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How to sell your Spanish property
Second-hand homes are quickly becoming the undisputed leaders of the economic upturn in home sales and purchases in Spain. At least 8 out of 10 transactions involve used properties and it is increasingly common to see 'For Sale' signs on the sides of Spanish buildings.
In many cases, the same block will have several flats for sale, so it is necessary to develop a good plan to stand out from the neighbours and successfully make the sale.
How can you do it? According to the Alfa Inmobiliaria real estate network, these are the five keys: price, time available for sale, refurbishments, promotion and marketing plan and visits to the property. We summarise what each one consists of:
1. The sale price should be fair
The determining factor when closing the transaction is the price. We cannot forget that there are several factors that determine how much a house costs: as well as the market, there are the characteristics of the property (two bedrooms, three or four), its location, the current state of the house, the feeling it gives off.
It is important to put it on the market at a reasonable price, since "if you go for a higher price than it should be, the house ends up selling for less than its value if it is not adjusted," explains Alfa Inmobiliaria.
One way to know the fair price of a house is to use online platforms that use 'bog data' to make valuations, which usually cost around 20 euro. There is also the option of going to a traditional real estate agency.
2. Set a sale deadline
Price is not the only important variable when selling a property – the time factor is also important in the equation. If the seller is in a hurry to sell the house, it makes sense to adjust the price from the beginning. If not, you have to determine a period of time in which you would readjust the price: three months, six months... although it is not recommended that the period should exceed half a year.
"In that time, price adjustments will constantly have to be made until it is finally sold. Let's not forget that the selling price is always set by the market," explains the network of real estate agencies. In Spain, it currently takes an average of eight months to sell a home.
3. Get the house ready with some touch ups and some renovations
Before marketing the house, it’s important to analyse its qualities, its pros and cons, as well as to consider the profile of potential buyers. All of this will help you to choose the way in which the property should be promoted, the appropriate price and whether it should be refurbished before it is put up for sale like replacing windows with more energy efficient ones, renovating floors, curtains, doors, etc.
At this point the so-called 'home staging' strategy comes into play, which is based on preparing the house to be put on the market by making it look more appealing. Presentation is key when it comes to selling and we must try to make sure that the potential buyer can imagine themselves living there. Applying some simple home staging techniques, you can sell a house up to eight times faster.
4. Promoting your property
There are different ways to advertise a home for sale, though it is always advisable to use the power of the Internet. Placing an ad on real estate portals like idealista and using social networks is the modern way to promote houses for sale. It is essential to describe the home well, adding lots of good quality photographs, or even video, virtual reality and 3D tours.
5. Prepare for visits
"We always say that in the first 90 seconds a buyer knows if they are interested in the property or not," explains Alfa Inmobiliaria. In other words, in just a minute and a half, potential buyers must have fallen in love with the place or they won’t buy it. For this reason, and after making the corresponding aesthetic adjustments mentioned in point three, it must also smell good, not be too dark, be at a pleasant temperature and not be too noisy. If we’re not attentive to all these details, the network of real estate agencies insists, "it is very unlikely to be love at first sight".
Aeromax
The company Aeromax is offering Internet. Do they have a good service or not? Can anyone recommend Aeromax?
Timeshare Claims
Timeshare horrors: fresh hope for 100,000 people locked in costly contracts
Thousands of Britons trapped in onerous timeshare or “holiday club” arrangements – where they are forced to pay annual fees for few or no benefits – could be given an escape route as their contracts are effectively “null and void”. Some might even be able to claim refunds.
These rip-off agreements could completely unravel as a result of a court ruling against “perpetual” timeshares. Soon-to-be-implemented Europe-wide rules are expected to back the decision.
Data shared with Telegraph Money suggests that 100,000 timeshare contracts are affected. Figures from the timeshare industry show that around 12pc of the 850,000 timeshares in Europe could now be considered illegal and their owners due a refund of all money spent, plus interest and legal costs.
• Booked a hotel online? The price could still go up
• Return of the timeshare? The bargain 'holiday' where you can't leave the hotel
While “timeshare” often describes legitimate arrangements where, typically, consumers buy fixed weeks each year at a set resort, the term is also used to describe a vague package of benefits, supposedly attached to a range of resorts, where customers risk being locked into unfair terms.
The latter, sometimes called “holiday clubs” or “floating timeshares”, are notorious. Owners found they had unwittingly agreed to pay hefty annual fees that were supposed to continue after their death, with the obligations passing on to their children or heirs.
Reports have surfaced of people in care homes being forced to pay for timeshares they could not use, as well as relatives of deceased owners being hounded for money.
The Timeshare Consumer Association (TCA), an independent lobby group representing timeshare owners, told Telegraph Money that up to 60pc of agreements were being enforced by providers against the owner’s wishes.
Of the 850,000 timeshare arrangements in Europe, 30pc of owners are in dispute with providers, the TCA said, with many refusing to pay.
What has changed?
A Norwegian woman was awarded more than £28,000 by the Spanish Supreme Court in March, giving fresh hope to Britons locked in similar arrangements.
In the case against the Gran Canaria-based Anfi Group, the judge ruled that “in perpetuity” clauses broke a Spanish law which states that no timeshare agreement signed after January 15 1999 can last more than 50 years. This rendered the whole contract invalid, and the court ordered Anfi to refund all payments as well as interest and legal fees.
Politicians in Brussels are now reviewing relevant timeshare legislation, seeking to apply tighter rules retrospectively, with enforcement expected “later this year”.
See if you can make a claim http://claimsright.co.uk/timeshare-claims/
car rental
hi .does anyone know of anyone that does car rentals on the urb needed ASAP,,and phone number.THANKS
La marina sport centre
Hello all,
I'm due to Stay on the urb mid May, And was wondering if anyone knows if the swimming pool will be open then? Can't seem to find any email address. As I remember its the pool near the satellite roundabout.
