The process for purchasing property in Georgia can prove frustrating, as changes in law only came about relatively recently and the professionalism that would be expected of real estate agents isn’t present 100 percent of the time – though that isn’t to say there aren’t good agencies out there! As always with transactions of this type, a respected local lawyer should be employed to check all dealings are legally binding and that there are no mistakes in documentation and the like.

Once a property is decided upon, a pre-contract should be signed by the buyer, seller and a notary and a deposit paid, usually of around 15 percent. The documentation is then sent to the local Land Registry for title deeds to be drawn up and made legal – this process was only introduced in the last few years and has been known to be slow at the best of times, though the service is getting better. Whilst the property is legally being signed over to the buyer, the main contract can be signed and the remainder of the fee paid. Once the title is received, fees to lawyers and notaries can be settled, along with any applicable taxes.