--- title: Properstar Blog | The Real Estate Blog | Buyer's Guide description: Buyer's Guide | Real estate news, advice and information on buying houses and apartments in the USA and around the world. --- ![properstar-landpages-logo](https://blog.properstar.com/hubfs/Properstar/properstar-landpages-logo.svg "properstar-landpages-logo") - [All](https://blog.properstar.com/en/) - [Housing Trends](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/housing-trends) - [Market insights](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/market-insights) - [Spotlight](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/spotlight) - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) - [Mortgage](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/mortgage) - [Buying Abroad](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying-abroad) - [Buyer Stories](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyer-stories) - [Selling](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/selling) - [Seller's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/sellers-guide) - [Home Valuation](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/home-valuation) - [Home Marketing](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/home-marketing) - [Seller Stories](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/seller-stories) - [Renting](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/renting) - [Renter's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/renters-guide) - [Rental Market](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/rental-market) - [English](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) - [French](https://blog.properstar.com/fr/tag/guide-de-lacheteur) - [French - Switzerland](https://blog.properstar.com/fr-ch/tag/guide-de-lacheteur) - [German](https://blog.properstar.com/de/tag/käuferleitfaden) - [Portuguese](https://blog.properstar.com/pt/tag/guia-do-comprador) - [Spanish](https://blog.properstar.com/es/tag/guía-del-comprador) - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/all-posts) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [First Time Home Buyers: Five Mistakes to Avoid](https://blog.properstar.com/en/first-time-home-buyers-five-mistakes-to-avoid) ### When you decide to buy your first property, you may want to move quickly. However, it is absolutely necessary to avoid certain mistakes, so as not to regret your choice later. Here are the five most important mistakes to avoid.    - Oct 24, 2023, 6:17:11 PM | - Properstar Marketing - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [Properstar](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/properstar) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [5 key points to check before buying your first property](https://blog.properstar.com/en/5-key-points-to-check-before-buying-your-first-property) ### As a first time property buyer, it can be tempting to rush headlong into the housing market. You are probably excited about and optimistic about specific amenities, low prices, ideal locations, proximity to shops or municipal hubs etc. However, long before making an offer to purchase and attempting to negotiate price, there are certain key points that must be considered. Here are some of them.    - Oct 3, 2023, 9:00:00 AM | - Properstar Marketing - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/all-posts) - [Properstar](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/properstar) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [12 Questions to ask when visiting a property](https://blog.properstar.com/en/12-questions-to-ask-when-visiting-a-property) ### Have you spotted a property you want to buy? After studying the listing description in depth, you will now have to prepare for the visit. In addition to the condition of the apartment or house, certain questions must be asked of the former owners or the real estate agent in charge of the sale, during the property visit.   - Jul 5, 2023, 8:00:00 AM | - Properstar Marketing - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/all-posts) - [Properstar](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/properstar) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [8 key steps of your first real estate purchase](https://blog.properstar.com/en/8-key-steps-of-your-first-real-estate-purchase) ### Are you planning to buy your first property? Well done! This is an important decision, which will allow you to start building your wealth and have a "real home". For this, you will have to go through a few steps. We have listed 8 tips to help you to carry out your first real estate purchase with confidence!    - May 12, 2023, 2:05:03 PM | - Properstar Marketing - [Switzerland](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/switzerland) - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/all-posts) - [Buying abroad](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying-abroad) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [Our recommendations for your first property purchase in Switzerland](https://blog.properstar.com/en/our-recommendations-for-your-first-property-purchase-in-switzerland) You have dreamed of owning a home in Switzerland and month after month, you have conscientiously saved to buy real estate there. This is, indeed, a turning point in the life of any buyer. - Sep 14, 2021, 9:50:32 AM | - Properstar Marketing - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/all-posts) - [Spain](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/spain) - [Buying abroad](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying-abroad) - [Rental Market](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/rental-market) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [Buy to Let in Spain: A Comprehensive Guide for Property Investors](https://blog.properstar.com/en/buying-property-to-let-in-spain) If you're considering becoming a property investor