The truth is, for too many British people it’s impossible to say.
Why? Because fluctuating exchange rates mean typical buyers from the UK don’t know until the day they make a currency transfer how many pounds they’ll need to exchange to meet the agreed local price of their property.
The current asking price of this four-bedroom, two-bathroom detached home in Florida is just $75,000 (for more details contact OGC on 0207 898 0549). But we thought we’d see how the actual price in Sterling to British buyers fluctuated over the space of just three months thanks to exchange rate movements. The result was by a £1,526 – just think how many visits to Disney World you could get with that…
| Date | Smart £/$ rate | Property Price |
| April 10 | 1.5787 | £47,507 |
| March 27 | 1.5981 | £47,197 |
| March 6 | 1.5756 | £47,601 |
| February 10 | 1.5709 | £47,743 |
| January 10 | 1.5395 | £48,723 |
This property is typical of the deals currently available in the Sunshine State. Being in Kissimmee and close to Florida’s world famous theme parks means it has good rental potential. The realtor selling the property estimates the buyer would need to spend a further $2,500 to complete the purchase of the property and fix it up. Then, as a rental investment it could earn you $825-$900 a month, which with estimated running costs of $215, represents a return on investment of 9.5-10.6 per cent
Using Smart Currency Exchange to make all your currency transfers is the first step to making your pounds go further when buying in Florida or anywhere abroad – thanks to their bank-beating exchange rates. Smart could also help to secure the cost of your overseas home in pounds, before you have to pay for it in a foreign currency, by offering you a forward contract. Visit the Currency Zone for more details or download a free report on how to save money when making currency transfers by clicking here
For details of properties for sale in the USA, visit the USA listings on Rightmove Overseas.