Without a doubt, most of us like the idea of having an extra home in a warm county, but it’s out of the reach of a lot of us. That means if you have a villa to sell that leaves people who are thinking of moving to another country as the most likely buyers of property there.
What can you do to help make the most of your odds of selling to this kind of person? The very first thing is usually to be practical about what your property will probably be worth. With the global depression still going on, what you paid for your property six years ago may be well over what it is actually worth today. And what it’s worth today is what really counts.
Yes, it can be extremely upsetting to think that you’ve lost 45% of the value of your property, but that’s one of life’s realities. You’d probably be even more upset if you never sold it at all, wouldn’t you? And if you overprice yours, there are plenty of people around you in very much the same boat. Some of them will be taking what they can.
How easy is it to sell right now?
Very easy. If you practically give away your Spanish villa for sale you’re sure to get some buyers interested. But that’s not really such an attractive proposition, is it? Remember, there are still buyers around, just not as many of them. That means they can pick and choose, so you have to find a reason for them to choose your property instead of another.
Obvious things get forgotten, for whatever reason. Tidy up the garden, for example – it makes a fantastic first impact if it’s neat, clean, tidy and attractive. Make sure your decor is clean and appropriate for the kind of property you have. You’d be surprised how many “quirky” decorating ideas have lost a house sale.
Don’t overlook clutter. Potential buyers hate it. They want to imagine themselves in that house as *theirs*, not be reminded of all your detritus. Tidy up, preferably well before they visit. Open some windows to let in fresh air.
There’s nothing worse than stale cooking smells, for instance, as you’re walking around a house. And if your personal hygiene leaves something to be desired, do something about it!
These ideas are not new. They’ve been around in the house sale market, well, forever. So take advantage of the wealth of ideas that are known to increase your chance of selling.