Can I Sell My UK House from Abroad?

Thinking about selling up and moving abroad? Or are you already abroad and you need to sell your UK property quickly? You’ve come to the right place—you can use this guide to discover everything you need to know about selling your house while you’re not in the country, from the legal documentation to the available options to speed things up a little.

Table of Contents

• Can I sell my house in the UK from overseas?

• When is the best time to sell your UK house from abroad?

• What are the legal considerations for selling a UK property from abroad?

• How can I sell my house quickly before or after moving abroad?

Can I sell my house in the UK from overseas?

Yes, you can sell your UK property from another country—you don’t need to be present, as you can do everything remotely via the likes of online cash buyers and estate agents.

From a legal perspective, you can ask a solicitor to recommend a courier to organise the legal documentation (we’ll come back to which documents are required later) and give Power of Attorney (PoA) to someone you know and trust in the UK to act on your behalf.

Read more: Citizens Advice on having someone else manage your affairs

Of course, you can be on call to give directions and answer any questions, but you don’t physically need to be in the UK to proceed with a quick house sale.

Should you sell your UK property when living abroad?

One of the main considerations for those looking to sell up is finding the best time to do so and this can be influenced by a range of factors. We can’t say one way or the other which will be best for you, but we can provide you with the upsides and downsides to help you make an informed decision.

Some people don’t want to let go of their property and choose to rent it out, but there are other complications that this can bring up—let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each option.

Selling vs renting your home when moving abroad

If you have already resolved to sell your house because renting sounds unfeasible or unappealing, you will no doubt be in the thick of the research to ensure you make the right choice. Here are some pointers to help you choose when to sell.

Selling before vs selling after moving abroad

Your mortgage will likely be leading your decision-making when it comes to moving abroad, so it’s important to work out where you’ll stand with each route. As mentioned, going down the rental route means additional costs and complications with your lender, while not selling at all means you’ll still have the responsibility to meet your monthly payments.

If you do choose to sell your property before or after you go, one of the benefits will be getting rid of the mortgage attached to it. How this affects your life will obviously depend on your plans to buy abroad, too, but you might be looking for a cheaper property in a more favourable market, so any new mortgage you acquire might be less of a burden if you’ve got a lump sum to use from your UK house sale.

What are the legal considerations for selling a UK property from abroad?

Selling your house from abroad requires a thorough understanding of the key documents involved in the process to ensure a smooth and secure transaction. Each document plays a vital role in verifying ownership, preventing fraud and complying with UK property laws. Let’s take a look at what you need to bear in mind to sell your house.

If I sell my house and move abroad, do I have to pay tax?

You may be liable to pay taxes on your property, depending on its use and your history of ownership. There are ways in which you can get tax relief, which mainly come down to whether or not the house is identified as your main or only residence—you can find out more about tax if you live abroad and decide to sell your UK home on the government’s website:

Which documents are required to sell a house from abroad?

If you decide to sell your house while in another country, you will need to be mindful of: 

• Proof of identity and address: Vital for fraud prevention and compliance with Anti-Money Laundering regulations—your driver’s license or passport and a recent utility bill or bank statement will need to be certified by a Notary Public if you’re outside the UK.

• Land Registry and Title Deeds: Proving legal ownership of the property via registration with the UK Land Registry, plus ensuring that all records are up to date to prevent fraud. You can sign up for a Property Alert from the Land Registry to protect yourself here.

• Property information: Details like boundaries, disputes and developments are required as standard for UK house transactions—these can be found on your TA6 form. A TA10 form will also be useful to make it clear what the buyer does and doesn’t get from the sale, e.g. any appliances and furniture. 

• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): A legal requirement when selling in the UK to prove a property’s energy efficiency—you can arrange for an accredited assessor to perform an inspection on your behalf and coordinate this remotely if you’re already abroad.

Sellers abroad can work with buyers and conveyancers to complete and submit these documents digitally or, if physical documents are required, via a trusted international courier.

Other considerations

If you are selling your property while abroad, you’ll also need to: 

• Tell HMRC: You must notify HMRC within 60 days of transferring ownership of a property, regardless of whether there is any tax to pay. This 60-day rule applies to both residents and non-residents for UK tax purposes.

• Enlist a Notary Public: A legal professional who authenticates and certifies documents, usually for use in international or cross-border transactions. When selling a house from abroad, a Notary Public can play an important role in verifying your identity and certifying important documents required for the sale, meeting UK Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements.

• Consider a Power of Attorney (PoA): Appointing a PoA allows someone you trust to handle the sale on your behalf, such as signing documents and liaising with estate agents and solicitors.

• Think about Capital Gains Tax (CGT): You will need to pay CGT on any profit you make from the sale of your house—you can read more about CGT here. You may be able to claim Private Residence Relief if your sale meets certain requirements.

Read more: Head to Money Week for advice about paying tax when you sell your house

How can I sell my house quickly before or after moving abroad?

You have a few options for selling your house if you are planning a move abroad—the best one for you depends mainly on how quickly you want to sell.

Firstly, you can sell on the open market in the traditional way. This can be a good route if you want to have the whole process handled by an estate agent and get close to or above 100% market value. The drawbacks are that it can take a while to find a buyer without a chain falling through and you’ll have all the usual fees to pay. 

Secondly, you can sell at an auction, which can be a quicker route to offloading your property. You will still have fees to pay (often more than you would via estate agents), but it can get your house sold in as little as six weeks.

Lastly, you can sell to a cash buyer like The Property Buying Company and possibly get your house sold in a matter of days (our average completion time is just 2-3 weeks). You will get a little less than market value, but you won’t have any fees to pay if you go down this route as we’ll sort them all for you. If convenience and quick funds are of the utmost importance to you, this could be your best option. 

The benefits of selling your house to The Property Buying Company before you move abroad don’t stop there. You can enjoy the fact that the whole process is completely hands-off for you, so there’ll be no stress about organising viewings or communicating with prospective buyers. We offer a single point of contact and a quick and painless process to get your house sold quickly.

We even offer remote AML checks and don’t need to have you sign in person, thanks to secure video calls or online platforms, so you won’t need to travel to sell—very helpful if you are already abroad or plan to be away quite soon, like this customer who had to move quickly for a new job: 

If you are ready to find out more about selling your property before moving abroad, get in touch today to speak to an expert.