Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa Real Estate Investor Magazine - November 2017 | Page 48

Your Guide To Investing In The
UK and Living In South Africa
ANDREW WALKER
Chief Commercial Officer of
United Kingdom Property
Partners (UKPP)
W
e’ve been investing in the UK since 2005, and our
track record shows that despite the 2007/2008 re-
cession and jitters around Brexit, the UK remains a
good option for your offshore funds.
Robert Kiyosaki says, “The best form of Asset Protection
is to get your funds into another jurisdiction.” There are nu-
merous reasons why the UK is an excellent bet – these are my
personal views:
1 Mortgage Lending
The UK base rate is currently 0.25%, and we are borrowing
money at an interest rate between 4 and 6%, unlike South Af-
rica, where we are borrowing money at 10.5%.
2 Currency Strength
The Pound is the fourth most-traded currency in the foreign
exchange market.
3 Positive Cash flowing properties
Cash flow is king! The prices of the properties we at UKPP are
currently investing in, along with the cost of borrowing money,
means we’re achieving positive cash flow.
4 Diversification
My family is still young, and I would like to have more than
one option for the future, which is why I personally believe it’s
a good idea to diversify into the UK.
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NOVEMBER 2017 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
Diversification and
knowing when to buy
One of the questions I get asked a lot is: “I am currently living
in South Africa, can I invest in the UK and will I be able to get
lending in the UK?” The answer is certainly YES!
Over the last 12 years, I have personally been involved in over
500 UK property transactions in the North East Lincolnshire
area – one of our main areas for investment. It is located 3.5
hours north of London.
Through trial and error, I have developed an excellent local
power team, which includes:
• Solicitor to do the legal work for you
• Accountant to set up your business and do your annual
accounts
• Three building teams to ensure we always get the most
competitive rate.
• Management Agency to let your property out and to give
you piece of mind
• Money movers to get your funds off shore
When partnering with the UKPP, we take care of all of the
above for you. Please contact us so we can arrange a coffee
meeting to give you all the details.