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Q.
Can you help with self build outside the UK
A.
Yes. As an international club UK members can become involved in any projects the club is involved in, in any country.
Services will be provided by a combination of UK based service providers and providers in other countries, or by special arrangements with specialist UK providers. Services can also be provided by combining groups of members with similar interests.
The club is able to identify for UK members collections of building plots, and property that would be suitable for further development through every state in the USA, plus much of Canada. It is able to furnish contacts, map locations and generally advice members in the UK very fast on the opportunities.
It is the intention of the club, to set up within the UK, special interest groups for UK members, targeting each group at a specific country, and utilizing knowledge from many sources including cooperation with the Property Pension Club to allow the groups to help members I their desire to build in these countries. In many cases we know members are interest as well as building a UK home to build a holiday property elsewhere, and it is envisaged these groups will assist in this objective. Groups will be developed country by country, so please make sure the club becomes aware of your interests.
As a generals guide sourcing plots in the USA and Canada, is not difficult and can be achieved quicker than the UK, in most other counties it will take longer, partly through the lower amount of searching being undertaken and the need to bunch expeditions so as to look for several members at the same time.
Work is at an advanced stage in relation to creating a range of services for members in Ireland.
We advice all who seek to undertake builds outside an English speaking country that it is absolutely essential to first become fluent in the local language, or to involve a person you can absolutely trust who is.
You will encounter differences of culture; build technique and law, as well as different standards of work, and ideas of time schedules.
You need to find by reliable independent means what planning or other consent is necessary for whatever work you propose to do, and you should note rely upon estate agents, or assume you can do anything without checking. It is a common problem that people lacking local knowledge expect to do things that in their home are they would never attempt or expect to do.
Together with the Property Pension Club and some others we currently advise against any developments in Spain, due to the land grab laws that are a very high risk to property investors. In many counties, particularly in Europe and Asia, you need to be aware of the risks involved, often involving multiple levels of red tape and rules that may change mid way through a build where it is beneficial to a local.
You should see the latest advice from the Property Pension Club in relation to property in other countries. Non nationals, are not allowed to own land or property in many countries, and it is therefore often necessary to do so through a local company, and you may not have full control of this.
As with a UK build we suggest you have a project manager, and that the project manager can speak both English well and the local language.
You should become aware of risks associated with currency exchange rate changes, and how a mortgage in one currency being paid from another can suddenly become expensive to you.
Where the land or property you are to develop is in the USA, the club can in co-operation with Maximum Coverage Ltd handle currency and fund transfers, and undertake the paying of dollar bills, taxes, and other costs at your instructions, through the clubs dollar account, on receipt of the equivalent funds and transfer costs charged by the banks, through Maximum Coverage Ltd in the UK. When the services in Ireland come on line, Maximum Coverage will also be able to handle transactions in Euros for UK members wishing to build there.
Most members in the UK we expect to see building their own homes here first, and then perhaps with the increased equity they have generated on some occasions looking to develop holiday homes. At this point the planed development of the club in relation to UK members concentrates on UK developments, with USA and Canadian opportunities already catered for if the need arises, Ireland next and expanding the Europeans and other overseas opportunities for UK members later, however one of the major advantages of the clubs structure using consultants, is that we can react quite fast as the needs become identified.
Extra note: new section added to web site :Overseas homes - see the panel on the left.
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Self Build Homes Club is an international club
and trading title of Self
Build Homes Club llc. Local services
to serve members are commissioned for the club by New
Atlantis International Services Corporation.
All major commissioned companies involved, have New Atlantis trust status.