in Spain, the first decision you need to make is which type of rental you want to be involved in - long term rentals or short term holiday rentals. Both options can be lucrative, but they require different strategies to succeed in the property market. - Sep 13, 2021, 9:15:05 AM | - Properstar Marketing - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/all-posts) - [Buying abroad](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying-abroad) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [9 ways to simplify your property purchase in France](https://blog.properstar.com/en/9-ways-to-simplify-your-property-purchase-in-france) You're thinking about buying a property. How can you make sure your purchase goes ahead without any problems or delays? Here are our top tips. - Sep 10, 2021, 2:33:53 PM | - Properstar Marketing - [France](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/france) - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/all-posts) - [Buying abroad](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying-abroad) - [Housing Trends](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/housing-trends) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [What areas to choose to buy property at a reasonable price in France?](https://blog.properstar.com/en/what-areas-to-choose-to-buy-property-at-a-reasonable-price-in-france) The map of French property prices always looked like this: the city of [Paris](https://www.properstar.com/france/paris/buy/apartment-house) first, then greater Paris, then the other big cities - [Lyon](https://www.properstar.com/france/lyon/buy/apartment-house), [Nice](https://www.properstar.com/france/nice/buy/apartment-house), [Bordeaux](https://www.properstar.com/france/bordeaux/buy/apartment-house) - then [the Ile de France](https://www.properstar.com/france/ile-de-france/buy/apartment-house), and then if you skipped the middle and went right down to the bottom, you'd find two big areas of cheapness, on the periphery in [Brittany](https://www.properstar.com/france/brittany/buy/apartment-house), and right in the middle of France where the whole of [Limousin](https://www.properstar.com/france/limousin/buy/apartment-house), [Auvergne](https://www.properstar.com/france/auvergne/buy/apartment-house), and Berry were good value. - May 18, 2021, 11:32:21 AM | - Properstar Marketing - [Switzerland](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/switzerland) - [Buying](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying) - [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/all-posts) - [Buying abroad](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buying-abroad) - [Housing Trends](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/housing-trends) - [Rental Market](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/rental-market) - [Buyer's Guide](https://blog.properstar.com/en/tag/buyers-guide) ## [Is buying Swiss property to rent a good strategy?](https://blog.properstar.com/en/is-buying-swiss-property-to-rent-a-good-strategy) First of all we should note that prices in [Switzerland](https://www.properstar.ch/switzerland/buy/apartment-house) have gone up since 2004. The Swiss Residential House Price Index has risen from below 120 to nearly 180 over the period. Of course, rental rates have gone up too - but they haven't quite kept pace over recent years. - May 18, 2021, 10:26:30 AM | - Properstar Marketing [All posts](https://blog.properstar.com/en/all) ## Recent blog posts - Sep 10, 2026, 10:00:02 AM | - Violet Kadzura ### [Europe swaps golden visas for digital nomad visas](https://blog.properstar.com/en/golden-visa-vs-digital-nomad-visa) - Sep 8, 2026, 11:08:28 AM | - Violet Kadzura ### [Waiting out Australia’s foreign buyer ban just stopped being a plan](https://blog.properstar.com/en/australia-foreign-buyer-ban-2029) - Sep 3, 2026, 7:00:00 PM | - Violet Kadzura ### [Property Spotlight: Three luxury price tags, three big surprises](https://blog.properstar.com/en/property-spotlight-three-luxury-price-tags-three-big-surprises) ![email-1](https://6794844.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/6794844/hubfs/email-1.png?width=104&name=email-1.png "email-1") ### Subscribe to the newsletter ![email-2](https://6794844.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/6794844/hubfs/email-2.png?width=104&name=email-2.png "email-2") ### SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL UPDATES - Other market news - [France](https://agent.properstar.com/en/tag/france) - [Portugal](https://agent.properstar.com/en/tag/portugal) - [Spain](https://agent.properstar.com/en/tag/spain) - [Switzerland](https://agent.properstar.com/en/tag/switzerland) - Resources - [Properstar](https://www.properstar.com/) - [Real estate guides](https://www.properstar.com/buying-property) - [Real estate blog](https://blog.properstar.com/en) - [House prices](https://www.properstar.com/united-states/house-price) - [Download app for iOS](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1253028900?pt=118713609&ct=ps_blog_footer_app_store&mt=8) - [Download app for Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.listglobally.properstar&utm_source=properstar_blog&utm_campaign=ps_blog_footer_google_play) - About Us - [Meet the team](https://www.properstar.com/meet-the-team) - [Contact us](https://www.properstar.com/contact) - Professional - [Agent blog](https://agent.properstar.com/en) - [Agent dashboard](https://dashboard.properstar.com/?utm_medium=referrer&utm_source=properstar_blog&utm_campaign=properstar_footer_agent_dashboard) - [Add your listing](https://dashboard.properstar.com/home?utm_medium=referrer&utm_source=properstar_blog&utm_campaign=properstar_footer_advertise) - Legal - [Terms and conditions](https://www.properstar.com/terms-and-conditions) - [Privacy policy](https://www.properstar.com/privacy-policy) - [Cookies policy](https://www.properstar.com/cookies-policy) Properstar © 2026