Buyer Beware of Building Standards if Buying Property in Eygpt

One of the key differences between emerging property markets, such as those in Morocco, North Cyprus and Egypt for example and established real estate markets such as those in France, the Republic of Cyprus and Spain, can be tangibly observed in the form of building standards – or rather a lack of them!

And when it comes to Egypt it really is a case of buyer beware of building standards if buying property in Egypt because boy do they vary dramatically between constructors. The bottom line is that if you’re contemplating buying any unit in a high rise you need a structural engineer to check out construction techniques and even if you’re buying a low rise property you need to look at what’s being built around you…

The fact of the matter is this - Egypt has a number of fault lines and has suffered direct earthquakes, earth tremors and the after shocks of quakes in the region - it’s not a question of if Egypt will have another earthquake it’s a question of when. And while international cities in established property markets (e.g., Tokyo) regularly survive an earthquake unscathed, a city like Cairo could be catastrophically damaged by an earthquake of a relatively low magnitude.
Why? Because of the standards of construction that developers get away with in a nation like Egypt.

Not only are building standards lower than that which many of us are used to in our home countries, but they are also far less stringently observed in Egypt.

Now, to a degree we accept that a property that is being sold for under GBP 100,000 in this day and age in a nation as stunning and enticing as Egypt is going to be of a lower construction standard than Northern European or American standards for example…but while this doesn’t matter when it comes to fixtures and fittings, it does matter when it comes to foundations, the concrete mix, the thickness of steel, the use of cross bracing and base isolation and other earthquake proof construction methods for example.

Okay – so, as a buyer you now know you need to beware of building standards if buying investment property in Egypt – but how can you tell whether a building is well constructed or just well finished with paint and plaster covering the cracks? Often times you can’t – not without the services of a structural engineer who can provide you with as comprehensive a structural survey as you’re willing to pay for.

And if you think hiring their services is too costly an additional fee to pay if you’re investing with tight margins…buy low rise away from any other high rise building but be aware that any future buyer you hope to flip forward to may well commission their own structural survey and if they find faults they’ll protect themselves but it will be too late to protect your investment.

So, ‘buyer beware’ as always – and in the case of emerging markets such as Egypt, beware of construction techniques.

By Rhiannon Williamson

About Dubai

Golden sunshine, traditional souqs, hot deserts, turquoise beaches and mystic oases; ultra modern cities, skyscrapers, chic shopping malls, and manmade islands - welcome to Dubai - the cosmopolitan heart of the modern Middle East.

Covering an area of 35 sq km with a population of 997,000, Modern Dubai has become the most popular city of the Gulf region. Geographically Dubai is actually two towns (Deira and Bur Dubai) merged into one and is divided by Dubai Creek (Khor Dubai). Deira lies to the north and Bur Dubai to the south. Both districts are rich in traditional architecture represented by lively souqs.

Malta Market Battle

Holidays in Malta, including Qawra, St Julians, Bugibba and Mellieha.
Hotels in Malta. Including hotel details for Qawra, Mellieha, Bugibba, St Pauls Bay, Sliema and Valletta.
Map of Malta .
The weather in Malta .
Property for sale and real estate in Malta.

Malta’s Market Battle

With new destinations such as Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia offering two and three bedroom apartments for sale for £50,000, there was concern last year among some Malta estate agents that 2005 could see a drop in the number of UK and Irish buyers choosing to buy a holiday home on the island.

With good all year round temperatures enticing many buyers for the winter months as well as the summer, driving on the left and a warm welcome from the local population who nearly all speak English, Malta has been popular for some years among overseas property buyers.

‘A home from home in the Med is often the comment we hear from overseas property buyers’ comments Michael Johnson of Malta property specialists Tribune Properties at www.maltaproperty.info

‘With countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia opening up their property markets to overseas buyers there is a chance that the Maltese property market could see a decline in sales this year.

But it hasn’t happened in the first quarter of 2005 at least. Malta has an appeal that never really attracted the bargain hunters in the past who tended to look more at rural France and Spain where the low cost airlines fly to, and it is these buyers who are now considering the new markets rather than the buyers we see in Malta’.

Risk Factor

Malta joined the EU last year, and this has helped maintain Malta’s popularity among overseas property buyers.

‘Malta has economic, legal and political systems that are established, and might be viewed as less of a risk than countries where title deeds might be more questionable’, adds Johnson, ‘And we advise buyers wherever they ultimately decide upon to appoint an independent lawyer who can converse in the buyer’s own language to oversee any property transaction to help avoid any potentially expensive misunderstandings’.

