Austria

' Austria has a natural beauty that rivals Switzerland and in some places probably surpasses it’

Buying & Selling:  When you have found the property that you want to buy in Austria things can normally move along very quickly, often just taking weeks. In Austria property can be purchased by any E.U. citizen. A written offer is submitted to the agent who will prepare a legally binding document for the seller to consider. The seller will be given a number of days to accept or reject. When the price has been agreed the seller signs the document and then the deal is legally bound by both parties and neither can withdraw.

The document will include details such as:

·         Costs involved

·         Agents fees and Legal Costs/VAT

·         Transaction tax

·         Land Registry Fees

In Austria gazumping does not really exist. If your offer is NOT subject to contract then you must make sure that your finances are in place. Completion will normally take place around 7-14 days later, So full completion funds including expenses must be in place and cleared.

The funds will then be transferred to the owners Notaire/legal representative, but not until the deal has been recorded with Land Registry.

Having the contract translated into English is normally an additional cost of around 400-600 Euros. Buying in Austria can be a simpler process than in the UK

Currency:  €uro (formerly schilling)

Getting To or Through:  Vienna's Schwechat airport is a major international airport connection to Austria's five other regional airports. Austria’s other international airports (Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz, and Salzburg) handle mainly short-haul services, usually to Germany or Switzerland, and bucket-and-spade flights to the Med. for Austrians off on their holidays. Access from the UK is via the larger UK airports. From the UK, ferry routes to Holland and France. Nearest ferry ports to Austria are Venice in Italy and Pirano in Slovenia. It is compulsory that cars are driven with headlights switched on throughout the day all year round.  This regulation applies to all roads including city/towns. If you use Austrian motorways and "S" roads you must display a Motorway Vignette on your vehicle as you enter Austria.  Failure to have one will mean a heavy, on-the-spot fine.  Motorway Vignettes are obtainable at all major border crossings into Austria and at larger petrol stations. Take passport, registration and insurance documents. First aid box, red warning triangle and snow chains obligatory. Major tourist routes have fast Autobahns on which a toll is charged. You will require a Green Card.

Culture:  Austria shares much of the cuisine of surrounding countries, once part of the Austrian Habsburg Empire. Recipes include those for Wiener Schnitzel, dumplings, boiled beef and cured ham.  Desserts and pastries are popular. Favourites are apfelstrudel and chocolate. cake. Roasted meats, soups and noodle dishes are traditional - indulge yourself in the Austrian love for sweet pastries and puddings. Coffee is a popular drink. Soft drinks, including cola, are produced locally. Traditional alcoholic drinks are beer, wine, cherry liqueur and schnapps. In 1683 the Polish King, saved Vienna from a Turkish siege. When the Turks left, a large amount of coffee was found in the Turkish supplies. This find led to the first coffee house in Vienna. Marie-Antoinette, the wife of France's King Louis XVI, was the daughter of Marie Theresa the Hapsburg ruler of Austria. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the composer, was born in Salzburg in 1756. Vienna, the capital of the Austrian Empire, was Europe's musical centre.

Geography:  Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia. Austria has a natural beauty that rivals Switzerland and in some places probably surpasses it. It is a country of immense and extraordinary variety. The Republic of Austria is a landlocked country in Europe bordered by the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland. Austria includes much of the mountainous territory of the eastern Alps, approx 75%. The country contains many snowfields, glaciers, and snowcapped peaks, the highest being the Grossglockner (12,530 ft; 3,819 m). The Danube is the principal river. The main river is the Danube, Europe's second longest river. A large percentage of Austria's landscape is covered with forests and woodland. Meadows and farmland also account for much of Austria's land use.

Seasonal Climate:  Temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers which can be wet.

Population:  8,200,000 (Est 2007)

Capital City:  Vienna

Language:  German (official nationwide); Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian. English is also widely spoken.

Religion:  Mainly Roman Catholic

General:  Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. Fast-flowing Austrian rivers, fed by glaciers, are used to produce hydroelectric power. "The Sound of Music" is based on the true story of the Von Trapp family and their escape from Nazi Austria. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous Hollywood actor, was born in Thal in Austria, close to Graz. In 2003 Schwarzenegger became the thirty-eighth Governor of California in the USA.