MANZILIBuying from abroad: what can we settle before you fly?
Say you live in Dubai, your sister can see a flat on Thursday and your parents will be the ones using it. I’d ask each of you a different question before anyone books a ticket.
Whose ordinary Tuesday are we planning for?
Ask the person who will live there to describe a day, from the first trip out to the last flight of stairs at night. Your father may care about reaching his brother on foot more than having a second balcony. If you plan to use the home for a few weeks each summer, the better question might be who can hold a key and check the place when you leave. Give me that detail first.
What can my family do on my behalf?
For a first visit, agree who can look, who may receive photos and who will make the decision. You might tell your sister, “Please try the stairs with Mum and phone me from the kitchen. I’ll speak to the owner myself.” If you want someone to sign or pay on your behalf, ask your own lawyer which authority and documents your particular case requires before they act. Keep identity and banking documents out of the family viewing chat.
What would make the trip worthwhile?
Choose one answer that could save you a flight. Perhaps the flat is occupied and you need to move in before school starts. Ask who can confirm when it may be viewed and when it could be handed over vacant. I’d put those dates on separate lines. If all we have is a proposed viewing, you can keep the conversation going from home while the handover question is resolved.
What I still need to check in Damascus
For the home you have in mind, I’d need the owner’s permission to involve your relative, fresh confirmation of access and a dated answer about occupancy. I’d also ask your relative what they saw for themselves. The family above is an example. I still need consented interviews before I can say which questions come up most often among Syrian buyers abroad.
“The home is for __. On Thursday, please check __. You can share the details with __. I’ll decide whether to fly once the owner confirms __.”