Thanks in advance,
Dan
Window cleaner
Houseproud Professional Window Cleaning Service. Based la marina but also cover Quesada,catral and surrounding areas..call or message daren on 697774934
Big bangs
I live in Quesada and every now and then there are massive bangs... sounds like mortar guns they shake the hose they are so loud!
I know they have festivals here but these bangs don't coincide with festivals! Any ideas what the bangs are and why they do it? It's like dynamite going off
Smoking law in Spain
Smoking at bars and cafes in the urbanization. Is it not a law regulating where smoking is forbidden? A matter for Policia Local?
It is in the U.K as we all know does that not mean its a E.U law and so should be the same in Spain? Anyone know?
Well it should be as far as I am concerned, people that smoke are not only killing them selves but those around them.
All in all is a very silly thing to do.
a friend of mine died at the age of 93... he smoked all his life and had 2 pints every day before he passed away... live and let live...
And one person survived when jumping from an airplane without a functioning parachute. So why use a parachute? Unnecessary cost.
A SPANISH LIFE NEWS: Torrevieja prostitute’s price of silence
Two women have been arrested and charged by the Guardia Civil for blackmail and threatening behaviour after they extracted over 90,000 euros from a resident of San Miguel de la Salinas.
The man had paid one of the women, a 32-year old Romanian, for sex, over 12 months ago, since which time she had been threatening him. Either he paid her money or she told his wife that she was a prostitute who had regularly been providing her husband with sex.
He chose the former and in the ensuing period he is understood to have given the woman two cars and over 90,000 euros in cash.
The man met the prostitute, a hostess in a Torrevieja club in December 2016. Apparently, he had several sexual encounters with her.
Everything seemed to go well until she began asking for large amounts of money in exchange for her silence. The first time was 40,000 euros. The man agreed and made the payment through the prostitute’s bank account. He thought that would be an end to the situation, but he was wrong.
Shortly afterwards she demanded another 25,000 euros. On that occasion, it was not to her bank account, but to that of a male relative. Once again the sanmiguelero agreed to the request and paid for her silence, but it did not work either. The woman asked again for another 25,000 euros and this time she wanted it paid in cash. She also asked for two cars which he gave to he and never saw again.
With the situation having gone on for over a year the man finally chose to denounce the situation to the San Miguel Guardia Civil who opened their investigation in December 2017. They found that it was not one but two women who have been pocketing the cash, the Romanian and her 36-year old Bosnian friend.
Both were subsequently arrested and charged with crimes of extortion and threatening behaviour. The two women appeared in court last week but after being charged the pair were released and are now awaiting trial.
Indian spices
Where is the best place to buy indian spices in bulk around Catral please
I was watching a program on T.V called something like “bargin lovin Brits” I will leave you to work out what it was about.
Well they showed 2 ladies out side the little English Shop by the petrol station near the arches, in Quesada, they had set up a little sample table of Indian food which they sold in pre made up kits, it had all the spices in so you could cook it yourself at home.
They Said they had started the business because it was so hard to get spices in Spain, if you can track them down then I am sure they can help you.
Under current rules, the Timeshare Directive implemented by member states in January 2011, provides protection for consumers who signed up to timeshares after this date.
The move could give British consumers reassurance that excessive or unfair charges are unenforceable. The decision from March 6 applied to traditional fixed-week timeshares, but would extend to other agreements “held in perpetuity”.
Currently, around 20,000 timeshare owners across Europe are pursuing group actions against their firms, and around 30,000 people are pursuing cases individually, according to the TCA.
It said it had seen a 25pc increase in inquiries from British owners since the Spanish court’s ruling.
What are the disputed charges?
Timeshares can cost thousands of pounds upfront but the controversy surrounds annual “maintenance fees”.
Owners will have to pay the fees indefinitely, with firms known to pursue “debtors” ruthlessly. This leaves some pensioners forced to pay fees until they die, even if they are too old or ill to use their holiday properties.
Stephen Boyd, a partner at law firm Athena, who deals exclusively with timeshare disputes, said: “The more aggressive resorts will try to pursue an estate for money and might employ debt collectors who can make your life miserable if they get your phone number.”
Affected timeshare owners should write to any debt collection companies that contact them and inform them the debt is disputed. “They will often close their files and leave you alone. If clients have a legitimate dispute they shouldn’t be afraid of debt collectors.”
Mr Boyd, who deals with around 40 timeshare complaints at any given time, said one client with Alzheimer’s was being forced to pay for his timeshare even though he could not travel abroad.
“You think you’re buying something to ensure reasonably priced holidays for life. Instead you end up paying escalating fees for life,” he said.
'We won a "free" holiday but it actually cost us £2,000'
The offer of a free holiday from a stranger abroad should normally ring alarm bells.
But when an official claiming to be from the “tourist board” approached Bob and Shelley Cartman while they were holidaying in Tenerife in 2012, their trusting instincts got the better of them.
Mr Cartman, who is 69 and retired, was offered a free bottle of wine, but his wife, 60, “won” a grand prize – a week’s free holiday “anywhere in the world”.
They were persuaded to visit a resort called Grand Holidays Club, a well-known company in Tenerife that targets British tourists in an attempt to sign them up to costly timeshare agreements.
After being locked in a room for more than four hours, they paid €2,800 (£1,995) for a “trial” timeshare to provide them with a holiday anywhere in the world – even during the school holidays – for just £99 a week. But these bargain-priced holidays failed to materialise and by 2013 the couple had given up their investment as a lost cause.