Villas Fox - Uncategorised

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06 Jan, 2025

Welcome to Villas Fox!

Uncategorised

07 Jan, 2025

20 Reasons to Sell with Villas Fox

1. As a small family company, we offer a friendly and personal service to all our clients, whether they are buying or selling property. We have been established in the area since 2005, and have built up a solid reputation as reliable professionals that you can depend upon. We have sold over 200 local properties since our new office opened in 2014! We are proud to support and put something back into the local community by sponsoring the Racing San Miguel football team, Help Vega Baja charity, San Miguel Tigers petanca club and the Tarambanas carnival group every year. 280317293 10159943785127480 8767013579746383115 n

2. PEACE OF MIND

We are proud members of APIAL (the Asociácion de Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria y Agentes Inmobiliarios de la Provincia de Alicante) which is an official register of professional estate agencies in Alicante province that are sufficiently qualified, experienced, insured and legal, and are associated with the Colegio Oficial de Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria de Alicante, and form part of the APIRED network of collaborating agents who also meet the required standards, and share property information to make it easier for us to find you a buyer by networking with other reputable estate agencies.

When you buy and sell with us, you are covered by our professional civil responsibility insurance which protects all parties against any personal or financial damage up to 3,000,000 euros. Many agencies (especially those without offices, will not cover you in this way).

APIAL AND APIAL LANDSCAPE LOGOS STROKE

3. INTERNATIONAL MARKETS - the Belgian, French, Dutch, Scandinavian and Icelandic markets are extremely active at the moment. We collaborate with other agencies who specialise in bringing these kinds of clients to Spain, and many of our sales are as a result of networking with other agents such as these. In such cases, there is no increase in the total agents fee, ie you pay nothing extra! More importantly, by offering your property to a broad mix of nationalities, you are more likely to get a better offer for your property, leading to higher proceeds to you compared to when you sell via agents who offer low fees but don´t market your property properly to clients from all over the world. Our website is available in 17 different languages too - just click on the flags at the top of the page! We speak English

and Spanish

(Andy holds an A2 certificate from the Instituto de Cervantes, and a GCSE A-level), and Andy also speaks French

, which is invaluable when dealing with the increasingly important Belgian and French markets. We also regularly sell to Spanish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Icelandic clients. Our website is available in several different languages each with their own sub-domain, eg www.fr.villasfox.com, which are listed with Google to maximise exposure to international clients.

4. WE ONLY SELL DIRECT LISTING PROPERTIES, ie we focus 100% of our energy on promoting properties which are our direct listings with the owners. We don´t sell properties for other agencies. So, not only does that mean that we will prioritise finding a buyer for YOUR property, but it also means that potential buyers can be reassured that they will only have to deal with ONE AGENCY if they see your property advertised by us!

5. We have a wider selection of properties in the San Miguel de Salinas area than ANY OTHER AGENT which is why buyers and other agents call us first. An important benefit to you from this is that we already have a MASSIVE database of potential clients we can market your property to.

6. Our modern office with lots of window-space is ideally positioned on the busiest road in San Miguel, with lots of parking spaces and is open at least 48 hours per week including Saturdays! Some of our local competitors only open 30 hours per week in comparison! We often conduct viewings on Sundays too.

Villas Fox Estate Agency San Miguel de Salinas Office May 2018

7. IMPORTANT ADVICE - We can give you solid advice from the outset about everything to do with marketing your property, including your likely costs in plusvalia tax, energy and habitation certificates, 3% retention, costs of rectifying title deeds to include swimming pools and extensions etc. By discussing these costs on day one, you will not have any nasty surprises the week before you go to the notary to complete the sale! Our valuations are free and not flattering, ie we will not deliberately over-estimate the true value of your property in order to gain your business, as this wastes time for you and can give your property a "left-on-the-shelf" effect if it fails to sell promptly. Nor do we under-estimate the value in order to gain a quick sale. Instead we will work hard to maximise your proceeds from the sale, and use our negotiating skills to make sure that you get the very best deal possible.

