Have you finally found the house of your dreams? Are you ready to make a purchase and sign the official contract?

But wait! You have to check some things first. Are you absolutely certain the house and land you are purchasing is legal? Are you sure the person who is selling it is really the owner of the property? And have you made sure that you can get your money returned if you realize something is fishy?

Buying a house, even if it is just a vacation retreat (but more especially if it will be your permanent home after retirement) is a major financial decision. And yes it has happened that people have preyed on buyers. Or that even a respectable deal.falls through because there was an unexpected hitch in the process. So how do you prevent this from happening?

Locating a Real Estate Agent you can Really Trust

You can find many excellent real estate agents in Spain. Choose that you trust. It is crucial to get a trustworthy agent before you get caught in the details of finding a house. Otherwise you will end up with no one to represent you. This is even more crucial if you’re going to purchase the property off plan. An off plan is a property which hasn’t been constructed yet, or is not yet completed. There may be chance that place will never be completed or that they don’t have the right permits to build a property there.

Before searching for a possible home in Spain, kick off the process by looking at your mortgage prospects. You should contact a very good mortgage lender or mortgage broker and then secure approval for a loan. With an approved loan, you have a much higher chance of being able to make a really strong offer for the property you like.

Finding a Solicitor

Aside from finding a mortgage broker do consider getting a good solicitor to act as your legal representative. You will need someone with a legal background when you start working on the documents needed to buy a home. Legal wording in contracts is very important. For example when you and the seller have finally settled on a final price, the normal practice is to make an initial deposit. Your lawyer will make sure that this deposit is appropriately recorded and that there will be no last minute changes in the price. If you decide not to get a lawyer right away it is advisable that you include the terms “subject to mortgage and valuation” in the purchase contract.

If you are trying to get financing for the property, the bank will have requirements and in the process of doing that you will often discover faults such local council issues or whether or not the construction is legal. You should be able to back out without losing your deposit.

It’s always important to get these experts on your team or you may forfeit your deposit if you suddenly decide to stop in the middle of the proceedings.