Buying a property abroad can be an excellent investment when the market at home is stagnant or the banks are more favorable in another place. Yet as a well travelled person (as most people who invest abroad are) you cannot help but remember an experience that you had at one time or another where you were ripped off for just being a tourist. It’s happened to the best of us whether haggling in Morocco or buying a pair of fake sunglasses in Spain, there is always that nagging feeling that you may be paying well over what it is worth. The same is true of property of course, and we at Flat Hunter are no strangers to negotiating. The truth is that there are a lot of agencies out there that are designed especially to target unsuspecting foreigners who want to buy their dream home in a foreign country. Sadly they are also very successful. So it’s no surprise that when clients come to us they are especially concerned with getting good value for their money.
Historically, real estate agents have been notorious for painting a strange version of the truth which at times can be incredibly misleading. Hiding the negative aspects of an apartment and exaggerating the good points is one of the techniques that they use in order to push the apartment on an unsuspecting buyer. An influx of foreign buyers who are often naive to standard property prices has encouraged this practice even more. Therefore as a foreigner purchasing abroad it is important to be well educated on the market and to get support when assessing the true value of an apartment.
Some simple tips to think about when trying to assess the value of an apartment is to pay attention to things like the neighborhood that it is located in. A great location can make or break an apartment, though location alone is not enough to guarantee value for money. Pay attention to the common areas. The general upkeep of the property and presentation of the building is often a fantastic indicator of how well the building has been maintained. Inside the apartment pay attention to the state of fixtures, lighting and floors and ceilings. Many apartments in Paris are tired and need to be refreshed which can mean carefully considering the asking price. Even if the flat is in excellent condition, tired fixtures and lighting problems will be costly to update and repair. Don’t take any of the apartment specs for granted and inspect everything for yourself. This will ensure satisfaction down the road and avert a surprising hit to your pocketbook in the future.
With so many important aspects to consider during the search for the perfect apartment, many potential buyers feel overwhelmed and exhausted. For this reason it’s often a good idea to use a reputable property search agency in your quest for a new home. Flat Hunter has been operating in Paris for more than 10 years and has helped countless individuals turn their dreams of owning property in the French capital into a reality.
We work for the buyer, giving an honest assessment of the quality of the apartment and negotiating with the sellers and agents so that our clients end up with an excellent investment. With a property search expert at your side you can focus on the enjoyable aspects of buying a new home while the property search expert weeds out the less interesting apartments and pays special attention to the details that are most important to you. Our clients receive a true and reliable assessment of each property they view and can relax in the knowledge that they are one of the first to visit the best available apartments, ensuring access to the properties that sell too quickly to be put up in an agency window.
Finally, many clients work with Flat Hunter because of our expert negotiating power. Estate agents and individual sellers can be stubborn when it comes to negotiating with foreigners yet with an experienced intermediary our clients can be sure that they will not end up with an overpriced apartment.