8. We believe in taking our time to make sure the photographs of your property look professional and stunning, and for that reason we use professional photographic equipment, and spend a considerable amount of time editing and choosing the best photos to use. The presentation of our properties also benefits from input from our sons Patrick and Ollie. Patrick is a maths and computer science undergraduate who advises us on website design and systems. Ollie has a good head for marketing and graphic design, and was responsible for designing our eye-catching logo! For our sole agency clients we offer a 360º virtual tour service:

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9. In this day and age, a strong internet and social media presence is of course essential for a business like ours, especially to attract international clients. Our own websites are extremely well-positioned on Google to attract buyers of apartments and villas looking in this area, and we also advertise on several high-ranking international portals which currently include Idealista, Fotocasa, Kyero, Green-Acres, Think Spain, A Place in the Sun, Indomio, Spainhouses, Yaencontre, Wallapop and Milanuncios. We also advertise on social media eg Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Whatsapp, to make sure every property hunter is likely to see YOUR property when you advertise with Villas Fox!;

10. Our fees are highly competitive, and we believe in delivering excellent value-for-money above all. We aim to be the BEST, not the cheapest! Any agency offering to sell your property for less is likely to want to make a quick sale and move on to the next one, rather than spending time marketing your property correctly and obtaining the very best price for you. Either that or they intend to charge the buyer as well as the seller (this is a common practice) which means that their margin is not transparent. We prefer to keep all parties informed about all costs and prices, with total transparency, and according to the law, in order to protect you. As someone once said, buying a cheap suit could be the most expensive purchase you ever make! We believe that because we are so well-established with a high volume of existing clients that we are much more likely to bring you a buyer who is willing to pay the full asking price, or close to it, than less well-established agencies. That means that the net proceeds to you are likely to be higher with Villas Fox.

11. Although we recommend the services of a solicitor, we will take an active role in the sale up until completion and beyond, since finding a buyer can sometimes be only the first step in a daunting process if you don´t regularly sell Spanish property. We are here to provide the guidance and reassurance you need, including the best advice about how to process the bankers draft you will receive in order to save hundreds of euros on bank charges and exchange rates.

12. Should you decide to leave keys with us, they are never labelled with the property address, and are stored in a safe behind strengthened glass in our former bank cashier´s box (our office was previously a bank and is alarmed with video surveillance connected to a central monitoring station!)

13. Andy is a former mortgage consultant for Bancaja (now Bankia) and is not afraid to ask questions about a buyers´ finances and to offer them realistic assistance in getting a Spanish mortgage, which allows us to connect buyers only with properties in their affordable range. Sorelle has a long track record in customer service and administration, and is often the friendly voice our clients hear first when they contact us to enquire about properties and arrange viewings with us.

14. FEEDBACK - we understand how important it is to keep you informed of progress with enquiries and viewings. In fact we have recently developed a system to allow owners to monitor this directly on-line. You will have access to your own page which shows how many viewings and enquiries your property has received, the nationality of the clients, where the lead was generated from etc. It also includes a comparison of your advertised price with previous sales of similar properties, and suggests a benchmark price based on the average price per m2 for your type of property. This could prove invaluable in helping you decide if you are marketing your property at the right price or not!

15. Having been in business for a long time locally, we now have a superb network of professionals that we rely on as part of the selling process, e.g. architects, solicitors, builders and bank managers. We are widely respected for our efficiency in making sure the sales process goes smoothly from start to finish, and we get lots of recommendations from solicitors for example who know that they are putting their clients in good hands with us if they are looking to buy or sell. Andy holds the Técnico de Gestión Inmobiliario/Agente Propiedad Inmobiliaria Diploma which is the official course of the Asociación Profesional de Inmobiliarios. The objective of the course is the specialization in the management of real estate companies, as well as the theoretical knowledge necessary in the professional field of real estate law and urban management. Although the industry is currently not regulated in this region, there are moves afoot to change that, in order to protect consumers. In the future therefore, it may be compulsory for estate agents to undertake formal training such as this, and belong to a professional body.

