1. Preliminary review
Before you enter into any binding commitment, we look at the starting point with you: what kind of property is it, who is selling, and how do you intend to buy – on your own, together with others or through a company? Are there circumstances that might require an official permit? The answers determine which documents are needed and which checks make sense.
2. Checking ownership and the land register
The starting point is a current extract from the Hungarian real estate register (ingatlan-nyilvántartás), known as the tulajdoni lap. Among other things, it shows details of the property, its owners, and any third-party rights and encumbrances that are registered. We compare this information with the seller’s documents and with the actual condition of the property. Further points worth checking are described under Checks before buying.
3. Preliminary agreement or reservation
Before the actual purchase agreement, the parties often sign an agreement that commits them or records a reservation. Whether a preliminary agreement is advisable, and how a payment made at this stage is classified in legal terms, should be clarified before signing. Hungarian law distinguishes, for example, between an earnest-money deposit (foglaló) and an advance payment (előleg), which can have different consequences if the sale does not go ahead.
4. Purchase agreement and attorney countersignature
The purchase agreement sets out the property being sold, the price, the payment terms, the handover and the declarations needed for registration in the land register. For registration, the agreement has to meet certain formal requirements; in practice it is usually countersigned by an attorney (ügyvédi ellenjegyzés). We draft or review the agreement, in an English-Hungarian version if you wish, and explain each provision to you in English.
5. Payment and handover
When and how the purchase price is paid is one of the most important points of the agreement. It is common to link payment to the transfer of ownership, for example through an attorney escrow arrangement (ügyvédi letét) or through instalments released on agreed conditions. The right solution depends on the individual case, in particular on any financing and on existing encumbrances. The agreement also sets out when possession, keys and documents are handed over.
6. Registration in the land register
After signing, the application for registration is filed with the competent land registry office (földhivatal). Whether official permits must be obtained beforehand or in parallel depends, among other things, on your citizenship and the type of property; see Foreign buyers.
7. After the purchase
A purchase may be followed by further obligations, such as notifications to authorities or informing utility providers and the municipality of the change of ownership. Which of these apply in your case, and within which deadlines, is something we discuss individually.
How long does a purchase take?
There is no reliable general answer. It depends on how complete the documents are, on any permit procedures, on financing and on processing by the authorities. After the preliminary review, the likely timeline for your case can be estimated more realistically.