Property
Property in the Galle Fort and along the beaches on the coast from Galle eastwards have been popular with both resident foreigners and investors, the latter usually also using their property as a holiday home.
Sri Lanka has a 100% tax on foreign purchases of property and avoiding that is a major concern. We are not tax accountants and cannot give authoritative answers, but can give you an overview of the situation.
Buyers who are not resident will need to make arrangement to have their property looked after, and in some cases may wish to arrange to rent properties out. many arrangements carry significant risk that needs to be considered.
Finding the right property, at the right price is, as anywhere, a process that takes time and effort. Depending on the type of property you want, you may find that many properties are not listed with estate agents and are best found through community contacts.
Be careful
Property sales, building and maintenance in Galle is rife with unexpected commissions, many of which a buyer will pay unknowingly. An even bigger problem is that foreigners tend to get badly over-charged and seem much more likely to receive poor service or be cheated outright. There is no simple solution except getting to know Galle well enough to find people you can trust to do a good job at a fair price.
Be cautious about dealing with anyone who specialises in dealing with foreigners (especially if they are foreigners themselves). It almost certainly means that you will be over charged, and could be an indication of worse.