The real estate system in Saint Lucia works very much like that of the UK, so dealings in the country shouldn’t be too confusing! As with all property purchases, a local trusted lawyer should first be employed to help with all dealings and make sure the buyer avoids any potential pitfalls during the buying process. The lawyer should first help out by obtaining an ‘Aliens Landholding Licence,’ so property can legally be purchased.

Once a property has been decided upon and the offer accepted, a pre-contract agreement is signed and the initial deposit paid, usually of around 10 percent of the total cost. After this has been completed, a number of checks can be carried out on the property itself: to make sure the land is legally owned, all services are connected and the like. After these checks are completed, the main contract can be drawn up, signed and notarised, before being sent for registry at the local authorities. All outstanding fees are then paid in full.

Fees for lawyers and notaries vary, and taxes usually come to around ten to fifteen percent of the total property cost.