A purchase as expensive as a property will naturally meet a certain amount of trepidation from careful first time buyers, particularly when the entire transaction is to take place in a completely foreign country. Tales of common pitfalls such non-compliance from unprofessional developers, money laundering, land and planning issues, tax problems and wrong decisions can create serious doubts and fears as to whether or not overseas property is for you. But do not despair: a few simple and sensible measures taken before committing to any purchase will make the entire procedure entirely safe, allowing you to enjoy the vast benefits to be had from your overseas property investment.

10 Avoidable Pitfalls:

1. Allowing your heart to rule your head. Many first time buyers do just this and in doing so make hasty decisions to buy the wrong property. They then find themselves with a "white elephant" they never really wanted or one that doesn't fit in with their original investment criteria.

It is important to put a practical cap on and decide realistically what exactly your investment criteria are. Ask yourself some initial pertinent questions that you may have overlooked while dreaming of your new lifestyle:

Do you really want a reform project and how will you oversee the work?

What is your budget, including any building work you require?

Will you be trying to sell an off-plan investment prior to completion?

Are you really able to use your holiday home as often as you dream?

Will you be relying on rental income to help pay for your property?

Will your family/children visit you as often as you think?

Is it important for you to speak the language of the locals?

What is medical care like in your country of choice?

Are there direct flights serving your chosen location and how much do they cost?

Is the property easily accessible - how far is it from a main road and the airport?

2. Overlooking vital due diligence. Information is power so when buying something as expensive and important as property, be sure you are in full possession of the facts, without purely listening to salesmen or other interested parties. It is astounding how easily some people part with thousands of their own hard earned taxed income and sign up to borrow hundreds of thousands of bank money after doing fewer background checks than they would if they were buying a second hand car.

• In the case of off-plan development, just who are the developers? Do they have a proven track record and are they providing you with a bona fide bank guarantee and insurance should the project fold?

• Be sure your particular off-plan property can be sold on prior to completion without penalty, as this is not always the case on every development and some will not publicize this fact to purchasers. You will be better off with your options left open so it is advisable to avoid developments where selling on is not possible. Be aware that some developers say that you can sell before completion but include a clause in the contract stating you may sell on only when they have sold all the other apartments within the development. You may not be allowed to sell for a lower price than the remaining apartments, or they may require you to sell through the developer's sales office who will then charge huge fees for the privilege! Developers normally charge 1-2% to transfer paperwork from one name to another and this is normally paid by the purchaser.

• Whether you are purchasing a new or resale property, make entirely sure the person selling the property is indeed the owner of the property and the land by arranging to do a search at the local Land Registry. You can save legal fees by doing this in person. Ownership is a key issue, especially in places such as Spain where land irregularities have been well-publicised, but it is also of concern in other locations such as Bulgaria and Turkeyand Hungary as well.

• Some developers will offer pre-arranged mortgages as part of the off-plan deal. You are not obliged to take this mortgage, although you will probably save some arrangement costs if you do so. It is always wise to exercise caution and get competitive quotes from other mortgage suppliers before simply taking the Developer´s option.

3. Buying at true market value. If you are looking to purchase your property as an investment, it is important to seek out the lowest possible price in order to maximize your return on investment. This could be in the form of an off-plan launch price or simply a bargain for a bargain's sake. To find out the true worth of similar property in the area, you will need to ask independent advice from a local lawyer, estate agents, and valuers who will know about their local market as well as average prices per square metre.

If the price of your off-plan property does not compare favourably with that of similar finished or soon to be finished developments in the surrounding area then you are gaining nothing by buying off-plan.

You should aim to pay as low a deposit as possible. Normally the lowest is 30/70, ie. 30% deposit and 70% payable on completion.

4. Settling for just any unit. Once you have found your chosen development, be careful to select the right unit that will allow you to sell it on easily if you wish. It is human nature and a well known fact that well appointed properties, with views and south facing terraces are firm favourites and sell faster than other alternatives of the same address. Penthouses and end of terraces will always sell faster and fetch higher prices than any other units.

If you are buying off-plan, you will be selecting your property from a plan, a model and at best, a show home. Make sure the room sizes you get are the same as those you see in the show home and if they are not, find out the exact difference. Make sure you fully understand what you will be getting and that it is well documented in the contract that you sign.

5. Investing in the wrong location. This might seem obvious, but many people become blinded as to what exactly this is. Once you are clear on what your investment criteria are, the property you choose must fit in with these requirements. All well located property is close to local transport and amenities. A rural property will also be far more marketable if it is easily accessible, located within close proximity to good quality roads and within easy reach of an international airport or city.

Meanwhile, if you plan to be away from the property and rent it out, it will need to be within easy reach of a reliable management company to help with any lettings or maintenance in your absence. If you plan to use rental income to pay off your mortgage, it is of utmost importance to use a professional agent who will not let you down and will find you good tenants to cover your outgoings.

6. Inability to achieve the rent or resale price you require. If you will be relying on a rental market or even a resale, go to other agents as a potential buyer or renter and ask about what is currently available in the area and for what price. If there is plenty of similar accommodation available, is there an oversupply or simply no demand? What makes your property stand out from all the rest? Is your rental income confined to a peak tourist season or can you enjoy a year-round rental investment?

7. Forgetting to do the sums. For off-plan purchase, ideally you will need to sell the property on just before the project is completed, thus avoiding the final payment and escaping capital gains tax. Be sure you can afford the final payment in the worst case scenario if you do not sell when you wish to do so.

When you buy off-plan, you will need to pay 7% VAT at every stage payment and 1% of the property price (excluding VAT) as stamp duty upon signing the deeds. For any type of property purchase, you will need to add on approximately 10-15% to the asking price to cover taxes, fees and other costs.

Remember, on a development that has a 30% / 70% payment schedule, if the price of the apartment goes up 10% then that is actually a 31% gain on capital invested. See the example below;

Purchase price = €200,000
30% deposit = € 60,000
7% IVA (VAT) = € 4,200
Total capital invested = € 64,200

If the developer puts the price up by 10% then the increase is € 20,000.
If you bought the apartment immediately when is was released at € 200,000, then your gain would be as follows;

€ 20,000.00 / € 64,200.00 = 31%
If you had bought after the increase, then you would have lost a 31% gain!

8. Losing money with poor currency exchange transactions. Transferring thousands from your local currency to fund your overseas property purchase brings the potential pitfall of losing significant sums of money due to daily exchange rate fluctuations that can vary as much as 10%. By booking a favourable exchange rate in advance with a professional money exchange broker, you could save yourself as much as 2,000 euros on a 200,000 euro purchase!

9. Lawyers. Always get a qualified, independent, English-speaking lawyer. He/she will check out the contracts you are expected to sign (both the reservation contract and subsequent private sale contract) and confirm that any off-plan documents are correct.

If you are offered the services of an in-house lawyer by the estate agent or developer, it is better to decline the offer. You will never be sure of their independence and they could well be tempted to draw up contracts in the interests of the company, not yours. Finding the right lawyer can sometimes be tricky but start by asking friends and acquaintances for recommendations. Alternatively contact the British consulate in the region you are buying in and it can email or fax you a list of qualified English-speaking lawyers in the area.

To avoid a nasty surprise, be sure of the fees or approximate hours involved before you contract your lawyer.

10. Out of touch with progress. Bear in mind that many overseas developers, agents and lawyers do a very poor job of keeping overseas buyers informed on the progress of a property transaction or construction, so you will have to contact them and keep yourself well informed.