When it comes to the legal side of buying a property, nothing can be taken lightly. If you were purchasing in the UK then you would not leave anything to chance, so the same must apply when buying abroad. You may have heard horror stories about people who have lost everything when tying to purchase a property in a foreign country; this is mainly due to them not having the correct knowledge or legal advice. The most important thing to remember is that every country has different rules and laws when it comes to purchasing property, and if you don’t speak the language it is imperative that you employ the services of an English translator, preferably one who is an English national.

Finding a good solicitor is an easy process when you know how. Word of mouth and personal references from people you know is priceless and definitely a good way of finding somebody you can trust. Some people believe that they don’t need a solicitor and that they can get by simply by using their estate agent. Beware however, that a lot of agents will be working for the property sellers as well as buyers, so it is in their interest to sell the property for as much as possible.

What often happens in foreign countries, especially within the EU, is you will have an estate agent, a solicitor, and a notary. If you do not have all three, then there may be things which get overlooked or that do not get checked properly. Many countries have laws or at least regulations which can prevent foreign nationals from purchasing certain amounts of land or types of properties. For example in New Zealand it is illegal for foreign nationals to purchase over 12 acres of land, and in Bulgaria it is illegal for foreigners to purchase any type of land (including a property with a garden). To get around this however, the majority of people simply set up a Ltd company, with which it is legal to purchase land. Your estate agent will be able to help you set this up; however as with anything legal, you will require the services of a solicitor to check the finer details.

Your estate agent will also be able to provide you with a list of reputable solicitors whom they use frequently, however be sure to ask the solicitor if they are working on behalf of anybody else before you employ them as sometimes they work for the estate agent too. If this is the case then there will be a conflict of interest and you should not use them.