Purchasing property in Slovenia is relatively straight forward.
A lot of property changes hands privately and the legal work is usually carried out by one Lawyer or Notarka that represents both the buyers and the sellers.
The general process of buying property is:
1) A price is agreed between buyer and seller.
2) An EMSO and tax number must be obtained by the buyer if he/she does not have one. Only European citizens and American citizens can currently buy property in Slovenia.
EMSO and tax numbers are required to open a Slovenian bank account.
3) The seller must obtain the deeds from the land registry and obtain a local search which is given to the Notarka or Lawyer to check.
If the Notarka is happy with the papers, then the sale goes ahead.
4) A Pre-sale contract is drawn up and a 10% deposit is paid by the buyer. If the buyer pulls out the 10% is lost, if the seller pulls out then the 10% deposit must be returned plus a further 10%. This generally stops the ‘Gazumping’ that is common in the UK.
5) If land included with the sale of the property is classed as agricultural land or farm land then the seller must post a notice at the local council offices for 30 days. Any other land owners or farmers or the local municipality or the Republic of Slovenia have first right to buy such land. If none of the mentioned applies to buy the land then the buyer can go ahead with the sale. Papers are issued to the buyer, seller and Notarka to this effect.
If there are objections and any of the above wish to buy the land then the buyer gets the deposit back in full.
6) Once the Notarka has all the relevant papers a contract is drawn up for the sale. An official translator is required for non Slovene speaking persons. The translator shall read the sales contract to the buyer on the day of the signing.
7) Once the sales contract is signed, the balance is given to the seller and the keys to the property to the buyer.
8) In normal circumstances the seller pays the sale tax which is currently 2% of the sales value. The buyer usually pays the legal costs.
9) If a licensed agent has been involved in the sale process then there fees must also be paid. Usually these fees are split between buyer and seller.
10) Once the sale is complete a copy of the sales contract is taken to the utility companies with any meter readings so that utility bills can be changed into the new owner’s names.
House insurance can also be arranged at this stage.
The process of buying a property with no agricultural land can be completed in 10-14 days from start to finish!
