Croatia is fast becoming a popular destination for seekers of holiday homes and second homes. Often attracting people who do not want to move to over developed Southern Spain, many consider Croatia to be one of the last unspoilt areas of Europe and certainly somewhere will your money will travel further. The Croatian Government has taken steps to preserve the country’s unspoilt coastline, which means planning regulations are tight and you should be aware that you may not be able to develop your property as you wish. If you are considering the purchase of a property that is need of complete renovation, enquiries will have to made initially to check that you can renovate in the way you wish.
Why Buy a Holiday Home in Croatia? – Despite a chequered past, the country is very beautiful and can boast some breath taking scenery. The coastal areas are very popular and the tourist industry and holiday home seekers tend to focus on the wonderful Dalmatian coastline, which features, rocky cliffs, peninsulas and small inlets. This coastline is popular with yachting enthusiasts as well as the waters on the Adriatic coast are crystal clear and offshore there are many islands that can be visited. Since 2000 the Government has gone to great lengths to encourage tourism and investment, and although the Croatian property market is still relatively ‘young” prices have been escalating at quite a rate in recent years, as much as 30% per year in some of the move favourable coastal locations. However compared with many other hotspots, bargains can still be had especially if you are prepared to move a little inland.
Popular areas in Croatia include; Dubrovnik, This area is located on the Dalmatian coast, and has some wonderful offshore islands that can be visited; Split, this is the second largest city in the Republic and possesses a modern harbour and an old town whose state of dilapidation is very appealing; The Dalmatian Islands number over a 1000 in total situated off the Adriatic coast, with prices not as high as you would expect for such a location and Istria, the western most region of Croatia and the largest peninsula on the Adriatic.. This peninsula is one the most popular areas in which to buy a holiday home, it has wonderful beaches and has been popular for many years.
Holiday Home Insurance for Croatian Property – When you have located your holiday or second home in Croatia, you will be pleased to know that insurance written in English is available from the United Kingdom. Policies should include all the usual perils that would would expect in a home insurance policy and of course you should be able to extend the policy to include liability insurance for letting. The sun shines brightly in Croatia and thus for many visitors, it is hard to imagine this country ever suffering from weather related insurance claims. However as with many other European countries, flooding can be a problem, within the last few years, Croatia had to declare a state of emergency when the Mura river, located on the border with Slovenia, burst it’s banks and caused widespread damage.
How to Buy a Holiday Home Croatia – At the present moment, purchase of property in Croatia can seem a little confusing but it is expected that in the coming years, the laws will become relaxed. Direct ownership by foreigners of Croatian property is highly regulated by Croatian Property Law (amended in July 2006) which generally requires approval from the Ministry of Justice before a purchase can be made. You will have two choices when you decide to buy property in this country, the first which relies on a principle called ‘Condition of reciprocity’, in essence if you are granted permission to buy a property, a Croatian citizen must be allowed to buy a property in your own country, this can take months to sort out and seems to be very cumbersome or as with many other European countries, you can set up a limited company to handle the ownership for you. This would appear to be much easier but will carry certain tax implications. Quality legal advise is of paramount importance in Croatia where titles of properties can be difficult to establish and in some cases the sale of property is not possible as title cannot not be confirmed. If you intend to purchase property for letting purposes, this too comes with many difficulties and a solicitor will be needed to explain the process to you, in essence, Foreign nationals are not permitted directly to own their property if they wish to let it out to tourists. This activity is strictly regulated and requires a rental licence which can only be obtained for properties owned by Croatian companies, and not foreign citizens. The law relating to this can be quite complex, hence the need for quality independent legal advice.
So if you are seeking an holiday home insurance quote for a property in cities like Zagreb, Split, Rijeka or Osijek, why not see if we can help? The main holiday home areas are: Bjelovar-Bilogora, Brod-Posavina, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Istria, Karlovac, Koprivnica-Križevci, Krapina-Zagorje, Lika-Senj, Medimurje, Osijek-Baranja, Požega-Slavonia, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Šibenik-Knin, Sisak-Moslavina, Split-Dalmatia, Varaždin, Virovitica-Podravina, Vukovar-Srijem, Zadar and Zagreb.
