Spotlight on the Moroccan property market

Here are some tips to help you consider making a Moroccan property buy.

Why buy in Morocco?
Investing in property in Morocco is currently backed by recent substantial policy and financial support from the Moroccan government to make tourism a major priority. These efforts have been rewarded with large increases in tourist visitors. At the end of 2006, 6.5 million foreign visitors had visited Morocco in the year – a healthy increase on the figure of 5.8 million reached in 2005.

The Moroccan government is aiming to:

• develop 6 coastal tourist zones. 5 are planned for the Atlantic coast and 1 for the Mediterranean coast
• renovate regional airports to increase cheap, international flights to Morocco
• increase flight numbers across the country and
• build a high-speed train service, initially linking Tangier to Marrakesh within just 2.5 hours.

Benefits of a Moroccan home buy:

• property prices, at time of writing, can be as much as 50% cheaper than equivalent European buys
• full freehold ownership rights are offered to foreign buyers
• as an overseas buyer, you don’t have to pay tax on rental income for the first 5 years
• capital gains tax is charged at 20% of profit with at least 3 per cent of property sale price if the home is sold within 5 years. This goes down to 10% if sold between 5-10 years and reduces to 0% after 10 years and
• inheritance tax does not apply to family members. That said, you do have to get a legally recognised Moroccan will and you need to take tax advice.

Easier Moroccan property buying
It’s a lot simpler than it was 5 years ago to buy property in Morocco as national government has simplified holiday home purchases. In 2007, Marrakesh government agencies started registering older properties with the Moroccan land registry – thus reducing ownership issues associated with overseas property buys.

The challenges of buying an old riad in Morocco

You’re keen to buy property in Morocco – and you like the old riads you’ve seen. Whilst old riads offer the charm that newly built, modern style Moroccan may not – you need to be careful.
Buying an old riad can involve substantial paperwork including title issues. Plus you’ll need to find skilled builders experienced in restoring riad exteriors and interiors.

Many older properties carry ‘Melkia title’ which is not recognised by the Moroccan land registry. These type of properties have to be sold under Sharia law which means getting consent from each of the property owner’s family members - before the property can be sold.

Newly built homes or properties sold in the last seven years carry ‘French title’. This means that property ownership is recognised through the Moroccan land registry which reduces the chances of dispute.

Older properties might also involve problems with access to good transport links plus restricted planning permissions.

Riad read
“Cinnamon City: Falling for the Magical City of Marrakech“, gives an amusing account of Miranda Innes’ experiences of buying and renovating an old riad in Marrakesh. You might like to read this to learn about the challenges that Miranda faced.

New or off-plan in old style
One way of avoiding the problems with an old riad is to buy is a new or off-plan property built to riad style instead. Newly built or off-plan properties in Morocco present a much safer option with fewer ownership issues. Plus the buying process is quite similar to those in Northern European countries.

Travel tips for your first visit to Morocco

Morocco is fascinating to Westerners. Even though it is so close to Europe – it presents a very different culture. Whilst it is deeply Islamic and traditional it is going through some dramatic, progressive reforms. You’ll be surprised by some of the glimpses of the Medieval times when you walk through many streets as well as fragments of a French and Spanish colonial past. This mix can pull you back for more.

Whilst you can get bothered by people hassling you for business - you will undoubtedly also enjoy the generosity of spirit and openness that Moroccans extend to visitors.

This country offers some great travel opportunities plus property in Morocco offers some excellent investment options. If you want to find out more about Morocco, visit the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel web page on Morocco

What do you need to travel to Morocco?
If you’re a British national:

• you don’t need a visa


• but you do need your passport and a return travel ticket.

Health and safety tips for Morocco: eating and drinking
If you’re visiting Morocco for the first time note:

• it’s best to drink bottled water particularly outside cities and towns where water can be contaminated
• you need to boil milk as it is unpasteurised. It’s better to buy powdered or tinned milk and add the right amount of bottled water
• it’s best to steer clear of dairy products as they’re likely to be made from unboiled milk and


• make sure the meat and fish you eat is well cooked.

