1 in 2 Aussies considering overseas property investment

The numbers were higher for younger Australians, with 62 per cent of 20 to 39 year-olds considering investing overseas; for those that would, “prices at home” being the main reason accounted for 67 per cent.

While returns may be thought of as the main reason why people would consider investing overseas, only 13 per cent said they would go for international investing because of growth and yields. Other reasons include the potential to one day retire into the property at 11 per cent, because of benefits being taking away from investing in Australian property at 7 per cent, and low stock levels in Australia at 4 per cent.

These properties are not just being planned as set and forget; 35 per cent would choose the property as one they could use as a holiday rental themselves, 27 per cent said they would choose a property to retire into, 17 per cent would include the investment into a diversified property fund, and 13 per cent would use their super to invest.

Patrick Liddy, WorldFirst’s head of foreign exchange, said that because Sydney’s housing market is considered the second-least affordable in the world, and in combination with stagnant local wage growth, the fact that so many Australians are considering international investment should not be surprising.

“You can probably get more bang for your buck purchasing a ski lodge in Japan, a bach in New Zealand or a chateau in France, but it’s important to make the right financial decisions when buying an often-expensive property asset overseas,” Mr Liddy said.

“Exchange rates need to be taken into account when purchasing overseas property, as a negative swing in our dollar could mean paying a lot more than expected. Ongoing maintenance costs and rental yield will also be affected by changes in foreign currency.”