A free PDF guide — the checklist for a property
A guide: how to check a propertybefore the deal
A deposit is almost never returned — including when the property turns out not to fit the programme. We set out twelve points to check: the title, the encumbrances, the debts, the developer’s papers, fitness for the status and protecting the payment.
- PDF in English
- Free of charge
- Verified on 11.08.2026
- Sent by email, WhatsApp or Telegram
The checklist does not replace a legal check on the particular property: which documents are needed depends on the jurisdiction and the type of deal.
01 / The essentials first
Why the checking comes before the money
Four rules that decide whether you end up with the property and with the status.
- The checking comes before the deposit, not after
A deposit is almost nowhere returned when the buyer withdraws — including when the property turns out not to meet the programme’s requirements. So the title, the encumbrances and the property’s fitness are settled before any money moves.
- Debts attach to the property, not to the seller
Tax arrears, utility and service charges, and in some jurisdictions fines, pass along with the title. The certificates of no arrears are asked for as at the date of the deal.
- Not every property is fit for a status
The programmes’ requirements are strict: since its reform Greece asks for at least 120 m², and the Caribbean programmes accept only projects from the approved list. Compliance is confirmed in writing before any deposit.
- Title arises on registration, not on signature
Until the entry is made in the register the money has to sit in escrow or on a notary’s client account. Paying the seller directly before registration is the main way to lose money in a cross-border deal.
02 / The checklist
Twelve points to check
Mark what the documents already cover: the checklist shows which risks are still open at the moment a deposit is paid.
The check is 0% complete
0 of 12 points are evidenced by documentsWho owns the property and whether they may sell it. Every point is closed by a document, not by the word of the seller or the agent. The checking comes before any deposit: where a property does not meet the programme’s requirements, the deposit is not usually returned.
- The seller’s title
- open
- A current extract from the land register as at the date of the deal, not a certificate a month old. A sale by someone without authority is the gravest class of dispute: the money goes and the title does not pass.
- A fresh extract from the register and the document the ownership rests on
- The history of the transfers
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- The chain of transactions over recent years, and any inheritance or court grounds. A contested inheritance or a deal done under a power of attorney surfaces after the title is registered.
- The register history and the documents for every transfer
- The consent of co-owners and of a spouse
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- The shares in the title, the matrimonial property regime, the rights of those living there. Without consent the deal can be set aside within the period the law allows.
- Notarised consents and a certificate of who is registered at the address
Title passes on registration, not on signature. Until then the money has to sit in escrow or on a notary’s client account — the only protection a buyer has in a cross-border deal.
03 / Who checks
The seller’s agent or your own lawyer
The difference is not competence but whose interest is protected. In a cross-border deal that is what decides the matter.
The values were checked against the official material on 11.08.2026. Only the rows for which there is no official wording are marked separately.
| Criterion | The seller’s agentShows the property and sells it | Your lawyerChecks the property and protects the buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Whose interest | The seller’s or the developer’s | Yours, under a contract |
| What is checked | That the property exists and the terms of viewing | The title, the encumbrances, the documents, fitness for the programme |
| What they answer for | Bringing the parties together | The legal soundness of the deal |
| Who pays | A commission out of the price | A separate fee |
| Access to the registers | Limited | Full, with the right to order extracts |
| What gets missedA BRIDGES estimate | Encumbrances, debts, unauthorised building | Nothing, where the checking is done before the deposit |
| When they come in | At the stage of choosing | Before any deposit is paid |
- Whose interest
- The seller’s or the developer’s
- Yours, under a contract
- What is checked
- That the property exists and the terms of viewing
- The title, the encumbrances, the documents, fitness for the programme
- What they answer for
- Bringing the parties together
- The legal soundness of the deal
- Who pays
- A commission out of the price
- A separate fee
- Access to the registers
- Limited
- Full, with the right to order extracts
- What gets missedA BRIDGES estimate
- Encumbrances, debts, unauthorised building
- Nothing, where the checking is done before the deposit
- When they come in
- At the stage of choosing
- Before any deposit is paid
What has to be checked depends on the jurisdiction and the type of property; for a building under construction the developer is checked as well.
04 / What is in the guide
How the material is built
The PDF gathers every point of the check, the documents for each and the way of settling that protects the buyer.
- The essentials firstWhy the checking comes before the deposit.
- Who checksThe seller’s agent and the buyer’s lawyer: whose interest is protected.
- The order of workThe title, the debts, the documents — and only then the money.
- The documentsWhat closes each point of the check.
- The limitsWhat passes with the property and what blocks a deal.
- Your teamWho checks the property and runs the deal.
05 / The order of work
How a property is checked
The order matters: the title first, then the debts, then the documents, and only then the money.
- We order an extract from the register
Current as at the date of the deal, not a month old. It shows the owner, the shares, the encumbrances and any freezing orders.
- We check the chain of title
The chain of transfers, any inheritance or court grounds, deals done under a power of attorney. This is where the risk of a challenge sits.
