Why the timing matters
Most people think of a lawyer once the notary has already set a date. By then a deposit has been paid, and the deposit is what holds you.
If the check turns up something you did not expect and you have already paid, your choice is between a bad property and lost money. If the check comes first, your choice is simply not to buy.
Checking takes days. Untangling a completed transaction takes years.
Who actually owns it
The first question is not whether the seller has a document, but whether the document does the job. What matters is how the property was acquired, whether it passed through an estate that was never properly settled, whether a spouse retains rights, and whether anyone else has a claim.
If the property is inherited and one of the heirs was not part of the sale, what you buy may be a share rather than the whole thing.
What sits on the property
Mortgages, attachments, registered claims, tenancies, rights of use, restitution claims. Some are visible at once. Others are visible only if you know where to look and what to ask for.
Charges do not disappear when the owner changes. They travel with the property.
Is it the same property as in the listing
A terrace that has been enclosed. A cellar that was never registered. An extension with no paperwork. A yard that on paper belongs to someone else. A garage that turns out to be a share of something communal.
The construction status is checked too: whether the building has its completion certificate, whether the works were lawful, and whether what stands there matches what was approved.
If you are buying from abroad
You do not need to travel for the check. It is done through documents and registers.
This is also where the rule that surprises almost every foreign buyer comes in: land and buildings are treated differently. If you are buying a house with a yard, or a plot, that almost always means a company, and a company carries obligations every year. There is a full page on property held by a company.
What I will need
The address or the cadastral identifier, a copy of the seller’s title document, the listing or description, and the preliminary contract if it has been sent to you, before you sign it.
When you probably do not need me
If you are buying a flat in a new building from a large developer, with a clear completion certificate, no mortgage, and a bank loan, the bank runs its own check. It is not there to protect you, but it covers the basics.
If the property is old, inherited, comes with land, or the seller is in a hurry, the check is worth it.
This page provides general information and does not constitute legal advice on any specific case. Rights and deadlines depend on the facts and the applicable law.