Ensuring your overseas dream home doesn?t become a nightmare

In the rush to leave the UK and buy a property overseas, many would-be emigrants aren’t carrying out the necessary checks before signing the contract.

Perhaps the most crucial aspect of buying an overseas property is the status of the land on which it’s built. Corruption is far more rampant overseas than in the UK, as many buyers of Spanish retirement villas found out over the past decade when their homes were demolished due to a lack of legal permits and land titles. It’s possible the land you’re viewing may have been set off for agricultural or green belt purposes, thus disallowing any property development. Checking with an English-speaking lawyer in a different area can save you from being scammed as well as preventing your dream home from demolition.

Research into the geographic background of the area may sound like overkill, but the chances of earthquakes, volcanic activity, flooding during heavy storms and typhoons and other natural disasters are real in many favourite expat destinations. Other downsides to look for include closeness to a poor neighbourhood, nearby commercial manufacturing units and even noisy nightlife or the proximity of a local airport which allows night flights, as all these may not only spoil the dream but also prevent you from selling and moving on. Ensuring your chosen property has the correct planning permission makes for peace of mind, and also means you’ll have no problem with getting utilities connected.

Poor construction is a perennial problem for incomers from first-world countries, especially in new developments. However, it pays to find out whether the construction system is commonplace in the region, as this may be for a good reason. For example, in many Mediterranean as well as Asian countries, a skeleton of reinforced concrete beams concreted into the ground is used for the actual construction, with the gaps filled in with rough brickwork and rendered before painting. This method reduces the risk of damage due to subsidence and other earth movements, but is seen by many expat buyers as worrying at best and shoddy at worst.