Most property-buying problems in Egypt do not come from bad luck — they come from known, repeated mistakes that one question or one visit could have prevented. Here are the seven we see most, each with the practical step that closes it.
1) Buying from renders and brochures without a site visit
Renders sell a dream; the land tells the truth. There is no excuse for buying a villa without standing on the project’s ground yourself. Take this site-visit checklist with you so the visit is an inspection, not a tour.
2) Ignoring the developer’s delivery track record
The most important question in the whole deal: “What has this developer actually delivered?” — not “what are they promising?”. Ask to walk a delivered project by the same developer. Those who have delivered open their projects confidently; those who never have show you drawings.
3) Skipping license and land checks
Some projects are sold while their paperwork is still in progress. Ask plainly: is there a ministerial decree? An issued building permit? Is the land owned or disputed? A serious developer obtains the decree and permit before selling — make that a benchmark for every project you compare.
4) Falling for a low down payment without reading the full payment schedule
A 5% down payment catches the eye, but the right questions are: what is the annual installment, and are there hidden handover payments? Read the schedule to the end and compute the total, not just the first cheque. And if the project is at pre-launch stage, first understand what pre-launch means and when it is genuinely an opportunity.
5) Comparing price per meter without comparing unit type and areas
A 224m townhouse does not compare to a 288m standalone, and core-and-shell pricing does not compare to semi-finished. Unify the basis first — and if the differences are blurry, here is the map of townhouse vs twin house vs standalone.
6) Signing without a written delivery date and delay penalty
“Soon, God willing” is not a contractual clause. The contract must carry a specific delivery date and a clear delay penalty — this single clause sorts the market: confident developers write it, the rest avoid it.
7) Buying a good unit in a district you know nothing about
The villa is one part; the district is the rest: are utilities connected, what is the road situation, who are the neighboring projects? Read honestly about the Green Belt’s problems — real vs exaggerated and the 6th of October districts guide before even fixing the district.
The practical takeaway
These seven mistakes close with three simple habits: visit every project, ask about every document, read every clause. At Sakan Group we welcome all three — our delivered projects in the Green Belt are open for you to walk and see real handover quality before you compare.
To book a visit or ask anything: Hotline 15571 · WhatsApp +20 155 085 0877 · or via our contact page.
Living abroad? Remote contracting, power of attorney and transfers are covered in our guide to buying a villa in Egypt from abroad.
