1. My first suggestion would be to go on to the internet and look at and even contact some of the various agents that are now offering properties for sale in Egypt. You will find that many of these companies are owned and run by people who are now residents in Egypt and will be able to provide you with information on the many problems and pitfalls that may arise when buying a property in Egypt, and will also know the area that you may be looking to buy the property in.
2. Your next decision is where to you want the property to be located, do you want to live in a Town (urbanization) or do you want a private beach villa (Red Sea private villa) you may even decide you want to be near the Red Sea diving locations, beachfront property location for your private villa on the sea coast. However, one thing you must consider is that you want things to be close at hand, such as shops and medical facilities, then you may be better off looking at buying a property in Town or on the Coast. It may be an idea to visit the area you are looking at to decide if this will be the right location for you.
3. Next you will need to decide what sort of property in Egypt it is you want to purchase, is it an apartment, townhouse of a finca (country house with land). You may even want to take on the challenge of buying a property that needs renovation.
4. You have now decided on the location and sort of property you want to buy. Now is the time to start contacting the various agents (both on the internet and in the location directly where you are looking to purchase). These companies will not only be able to provide you with details on properties that they feel would be of interest to you , but they should also be able to provide you with details of solicitors and banks (should you need to raise a mortgage to purchase the property). They will also provide you with information on the schools, medical facilities, and other amenities within the area of your choice.
5. If you are looking to obtain a mortgage from a bank (either in your country or Egypt) then find out what sort of percentage of monies they will lend to you for the purchase of such a property. You will find that most of the banks in Egypt will only provide you with a 50%-60% mortgage against the purchase of the property. When purchasing an off-plan property in Egypt there are often convenient seller financing which vary in terms according to the time for completion of the off-plan property purchase. Usually the seller financing for off-plan property in Egypt consists of around 40% at contract agreement and then the remaining balance is paid over the time until the unit purchase from off-plan project is completed and ready for you. Sometimes you can choose the time for which you want the off-plan property to be ready.
6. You have now decided on the property that you want to buy, and you should now ask the agent is the owner of the property that you want to buy have the legal rights to sell it. If they do, then they should be able to provide you with the papers confirming this (an escretera). However, if these can not be provided then do not proceed with the purchase, but any respectable real estate agent would already have been provided with sight of these documents.
7. Next confirm with the agent selling the property that all the correct permissions for the property to be built have been provided by the Local Town Hall. Because of the rise in the number of properties that have been built in Egypt over the recent years with out obtaining the correct permissions the Government has been forced to take measures to prevent this occurring in the future. However, it also means that those people/developers who have built such properties can find themselves not only incurring fines by the Government, but may also find their properties being demolished.
However, it should be pointed out that as long as you associate yourself with a reputable agent then you should have no problems in finding the property of your dreams.
Well I hope that the information that I have provided for you above will help you in making the decision to purchase a property in Egypt a pleasant one. Whether you’re looking to purchase an off-plan project such as an apartment, villa, holiday house , vacation home, holiday home or for investment property for rental income, good luck with your project and enjoy the experience. In Egypt, everyone will welcome you wherever you’re from…..just be a good citizen, it’s a relaxed atmosphere with streetside cafes everywhere. Take your time. Enjoy your life. Enjoy your time at the Red Sea in Egypt. If you want to purchase a property in Egypt there’s no better place than the Red Sea city of Hurghada or Marsa Alam.
Author: Sandra Peterson
Egypt Apartments and Land For Sale 