Is Now the Time to Buy in London? A Unique Opportunity for Monaco Residents
Savills Monaco is proud to be part of the global Savills network. Founded in 1855 in the UK, Savills is now one of the world’s leading property advisors, with over 42,000 experts across 700 offices. Wherever your property interests lie, we have you covered — and one destination that continues to attract our clients is, of course, London.
Why now?
Savills Research shows that the amount of unsold stock on the market has risen, creating a disconnect between supply and demand. As a result, prices have continued to soften. At the end of June, values were on average 3.7% lower than the previous year — and 22.4% below their mid-2014 peak, before the “fiscal climate change” began.
A new tax opportunity
Under the UK’s updated tax rules, people living in Monaco — including British expats — can now spend more time in the UK without triggering UK tax.
As explained by Charles Gothard and Charlie Maydon Grace, wealth structuring specialists at the London law firm Macfarlanes, individuals who have been non-UK resident for ten years can now become UK resident and enjoy a four-year “tax holiday” on their foreign assets. This even applies to British nationals returning to the UK.
This change is proving significant. Charles and Charlie are seeing both British clients returning (perhaps temporarily to be closer to family) and non-UK clients moving to the UK to take advantage of this generous regime. There’s no annual charge to access it, and inheritance tax generally only becomes relevant after ten years of UK residency.
What else to consider
Charles and Charlie also note:
Clients are reviewing gift planning around UK assets before the UK Budget (26 November).
Major inheritance tax and business changes are expected in April 2026, making early planning wise.
Since April 2025, British clients who have not lived in the UK for ten years can now undertake estate planningwithout triggering UK inheritance tax.
As always, personal advice is essential — but this could be welcome news for Monaco residents who are carefully counting their UK days and would like more flexibility.
If you have questions, you can reach out to Charles and Charlie directly:
Savills Monaco
Le Roqueville, 20 boulevard Princesse Charlotte
Monaco, 98000
Email contact
