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Blog entry by Tiffany Huon de Kerilleau

The most expensive mistake remains taking legal advice from the other side. The seller gets a commission when the deal closes, which differs from protecting the buyer. An independent lawyer represents a small fraction of the purchase and is money well spent.

Signing documents you cannot read comes a close second. A sworn translation is inexpensive compared with what is at stake. Assurances given by the agent will not help once a dispute starts — the contract is what counts.

Purchasing off-plan on trust has wrecked many budgets. Before any payment, examine previous developments, the building permits, and whether payments are held in escrow. Delays happen frequently even in good markets; abandoned sites are less common but genuinely ruinous.

Ignoring the exit is a quieter mistake. Every purchase has to be sold or passed on at some point, and the next buyer matters. A home with no local demand sells slowly in a weak market.

Finally, a lot of buyers fail to plan brela real estate for sale the annual paperwork. Local tax returns are often required even in years with no rental income, and overlooked notices lead to charges that accumulate quietly. Putting houses for sale in benalmadena place professional help from the first year avoids most of it.