Ten Step Guide to Selling Spanish property

STEP 1 CONTACT US FOR AN INITIAL VISIT
Your aim is to sell your property at the best possible price in the shortest possible time. We have almost twenty years experience of selling in the Albayzin and an unparalleled knowledge of property values in the barrio. We will advise at what price we believe your property has a realistic chance of finding a buyer, whether we believe it will attract a lot of interest or whether it might be slow to find a buyer.

STEP 2 A GOOD AGENT NEVER SLEEPS
We are open for enquiries every day of the year. Virtually all buyers now search for property via the internet. Most of our clients live in countries with sophisticated internet access and are often well researched before they visit the area, which is why invest so much time and money in our websites and the CMS (content management system) that lies behind it as well as in the most advanced CRM (contact record management) system available, which enables us to maintain contact with prospective buyers in their native language and present them with properties appropriate to their desires and budget.

STEP 3 PREPARING YOUR DOCUMENTATION
Before we can market your property we need the following:
• Escritura (or Nota Simple)
Your title deeds.
• Latest IBI statement
The tax you pay annually to the Ayuntamiento or APAT (not the bank receipt but the invoice from the Ayuntamiento)
• Certificate of Energy Efficiency
Unless your property is isolated and has less than 45 m2 built or is currently uninhabitable and in a state fit only for renovation, you will need to commission an Energy Efficiency Certificate.
• Mandato de Venta
We have a standard document which we ask you to sign. This authorises us to put your property on the market without any cost to you and in which you undertake to pay our commission if we sell your property.
• OtherDocumentation
If you have floor plans, that will help us greatly. Also a Licencia de Primera Ocupación, Certificado de Legalidad Urbanistica, DAFO etc.

STEP 4 PRESENTING YOUR PROPERTY
First impressions count, even with uninhabited properties.
You will have a better chance of selling if you clear out rubbish and unwanted furniture, not only from inside the house but around it as well.
Get rid of building rubble and unneeded materials. White paint can do wonders.

STEP 5 MARKETING YOUR PROPERTY
To find your perfect buyer you need to give your property maximum
exposure. When you instruct us to sell your property you automatically
benefit from our comprehensive marketing package, including: exposure
on our excellent websites, automatic emailing to over 4.000 registered
buyers, inclusion in our fortnightly email newsletters and exposure on all
effective international property portals. Our clients come from all over
the world, principally mainland Europe, the USA, the UK, the Middle
East and Japan. If there is a buyer out there, anywhere in the world, we
aim to find them for you.

STEP 6 VIEWINGS
All of our viewings are accompanied by one of our partners. That way we can use our expertise to help sell your property.
We try to limit viewings to weekdays but this rarely proves possible. Most of our buyers are from overseas and are in Andalucia on short visits, so we have to make use of the days available to us.
We will need a key from you, if you are not resident in the property, or contact details for a local key holder - the closer to the property, the better. Please bear in mind that sometimes we arrange viewings at very short notice.
At our initial meeting with clients we often realise that what they have told us they want is not actually what they need! We are often forced to make last minute adjustments to schedules to make sure the most appropriate properties are included. We hate to lose even one opportunity to show your property, so please be flexible!

STEP 7 FEEDBACK
Whenever possible we will give you feedback after each viewing. Some potential buyers give very little away and some say how wonderful every property is - and then buy nothing.
When we get definite feedback we pass this back to the seller as it can be very helpful in marketing the property. For instance, if three buyers tell us that your property is too expensive, it probably is.

STEP 8 RECEIVING AN OFFER
As soon as an offer is received we will notify you both verbally and in writing.
Any special conditions pertaining to the offer (e.g. rectification of deeds, catastral plans etc.) will also be stated in writing and we will do our best to check the buyer's ability to proceed before you decide whether to accept the offer. We will advise you and negotiate on your behalf throughout this process, keeping you informed at each step.

STEP 8 RECEIVING AN OFFER
As soon as an offer is received we will notify you both verbally and in writing.
Any special conditions pertaining to the offer (e.g. rectification of deeds, catastral plans etc.) will also be stated in writing and we will do our best to check the buyer's ability to proceed before you decide whether to accept the offer. We will advise you and negotiate on your behalf throughout this process, keeping you informed at each step.

STEP 9 ONCE AN OFFER IS AGREED
Once you accept an offer we will prepare a contrato privado in Spanish and your native language, which we will forward to you and to the buyer’s lawyer for his/her approval or modification. Once the contract is accepted by both parties you and the buyer sign it and the buyer pays the agreed deposit. The contract will state the time within which the parties will go to a Notary to finalise the sale. There are no legal obligations until contracts are signed. At this stage we will have obtained evidence of title to the property through an up-to-date Nota Simple and will have established the boundaries via the relevant Catastral Plan(s).

STEP 10 COMPLETION
Completion takes place in the presence of a Notary who is a public official. His/her role is to ensure that the parties are who they say they are, that the sellers are the owners of the property, that the buyer pays the agreed sum and that all parties understand and agree to the sale. Once all parties sign the new title deed the property is sold and the buyer and seller can celebrate with champagne (or, more, usually a beer at a local bar!).

SELLERS FAQ

How much will it cost to sell my property?

There are four cost elements involved in selling your property:
Energy Efficiency Certificate
It is a legal requirement to have commissioned an EEC before marketing your property unless it qualifies for exemption either because it is an isolated rural dwelling of less than 45 m2 built or because it is inhabitable and being sold for renovation. There are a number of architects offering the service and we can organise on your behalf if you wish.
Estate agent commission
Half of our commission becomes payable once you sign a contrato privado and the remaining half when you complete the sale at a Notary. Our commission is charged as a percentage of the sale price.
Notary’s fees
According to Spanish law the seller pays approximately 60% of the costs of the Notary and the buyer pays approximately 40%. However, this is open to negotiation between the parties.
Plus Valía
This is a municipal tax based on the notional increase in the value of the land on which your property sits during the length of time you’ve owned it. The longer you have owned the property, the higher the tax.

Are there any additional marketing costs?

Do you ask for exclusivity in marketing my property?

What documents do I need to give you?

Should I repair or redecorate before I put my property on the market?

Who will conduct viewings on my property and when will they occur?

Do I need to be present for viewings?

If I accept an offer will my property still be viewed?

When is the sale completed?

Will I have a Capital Gains Tax liability?

TEN STEP GUIDE TO SELLING

SELLERS FAQ