Short answer: In 2026 the UK opportunities for an investor living abroad sit in three places: new-build schemes in London’s regeneration areas, towns linked to London by rail, and regional cities with higher rental yields. There is no nationality restriction on foreigners buying homes in England; the difference is in the cost. A non-UK resident buyer pays a 2% stamp duty surcharge, and a further 5% if they own another home anywhere in the world.
Schemes on sale and starting prices by city
The table below is built from the UK listings live on our site. The price on each row is the starting price of the most affordable scheme in that city; larger homes in the same scheme cost more.
| City | Schemes on sale | Lowest starting price | All listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 62 | £315,000 | All listings |
| Manchester | 11 | £120,000 | All listings |
| Birmingham | 6 | £180,000 | All listings |
| Cambridge | 4 | £349,950 | All listings |
| Liverpool | 2 | £179,950 | All listings |
| Fleet | 2 | £280,000 | All listings |
| Reading | 2 | £400,000 | All listings |
| Tonbridge | 2 | £525,000 | All listings |
| Wirral | 1 | £162,589 | All listings |
| Norwich | 1 | £199,950 | All listings |
| Gravesend | 1 | £210,000 | All listings |
| Luton | 1 | £210,000 | All listings |
| Leicester | 1 | £221,650 | All listings |
| Stevenage | 1 | £240,000 | All listings |
| Milton Keynes | 1 | £260,000 | All listings |
| St Albans | 1 | £275,000 | All listings |
| Wallingford | 1 | £330,000 | All listings |
| Bath | 1 | £375,000 | All listings |
| Oxford | 1 | £409,950 | All listings |
| Ascot | 1 | £445,000 | All listings |
| Staines-upon-Thames | 1 | £450,000 | All listings |
| Newport | 1 | £469,950 | All listings |
Built from the listings live on this site, sold out schemes excluded; it updates itself daily.
Can foreigners buy property in the UK?
Yes. You do not need to be a British citizen or UK resident to buy a home in England and Wales; the title is registered with HM Land Registry in the buyer’s name or a company’s. A solicitor registered in England handles the purchase for the buyer and, under anti-money laundering rules, asks for identity documents and proof of the source of funds. For the process step by step, see buying property in the UK from Turkey in our guide.
Buying a home does not give residence on its own; that is covered in does buying a home in the UK give residence.
Stamp duty for non-UK resident buyers
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is charged band by band, and a buyer living abroad can face two surcharges: 2% for a non-UK resident and 5% for a buyer who already owns a home. On a £300,000 flat the difference looks like this:
| Buyer | stamp duty |
|---|---|
| Lives abroad, owns no other home | £11,000 |
| Lives abroad, owns a home in Turkey or elsewhere | £26,000 |
The band table and worked examples are on the stamp duty page; the total with solicitor, registration and other items is on the total cost of buying a home in the UK page.
Where are the opportunities?
London’s regeneration areas
Part of our London list sits in areas where former industrial and dock land is being redeveloped: Nine Elms and Battersea, Royal Docks, Woolwich, Kidbrooke, Wembley Park and Colindale among them. Homes there are planned together with stations, parks and shops. Current schemes are in our London listings; what a given budget buys is set out by distance from the centre in what you can buy in London for £300,000.
Towns linked to London by rail
Towns such as St Albans, Luton, Gravesend, Reading and Stevenage are linked to London by rail. Average flat prices there are below London’s, so the same budget usually buys a larger home. The city rows in the table lead to these schemes.
Cities with higher rental yields
Rental yields are higher in regional cities where prices are lower. In our dataset built from ONS figures (prices July 2026, rents August 2026) the gross yield on an average flat is 9.3% in Newcastle, 8.9% in Sunderland, 8.6% in Hull and 8.1% in Nottingham and Milton Keynes; among London boroughs the highest is Barking and Dagenham at 7.7%. These are averages for the existing housing stock; new-build prices are higher, so gross yields there usually come out lower. The full list and downloadable data are on the cities with the highest rental yields page.
Finance: mortgages for foreign nationals
Some lenders do lend to buyers who live abroad and have no UK income, but the deposit and the interest rate are usually higher than for a UK resident. Which conditions apply is explained in can a Turkish citizen get a mortgage in the UK.
After the purchase: rent, tax and sale
- Rental income: A landlord living abroad falls under the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme; without HMRC approval the tenant or letting agent deducts basic rate tax from the rent. A tax return is still due each year. A worked example is on the rental income tax page.
- Sale: Non-UK residents also pay capital gains tax on UK residential property and must report the sale to HMRC within 60 days.
- Inheritance: Property in the UK can fall within UK inheritance tax wherever its owner lives; details are on the inheritance tax for foreigners page.
- Service charge: Flats carry an annual service charge for the upkeep of the building; always ask for the scheme’s current figure before you commit.
Risks
- Currency: The price, the rent and the loan are all in sterling; measured in lira or dollars, exchange rate moves change the result.
- Buying off-plan: Completion can slip, and if the valuation at completion comes in below the price the loan can be smaller. The pros and cons are on the is buying off-plan a good idea page.
- Market: Current data on where prices are heading is on the will UK house prices fall page.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy a home in the UK? Yes. There is no nationality or residence requirement; the title is registered with HM Land Registry in the buyer’s name.
How much stamp duty does a foreign buyer pay? On a £300,000 flat a buyer living abroad with no other home pays £11,000; one who owns another home pays £26,000.
Where are UK rental yields highest? In our dataset based on ONS figures the gross yield on an average flat is highest in Newcastle, at 9.3%. New-build yields are usually lower.
Can someone living abroad get a UK mortgage? Yes, some lenders lend to these buyers; the deposit and the interest rate are usually higher.
Does buying a home in the UK give residence? No. Owning a home does not by itself give a right to live in the UK.
How we help you with this
As capital.works®, the Overseas Property Centre, we represent selected developments in England. Every development live on the site has its price list, floor plans and completion schedule on its own page. We are an FCA authorised credit broker (FRN 1049015) and a member of the NACFB; the purchase, the finance, residency and post completion management are all run by one team.
