When buying a house, what should we pay attention to?

The detail we are sharing is that currently in Baku, 500,000 homes are illegal. The reason is that these 500,000 homes are built on municipal land or oil land, or state land, or in simple words, government land. For the past 30 years, Azerbaijan’s law has been that any Azerbaijani national can build a house on government land, and the government will provide water, electricity, and gas facilities. What happened is that these houses cannot be sold, only the rights are sold, like in informal settlements. Now, the government is building apartments in good locations and pays people a small amount to relocate. These homes are called illegal homes. In areas where the government has no project, they issue documents, but in areas where the government has projects, these houses are being demolished.

Because of this, many agents can offer these illegal homes cheaply. In such a situation, you need to see how to avoid fraud or scams.

Number one, you must check that the house has a house plan, i.e., the construction, how much is open area, and how much is covered area. This complete plan is government-approved. Next, the house has a title deed, called “Khariish” in the local language. The third important document is the technical passport. These three documents are together: the Khariish, technical passport, and house plan. You must check these.

Next, check that the land on which the house is built is residential category land, called “Yashash Mintaqasi” in the local language, i.e., it should not be agricultural land. After that, the land should not be leased; it should be private ownership. Along with that, we advise checking the location of the house to ensure there is no government plan in that area. For detailed explanation, we show you the documents so that you get an idea of what documents are required so no one can commit fraud or scam you.

You see here the Khariish of the house, the name is mentioned on it. Then comes the private ownership plan. You see the plot size, the covered area, and the open area. Then you see the ground floor and first floor. You can see the whole house plan: two bedrooms, the third bedroom, a guest room, kitchen, corridor, and bathroom. Since the floor is made of wood, the load-bearing is wooden imported from Russia. This is only the structure; this is how the entire house is prepared, ground plus first floor. You have the full plan of the house, and all the sizes are mentioned. This is government-approved.

The technical passport contains all these details. So whenever you want to buy a house, these documents are very important. If these documents are missing, it means these are not proper municipal or ownership documents. A foreigner cannot buy such a house, and there is a 99% chance of fraud.

We have faced two or three such cases where people came and said, “I bought a house, paid 12,000 dollars, but I haven’t received the house documents yet.” This is called white-collar crime. For example, you can buy and sell any product, go to the notary public, and make a sale agreement. In the case of land, a similar sale agreement can be made. But for government land, ownership cannot be transferred. Keep this in mind.

Number one, you must check the house plan. Number two, check the Khariish or title deed. Number three, check the technical passport. Number four, the land category should be residential. Number five, private ownership. Houses under plan may be demolished by the government, and those with proper documents will receive payment.

Next, if you are transacting with anyone in Baku, Azerbaijan, first check that their company is registered, that they have an office, and that they are making a legal agreement with you. They should give you a receipt on company letterhead with signature and stamp. Never make a payment to someone who has no registered company, no office, and is working informally, otherwise, the chances of fraud are very high. Such frauds have happened.

Now, if you buy from us, our company Real Mentor Developers builds houses in Azerbaijan. We provide an official agreement on our letterhead that you can sell back to the company at any time with 10% profit. This guarantees that you are not overcharged, and the house is not of low quality.

Additionally, for those who cannot pay the full budget, we offer installment plans of 3, 5, or 8 years.

So in today’s blog, first, we told you about 500,000 illegal homes in Baku, Azerbaijan, whose documents are not proper. Sale can be done through a notary, but ownership cannot be transferred to your name, so avoid such deals. Second, when buying apartments in Baku, many problems arise later. For example, using spices in cooking can create smells throughout the building, causing complaints. Maintenance charges of 200–250 manat (around 3–4 thousand PKR) are extra burdens. Noise issues may cause police complaints.

Therefore, we are avoiding buying apartments now. In the future, we plan to build an entire apartment building exclusively for Pakistanis for comfortable living.

We hope all the points in this blog are useful. Never make a payment to anyone in Baku whose company is not registered or has no office, and who offers deals informally. Many frauds have occurred with such people.

What common mistakes should I avoid when buying a house in Azerbaijan?

When buying a house in Azerbaijan, common mistakes to avoid involve legal oversights, ignoring professional advice, and neglecting physical inspections

How can I prevent fraud when purchasing property in Azerbaijan?

To avoid fraud while buying property in Azerbaijan, you need to do your homework, hire a local lawyer who specializes in real estate, and make sure that all transactions and ownership rights are formally recorded and validated by the necessary government agencies.

What documents are essential to check before buying a house in Azerbaijan?

You need to check the seller's Property Ownership Certificate, Technical Passport, and an extract from the State Registry for encumbrances before you buy a house in Azerbaijan. You also need to see the seller's passport and spouse's permission if they are married. Buyers need their passport, ID, and bank details, and the property must be officially registered with the State Registry for ownership transfer.