Property Buyer Checklist

Buying property in Macedonia is a well-trodden process, but it has a few steps where a small oversight can turn into an expensive problem — an unregistered extension, a mortgage nobody mentioned, a deposit paid on a handshake. This checklist walks through the ten things to get right, in roughly the order you'll meet them.

It's general guidance, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change and differ between municipalities, so confirm the details for your specific purchase with a notary, a lawyer or your bank.

Start from the total cost of buying, not just the asking price. On top of the price, set money aside for the transaction costs and for whatever the property needs before you can live in it or rent it out.

If you need a loan, talk to your bank before you start viewing seriously, not after you've found the place. Banks in Macedonia typically finance only part of the property's appraised value and expect the rest as your own down payment, and they look at your income, your employment history and your other loans.

Ask for a pre-approval or at least a written indication of how much you can borrow, at what interest rate, whether the rate is fixed or variable, and whether the loan is in denars or tied to the euro. The bank will also order its own valuation of the property — if it comes in below the agreed price, the difference comes out of your pocket.

Realtor.MK's mortgage calculator is a quick way to estimate the monthly payment for a given price, down payment and rate before you speak to the bank.

Before you pay anything — even a small deposit — get a current title deed extract (имотен лист) from the Agency for Real Estate Cadastre. It's the official record of who owns the property and what burdens it.

The title deed tells you who owns the property; the building documents tell you whether what's standing there is legal. This matters most for houses, extensions, attics, garages and newly built apartments.

Once you and the seller agree, put it in writing before money changes hands. Many purchases go through a pre-contract (предоговор) with a deposit (капара), followed later by the final sale contract.

The pre-contract should state the price and how it will be paid, the amount of the deposit and what happens to it if either side backs out, the deadline for signing the final contract, which documents the seller must provide, who pays which costs, what's included (furniture, appliances, parking, storage), and the handover date. Under the general rules on deposits, a buyer who walks away usually loses the deposit, and a seller who walks away usually has to return it double — but read exactly what your contract says.

Pay deposits and the price by bank transfer to an account in the seller's name, never in cash without a document, so there's a record of every payment.

In Macedonia the sale contract for real estate is concluded before a notary. The notary checks the identity of both sides and the ownership documents, prepares or certifies the contract, and submits it for registration in the cadastre.

The notary is neutral — they make sure the transaction is legally valid, but they don't negotiate for you. If you want someone on your side reviewing the contract, especially for a large or complicated purchase, hire your own lawyer. Bring your ID, the title deed extract and the building documents, and agree in advance how the price will be paid on the day of signing.

A sale of real estate is subject to the property transaction tax (данок на промет на недвижности). The rate is set by each municipality within the range set by law — 2% to 4% of the market value — and the tax is assessed by the municipality after the sale.

By law the seller is the taxpayer, but sale contracts sometimes shift the cost to the buyer, so check what yours says and include it in your budget if it's yours. Buying a new apartment from a developer is usually different: the first sale of a new building is typically subject to VAT instead, already included in the developer's price — confirm with the developer and the notary which applies.

You become the legal owner when the sale is registered in the cadastre — not when you sign, and not when you get the keys. After the notary submits the contract, ask for a new title deed extract that shows you as the owner.

At handover, write and sign a handover record (записник за примопредавање) with the seller: the date, the keys you received, the meter readings for electricity, water and heating, and the condition of anything that was agreed. Then transfer the utility accounts to your name and confirm that the seller paid the bills and building fees up to the handover date.

Owning a property costs money every year, not just on the day you buy it. Plan for these from the start:

Many buyers on Realtor.MK live outside Macedonia. Buying from abroad is common and works well, with a few extra steps:

Most problems come from skipping a step under time pressure. Get the title deed first, get everything in writing, pay through the bank, sign at the notary, and don't relax until the cadastre shows you as the owner. For more on buying from abroad, read our guide Buying Property in Macedonia.