In short: Gauci Magri & Partners is a Maltese property firm with offices in Qormi, Malta, and in Glasgow. From Malta, a short flight from Tunis and Tripoli, we help investors in North Africa buy, refurbish and let buy-to-let property in Glasgow and Edinburgh, hands-off and in their own name.
For investors in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria, a Scottish flat is a way to hold part of your wealth in a stable, transparent market, earning rent in pounds. Title is registered in your name at Registers of Scotland, and your rights as an owner are protected by Scots law and the courts. You can meet us in Malta, in person, and we do the work in Scotland.
How does it work when you live abroad?
You never have to fly over. We meet you by video call, agree your brief and your budget, and search Glasgow and Edinburgh for you. Every property we put forward has been viewed by us or a trusted partner, with the Home Report read and the price, purchase tax, works, likely rent and running costs worked out. You choose. A Scottish solicitor handles the purchase and the title, and you sign remotely. If the flat needs work, we run the refurbishment with contractors we have used for years, and then a registered letting agent finds the tenant and looks after the property. Investors in North Africa deal with one point of contact at Gauci Magri from start to finish.
What will it cost you to buy?
In Scotland the purchase tax is Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), run by Revenue Scotland. The residential bands for 2026 to 2027 are 0% up to £145,000, 2% from £145,001 to £250,000, 5% to £325,000, 10% to £750,000 and 12% above that. On top, the Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) of 8% is charged on the whole price if, after the purchase, you own more than one home anywhere in the world and the price is £40,000 or more. Most overseas investors already own their own home, so they should plan for ADS.
One point in Scotland's favour: unlike England and Northern Ireland, Scotland charges no extra surcharge because a buyer lives outside the UK. Add solicitor's fees, any mortgage costs, the refurbishment and our sourcing fee, and you have the real cost of getting the property let. Our LBTT and ADS calculator works out the tax for you in seconds.
Money, currency and checks
Start with the money. Some North African countries control how much money can leave the country and how. Check with your bank, and if needed your central bank's rules, how you can transfer funds to the UK, before you pay any deposit. UK solicitors, lenders, letting agents and we ourselves must check your identity and the source of your funds under the UK money laundering rules, and funds from outside the UK get a careful look. Bank statements, sale contracts, company accounts or similar evidence of where the money came from will be asked for, so gather them early.
Prices, tax and fees are in pounds, so your cost moves with the exchange rate. Rent arrives in pounds, which can be held in a UK account.
Tax points to check before you buy
The UK has double taxation conventions with Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, among others. Check whether one applies to your country on GOV.UK. UK rental profit is taxable in the UK, and while you live abroad the letting agent normally deducts basic-rate tax under HMRC's Non-Resident Landlord Scheme, unless HMRC approves you to receive the rent gross. How your home country treats the income depends on its own law, so take advice from an accountant there before you buy. See our guide to the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme.
Why Glasgow and Edinburgh?
We work in two cities only, because we know them street by street. Glasgow gives lower entry prices and strong rental demand from students, young professionals and families. Edinburgh costs more to buy but has deep demand and a long record of holding value. Both have universities, hospitals and transport links that keep homes let. Our rent estimates come from what similar homes in the same streets actually let for, not from a brochure. See our portfolio for recent client projects, and why investors choose UK property for the wider case.
Common questions
Can investors from North Africa buy property in Scotland?
Yes. There is no general restriction on foreign buyers in Scotland. Every buyer goes through identity and source-of-funds checks, and you pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax plus the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement if you will own more than one home after the purchase.
Can I meet Gauci Magri in person?
Yes. Our Malta office is in Qormi, a short flight from Tunis and Tripoli. We also meet investors by video call.
How do I send the money to the UK?
Through your bank or a regulated payment provider, to your solicitor's client account. Check your own country's rules on transfers abroad first, and keep the evidence of where the funds came from.
Can I buy through a company?
Yes, but a company registered outside the UK must first join the Register of Overseas Entities at Companies House, and company purchases have their own tax rules. Take advice before choosing.
Tell us your budget and what you want the property to do for you. You will get a straight answer on what we can find, by video call, wherever you are.
Book a free 30-minute callSources
- Revenue Scotland, "Land and Buildings Transaction Tax" (residential rates and the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement)
- ATT, "Scottish Government announces 2026/27 Budget" (LBTT rates and the 8% ADS unchanged)
- GOV.UK, "Rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax for non-UK residents" (the 2% surcharge applies in England and Northern Ireland only)
- GOV.UK, "Paying tax on rent to landlords abroad" (Non-Resident Landlord Scheme)
- GOV.UK, "Tax treaties", HM Revenue and Customs
- GOV.UK, "Tunisia: tax treaties"
- GOV.UK, "Algeria: tax treaties" (in force 16 June 2016)
- GOV.UK, "Register an overseas entity and its beneficial owners"
Checked on 13 November 2026.