Selling your Spanish Home: The Process and Free Tips

Our Role
The first part of the selling process is a visit from one of our experienced team to carry out a valuation of your property. This is undertaken free of charge, at this point we will also inform you of the marketing activities we will put in place to sell your home.

If you are happy to proceed with us and agree with our terms & conditions we will ask you to sign our Customer Instruction Form. If we do not sell the property you will not be charged!

Subject to your approval we would erect one of our "Se Vende signs" placed in the most prominent position. We believe that it is important that every opportunity is taken to promote the sale of the property with the aim of reaching the maximum number of potential buyers.

After your instruction to proceed we will endeavour to have your property on our website within 24 hours with full details of the property accompanied by digital coloured photos. These details will also be presented in our shop display and issued to the various Publications we advertise with.

All potential buyers are fully qualified by us, before they view your home, and we provide feedback and comments from them shortly after their visit.

If a buyer puts forward an offer, we will check their credentials with the appropriate agents and solicitors, so you know you can take our advice to accept or reject with confidence. Our aim is to achieve the best possible price for your home.

When an offer is accepted, you can instruct your solicitor or if you do not have an exist one, we can recommend a local independent solicitor for you. All parties involved are informed of your decision. You are assigned one of our in-house co-ordinators, to liaise with all the solicitors, mortgage brokers and other agents and to keep all parties informed of what is happening. After all mortgage offers have been received and the solicitors have completed the legal work, we can negotiate your moving date with all parties. All monies are transferred at the Notary on completion day and your keys are released.

Whatever you reason for moving we will make it as stress-free as possible and you can have the assurances that you are dealing with a company that understands the importance of the decision in selling your home.

The following 'Free Tips' are offered as a guide and is by no means exhaustive:

Who do you think may buy your property?
The first step to selling your property quickly and painlessly is to consider your target market. Who do you think might buy your property? Then try to tailor your space to appeal to the main group without alienating other groups that might also be interested. So if you feel a professional couple would be ideal, then turn the 2nd bed/office back into a bedroom and make a space for a workstation elsewhere in the house. This will ensure that the house would still appeal to a young couple with a small child. Spring (Feb/Mar) and Autumn (Sep) are the key times to sell your property when traditionally demand outstrips supply and therefore prices are usually at their most buoyant.

De-Personalise
Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house, so get rid of ornaments and photos - especially posters in kids' bedrooms. Put things you don't really use on a daily basis in the attic or storage. Large pieces of furniture should also go into storage; this will make rooms feel much bigger. Focus on the hallway - clear away coats/clutter; the bathroom - hide all your products; and the kitchen - clear the bench surfaces of appliances, jars, tins, etc, and replace any ragged tea towels or smelly bins.

Refresh
A fresh coat of neutral paint, and a couple of new kitchen doors can do wonders to smarten up a tired-looking property. If you can't stretch to re-tiling in the bathroom, re-grouting should bring it up new. The same effect can be achieved by installing matching chrome fittings; replacing broken light bulbs; re-painting the front door; ironing sheets in the bedroom; taking down any heavy dark drapes; installing up-lighters in the living room for subtle lighting; and strategically placing flowers throughout.

Clean
If you'd rather not re-decorate, it is still essential that the house be spotless. Getting industrial cleaners in to really make the place sparkle will be money well-spent; have the sofa covers, oven and windows cleaned. Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms, which need to be inviting and hygienic; finish up with a new loo seat; fresh white towels; and a strategically placed plant or two. Watch out for over-stuffed wardrobes - yes, people do look in them to check the amount of storage space - so clear them out. Finally, the garden is now seen as a additional room, so be sure to make your garden feel like a great space for entertaining and relaxing.

Instructing an Estate Agent & Solicitor
You'll want someone you can relate to personally; someone who is very active in the local market; and someone who is keen to sell your property and has fair agreement. Preparation is key, so it's a good idea to instruct a solicitor to prepare a draft contract and apply for the (escritura) title deeds, while you pull together all your own paperwork on the property - that is, all building certificates for any structural building work carried out, and any valid work guarantees etc.

Fees
Given Estate Agents' fees, it's cheaper to sell sole-agency rather than multi-agency, so we recommend staying with one agent for the first 4 weeks, and giving them the best chance and motivation to sell your property fast. Also, ask your solicitor to fully explain all costs associated with selling. Finally, find out from your mortgage lender whether you will be hit with any redemption penalties. Then you'll know at what price you can afford to sell.

Valuations
Valuing property is not an exact science and many factors are taken into consideration. Agents don't charge for valuations, so try to get 3 as a minimum.

Viewings
Everyone knows that first impressions count, and you'll want the house to appeal to as many people as possible; the more people there are who like the property, the higher the selling price should be. So sweep up, and make sure the front yard and hall to your house are tidy and inviting. Leave the pets with a neighbour, and thoroughly clean up any cat hair in particular, as many people are allergic to animal hair. Turn the lights and heating on; air out the house; and don't smoke or cook a curry before viewings. If you've got parking, leave the space free for the buyer - this will add to the whole experience.

Assessing the Buyer
The person who offers the highest price is not always the best choice. Listen to your agent's advice on buyers, and push your agent to find out as much about the buyers' circumstances as possible. First, how are they financing the purchase? Cash buyers are best, but if they are raising a mortgage ask to see a mortgage 'in principle' letter from their lender. Are they first-time buyers? If so, they will need some handholding by the agent. Do they have a related transaction? If they have something to sell, then it should be under offer before you take your property off the market. Also, find out about any forward chains that could complicate agreeing completion dates further down the line. Additional purchasers and buyers returning to the market are usually good news - as long as their finances are in place, then there should be less potential hurdles here.

Offers
Your agent will be the middleman and should present every offer that is made. Insist that the agent has all the background information to hand on the buyer's position, and the ability to move quickly and ask that offers be made in writing. Market conditions, competition and how much the buyer loves the property will determine what the buyer is prepared to offer. Similarly, the price you will be prepared to accept will depend on market conditions; how quickly you need to sell; and the size of your moving budget. Compromise on both sides is often the key to securing a deal. Also, know whether you want to keep all your furniture, curtains and white goods, as many of these items may not suit your next home, and can be used as effective bargaining tools to get the price you
want.