I get it. Life here is great, minor inconveniences notwithstanding. And it’s easy to find yourself down a fantasy real estate rabbit hole. Just like in the United States, houses for sale in Europe are listed on websites — for instance, Seloger in France, Fotocasa in Spain and Immobiliare in Italy — sometimes with appealing prices. But the process of actually buying one can get complicated quickly. Here’s where the experts say you should start.
Getting a visa and other hurdles
The first clash between dreams and reality will come at the immigration office. Americans without an additional citizenship in a European country can only stay in the Schengen Area — a collection of countries that covers most of Europe — for 90 days in any 180-day period. Unless you’re planning to buy a home only for vacations (more on that later), you’ll need a visa.
You can qualify for a visa with a job in another country or through family ties (I married in). Some countries offer visas for skilled job seekers, remote workers who meet income requirements or major investors, though these so-called “golden visas” for real estate buyers may not be available for long.
Even though there are some commonalities and agreements between governments, “each country has different laws, each country has different ways of doing business,” says Zola Szerencses, chair of the Certified International Property Specialists advisory group within the National Association of Realtors. The type of visa, its duration and the qualifications to get it vary as you cross borders, and some countries (like Switzerland) may have restrictions on where foreign nationals without certain visas can buy homes.
What will be constant, however, are deadlines to turn in documents. Depending on the visa you’re seeking, you might need anything including birth and marriage certificates, a work contract and proof of a clean criminal record. “You have to not only just find these documents, but you have to get a new one printed from the state or the town and then have them send it off to get certified. And it’s just such a nightmare,” says Melissa Hughes, who bought an apartment in Spain in 2019. So, knowing what’s required ahead of time is key.
Find a real estate agent to help
With more Americans buying in Europe, many real estate agencies are able to offer guidance on visas, banking and other steps of the process.
“Americans are now our biggest proportion of foreign clients,” says Calum Neill, a manager with Leggett International Real Estate based in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, France. “[Our] head office has done a lot of research and assistance in finding financial institutions who will assist with the transfer of American dollars, and eventually the possibility of having a bank loan.”
The National Association of Realtors has a database of internationally certified real estate agents listed by their location and countries of specialization. (Realtors certified to work abroad are identified by the letters CIPS.) Working with a U.S.-based agent who has expertise in your preferred country lets you “expect the same level of services and the same level of understanding,” as you’d get buying domestically, Szerencses says.
Neill’s firm has hosted webinars specifically for U.S. buyers where real estate agents, local residents and financial agents answer questions from Americans interested in moving to France (including whether life is really like “Emily in Paris”).
It’s easier than ever to view homes virtually, and many agents offer Zoom walk-throughs, but it’s advisable to visit anything you plan to buy in person (not least because you can have a vacation at the same time).
“You cannot see everything in the picture,” Neill says. And not everyone stages homes in the way American buyers are used to — so, some international listings will require more imagination to grasp their full potential. “The first house I sold on my own [in France], that’s what I did: flowers, soft music, soft lighting, some bread baking and the house sold on the first visit,” he says. “But it’s extremely rare. It’s not done here.”
Navigate the financing and closing
Once you find a place you like, the next step is usually financing (if you plan on buying in cash, you should research the property and…
Read More: How to buy a home in Europe