What Europeans Love (and Struggle With) When Buying Property in Albania

I’ve lived in Saranda long enough to remember when there were more olive trees than tourists. When the promenade was quiet at sunset. When you could still find beachfront property for €500 per square meter (hard to believe now, I know).  

These days? The Albanian Riviera is buzzing. Especially with foreign buyers.  

Over the past few years, I’ve worked with clients from Italy, Germany, Sweden, Poland, France—you name it. Some fall in love instantly. Others? They’re intrigued, but cautious. And some are just confused by how things work here.  

So I thought I’d write a little something honest. A mix of what Europeans love when they come to buy property in Albania—and what they often struggle with, at least at first.  

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What They Love: Nature, Prices, and That Laid-Back Energy  

Let’s start with the obvious: the views.  

It sounds cliché, I know. But you really don’t get tired of them.  

Last week, I showed a client a stunning seaview apartment just above Ksamil. The kind of place where the balcony floats above the turquoise water and the sunset lights up the whole bay in pink and gold. He turned to me mid-visit and said: “How is this not Greece?”  

That one moment reminded me why I love this job.  

And he’s right. The nature here feels untouched. Especially in places like Borsh, where the beaches stretch out for kilometers and you can still hear crickets at night instead of club music.  

(By the way, the tiny taverna near the bridge in Borsh—just a few steps from the beach—is my go-to place for relaxed property viewings. Ask for the grilled eggplant. Thank me later.)  

But beyond the views, what really surprises most buyers is the price . You can still find affordable properties here that would cost 3–4x more in Italy or Croatia. Especially when you look at pre-construction deals.  

For example, we’re currently working on a beautiful villa development up in the hills of Borsh. Three villas, each with private pools, sea views, and Mediterranean stonework. It’s one of our favorites. You can take a look here if you’re curious:  

Villa 1 & 2 – VivaView  

I truly believe Saranda offers the best value on the entire Mediterranean coast.  

And then there’s the vibe. Life here moves at a different pace. Morning coffee lasts an hour. No one rushes you at the market. People say “mirëmëngjes” even if they don’t know you.  

That slower rhythm? Europeans love it. Especially those coming from big cities.  

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What They Struggle With: Bureaucracy, Logic (or Lack Thereof), and Timing  

Now… let’s be honest.  

Not everything is smooth sailing.  

One of the first things I usually tell foreign buyers is: “Things move differently here. Be patient, and you’ll be fine.”  

The paperwork process can feel confusing at times. You might hear four different answers to the same question, depending on who you ask. Some clients expect things to be standardized like in Germany or Norway. But Albania has its own way.  

Not worse. Just different.  

You might need three visits to the notary to sign one paper. Or wait a week for a document to be translated. And the property registration system, while much better now than years ago, still has its quirks.  

Another thing: not everything has a clean, official floor plan. Sometimes you’ll walk into a 1+1 apartment, and it’s been converted to a 2+1—creatively. I once had a client from the Netherlands look at a unit and say, “This wall wasn’t here in the photos.”  

She wasn’t wrong. But in Albania, improvisation is practically an art form.  

Oh—and timing.  

Many foreign buyers assume a property listed as “ready in September” means you’ll be living in it by October. But here? September might mean December. Or January. I always recommend factoring in a buffer. Builders here work hard, but the concept of deadlines can be… flexible.  

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Cultural Moments That Make You Smile 

Despite all that, something beautiful happens during the process. Most buyers get it. They feel Albania. 

They meet the neighbors. They eat grilled fish by the sea. They watch the sun dip behind Corfu from their balcony. 

There’s a sort of soft charm in the way things work. One German client told me: “It’s like Italy was in the 1980s—authentic, chaotic, but full of heart.” I took that as a compliment. 

And it’s true. Even when things get tricky, you’re never alone. Here in the south, people help. A neighbor will offer to translate. A café owner will lend you their Wi-Fi. A stranger might offer to walk you to the tax office. 

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What I Recommend If You’re Thinking About Buying 

If you’re reading this and considering a place here—whether it’s a seaview apartment in Saranda or a little villa tucked into the hills—my honest advice is this: 

• Come visit first. Not just for a weekend. Spend a few days walking around. Go have a coffee by the old synagogue ruins. Watch how the town breathes. 

• Work with someone local. Not just for the language, but because they know things Google Maps doesn’t—like which buildings have legal paperwork and which don’t. (And yes, we do. Shameless plug: here’s one of the best-located seafront buildings we represent — White Residence – VivaView .) 

• Be flexible. Things might not go 100% how you expect. But if you trust the process, they usually work out better than you hoped. 

• Ask a lot of questions. Don’t be shy. Most people here are open, even if they don’t speak perfect English. 

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Final Thoughts from a Local 

At the end of the day, buying property in Albania is not just a transaction. It’s an experience. 

It’s the smell of pine trees near Lukovë. The sparkle of Saranda’s bay in June. The old men playing dominoes in the shade while your architect sketches out your new terrace. 

It’s imperfect. A little wild sometimes. But incredibly rewarding. 

And if you ever find yourself on a hill in Ksamil, watching the sunset over the islands with the keys to your new place in your hand—well, you’ll understand why so many Europeans are falling in love with this place. 

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll want to stay longer than you planned.