The single most common mistake international buyers make: treating the listing price as the price.
What the extras cost, by market
Spain: transfer tax of 6 to 11% by region on resales, plus notary, registry and a lawyer. Budget 10 to 13% on top.
Portugal: sliding IMT up to about 7.5%, stamp duty 0.8%, fees. Budget 8 to 10%.
UAE: 4% transfer fee in Dubai, 2% agent, admin. Budget 7 to 8%, then no annual property tax.
UK: stamp duty including a 2% non-resident surcharge, conveyancing, survey. Budget 4 to 8%.
Turkey: 4% deed fee, agent, notary and permits. Budget 6 to 8%.
What this does to a $350,000 budget
In Spain, roughly $310,000 of it is actually available for the property. In the UAE, about $325,000. That difference changes which band you shop in, which is why every city page on this site shows the all-in box next to the price.
Rule of thumb: decide your total number first, subtract the country’s percentage, and only then set your search filter. The city pages do this arithmetic for you.