Naivety.
This is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, things that first time buyers of property need to guard against. You may also fall victim if you are buying in Ireland from abroad.
Some of us appear to be born with an inbuilt scepticism and aversion to trusting things as they are claimed or appear. And some of us are more trusting, with a willingness to believe great quantities of what we are told.
If you are going to buy a property in Ireland, or anywhere for that matter, you need to live in the world of the former group.
Avoid naivety. Listen but check. Trust but verify. Shoot the breeze but recognise that you cannot rely on everything you are told. Especially when it comes to buying property.
Let’s face it: if you have a poor property that will be difficult to shift, and you are looking at it as a millstone around your finances and life for decades to come, the temptation to tell a few porkies and put your best foot forward is to great to be overly concerned about the complete veracity of what you say.
You might engage in a little hyperbole, a little exaggeration. You may even engage in telling lies because you really need to sell.
If you are the potential buyer walking into this situation you can see the problem that might arise, I hope.
Naivety is not your friend when buying property. It is the enemy. You need to guard against it.
Believe nothing. Do your own research. Carry out your checks. Get a survey from a trusted surveyor or engineer.