Real estate abroad for Ukrainians
With the outbreak of a full-scale war, about 5 million Ukrainians found themselves abroad. Many of them are trying to rebuild their lives and settle in a new place. There are also those who decide to buy housing for permanent residence abroad. Let's consider the most popular countries among Ukrainians, prices for real estate abroad, as well as tell you about the important stages of buying an apartment in another country.
In which countries do Ukrainians most often buy real estate abroad
According to Eurostat, the largest number of Ukrainians were granted asylum in three European countries: Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. It is logical that there is a high demand for housing purchase among Ukrainian citizens.
Germany
Real estate in Germany is quite expensive compared to Ukrainian housing prices. A studio in a normal neighborhood of Berlin will cost about 130 thousand dollars, and for a two-bedroom apartment will have to pay more than 160 000 dollars. At the same time, Berlin is more affordable for Ukrainians than, for example, Munich, as in the latter housing prices are significantly higher. Here a 1-room apartment costs from 260 thousand dollars, a 2-room apartment - from 450 000.
Poland
More than a million Ukrainians have settled in Poland, choosing this country because of its proximity to Ukraine, similarity of languages and other amenities. The prices for housing here are also more acceptable for Ukrainian buyers, if we compare them with other European countries.
Ukrainians most often buy apartments with the area of 30-70 square meters. A small 1-bedroom apartment in Warsaw will cost about $95,000, but this is in a dormitory area. In the centers of the capital real estate prices are higher by 30%. If you want to save money, you can consider living in other cities: Wroclaw, Krakow, Lublin.
Czech Republic
Ukrainians in the Czech Republic will need a significantly larger sum to buy a home than those living in Poland. A studio in the center of Prague costs about 160,000 dollars, and a one-bedroom apartment in a dormitory district is about 2 times more expensive. But in smaller towns in the Czech Republic prices are noticeably lower.
Spain
If we talk about Ukrainians in Spain, they prefer to acquire real estate on the Mediterranean coast. But there are also those who want to live in agricultural regions of the country. In Barcelona, you can buy a 2-bedroom apartment for 160,000 dollars, and at a distance of 50 km from it, the same housing will cost almost 3 times cheaper.
Turkey
The real estate market in Turkey has been growing for several years, so that the real estate prices here were recently very affordable for Ukrainians, but now their level is not suitable for everyone. Especially it concerns resort towns and objects that are located near the sea. In Alanya you can buy a small apartment for 70 thousand dollars.
UAE
Housing in the UAE is in high demand, including among Ukrainians. Given the pace of development of the real estate market in Dubai, many people want to buy apartments or villas here to invest money profitably. The likelihood of a bubble in the emirate is minimal.
The absence of real estate tax, strong economy of the UAE, wide choice of housing on the secondary market and in new buildings, simple purchase procedure - all these are excellent conditions for investors. In addition, the profitability from the resale of apartments or houses and renting out residential properties is really high. Ukrainians can buy real estate in the UAE not only with full payment, but also with the help of a mortgage.
Georgia
If you choose real estate abroad at prices close to Ukrainian, you can stop at Georgia. In Tbilisi, a one-room apartment can be purchased at a price from $ 30,000 dollars, two-room - from $ 45,000 dollars. Still, many Ukrainians want to live not in the capital, but closer to the sea, for example in Batumi, Kutaisi and other cities in the western part of the country.
Georgia attracts Ukrainians by the fact that it is easy for foreigners to buy housing here. Only a foreign passport is needed to conclude the deal. Thus, you can buy an apartment both in the secondary market and in new houses from developers. In Batumi there are a lot of proposals and in recently commissioned new buildings.
Slovakia
Slovakia is also home to quite a few Ukrainians. If your budget is limited, you can look for housing in any city except the capital. In this case, you will have to pay about 100,000 dollars for a 1-bedroom apartment. In Bratislava, prices are significantly higher: the same living space will cost 180,000 dollars. If we consider the historical center of the capital, then here for a 3-room apartment seller can ask and 500 thousand dollars.
Romania
Those who have a small budget, you can consider the option of living and buying your own real estate in Romania. Here the prices for apartments are almost the same as in Ukraine. In Bucharest, the cost of housing starts from 55,000 dollars. In smaller towns you can buy a spacious apartment for 40,000 dollars.
