There has been a rather large boom in the number of residents that are choosing to purchase property overseas. Considering recent exchange rates and factors such as Brexit in the UK, homeowners are looking to cut their losses and travel further to find their perfect home.
Property overseas for a relatively moderate-sized family can be considered good value for money. What many worry about, however, is the the horror stories that they’ve heard around losses that homeowners have had when purchasing property overseas. It begs the question of whether help from much closer to home is still valid.
Can A Local Conveyancing Solicitor Help With Conveyancing Overseas?
Whilst there will be different policies and information regarding purchasing property overseas, there are still UK solicitors out there who offer advice on overseas property. They would have developed a network over time during their career which would help when it comes to advising on purchasing property overseas.
What’s beneficial is that they can also have their area of expertise when it comes to which country you’re looking to reside in. The majority will be rather clued up on areas around Europe in countries such as Spain and France which are common destinations for holiday homemakers. There’s also the added benefit of liaising with solicitors in other destination countries where they’ll be based. Considering their wealth of knowledge of the area, you can be more assured that you’re being well represented and work is being completed legally when it comes to potentially making a purchase.
Although it’s beneficial to have a conveyancing solicitor within the country you’re looking to migrate to, it’s always worth seeking advice from your local solicitor too if you prefer. Knowing there’s a trust between both of you will put your mind at ease that the right steps are being made in the purchasing process.
How Do I Avoid Potential Issues?
You’ll want to take any precaution possible in order to ensure that you avoid nightmares and pitfalls when purchasing your overseas property. There are several steps that you can make so this is the case.
– Get the right legal advice early: Considering you’re making a purchase overseas, the last thing you’ll want to do is make several trips to the prospective country later on in the process. Seek advice early so you have a better understanding of what needs to be done.
– Seek a solicitor with experience: As we’ve established, you’re more than welcome to speak to your local solicitor about conveyancing overseas but it’s also important to adopt a solicitor that has experience of that prospective country.
– Discuss it with other overseas homebuyers: The best advice you can be provided with is from those who have experienced it before. If you prefer to gain advice from people you’re more comfortable, you can always discuss it with friends or family that have purchased property overseas. They may even have relationships with solicitors who helped them with their purchase.
Obtaining good quality advice on purchasing property is crucial to ensure proceedings run smoothly and efficiently. In reality, getting the point of view from a local solicitor and a solicitor overseas can only be more beneficial when purchasing your property. It’s understandable to want a solicitor that you can trust by your side but it’s likely there will be a point when you’d need the experience of a solicitor overseas to support the purchasing process, so be sure to consider either avenue.
Jamie is a freelance business and legal writer. He uses his knowledge from education as well as working alongside https://us.iasservices.org.uk/ to produce the information in his articles. His aim is to expand his knowledge through research he conducts and gain further recognition of his skills as a legal writer.