- We gather the certificates of no arrears
The property tax, the utilities and service charges, the contributions to the managing company. Debts follow the property.
- We look at the building papers
The building permission, the completion certificate, whether the layout matches the papers. Unauthorised changes block registration.
- We confirm fitness for the programme
The floor area, the zone, the use, the price threshold, whether the project is on the approved list — in writing and before any deposit.
- We set up the settlement
Escrow or a notary’s client account, the funds released after the title is registered, payment from a traceable account of the applicant.
07 / The documents
What closes each point
Six groups of documents. Verbal assurances from the seller or the agent are not among them.
- The extract from the land register
The main document of the deal. It shows the owner, the area, the shares, the encumbrances and any freezing orders as at a particular date.
- The document the title rests on
The contract, the grant of probate or the court order by which the seller acquired the property. Checked together with the chain of transfers.
- The certificates of no arrears
From the tax office, the managing company and the utility providers. Ordered close to the date of the deal: they expire.
- The technical and permission papers
The technical passport, the building permission, the completion certificate. Checked against the layout as built.
- Confirmation for the programme
A written opinion from a licensed agent that the property meets the programme’s requirements and its threshold.
- The settlement documents
The escrow or notary deposit agreement, the evidence of the source of funds, the parties’ bank details.
The certificates expire, so they are ordered close to the date of the deal rather than at the start of the talks.
08 / The limits
What to take into account in advance
Five situations in which a deal goes off plan even with a good property.
A deposit is not usually returnedIncluding where the property fails the programme
A deposit agreement protects the seller, not the buyer. So every check is closed before it is paid, and the terms of return are written in separately.
Unauthorised changes block the dealThe layout has to match the papers
An extension, knocking rooms together or a change of use without permission makes the property unfit both for registration and for the programme.
A tenancy passes with the propertyA change of owner does not end it
A long lease registered against the title binds the new owner. The property can come with occupiers for years ahead.
A property under construction is the developer’s riskInsolvency means losing the money and the status
The finances, the record of projects delivered and the presence on the programme’s list are all checked. In the Caribbean programmes the share is held for 3 years and more, so the project’s soundness is critical.
Verbal assurances count for nothingEvery point is closed by a document
What the agent or the seller says about the property qualifying for a programme has no legal force. What is needed is a written answer from a licensed agent.
09 / Your team
Who checks your property
The check and the deal are run by lawyers who work with these jurisdictions.
The editorial record
The material was prepared and checked by
- First published
- 11 August 2026
- Last updated
- 11 August 2026
The official sources
- The Cyprus land register — extracts and encumbrancesDepartment of Lands and Surveys, the Republic of Cyprus · checked 11.08.2026How extracts are obtained and what they say about rights and encumbrances.
- The Hellenic CadastreHellenic Cadastre, the Hellenic Republic · checked 11.08.2026Registering rights in property and checking the details of a property.
- The Dubai Land DepartmentDubai Land Department, the UAE · checked 11.08.2026The register of properties, checking developers and how deals are registered.
- The Citizenship by Investment Unit of Dominica — the approved projectsCommonwealth of Dominica, CBIU · checked 11.08.2026The list of projects eligible for the programme.
10 / Common questions
Questions about checking a property
What should be checked first?
The seller’s title, on a current extract from the register, and whether there are any encumbrances. Everything else is worth doing only once it is confirmed that the seller may dispose of the property.
Do the former owner’s debts pass on?
In most jurisdictions tax and utility debts attach to the property and pass to the new owner. The certificates of no arrears are ordered as at the date of the deal, not in advance.
Can the checking be left to the seller’s agent?
No. The agent acts for the seller and is paid out of the deal. The checking is done by your own lawyer under a separate contract, with access to the registers and responsibility for the result.
What is escrow and why is it needed?
It is an account from which the money is released to the seller only once the title is registered in the buyer’s name. In a cross-border deal it is the main protection: title arises on registration, not on signature.
What if the layout does not match the papers?
Before the deal, require it to be regularised or walk away. A mismatch blocks the registration of title and makes the property unfit for the programme, and the cost of regularising falls on the buyer.
How is a developer checked during construction?
Through the company registers, the accounts, the record of projects delivered and any court proceedings. For the programmes it is separately checked whether the project is on the state’s approved list.
Who confirms that a property qualifies for a programme?
The programme’s licensed agent — in writing and before any deposit. A verbal confirmation protects nobody: if the application is refused, the money for the property has already gone.
How long does checking a property take?
From a few days to two or three weeks, depending on the jurisdiction and how quickly the seller produces the documents. A seller who is slow with documents is a signal in itself.
Free of charge
Take the checklist and an analysis of your property
We will send the PDF with every point of the check and go through your property before any deposit is paid.
- Twelve points to check, with the documents for each
- What passes to the new owner along with the property
- How to check a developer during construction
- The way of settling that protects the buyer