Define the investment before the property search

Are you seeking a home with occasional rental income, a long-term letting, a refurbishment project or land for future development? Each has different costs, responsibilities and ways of recovering your money.

Set a total budget, a realistic holding period and a limit on further funds you could commit. Consider whether you could afford to hold the property without the income or resale originally expected.

Separate the asking price from evidence of value

Ask for relevant, recent evidence supporting the price. Advertised prices are not completed sale prices. The condition, title, access and permitted use can make apparently similar properties very different.

If a formal valuation is needed, appoint a suitably qualified professional with a clear purpose and scope. A sales conversation should not be presented as a valuation.

Investigate the practical and legal foundations

• Title, authority to sell, competing claims and transfer requirements.
• Condition, boundaries, access and services.
• Permissions and restrictions affecting the intended use.
• Acquisition, works, ownership and disposal costs.
• Who will manage the property and how performance will be reported.

Plan an exit as well as a purchase

Ask how you could sell, who the likely buyer would be and what might delay a sale. Allow for legal work, marketing, applicable tax and currency changes. There is no guaranteed buyer or timetable.

This site does not promise a market boom, annual appreciation or returns superior to other investments. A decision should be based on the property and your own circumstances.