Serbia is an absolutely lovely country to buy real estate in, but using a real estate lawyer when making a transaction is non-negotiable.
Many things can go wrong when buying real estate in Serbia
Just to name a few:
- Liens on the property.
- Mortgages on the property.
- Past transactions that were not completed properly, which could lead to claims later on.
- Not all owners agreeing to the sale.
- The sellers not having gone through the proper courts to process their inheritance.
- An existing house with a building nor usage permit.
- A house that needs to be legalized / was build illegally.
Close to half of the housing stock in Serbia has been built without proper documentation, and has yet to go through the legalization process. Buying such a place is not necessarily a bad move, but you must be aware of it as some situations are riskier than others, and more expensive to fix. In most cases fines will have to be paid.
My point is, get a good real estate lawyer before moving forward with any real estate transaction in Serbia. Also, be careful before using the lawyer that is recommended by your real estate agent. There is a potential for a conflict of interest. It’s always much safer to use your own real estate lawyer in Serbia.
Meet the lawyers I met, who work at a large local law firm in Belgrade
Mr Sekulovic, whom I interviewed on his residency services, works at a large, local law firm in Belgrade. If you want help with your real estate transaction in Serbia, he or one of his colleagues will help you with the transaction. If you need residency thereafter, the team can also help you with this.
Lawyer fees for a real estate transaction in Serbia
- Verification of ownership details
- Verification of potential mortgage or lien on the property
- Checking legalization status of the property
- Drafting of sales contract
- Can we done remotely through Power of Attorney
- Add extra for travel costs for transactions outside of Belgrade
Contact the team by filling out the form below
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