Where is the cheapest real estate abroad
Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania - these three countries are in the top for the most inexpensive housing. You can also study the real estate market in Northern Macedonia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Montenegro.
If we consider specifically the countries of the European Union, then in 2024 you can buy cheap housing in Spain. In Madrid, the cost per square meter when buying real estate is from 2 to 6 thousand euros, depending on the location. Slovakia is another country with affordable housing. If you consider apartments not in the center of Bratislava, you will be asked from 3 to 4.5 thousand euros per square meter. In the central districts of the capital - 4-7 thousand euros.
Low prices for housing are also fixed in Croatia. In Zagreb it is realistic to buy an apartment at a price from 2.3 to 5 thousand euros per square meter. Approximately the same prices for residential real estate are offered in Cyprus. The cost of a square meter in Limassol - in the range of 2.5-6 thousand euros. As elsewhere, the central part of the capital is the most expensive.
In search of inexpensive real estate in Europe, Belgium should not be overlooked. In the center of Brussels apartments are sold at a price of 3.5 to 5 thousand euros per square meter, in more remote areas - at a price of 3000-4000 euros.
Where abroad is the most promising real estate
If you consider the purchase of housing abroad not only from the point of view of personal comfort and favorable price, but also in terms of liquidity and investment attractiveness, the rating of countries will be slightly different.
It is most profitable to invest in a rapidly growing real estate market. As of September 2024, the most attractive countries for investing in apartments, apartments and houses are Turkey and the UAE. Over the past year, objects in the cities of Turkey have increased in price by an average of 2.5 times. In Dubai, prices are also constantly rising: in 2024, objects have increased in price by 1.5-2 times.
Turkey and the UAE are followed by the Schengen zone countries, as well as Great Britain. Here real estate objects become more expensive by an average of 6% per year. But it is important to note that in the UK and many other European countries prices for Ukrainians are not always affordable.
According to Eurostat, the top 5 European countries in terms of the dynamics of residential real estate prices are Slovenia, Italy, Portugal, Norway, and Luxembourg. In addition to investment benefits, in some countries Ukrainians receive other advantages when buying housing. In Italy and Portugal - it is a residence permit. The same advantage for foreign buyers of real estate is available in Greece, Cyprus and Malta.
Basic steps for buying real estate by Ukrainians abroad
If in Ukraine you can safely buy housing for cash, then abroad to do it is almost unrealistic. It is for this reason that most of the difficulties arise just with depositing cash into an account in a European or other foreign bank.
How the process of buying an apartment abroad looks like for Ukrainian citizens:
Opening an account in a foreign bank. This is a mandatory step, as it is from a personal account that the buyer transfers money to the seller of real estate. But not all foreign banks are prepared to provide this service to citizens of other countries.
Carrying cash across the border. Due to the current restrictions on cashless currency transfers, Ukrainians often take the risk of carrying cash across the border. But here, too, there are restrictions. One person can spend no more than 10,000 euros at a time, so that this money does not appear in the declaration. If the amount is larger, it must be shown on the declaration and the source of the money must be explained.
Confirmation of the origin of the money. Foreign banks will also have to provide documentary proof of where the money comes from. Otherwise, the bank will refuse to carry out the operation of opening an account and crediting cash to it.
Special permission to purchase real estate. In some European countries, the buyer must first obtain permission to purchase the property from the authorities and only then conduct the transaction. This rule applies, for example, in Austria and Poland (in the border area).
Opening a tax account. To buy real estate abroad, Ukrainians must legalize their intention in the tax system of the country chosen for the purchase of housing. Such a requirement can be seen in Portugal, Turkey and other countries.
Mandatory participation of a realtor. In most countries it is impossible to buy real estate without a realtor. The agent is not just an intermediary, but is also responsible for the interaction of the parties, preparation of documents, confirmation of the buyer's intentions, etc.
In the procedure of buying real estate abroad there are many nuances and pitfalls. But if you turn to professionals, everything will go smoothly and relatively quickly. Real Estate Agency "Mayak" works not only in Ukraine, but also abroad, so our realtors will gladly help in the acquisition of housing in the UAE, Turkey, Montenegro, Spain and other countries.
