Buying property safely: what to verify first
Tips5 min read
Most property disputes are not bad luck. They are the predictable result of checks that were never carried out.
A property transaction has a small number of failure points, and they are well known. The reason people still fall into them is that verification feels like friction at exactly the moment everyone is enthusiastic.
Slow down at that moment. It is the most valuable thing you can do.
Who owns it, really
Establish the chain of ownership, not just the person standing in front of you. Family land sold by one member without the consent of others is one of the most common sources of dispute, and it can surface years later.
Ask for the document. Confirm the document is genuine. Confirm the person selling is entitled to sell.
What the document actually is
Not all paper is equal. A receipt is not a title. An allocation letter is not a deed. Understand precisely what you are being offered and what protection it does and does not give you.
If a seller is vague about this, treat the vagueness itself as the finding.
Whether the land is free
Check for encumbrances: existing charges, government acquisition, ongoing litigation, or planning restrictions. A property under acquisition can look completely ordinary from the roadside.
This is a search, not a conversation. It is carried out at the registry, by someone who knows what they are looking for.
Never pay before you check
Deposits create pressure to proceed. Once money is committed, buyers rationalise. The sequence that protects you is verification first, payment second, without exception, no matter how attractive the deal or how short the deadline.
A seller who will not permit that sequence is telling you something important.
