Before making an offer

Establish which records are available and which checks remain outstanding. Identify the seller, any representative and the property itself. Collect the title documents, cadastral information and available planning records. With the appropriate professionals, compare those records with the actual position. A single reassuring document is not a substitute for the wider review.

Give each professional a clear role

The notary’s responsibilities for the deed and title are distinct from the technical professional’s building and planning checks. A lawyer can examine the contractual commitments and risks. Clarifying those roles helps avoid treating a commercial assurance as if it were a professional finding.

Connect payments with conditions

Before paying, understand what each sum represents, when it may be retained and which conditions apply. Consider financing, possession, the handover date and any work still to be done. The wording and effect of contractual conditions need to be assessed for the transaction; a general sentence does not protect against every possible difficulty.

Create a decision file

Keep the offer, preliminary agreement, agent’s correspondence, plans, title records and payment evidence together. List unanswered questions, who will address them and when a response is needed. If you are buying from abroad, include representation, document language and signing arrangements. A sound decision comes from the checks working together, rather than the speed of any one step.

What to prepare

  • Identity, authority and precise identification of the property
  • Records to review with the notary and technical adviser
  • Payments, financing and contractual conditions
  • Outstanding checks before commitment

Sources for further reading

Legal review and an update of the references are required before public release.

These guides provide general information. They do not assess a personal case. Examples are invented. The texts are drafts; no authorship or approval is attributed to the professionals.

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