Buying a house abroad: seems easy, but it isn't!

The best part is the start: looking around in a wide area, checking out villages and people. Most important is to follow your first impression. If you feel it's a good place to stay, it probably is. Then again, a few kilometers further away it might be as good and, as they have told you, there's a real pub in the village.

Ok, looking around for the best spot might be nice, but it takes time. Never decide overnight but once you have made up your mind, stop scrolling the real estate sites. Obviously, there are places that might look better and more spectacular and better located etc.. it's just psychology. Focus on that one place you have selected based on a well balanced assessment.

Once you have settled your mind, you need to place that first signature. Hopefully you came accross a good real estate agent that explains in great detail how to proceed. Trust is essential, but a clear view on what to do and how to proceed is a must have. Oh, yes, being able to speak and understand the local language might seem to be very helpfull too!

You promise to buy, signed everything and made your first deposit. Most of us have to run to the bank now to ask for some sort of credit. That seemed to be the most tricky part. BNP Paribas Fortis, my banker for over 30 years, has a lot of effort to get the demand through. At this stage, 4 workingdays before transfer of the money, we are still not sure. Not because I'm not a good cliënt, not because it's a high risk credit, not because we cannot finance a part ourselves but just because of some strange banking procedures. Make sure you get in touch with somebody who knows what he's talking about. Someone experienced in buying holiday homes abroad and takes int account your family situation.

Then the big day arrives, the day you become the owner of your lang awaited kingly residence! You meet the previous owner again, sign the contract, get a house and loose some money.

From that moment on, a new adventure starts!

#banking #credit #holidayhome #bnpparibasfortis