paris, New York or Milan?”
DON’T MISS
British expats could snap up a bargain by focusing on property in one of Europe’s top city destinations.
The Spanish city of Malaga was ranked as one of the best destinations for British expats in the InterNations Expat Insider City Ranking for 2021.
Malaga could be the perfect choice for expats looking for the best of both worlds with beaches only a short trip from the city.
Prague, Basel, Vienna and Lisbon also scored highly in the rankings with expats rating the cities on friendliness, affordability and work opportunities.
Multiple lockdowns have also transformed buyers’ tastes when it comes to choosing a style of property.
While UK residents were allowed to go for walks during lockdown, in some European countries curfews only permitted essential journeys.
As a result, residents living in high rise flats or houses with no outdoor space suffered a lot from the measures.
Chris told Express.co.uk that outdoor space has become a top priority for British expats purchasing property overseas.
He said: “In styles of property, outdoor space has become almost an essential.
“One agent I spoke to said he wouldn’t list anything that had no outdoor space as there were simply no buyers for that sort of property.”
Potential expats are also increasingly attracted to new build properties due to a shortage of workers in the construction industry.
Chris said: “The difficulty and expense of getting a builder right now also means that many more buyers are looking for pristine properties with no work required.”