Health and safety tips for Morocco: water and soil issues

Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water as you can catch what is called Bilharzia which is caused by a fluke worm that lives in freshwater snails. Well maintained, chlorinated swimming pools are generally safe.

Avoid walking bare foot as you can pick up parasites from the soil.

Health and safety tips for Morocco: vaccinations
At time of writing, you should make sure you are vaccinated for polio and typhoid.

From May to October the country areas in Chefchaouen province can present a small malaria risk.

Check the fitfortravel website, endorsed by NHS National Services Scotland, for a full update on vaccinations a few weeks before you travel.

Tetouan city sits between the Rif Mountains and beautiful Martil Valley. White walled houses and green tiled roofs and Spanish and Moorish architecture make this attractive city a worthwhile stay. Full of vitality, this place has plenty of traders guilds and artisans with lots of shopping opportunities.

The Rif Mountains separates much of Morocco from the Mediterranean. Full of history, this mountain range has played host to numerous conflicts between Moroccan rulers and local tribes. If you’ve been to Southern Spain or Gibraltar, you may already have seen this dramatic mountain chain across ‘the Med’.

Like much of Morocco, this area is opening up to both holiday and property development interest. If visiting for pleasure, you may find this place so appealing that you look at new build and off-plan homes. Properties in Morocco offer good investment opportunities giving an ‘exotic’ location with long summer seasons.

Whatever your motivation, here are some places you can visit in this area:

• In Tetouan
• Place Hassan II, the main square and former market place
• The medina with its historic souks and the newer ‘Ville Nouvelle’
• The Moroccan Arts Museum and Artisan School
• The Ensemble Artisanal and Archeological Museum and
• The Mellah, the old Jewish quarter
• Tetouan’s local beach strip between Martil and Fnideq. You can catch a bus to most of the beaches. There’s a stretch of beautiful, fine sandy beach starting at Martil and stretching around the Cabo Negro point. Martil is a fishing village, run down in parts but with plenty of character.

If you’re looking for a young crowd, then try Oued Laou beach which lies further south.



• Chefchaouen, one of the most prettiest and visitor-friendly towns in Morocco. It is visually stunning as it sits between two peaks and has striking blue-washed walled houses and a beautiful medina
• Historic Tangier, established as one of the top end resorts in the Mediterranean for many years. It has a good café and beach life and is easy to find your way around. Visit Petit Soccoo, an old square full of cafés where famous writers Bowles and Burroughs used to frequent
• golfing attractions. There’s the Cabo Negro Royal Golf and Tangier Royal Golf Club and
• Ceuta, a Spanish enclave working to Spanish time. Whilst not especially attractive it is of some political interest.

Travelling from Tetouan city

You can get a bus from the main bus station on Boulevard de Mouquauama. Regular routes include Chefchaouen, Tangier, Meknes and Fes.

CTM and private bus companies run from this point. It’s good to try and use the national CTM buses where possible. Or if you’re prepared to pay a bit more, you could take a grand taxi to your destination.

Moroccan property trends

Morocco is opening up to tourist and property investors. Within 4 or 5 hours’ flight time and on the same timeline as the UK and Ireland - it offers some good property deals and at cheaper options than nearby Spanish property deals. If you’re interested in luxury properties for sale in Morocco – here are a few tips for you.

Moroccan property trends
Popular property buying and improvement options are:

• off-plan properties in new coastal resorts
• restoring old riads* and
• in between these are new property buys following traditional riad designs.

* Riads are houses which have rooms opening off a closed courtyard which feature gardens and fountains. Their design helps create building coolness in summer. It also offers the perfect opportunity to offer intimate guest house accommodation and excellent opportunities for rental return.

Moroccan climate
The country’s climate is roughly defined by 3 key geographical areas. The interior of the Rif and Atlas mountains, the coast and desert areas of the south. This means that:

• coastal areas can be visited all year
• mountain areas can be visited year round but are subject to colder temperatures and
• the desert areas experience severe temperatures reaching averages of 40 degrees in summer.