Buying off-plan in Albania: what to check

Start with the company behind the project: its NUIS in the business register, how long it has been operating and which buildings it has already delivered. Visit a finished project if you can and talk to the people who live there. Were the keys handed over on time? Did the owners receive their ownership certificates?

On hyrja.al, developers can be business-verified against their NUIS. This confirms that the company exists; it says nothing about the quality or progress of a project.

Ask for the building permit (leje ndërtimi) and check it on the national e-permit system (e-Leje): it should match the address, the number of floors and the units being sold. Be very careful if apartments are offered on floors the permit does not cover.

Visit the site more than once. Compare the progress with the schedule you were given, and look at the surroundings: roads, parking, schools and what may be built next door.

The contract should tie each payment to a stage of construction, not only to calendar dates, so you never pay far ahead of the work actually done. Before signing, check that it states:

• The exact apartment: floor, number, area (and how shared areas are counted), finishes, with the floor plan attached
• The total price, what it includes and whether it can change
• A firm delivery date and a penalty the developer pays for every month of delay
• What happens if the project stops: refunds, guarantees and how disputes are settled
• The bank account that receives your payments; always pay by bank transfer

Sign before a notary and have your own lawyer read the contract first. Many buyers sign a notarised preliminary contract now and the final sale contract once the apartment can be registered.

Not when you sign, and usually not when you receive the keys. Once construction is finished the building needs its use certificate; only then can each apartment be registered with ASHK in the buyer's name. This can take months, so ask the developer how they handle registration and put a deadline for it in the contract.

If you need a mortgage, talk to the bank before you commit: each bank sets its own conditions for lending on homes that are not finished yet.