Real accounts from public sources, with the difficulties each author mentions. Not our clients; a small, uneven set, and countries where we found nothing are listed.
This page collects real stories of people who bought a home abroad, taken from public sources: press interviews, personal blogs and community forums. None of these people are D.H. Realting clients, and we have no commercial tie to any source.
How we did it: we looked for accounts written by the buyers themselves, opened and read each page on 11 October 2026, and retell it in our own words with a link to the original. We chose stories in which the buyer is satisfied with the outcome, and next to each we list the difficulties the same author mentions. We left out agency and developer testimonials, sponsored articles and anything we could not read in full.
How to read it: this is a handful of examples, not a sample of all buyers and not a forecast for you. Many stories are about retirees from the United States, whose rules, taxes and budgets differ from a buyer in Poland. Prices and rules in older stories may have changed. Check the source and the current rules before deciding anything.
United Arab Emirates
Our page for United Arab Emirates
A young British couple who had lived in the UAE for almost three years and bought a home in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), Dubai. A story from The National's editorial series "My Own Home". The couple bought a two-bedroom flat with a study and three bathrooms in JLT for AED 1.05 million, which the article says is well below the usual price of such a flat in the area (AED 1.5-1.8 million). They bought because rents were rising, they wanted to invest, and it was a milestone for them as a couple. Today they treat it as a long-term home, enjoy making it their own, and say the mortgage payment is lower than the rent they used to pay.
What the author also says: The buyer says every step took as long as it possibly could, with unexpected costs and delays, plus deposits and renovation expenses. They already lived in the UAE rather than buying from abroad, and the price was far below the area average, so the flat evidently needed work.
Source: The National (My Own Home series), 2023-10-11 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Thailand
Several expats who described their own purchases of condos and houses in Thailand in a community Q&A thread (question asked in August 2023). A thread on the Ask Thailand community forum asking for positive experiences of buying property in Thailand. One poster bought a condo in his own name twenty years ago and says it has long since paid for itself by saving him rent. Another recently bought a home as an investment for his daughter and calls the process quick and simple. A third bought a small off-plan condo in Phuket long ago and had only a minor construction delay. Another bought a Bangkok condo after renting in the same building first, and notes that the running costs are low.
What the author also says: These are short answers, the posters cannot be verified, and the individual answers are not dated. Several stress that it is a lifestyle choice rather than an investment, that selling is hard, and that choosing the location and doing your research matter. The thread also contains a one-word negative reply.
Source: Ask Thailand (ask.in.th), community Q&A, 2023-08-06 (community forum, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
A foreign teacher living in Bangkok with a Thai partner, who bought an older resale condo. A personal blog post by a foreign teacher, written ten months after buying. After renting, he bought a two-bedroom resale condo with balconies in northern Bangkok with a mortgage, choosing an older building over a newer one. He likes the thick walls and quiet, the freedom to change the place, the extra space compared with his rental, and being able to grill on the balcony. The mortgage payment came out the same as his previous rent. His verdict: for people who live in Bangkok long term, the pros far outweigh the cons.
What the author also says: The post dates from 2015, so prices, rates and rules may have changed. The purchase price is not given. He lists the drawbacks: building fees of roughly 12,000 baht every six months (an unexpected cost for him), poorly kept pool and gym, the need for a motorbike or car, and being tied to the location even if work moves him. He has a Thai partner and adequate financing. Rules for foreign buyers are not discussed.
Source: ajarn.com (an expat teacher's blog), 2015-12-10 (personal blog, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Spain
Two retired American educators who bought an old house in Xàtiva. A couple from San Francisco, for whom retirement at home was too expensive, moved to Xàtiva, a small town in eastern Spain. There they bought a roughly 120-year-old three-storey house for 45,000 euros and in 2022 spent about 40,000 euros more on a six-month renovation: they took out interior walls, added air conditioning, extra bathrooms and bedrooms, and built a patio with a transparent roof. Today they say they feel part of the local community and that the quieter life suits them.
What the author also says: The purchase was complicated by the age of the building: historical records were lost, which meant negotiating with the sellers and getting help from banks. Building permits were delayed by red tape. They also faced a language barrier, unfamiliar laws and daily-life differences such as shops closing in the afternoon. Such a price is possible in a small town and for a house that needed major renovation.
