We know that making the decision to buy Spanish property can be a big one, and selling your property in Spain is no different! Perhaps you’d like to move to a different region to get a taste of a different Spanish lifestyle, or are looking to upsize or downsize. Whatever your motivations for selling property in Spain may be, you’ll need some help along the way from a trusted property agent.
At Spanish Legal Homes, we’ve been selling property in Spain for over 34 years! So to help give you some insight into the selling process, we’ve put together this simple guide that covers what you may need to consider, things you should expect and some top tips to make the whole process as smooth as possible.
1. Making the decision to sell property in Spain
This is often the hardest milestone for our clients to reach. Deciding to sell your beloved Spanish property understandably comes with a mix of emotions. However, it’s important to keep in mind the positive reasons why you’re looking to sell, whether it’s to buy another Spanish home to settle down in, or as an investment decision.
It may also be difficult to know whether now is the right time to sell your property in Spain. It’s worth bearing in mind that TINSA have shown that Spanish property prices have gone up on average 3.8% year-on-year since 2014, and the number of Brits buying in Spain has risen by 8% this year.
So chances are, you’ll have no trouble finding a buyer for your property and are likely to make a good profit on your investment too!
If you’re still unsure on selling your property in Spain, and need a little guidance, a member of our friendly team would be happy to talk through your options with you. You can call us 7 days a week on 01202 971614.
2. Choosing an estate agent
It’s vital to choose an agent that you trust. You’ll undoubtedly have seen several Spanish estate agencies in your local town/city centre, so how do you know who to go with? Checking that they’re a member of a reputable professional body (such as AIPP) will go some way in ensuring that you’re working with a reliable agent.
Are they understanding of your needs, and do you feel that you can build up a positive, open communication with them? Do they have experience working on behalf of UK buyers and sellers? How would they plan to promote your property? What are their fees? All of these are great questions to get answers to in order to help you make an informed decision on selling your property in Spain.
3. Be prepared
Once you’re this far down the line, you’ll want the process to be progressing as swiftly as possible. Being prepared for the things that will be expected from you when selling property in Spain will mean fewer hold-ups, and hopefully a quicker sale.
Things that your estate agent may need from you include:
- Your property’s title deeds
- Receipts for the local municipal property tax (impuesto sobre bienes inmuebles or IBI)
- Copies of utility bills
- Details of the community statutes
- Confirmation of any furniture etc. which will be included as part of the sale
- Any key features that you think are important to highlight on your listing
- Your residencia card if you have residency status
4. Marketing your property
Your agent will want to arrange for some high-quality photos to be taken to promote your property in the best way possible on the property websites that they use. Keeping your home clean and clutter-free is important, not only for the sake of the photos (which should include a variety of inside and outside shots), but also so that potential buyers view the property in the best light when they come to view it.
At Spanish Legal Homes, we market our properties on a wide variety of portals that reach a worldwide market, including all of the most well-known websites such as Rightmove and Zoopla. We also have a strong, well-established relationship with A Place in the Sun, and promote a number of our properties through their website, monthly email campaigns and some even make it onto the TV show itself!
To ensure that your Spanish property is getting as much promotion as possible, we also carry out our own bi-monthly email campaigns to our database of 17k+ potential buyers, and daily property promotions on our Facebook page with 6000 followers. We don’t just put your property in our agency window and expect it to sell itself!
5. The selling property in Spain process
The good news here is that once you’ve had an offer on your property, there’s more work that needs to be done from the buyers’ side than the sellers’!
If you don’t already have a solicitor, your chosen property agent should be able to recommend one for you. The solicitor will conduct all the standard due diligence checks, and all being well will draw up a deposit contract for both parties to sign.
Once the deposit is paid by the buyer and all parties are ready to finish the transaction, a closing meeting will be set up. There will be a notary present who will inform the Land Registry of the sale, sending them a copy of the title deed.
Talk to our experts about selling property in Spain
We hope this article has outlined how easy selling property in Spain can be, especially with the help of a trusted property agent such as Spanish Legal Homes.
If you’ve made up your mind and want to sell your home in Spain quickly, safely and for a sensible price – contact us today. You can speak to a member of our friendly team today on 01202 971614.