Egyptian Property Market Going Strong

Thanks to a strong economy and a government sympathetic to foreign investors, experts are quietly getting very excited indeed about the long term prospects for investors in Egypt's growing property market. Recent property shows have indicated a massive 50 per cent growth in Egyptian house prices over the last two years, with another 20 per cent hike predicted for the coming year, trickling down from the country's ever-strengthening economy.

The country's shrewd government have noted the outside interest in the emerging property hotspot and have made several concessions to potential investors in the hope of promoting direct foreign investment, such as the streamlining of purchasing procedures and a de-complicated taxation system in which foreign investors can take advantage of no capital gains or inheritance taxes. Egypt has long been popular with tourists looking for that something special and an estimated 300,000 British tourists alone make their way to the land of the camel every year, often purchasing great value for money property as a way of taking timely advantage of the excellent rental yields.

New tourism figures released from the Egyptian Tourist Board make for extremely encouraging reading for property investors. Brand new statistics released by the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA) state that over one million Brits visited Egypt in 2006, a giant 23% increase over 2005. Brits make up the largest chunk of Egypt's overseas visitors and not only have they increased in number but also by the length of stay. British tourists stayed for a total of 9.1 million nights in 2006, that's 21% more nights than 2005. The ETA also confirmed that a record 9.81 million tourists in total had added 7.6 billion dollars to Egypt's economy in 2006.

Tourism Minister, Zoheir Garranah, has no plans to rest on his laurels and with the launch of a multi-million pound advertising campaign at the back end of 2006 entitled "The Gift of the Sun" he hopes to attract 16 million visitors annually by 2014. Egypt also has a brand new tourism logo and official website http://www.egypt.travel/ in six different languages. Garranah vows to improve service and educate bazaar merchants in being 'less pushy' via a Tourism Awareness Project for the Egyptian people beginning with print and TV advertising campaigns bearing the slogan "Tourism Benefits Everyone".

There are new projects being released a plenty in 2008 including the Desert Pearl, Hurghada, a collection of outstanding studio apartments, 1 bedroom professional or deluxe apartments, and 2 or 3 bedroom apartments. There will be on-site facilities available with swimming pools and tropical gardens. Desert Pearl can be located on the shores of the Red Sea, to the north east of Egypt. The bustling town of Hurghada is a firm favorite within the so-called Red Sea Riviera and can be easily reached from most European capitals.

Adam Samuel is a former property agent

Don’t place your property purchase in the hands of the gods

For the canny overseas property investor, the term ‘emerging market’ creates a wave of excitement. In order to make the most out of a property investment it is wise to actively seek out markets offering high capital growth and strong rental potential and more often than not this means buying off plan.

Egypt, in particular the Red Sea Riviera, has come to the forefront as the latest emerging market with over 2000 foreign nationals purchasing a property in 2006 and 4000 expected to do so in 2007. In line with demand, property prices have risen, in some cases by as much as 50% in the last 2 years according to the Egyptian Tourist Authority and rental incomes have reached 11%, nearly double the average UK rate on occasion.

Tahir Ali, MD of Egypt Revealed, comments, “As with any an emerging market there is a window of opportunity. A growing economy, increasing tourism, encouragement of foreign direct investment by governments and direct flights are all good signs. Egypt has all these in place; the key to successful investing is to see the opportunity and enter in the early stages.”

A number of prestigious Dubai developers have identified the area around Hurghada, once a small fishing village now a thriving holiday resort, as having strong investment potential and are currently developing a number of off-plan residential resorts. The Manta Residence for example is a premier beachfront development located in Hurghada, comprising 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and 4 bedroom villas all with kitchens, bathrooms, air conditioning and internet connections included. Being only 15 minutes from the international airport accommodating direct flights to the UK, accessibility is excellent and Sahl Hasheesh is nearby providing a wide variety of amenities. With prices starting from just £23,570 / €34,633 for a 1 bedroom apartment with sea views and £90,000 / €132,230 for a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom villa the appeal for both single unit investors and those with portfolios is clear.

Tahir comments, “Purchasing a property off plan enables buyers to enjoy discounted prices as well as capital gain over the duration of their build. Completion date for the Manta Residence is December 2008 and so with prices rising on average 20% per annum there is a considerable profit to be made.”

The Egyptian government is supporting the development of this area by providing for the main utilities such as water, electricity and sewage. They have also specified that all projects between Hurghada and El Gouna be completed within 3 years so investors can be sure their off plan property will reach conclusion within a reasonable time frame. In addition Egypt, along with 12 other Middle Eastern countries, is planning to undertake a series of projects in order to increase tourism to 150 million visitors by 2020 as part of the Vision of 2020 study.

If you therefore are considering investing in an emerging overseas market, don’t leave your fate in the hands of Dedun, the Egyptian god of wealth. Carefully research the key factors required for successful property investment and get in early before your ‘emerging’ market has emerged.