Buying a Home in Cyprus? Legal Advice to Consider Before Buying

If you are getting ready to search for a home to buy in Cyprus then you will want to seek some legal advice before purchasing a property. While most of the people, if not all, that you deal with during your property hunting and buying process will likely speak English, you cannot assume that things will work the same way as in your home country. You should remember that you are in a foreign country that has different laws and rules and regulations, which means that you cannot make any broad assumptions in regards to what is or is not included in a contract and so on. The most important thing you can do when looking for property and before making the purchase of a new home abroad is to seek local legal advice for every step of the process.

If you are at all familiar with the laws in the United Kingdom then you will notice straight away that the laws in Cyprus seem very familiar to you. While that may be the case, the actual procedure that you will have to go through to purchase your home is likely to be very different. With this in mind you should seek some expert local advice from a lawyer.

When you are ready to seek the advice of a lawyer to assist you in the home buying process it is important to find a lawyer that both speaks your native language and that is well versed in Cypriot property laws. Remember that you will have to pay a fee for the service of the lawyer but consider it a small price to pay to avoid future headaches. It is important that you get legal advice as soon as possible in the process and do not put down a deposit or sign any documents until you have spoken with a lawyer first. If you know anyone in Cyprus then you should ask their opinion on local lawyers and see if you can get a strong reference on a local lawyer. Also check to see if your lawyer is a member of the Cyprus Bar Association, which is considered compulsory for lawyers in Cyprus. If you cannot get a recommendation for a lawyer you can pick one off the list.

There are some things that you want to make sure that your lawyer is checking for you before you purchase a home. While your lawyer should already know to check these things, it will not hurt to ask or remind about these things. You will want to make sure that the person selling the property is actually the legal owner of the property. You will also want to make sure that there are no debts related to the property as the debts that relate to the property stay with the property as opposed to the person that took out the debt. This is similar to the way debts stay with homes in Ireland. If you will be getting a new property you will need to make sure that the proper planning and building permits have been obtained. You will need to make sure than any co-owners sign the sales contract. You will have to make sure that the sales contract is registered and stamped with the Lands Office.

As you can see, it is important to have an experience lawyer working on your side when you are preparing to purchase property in Cyprus.