Immigrating to the UK

Imho sentimental is the last reason on earth to keep a property.

You're emigrating. Don't leave a root behind. Especially one that will be headaches and admin.
 
prod said:
For folks with properties in SA when they left, did you end up selling? Can't decide between keeping the house in CT and renting out or just selling the place. I sort of like the idea of owning a house there and here, but not sure if it's worth the hassle.
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Ex SA landlord here that sold up.

Unless you have close family or friends that can actively manage your property, forget about it. Managing an asset remotely from the UK is recipe for total disaster.
 
Tman* said:
Ex SA landlord here that sold up.

Unless you have close family or friends that can actively manage your property, forget about it. Managing an asset remotely from the UK is recipe for total disaster.
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That's a good point, we're luckly that we know a friend of a friend who manages 2 properties in the same estate so that releives some stress...but still...tenants have too many rights in SA so the risk of nightmare tenants is always there I guess.

Sinbad said:
Imho sentimental is the last reason on earth to keep a property.

You're emigrating. Don't leave a root behind. Especially one that will be headaches and admin.
Click to expand...

It's not sentimental at all :) I'm on a SWV, it's a bit more complicated - I don't have the right to stay here indefinitely and if something goes wrong and I lose my job I'm pretty much screwed. If I can't find another job within the timeframe that wants to sponsor me I have no other choice but to go back to SA.
 
Emigration isn’t a walk in the park. It’s busy, heavy and exhausting at times. Having a property 5000miles away would weigh me down. But that’s me, everyone has a different path.
 
Once you've converted the money you've recevied from rent into pounds it's not going to be that much. Then there's the SARS portion, international money transfer fees - seriously not worth the effort and added stress.

Better off selling and puting the money towards buying a house or something this side. You are going to need the money.
 
prod said:
For folks with properties in SA when they left, did you end up selling? Can't decide between keeping the house in CT and renting out or just selling the place. I sort of like the idea of owning a house there and here, but not sure if it's worth the hassle.
Click to expand...

I have 2 properties left. I am in two minds about selling them. It will be easier now to start paying them off, but the hassle of properties is a big thing. I am using an agency at the moment and it is working out ok for now.
I still have family to support in SA, so plan on using the rent money to just send to them

I did try sell one of them about 6 months ago, but it was a disaster and was advised to hold onto it for a year
 
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prod said:
For folks with properties in SA when they left, did you end up selling? Can't decide between keeping the house in CT and renting out or just selling the place. I sort of like the idea of owning a house there and here, but not sure if it's worth the hassle.
Click to expand...

I sold my house. As everyone else has mentioned, it can be too much of a hassle.
I'm going to be using the money from my house to buy one here... or at least have a very sizeable deposit for a house here.
 
I still have 2 properties in SA. One is used by family (3 bed house) and the other (just a 1bed flat), is used by a refugee and her son that my in laws are acquainted with.

None of them can afford rent, but they do maintain the properties to some degree. Having the properties is super convenient, since I would likely be paying someone else rent otherwise.
 
prod said:
It's not sentimental at all :) I'm on a SWV, it's a bit more complicated - I don't have the right to stay here indefinitely and if something goes wrong and I lose my job I'm pretty much screwed. If I can't find another job within the timeframe that wants to sponsor me I have no other choice but to go back to SA.
Click to expand...

I guess that's where it's different with me; I'm going on a spousal visa - so having a job there is irrelevant in my being able to stay in the country. So, even less reason for me to keep a property here in SA.
 
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Seems like a nice place to live - enjoy
Here in SA one day in a holding cell will cure them for life
But, but their rights sob sob
 
prod said:
For folks with properties in SA when they left, did you end up selling? Can't decide between keeping the house in CT and renting out or just selling the place. I sort of like the idea of owning a house there and here, but not sure if it's worth the hassle.
Click to expand...
We sold our first house when we first moved out of SA and I regretted it.
This time around we’ve kept the SA property and all rental income stays in SA.
 
Tried selling the Johannesburg house for a while but only had two ridiculous offers. The market is cooked at the moment. So I'm renting the place out for a year and I'll try again in a while when interest rates are stable or heading downward again. It's certainly a cognitive burden for me.
I could also really do with an extra £100k to put down a deposit on a fantastic house a few houses down the road from where I'm renting. Things feel tough at the moment!
 
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