Source: CNN Newsource (published by ABC17 News), 2023-07-30 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Italy
A Chicago-based financial adviser who bought an abandoned one-euro house in Sicily. A CNBC Make It feature tells how the buyer won an abandoned house in Sambuca di Sicilia at a one-euro auction in 2019; with taxes and fees it cost about $6,200. She then bought the building next door for roughly $23,000 and, over four years to late 2023, turned the two ruined buildings into a modern home of around 2,700 sq ft while keeping the original features. She managed the work from abroad through a local crew. Today she spends about four months a year there, hosts guests, and says the project reconnected her with her family roots and changed how she thinks about work.
What the author also says: The one-euro price is only the start: the renovation itself cost about $446,000 over four years, including structural repairs and asbestos removal. The house is used as a getaway, not as an income source.
Source: CNBC Make It (via NBC New York), 2024-12-07 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
A Polish couple who bought an old house in Emilia-Romagna (names not repeated here). In an interview for Murator.pl a Polish couple describe a two-year search for a house in Italy, first in Sicily and then in Emilia-Romagna, between Venice and Bologna. In March 2024 they bought a house more than 100 years old, over 300 sq m, with a garden of about 2,000 sq m, partly furnished. They found it on satellite images when agents did not answer during the August holidays, and tracked down the owner themselves. They already live in it while waiting for builders, and say the whole town knows them by now.
What the author also says: The renovation is still ahead, so the final outcome is not known yet. Difficulties: hard to find contractors, prices about 30% higher because non-residents cannot get state subsidies, a language barrier in bureaucracy, water infiltration, and major roof and foundation work. The purchase price is not given.
Source: Murator.pl, 2025-08-27 (press feature, language: Polish). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Greece
A British couple who bought a stone house in a hill village on Crete (told by one of them in a personal newsletter). The author, a long-time lover of Greece, and her husband decided to buy a house on Crete with money from the sale of her father's home. They came for a winter weekend of viewings with a British estate agent and settled on a three-storey stone house in the hill village of Kritsa, overlooking the village and Mirabello Bay. At first the owners could not agree on selling, but a week later the agent called to say they had decided to move to Spain; the purchase went ahead and the couple picked up the keys months later from under a plant pot. They now say they enjoy the view and the welcome of their neighbours.
What the author also says: This is a memoir-style essay: it gives no price, tax, legal or renovation costs, so it says nothing about budget. According to the text, about a third of the house was seen only in video clips before the purchase, the ground floor was a self-contained studio they could not enter on the first viewing, and the owners initially disagreed about selling.
Source: Personal Substack newsletter about life in Crete, 2024-08-20 (personal blog, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
France
A Canadian-American couple with four children who bought and renovated two apartments in Old Nice. The family bought the first apartment in Nice's historic old town in 2014 and the second in 2020, in a building that used to house offices. The couple renovated both themselves, restoring Renaissance-era ceilings, and now let them out. They spend seven months a year in France and five in Indiana. They say life in a walkable neighbourhood with a small-village feel fits their family values, and that a move like this is within reach of a middle-income family willing to research and work.
What the author also says: The family did most of the renovation themselves on a tight budget, saving through second-hand finds. It is a life across two homes rather than a simple move: the year is split between two countries. The source gives purchase prices of the order of 235,000 and 175,000 euros; the exact renovation figures are in the article.
Source: CNN Style (published by ABC17 News), 2023-09-07 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Georgia
Two tech-sector professionals who bought apartments in Tbilisi (names changed in the article at their request). A news feature by dev.by about tech workers buying homes in Georgia. One of the buyers took a new-build apartment in Tbilisi with no mortgage, to keep savings from losing value, and says it gained about $20,000 within a month. Another, a former project manager who moved for good, bought a spacious resale apartment in a premium Tbilisi district next to a park with a mortgage, and says the home gained roughly 40% in its first year.
What the author also says: The price gains are the buyers' own statements, not market statistics. The buyer with the mortgage says the payment takes almost half of the salary and had to refinance (from 15 years in lari to 10 years in euros; the original rate was about 11%). A foreign buyer needs a translator. In the same article a couple in Batumi describe a poorly drafted developer contract, renovation delays, problems with building management and power cuts.
