Step 3: Review purchase documents - preferably with a lawyer by your side
Once you have found your dream home, and you and seller have agreed on a price, it is time to meticulously go through each purchase document. This is to ensure that you are getting what you are paying for.
Most people hire a lawyer to go through the documents, as these kinds of papers tend to be written in a manner that for laymen is difficult to understand.
A lawyer is not required to complete the purchase but keep in mind that the cost of hiring a lawyer is tiny compared to the huge amount of money you are spending on your future home. If there is a time when you don’t want to make a mistake, then this is it.
Finally, when all the documents have been read and approved - either with or without a lawyer – the deed is created and sent to the Registry Court, officially making you the new owner of the property.
What should I pay attention to when looking to buy an apartment in Denmark?
Once you have set your eyes on a specific house (not an apartment – we will get back to that later on), make sure you get an independent surveyor to inspect the property.
Though the seller will always provide you with a home condition report that describes the state of the property, including deficiencies and damages, there is a chance that the surveyor who made it missed some crucial issues.
By hiring your own surveyor, you get an independent evaluation of your future home. Also, the surveyor can help you to better understand the issues listed in seller’s home condition report and how they will financially affect you in the long run. These findings can then be used as negotiation advantages when dealing with the real estate agent.
But what if I want to buy an apartment - shouldn’t I also get a surveyor to inspect it?
The short answer is no. The long answer is that if you want to perform a survey on an apartment, you need to include the entire building in the survey. And that, dear reader, is very, very expensive.
Practically no one performs a survey when they want to buy an apartment in Denmark. The only exception is when the buyer seeks to purchase the whole building.
We hope you found this overview helpful. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the Danish homebuying process or just want to know more about the Danish real estate market.