The first thing to check remains which ownership rules apply to foreign buyers. A number of countries allow outright ownership of flats while restricting land plots; in other places, the authorities ask for a locally registered company or a long-term lease as the workaround. Such restrictions change from time to time, so verify them at the time of the deal, not from an old forum post.
What follows concerns the legal status of the property. An independent lawyer should verify the title, existing charges, planning permissions and whether the vendor has the right to sell. In several jurisdictions, unpaid local taxes transfer with the property, rather than the seller.
The funding needs as much attention as the property. Setting up a local account tends to be necessary for the purchase, and compliance departments routinely ask where the funds came from. Currency conversion can move the final figure significantly, so treat it as a real line item.
A reservation contract typically comes before anything binding: a holding deposit reserves the unit for buy a flat in croatia set period. Check carefully the refund conditions if the legal review turns up an issue. A well-drafted clause returns the deposit when the defect comes from the seller.
The final signing usually happens in front of a notary or a licensed conveyancer, according to local practice. The transfer only becomes final after registration, a step that can take weeks in some countries. Store every document — the signed agreements, buy property in rouen tax receipts and the ownership certificate. You will need them at resale.