Source: dev.by, 2025-12-02 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Indonesia (Bali)
A lifestyle-brand founder from Australia who moved to Bali with her family (a magazine interview). In an interview for Domino magazine's "My Life Abroad" series, a lifestyle-brand founder tells how her family moved from Australia to Bali. Yearly rents had jumped after the pandemic, so instead of renting while building from scratch they looked for a project about 80% finished. They found two villas side by side in Seseh on a long lease (25 years with two extensions) and finished the interiors themselves. The family lives in one villa and rents out the other. Almost two years on, she says Bali feels like home and the move has been very good for her son.
What the author also says: This is a long lease, not ownership of the land: foreigners cannot own land in Bali. The price is not given. She mentions the language barrier, unfamiliar building materials, relaxed building rules that need close supervision, and missing family and friends back home.
Source: Domino (My Life Abroad series), 2024-03-20 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Armenia
A repatriate who returned to Armenia in 2019 and bought a first home, a house in the Kotayk region. A first-person account by someone who came back to Armenia in 2019 and later bought a first home, a house in the Kotayk region outside Yerevan. The start was bumpy, but the author closes warmly: getting the keys felt like coming home, and the purchase is described as a personal milestone rather than just an investment. From the experience the author draws practical advice: have the house inspected, verify ownership, use a notarised contract, avoid cash payments and keep a repair reserve.
What the author also says: The author lists the problems candidly: the seller hid that the house had no running water, the floors had to be redone, structural issues turned up after the purchase, the gas connection needed a neighbour's permission, renovation cost more than expected (the author suggests a 15-20% reserve), there was a dispute with a contractor over an advance payment, and mortgages are hard to get for non-residents. Notary and registration fees are given as AMD 30,000-70,000. The piece sits on the website of an organisation that offers repatriation consultations; the author does not try to sell services in it. The price of the house is not stated.
Source: Repat Armenia, 2025-10-30 (personal blog, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Germany
An American couple living in Germany (Wiesbaden area). The couple spent a long time on property portals and agents' listings, which mostly offered old houses needing heavy renovation. The home they bought turned up in a local Facebook group of American expats, where another American family was selling. Dealing directly with the owners meant they paid no agent commission, which in Germany is usually 6-7%. They ended up with a house with three and a half bedrooms and a large yard that ordinary channels had not produced.
What the author also says: The search was hard: many homes needed heavy renovation. Because they lived in Germany on a temporary residence status, their mortgage rate was higher than usual and fixed for a long period, and it could be renegotiated only after about ten years. This is a 2018 story: German prices and mortgage rates have changed noticeably since.
Source: The Local Germany, 2018-05-29 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Portugal
An American family (an early-retired lawyer, a nurse and their daughter) who bought an apartment in Lisbon. In 2015 the family bought an apartment of about 1,300 sq ft (roughly 120 sq m) in Lisbon's Bairro Alto, in a historic former convent building, for $533,554. Over seven years they put roughly another $200,000 into renovation, and their monthly costs for taxes, maintenance and utilities come to about $789. They paid by refinancing their home in the United States, which they now rent out. They say they have obtained Portuguese citizenship, do not plan to leave, and value the welcoming culture of the country.
What the author also says: The purchase itself was informal: a 10% deposit by wire and then payment in cash after negotiating by text, with minimal due diligence. This is not a model to copy. About $200,000 of renovation came on top of the price. The apartment was bought in 2015, and the rules for residence and citizenship may have changed since, so the conditions need to be checked again.
Source: CNBC Make It (via NBC Los Angeles), 2022-08-27 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Montenegro
The author of the article, her husband and their friends, who bought a house together near Budva. The author says that in autumn 2022 they moved to Montenegro and rented for about two years, then wanted a home of their own: no difficult landlords, no high rent, no fear of being asked to leave. With friends they viewed six places in nearby villages, turned them down over small living areas, legalisation problems and awkward access roads, and chose a two-storey house with a garden in a village seven kilometres from Budva. The author and her husband took the ground floor and their friends the upper one; they have lived there since October 2024, share the running costs and say they are glad they did it.
