EnglishPatriot

Having read all sorts of negative stories about the property market in Spain, I have become very put off from buying anything there.

Is there anywhere in Southern Europe where the property market is at least broadly honest and where estate agents, sellers and local government officials are not seeking to rip you off and deceive you at every turn?

Chatter Static

South of France The buying process is pretty straight forwards here and if a home lacks any form of its planning consent it is apparent straight away.

gioppino

Is there anywhere in Britain where the property market is at least broadly honest and where estate agents, banks and councils are not seeking to rip you off and deceive you at every turn?

JB80

I think the bigger question is why do you want to buy property?

Is it for an investment, holiday home or do you actually want to live there and make it a home?
If the latter then you can safely buy anywhere in Southern Europe, do your research right and you wont get burned and you will have a lovely house in the location of your choosing.

Actually that goes for the other two as well but you are less likely to see a return on any investment for a while or to be able to cover expenses for the time when you are not there.

It's all about doing things the correct way the first time and not trying to cut corners on the cheap.

Mitzyboy

Although I appreciate your sentiments, that is clearly not true of all EU countries. From my own experience (although I wasn't "burned"), in Spain there are people who did the right thing the right way and still ended up in trouble.

In Cyprus, the same has happened with corrupt solicitors and estate agents.

There are stories all the time, sadly

booboo24

I think the best way is to get recommendations, there are bad apples everywhere!

Ray51

I would readily recommend SLOvenia to ya , but , depending on the holy Budget , anything reasonably-priced by the Adratic , I have also been looking for , for over 5 years ; and I do speak the local lingo , + the 3 neighbours' ones , namely Croatian , Italian and German ; yet , sometimes , if the Things are NOT meant to be ...you know !?
Many English and International mates also recommend Portugal highly , but : the EURO-madness has buried them , too , into slavery of austerity + it's still quite a bit more costly than most parts of Spain , for anything advanced , sophisticated , electronic , automotive and suchlike ;
in closing : DO beware of hiden incomprehensible rules , changing frequently e.g. medical charges and payments .
Perhaps : Greece still Better ? But , it's all Greek , 2 me ...

mikelincs

At least in Britain there are laws that mean the property has to be as described, and the seller has to list all the things in the property that he will be taking, even down to the clothes line.
I would class the property market in Britain to be, in the vast majority of cases honest.

Azarel

The amount of money all the people involved in a house sale make in the UK, there's no real need to be dishonest!

Ray51

P.S. As an ex-estae agent , I'm pleased to inform you that U.K. commissions are actually Very Low , taking into Account the horrenduosly silly and insecure way the sales and purchases are concluded there ( in many other places , an agent has a signed Selling Mandate , fixed comm and a legally-valid contract of sale that can be signed on the roof of the car or in the nearest bar/McDo's , as long as both the Vendor and the Purchases deliver the goods ! If NOT , the one who failed first must pay to the introducing agent the Commission , legaly enforcible , easy in most cases !
The commissions usually are 4-5% in US and Canada , 5% DownUnda , 6-7% in Cape Town and Johannesburg , similar range in many an other developed country ; they may get negotiated down by a % or so , fur multi-milEUro sales , but what would the Balkans' and East-EU to oprate in such vastly regulated and advanced systems , how competitive could they ever hope to get ...?

notathome

We have also toyed with the idea of buying a place in the south of France, Italy or Spain. The former to live in the latter two to rent off in the summer and use in the winter (we would only choose one option of course). However, what has stopped us is not so much fear of crooked agents, but the change in european weather. I think it is now more a question of, where is it safe to live? We had dreamt of living near the sea, but looking at the last couple of years, this could result in being flooded, as would living anywhere near a river.
We have friends in all three countries and none have had trouble with agents or extravagent prices.

Ray51

Well , as one gets older , the attractions of suspect banana republics feature much less , on one's agendae , mefinkz !
Sure , some more sunshine would be nice , NOT Costa del Sol nor Emirates' heat murders !
On the other hand , it is just SO difficult to leave an organised , civilised , advanced county in exchange for vagetating in 3rd world , somewhere ...

Ray51

P.S. Living some 500-600 metres from The River ( Thames , London ) , NIL idea of any floods ?

notathome

Yes, we are also used to a well organised country. Here in Bavaria we seem to have so much. However, I yearn for a change before it is too late. The UK seems to be very uncertain with all its floods and bad weather.

Ray51

Parts of U.K. DO suffer in bad weather , sometimes !
In my 60's , that's a risk well-worth taking , there is also insurance + goodwill from seriously decent neighbours etc .
The older I get , the more I love my adopted homeland , living by The River and going FREE into heart of cenral London tomorrow , then to Chelsea & Kensington , maybe Mayfair , coming Sunday ; in this exciting , tremendously pulsating , dynamic cosmopolitan city ; how does one quit that , for some backward extra sunshine , please , tell ?