I have just bought one in Spain, I live in Glasgow. It ferries up tonight. My 50c, because there are a lot of issues. Paperwork and the logs. This can be real PITa, because if any AD, SB, bits that should be log entries, but are missing, this can give you some heartache. Not now, but later. The old adage, if it looks like a duck, talks like a duck, it is a duck.
Buying a plane, is a bit like buying anything. Get a feel for the seller, get a feel for how it has been maintained, get a feel for how the set up looks. If you pitch up to view, and the battery is flat, and it is covered in bird plop, then sorry, I would pass on it. If the owner is fastidious, and the plane looks like it has been looked after, then, assuming all logs etc are in order, then possible go, after a thorough pre buy. However, a pre buy is like an MOT, only good for the minute the paper was passed to you. I have had pre buys done, and still ended up noting major issues, that were not detected. The registration status also must be looked at, any lien, any marital issues. The day of the gentlemens handshake apear to be over, unfortunately, so do your homework. Good luck.....if it is your first, it is a fantastic feeling.