What the author also says: The house cost €150,000; with the 3% purchase tax, a lawyer's check, a cadastral engineer and bank fees the total came to about €155,200. At purchase the house was not legalised (though judged eligible), a fence ran about a metre onto the neighbour's land, and cadastral registration was still pending when the article was published. Moving a large sum was hampered by bank limits, and the previous owner's representative tried to take furniture after the sale. The author saw the contract only at the notary.
Source: Т—Ж (Tinkoff Journal), 2025-02-09 (press feature, language: Russian). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
United Kingdom
An American couple who bought a house in London. An American woman and her husband bought a Victorian semi-detached house in London. From the start of the search to completion it took about eight months. In the end they became owners and describe themselves as proud ones. She uses the experience as the backbone of a step-by-step guide for other Americans who want to buy in the UK.
What the author also says: She calls the purchase one of the most stressful experiences of her life: it depended on a chain of linked sales and the legal work dragged on. She also mentions stamp duty (SDLT) and tax questions for US citizens when remortgaging. The post does not give the price paid. It is a personal blog rather than a press interview, and part of the text is a how-to guide.
Source: The Portable Wife (personal blog), 2022-11-02 (personal blog, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Panama
A retired couple from Michigan, USA, who moved to Panama. A Business Insider feature (copy on AOL) about a couple who retired and moved from Michigan to Panama's Pacific coast. They bought a two-bedroom condo in Coronado, about an hour and a half by car from Panama City, for $210,000. It sits in a country-club community with a golf course and views of the ocean and mountains. Before buying they made two scouting trips, in autumn 2017 and winter 2018, then sold their Michigan house quickly and moved in June 2018 with help from a real estate agent. They first planned a ten-year trial but now treat the move as permanent, and say their health has improved and they hardly miss their old life.
What the author also says: This is the owners' own account: the article gives no detail on the purchase procedure, fees or legal checks. The husband says Spanish is hard to learn after sixty, while his wife became fluent. The article does not state running costs. The couple chose after two scouting trips and with an agent rather than blind.
Source: Business Insider (copy on AOL), 2026-02-23 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
A retired American in his seventies who bought a house in the highland town of Boquete. A Fortune feature on a retired American who got to know Panama through his daughters' weddings there. In 2016 he bought a modest house of about 85 square metres in Boquete for roughly $100,000 and promptly nearly doubled it. Today he lives between two homes: six to nine months a year in Panama and the rest in Kentucky, USA. By his account monthly spending in Panama is low, around $500 plus food, electricity near $40, home insurance about $300 a year. He says he prefers the Panamanian climate and is happy with the purchase.
What the author also says: The rise in the house's value ("a couple of hundred thousand") is the owner's own estimate, not a market valuation, and it includes the extension he built. He says healthcare in Panama is cheap but not always good, and he returns to the US for serious cases; he finds Spanish hard to learn. He spends part of each year in the US, so this is not a full move.
Source: Fortune, 2025-11-15 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Estonia
A woman of Estonian origin living in the United States who bought a farm in Estonia. A woman of Estonian origin, long based in the United States, bought a farm in Viljandi County in late September 2018. She found it on a local listing portal and completed the deal. She organised the renovation from abroad, working with local contacts over a messaging app. The report presents her as one example of the people who come to Estonia from abroad to buy.
What the author also says: Closing required her to be physically present at the notary (one of the few major processes in Estonia that cannot be done online), and she felt a buyer's interests are less represented there than in the US. The same feature quotes other foreigners who could not get a mortgage from Estonian banks, and one prospective buyer who backed out of a deal. The report dates from 2019, so conditions and prices have changed since. The copy is hosted on lvm.ee; I did not separately open the original on ERR News.
Source: ERR News feature (copy hosted at lvm.ee), 2019-11-17 (press feature, language: English). A real story from a public source, not a D.H. Realting client; page read on 11 October 2026.
Countries where we found no suitable story
We looked for these countries too and found no independent, verifiable personal account that meets the rules above. We would rather leave a gap than fill it with a testimonial we cannot stand behind.
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Brazil
- Cambodia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Dominican Republic
- Israel
- Latvia
- Maldives
- Mauritius
- Monaco
- Saudi Arabia
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- United States
Share your own story
If you bought property abroad, with us or on your own, and want to tell your story, write to us. We publish only real stories, with the author's consent and without payment, and we will list the difficulties as well. Write to us
Informational only. These accounts are not advice, an offer or a promise of any result.