A picture tells a thousand words – so they old saying goes. But when it comes to buying property it’s what a picture doesn’t tell you that you should be concerned about.

Article written by The Overseas Guides Company

While the images seen online or in a magazine may have the wow factor; in reality there is no substitute for seeing the property yourself, in person, to verify their authenticity.

While estate agents often cop the blame for providing buyers with misleading information, the fact is that agents are heavily regulated in most countries so it is often the seller misleading their agent to try and achieve a higher price.

Things such as marketing a new extension or expansive al fresco entertaining area knowing full well that it does not have full planning approval is one thing to look out for. Covering over damaged floorboards with a rug or carpet; repainting the bathroom to cover over an extensive damp problem; and even simply hiding the traps and bait needed to keep the pests away are all easily done in the virtual world, and without inspecting the property yourself, you will be none the wiser.

Then there are the big things that occasionally come up from time to time – the next door neighbour conveniently cropped from an image because it is a towering power station; or the mention of “minor traffic noise” which in fact comes from the underground train line, overhead flight path and a fire station down the road.

With this in mind, a viewing trip doesn’t sound like such an expensive exercise – with so much of your hard-earned money going into the property purchase, you want to make sure you’re getting what you pay for!

For more details of property for sale abroad, visit the listings on Rightmove Overseas.

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