A large share of homes in Grenada are bought by people who are not on the island when the deal is done: Grenadians in New York, Toronto and London, retirees planning a move, and buyers who fell for the south coast on holiday and went home to think about it. Remote buying is entirely possible, and attorneys in Grenada handle it routinely, but it removes the safety net of seeing things for yourself.
The risks are specific: houses that look better on video than in person, payments sent to the wrong account, documents signed abroad that are rejected in St George's, and decisions made on the word of people whose interests differ from yours. This guide sets out how to build a reliable team on the ground, how to sign and pay from overseas, and where remote buyers most often go wrong.
Build a small team on the ground first
Before falling for any particular house, line up the people who will be your eyes and hands in Grenada. The essential member is your own attorney-at-law, chosen for property experience and responsiveness by email, and independent of the seller and the agent. Next come a licensed land surveyor and a building inspector, an engineer or experienced builder who can report in writing with photographs.
Many remote buyers also rely on a trusted local contact: a relative, a friend who lives on the island, or a property manager hired for the purpose. That person can visit at different times of day, check what the neighbourhood is like after dark, talk to neighbours, and confirm that the house in the video is the house at the address. Make sure they know what to look for, and pay them properly if they are not family.
Keep these roles separate. The agent selling the house should not also be your inspector, and the seller's attorney should not also be yours. Independence is your main protection when you cannot be present.
Viewing a house you cannot visit
Ask for a live video walk-through. A pre-recorded video shows what the seller wants you to see. A live call lets you ask the person filming to open cupboards, point the camera at ceilings, step onto the balcony and walk the boundary.
Look at the roof and the underside. Ask to see the roof from outside, any roof space, the cistern, the septic area and the space under the house if it stands on columns.
Check the approach. Ask the person filming to drive the last stretch of road on camera, so you see its steepness, condition and how close the neighbours are.
Compare with satellite imagery. Freely available aerial imagery can show the plot shape, neighbouring buildings and vacant land, though it may be out of date.
Rely on the professional report. Video cannot replace an inspection. Commission one before signing the sale agreement, and make the agreement conditional on a satisfactory result if timing requires it.
Signing documents from overseas
Two documents usually need your signature: the sale agreement and, at completion, the deed of conveyance. Non-citizens will also sign forms for the Alien Landholding Licence application. Your attorney will tell you which can be signed electronically or scanned, and which must be original, signed before a notary public and sent by courier.
Documents signed abroad for use in Grenada often need more than a local notary's stamp. Depending on the country, they may need an apostille or legalisation through a consulate so that they will be accepted at the registry in St George's. Ask your attorney for exact instructions in writing, including how names must appear and what identification the notary should record. Errors here are a common cause of delays at completion.
An alternative is a power of attorney, appointing someone in Grenada to sign on your behalf. This is useful for completion, but choose the attorney-in-fact carefully and limit the power to the specific transaction. A general power over all your affairs is rarely necessary. Your attorney will usually prepare it and arrange for it to be recorded before it is used.
Moving money safely
Payment fraud is the most damaging thing that can go wrong in a remote purchase. A disciplined routine reduces the risk sharply.
- Confirm the escrow or client account details with your attorney by phone call or video call, using contact details you found independently, not ones sent in an email.
- Treat any email that announces a change of bank details as suspicious until verified in the same way, even if it appears to come from your attorney.
- Send a small test amount first if the transfer is large, and confirm receipt before sending the balance.
- Use the exact reference your attorney asks for, and keep the bank's confirmation of each transfer.
- Allow for intermediary bank charges and for the time international transfers can take to reach Grenadian banks, especially around public holidays.
- Never send money to an agent, a seller's relative or a personal account unless your own attorney has confirmed the arrangement in writing.
- Ask the attorney to acknowledge each receipt in writing and to send a closing statement at completion.
Where remote buyers go wrong
The same few mistakes appear again and again, usually because distance makes people trust too easily or move too quickly.
- Buying a house that has only been seen in photographs, then discovering the road is barely passable or the view is a neighbour's wall.
- Accepting the seller's attorney as their own to save time.
- Paying a "reservation fee" to someone met through social media.
- Assuming the furniture, generator and water pumps are included because they appeared in the video.
- Underestimating how long the licence takes for non-citizens and booking a move date that cannot be met.
- Leaving the house empty after completion with no caretaker, no insurance in place and no one checking the roof after storms.
- Signing a power of attorney that gives someone broad authority over property and bank accounts, when a narrow one would have done.
After completion: managing a house you are not living in
If you will not move in straight away, arrange insurance from the day of completion, because a house without cover through a hurricane season is a serious risk. Many insurers will want to know whether the house is occupied and who checks it, so be ready to name a caretaker or management company.
Transfer utility accounts into your name or agree with your attorney how bills will be paid. GRENLEC supplies electricity and NAWASA supplies public water, and unpaid bills can lead to disconnection. Property tax is also due each year. Set up a simple arrangement for someone local to pay these and send you receipts.
Plan regular visits by your caretaker, particularly after heavy rain and before and after any storm warning. They should check for leaks, clear gutters and drains, run taps, start the generator and make sure shutters are ready. A short written list of jobs and a monthly photo report keeps the house in good order and gives you peace of mind from a distance.
A realistic timetable from overseas
Remote purchases take longer than local ones, mostly because every signature and every payment has a few days of travel built in. For a citizen buying with cash and an attorney who responds quickly, two to three months from accepted offer to registered deed is a reasonable expectation. For a non-citizen, the Alien Landholding Licence usually sets the pace, and four to six months or more is common.
Plan around the slow points: couriers carrying originals, notary appointments abroad, public holidays in both countries, and the weeks around Christmas and Carnival in August when offices in Grenada work at a gentler rhythm. Build in a margin before booking flights or shipping furniture. It is far cheaper to wait a month than to arrive with a container of belongings and a house that is not yet yours.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy property in Grenada without visiting?
Yes. Attorneys in Grenada regularly handle purchases for buyers who are abroad, using documents signed overseas or a power of attorney. A non-citizen will still need an Alien Landholding Licence, and visiting at least once before committing is strongly recommended.
Do documents signed abroad need an apostille?
Often, yes, though it depends on the country where they are signed and the document involved. Your attorney in Grenada will specify whether a notary alone is enough or whether an apostille or consular legalisation is needed for the registry to accept it.
Is a power of attorney safe for buying property?
It can be, if the person appointed is trustworthy and the power is limited to the specific transaction and a set period. Avoid broad general powers. Your attorney can draft a limited power that covers only what is needed for completion.
How can buyers avoid wire fraud on a property purchase?
Verify the account details directly with your attorney by phone or video using contact details you found yourself, treat any change of bank details as suspicious, send a test payment first, and never pay agents or relatives directly without written confirmation from your attorney.
Who looks after the house before the owner moves in?
Usually a caretaker, a relative or a property management company. Agree in writing what they check and how often, particularly during hurricane season, and make sure your insurer knows who is responsible for the property while it is empty.
