Agent Inspection Visits versus Doing it Yourself - The Debate

• Free pick-ups and transfers from the Airport to your hotel.
• Free hotel accommodation including all meals and drinks is the norm on most inspection trips, as is unlimited travel to and from any number of new or resale properties.
• The undivided attention of a property professional who knows the local area, has been well briefed regarding your requirements and how much you want to spend.
• Advice on mortgages, rental potential, introduction to solicitors, help with opening up bank accounts etc.
• Regular updates and progress reports if you buy a new build.
• As someone else is looking after you every need, you don't have to think about anything other than focusing on the task at hand - finding a suitable property.

• If you've booked a 3-4 day inspection visit, you should understand that as time is at a premium, most of it will be spent in the company of the agent that is trying to find you a suitable property. If you're not comfortable spending 3-4 days in the company of someone who is doing their level best to find you a suitable property, then an inspection visit is probably not for you. Exceptions do exist however, and some people succeed in finding their dream property on day 1, leaving them some free time to do whatever they want.
• The 'hard sell'. The popular mis-conception that you're going to be pinned to the wall at the point of a gun and forced to buy something you don't want as a result of an inspection visit is probably a legacy of the notorious days of timeshare touts in the early eighties. In our experience, most overseas property companies provide an excellent service, and will leave no stone unturned in an effort to find you a suitable property, however most will also expect that a percentage of people that go out on inspection visits, will return home without buying for whatever reason. N.B. We would add that if you're the type of person that doesn't have the mental fortitude to say 'no' to something you don't want, (particularly when it's such a big decision as buying a property abroad) then you should probably stay at home and lock all your doors, because buying property overseas is not for you.
• Inspection visits are not generally suitable for children.

• Your time is your own to do with what you will.
• You might get to do some sightseeing, or do a bit of relaxation.
• You can view properties as and when you feel like it.
• We can take the children.

• You can waste a lot of time trawling the local estate agents trying to find some properties to view.
• You might have to incur the cost of car hire to get to the properties you want to see.
• Unless you know the area you are looking in very well, you can waste a lot of time trying to figure how to get to somewhere and perhaps getting lost in the process.
• Because you have a choice as to what to do with your time, there's a good chance you might get distracted and choose to do something other than what you went for i.e. trying to find a suitable property.
• A lot of people come home empty handed after such a trip and face the prospect of having to pay out for flights and car hire again, if they ever decide to go out and have another look.
• If you take the kids, they'll hate it. Nothing is more boring for kids than trawling round estate agents windows and going to visit properties, when all they want to do is play in the pool or on the beach.

• We can kill two birds with one stone.
• Our time is our own to do with what we will.
• We can view properties as and when you feel like it.
• We can take the children.

• Whilst there are exceptions, more often than not, a cursory butchers in the local estate agents window, whilst out for a stroll on an evening, is not an effective way of finding/buying a property.
• A more committed approach to finding a property whilst on holiday is a sure-fire way to ruin a perfectly good holiday.
• Nothing is more boring for kids than trawling round estate agents windows and going to visit properties, when all they want to do is play in the pool or on the beach.