French and buying a UK property?

Pierre and Charlotte arrived in London over a year ago, when Pierre’s employer moved them here. They are both very happy in the UK and their children settled nicely into their new British life.

They planned to stay in London for a long period of time, which suited Pierre’s employer. On arriving, they rented a flat. They were now hoping to purchase it because their landlord was considering putting it on the market.

Pierre and Charlotte came to us to help them establish their financing plan and deposit arrangements for the property purchase. All their existing assets were based in France and they wanted to know the consequences of bringing these funds into the UK for their deposit.

Together we identified the assets which were available and could be brought back to the UK with minimal tax impact; we organised access over a period of time, and thereby optimised their funds to generate their deposit.

With that in place, Pierre and Charlotte finalised their budget with our mortgage adviser.
The English house-buying process is quite different to the one they knew in France; we’re pleased we were able to assist this charming French couple through the London property purchase process and protect their investment and family.

Pierre and Charlotte are now the happy owners of their main residence in London. They also know how and when they could access their remaining French assets if they ever want to, and what their tax position would be if they wish to sell this property when changing residency.

Thanks to a better understanding of their own situation, our clients have the peace of mind which enables them to move forward. If you’re a French national who is moving or considering moving to Britain, we’d love to help you.

Simply fill out our contact form or give us a call on + 44 (0)207 439 8509.