British overseas property investors 'must get the services of bilingual solicitors'
British property investors looking overseas should seek the services of an independent solicitor who is fluent in both English and the local language, according to an overseas property investment advice website.
BuyAssociation claimed that many Britons looking to buy abroad suffer from "leaving your brain on the plane syndrome", meaning that they can often be prone to making poor decisions or jumping into commitments too quickly.
Although the company said that a lot of information about purchasing homes abroad is available through property sections of newspapers, prospective investors should approach buying abroad with the same mindset as they would have to buying a house in the UK.
Kate Hamilton, homes and property editor for BuyAssociation, commented: "The biggest problem is the language barrier. When you're dealing with legal contracts, it can be difficult enough to understand one in English."
She concluded by recalling one anecdote of a buyer who was caught out by legal terminology and had bought a property in Portugal, when he meant to buy one in Spain.
Recently, Property Abroad's Lee Calvert described the need to ensure effective translation of property contracts as the "biggest thing" for investors.
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