Sales Advice - Spanish Homeowners

Preparing Your Property for Sale

When selling any property, at home or abroad, it is essential to remember that any interested buyers need to view it at its best otherwise they may just move on to the next property on their viewing list. The first impression the prospective buyer has of your property sets the tone of the whole viewing, so if they have to battle their way through a garden which is untidy or overgrown to get to your front door you may as well forget the sale. It is imperative that you spend time preparing your property for sale to have any chance of selling – ask yourself the question “would I buy this property if I came to view it in this state?”

We have prepared a list of things to consider if you need to sell your property in Spain both quickly and for the price you want.

• Keep up-to-date with maintenance

  Untidy gardens, paint flaking off walls, dirty or dusty houses will all detract from the overall appeal of the property. Get those small repairs done now to eliminate the opportunity for buyers to have any ‘objection factors’. Clean, tidy houses are often the most desirable houses as they create an instant favourable impression and even a small investment of either time, money or both could make the difference in either the time needed for a sale or the final selling price you achieve.

• Get the paperwork together
  
  Buyers in Spain may have questions that you would not expect to be asked in your home country particularly ones regarding the legal paperwork. With this in mind, it shows how well prepared you are if you have all the paperwork for your property to hand if a buyer asks to see items such as the title deeds or the “nota simple”. These will indicate to prospective buyers that you are the legal owner of the property and that there are no debts attached to it which are both very good selling points on a Spanish property.

• Keep receipts
  
  In addition to the legal paperwork, it is prudent when selling property in Spain to keep all the latest receipts for any local taxes, water, electricity and community fees, etc. These can be shown to prospective buyers so they can see that buying your property is a good choice and that it is debt free.

• Furnished properties
  
  We would recommend that, if you are selling a property which is furnished, you should prepare a complete inventory list of ALL the items which are included in the sale right at the beginning and maybe even include photos of the most expensive items, then give a copy of the inventory to your agent. This will eliminate any doubt if, for example, the buyers assumed that the Van Gogh painting in the hallway was included in the price when in fact, it wasn’t! Inventory lists also help to cast out negativity during negations as the buyers know exactly what to expect from the outset.

• Get a valuation done
  
  It is common practice in Spain for an agent to ask “What do you want for your property?” This can sometimes feel a little strange to someone who is generally given a valuation by an estate agent when selling property in their home country. We would always advise sellers of property in Spain to obtain a professional valuation to base their asking price on as this will give you a realistic idea of the price you can ask and will also help you in convincing any prospective buyers. Valuations can be done by real estate agents, surveyors or specialized valuation firms all of whom charge a fee for their services but when weighed against setting the wrong price and not selling, it’s worth it.
  
  Beware of any agent who you feel is telling you simply what you want to hear as there are too many (although this is not restricted to Spain) who will overprice your property just to get you to sign up and then let you down gradually over the following months when it hasn’t sold and get you to lower your price.
  
  In a favourable market where there an abundance of potential buyers a successful sales target will achieve at least two viewings per month so setting the correct price is imperative as it will form the core of your sales strategy – ask too much and you won’t get any viewings, too little and you are giving away part of your assets. Numbers through the door is what sells houses and the more who are enticed by your price; the more likely it is that you will have offers to consider.