16. Despite fears over Brexit, our business has gone from strength to strength since 2016, and have recently converted from self-employed to S.L. company status. This doesn´t mean that we want to expand the company though, as we know our clients prefer to deal with a small and friendly family company that is focussed on their needs, rather than a large corporation.

17. We operate on a "no sale, no fee" basis, ie we only charge for our services upon successful completion of the sale. Our terms do not restrict which solicitor/lawyer you can use. We are happy to work with the lawyer of YOUR choice (although for your own protection we do strongly recommend you use an official lawyer on the list found at: https://www.abogacia.es/servicios-abogacia/censo-de-letrados/).

18. We offer a choice between exclusive (sole agency) and non-exclusive (multiple agency) contracts.

19. Should you change your mind at any time, then we understand that life is not always predictable, and circumstances change. We will give you good advice prior to marketing your property, to make sure that it´s the right decision for you, but are always available to discuss any changes to your plans.

20. Please take time to read our testimonials page, because most of our business comes via recommendations and many of our former clients have had some extremely positive words to say about the service we have provided. Now give us a call to make an appointment, or pop into our office for a chat!

Uncategorised

07 Jan, 2025

Energy and habitation certificate price list

When selling your Spanish property, it is important to have a valid energy and habitation certificate in place. If you don´t have one, we can arrange for our architect to visit your property, and to do all the related paperwork including paying the local taxes and presenting the "declaracion responsable" at the Town Hall.

The prices for the habitation certificate can vary between towns and for the size of the property, so we have drawn up the following price list, to help you find out how much you will be required to pay.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE PRICES ARE NOT INCLUSIVE OF SALES TAX (IVA) at 21%

Click here to view or print the PDF version.

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CERTIFICATES OF ANTIQUITY (CERTIFICADOS DE ANTIGUEDAD) - 250€ + IVA

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07 Jan, 2025

How to sell with Villas Fox

If you are thinking about selling your Spanish property, you´ve come to the right place!

This is how we do it:

a) VALUATION We will visit the property to offer a no-obligation consultation and suggest a sensible price at which to advertise. We will use data about properties we have recently sold in the area to try to make the valuation as realistic as possible. We will listen to your requirements and give you good advice about the way forward.

b) DOCUMENTS If we are in agreement on the price, we ask you to provide us with copies of the title deeds, recent bills, NIE and/or passports, and payment for the energy and habitation certificates (these will be valid for 10 years - see https://www.villasfox.com/index.php/selling/energy-and-habitation-certificate-price-list) and sign our marketing contract which details our fees (we don´t charge the buyer a finders fee, and we don't charge extra for your choice of solicitor!) Our fees are only payable upon successful completion of the sale.

c) PHOTOGRAPHY We will visit to take professional photos (and possibly video/virtual tour too) and then edit the photos and write the description. A "For Sale" board is optional (no charge). Prior to the photo shoot, please take into consideration the suggestions about home-staging given at https://www.villasfox.com/index.php/selling/tips-for-the-photo-shoot as it can really help us to provide high quality, professional photos that will attract more buyers. We will also arrange for the architect to visit to do the energy and habitation certificates which you paid for.

Balcon de la Costa Blanca San Miguel de Salinas house for sale Villas Fox 82

d) MARKETING We will upload your property details to our Villas Fox websites, and also Idealista, Kyero, Thinkspain, A Place in the Sun, fotocasa.es, Indomio, spainhouses.net, Yaencontre and Milanuncios etc to give your property full worldwide exposure! We also run social media advertising campaigns (Facebook, Instagram etc) and mail your property details to our mailing list database.

e) FEEDBACK We will provide you with a link to your own "Owner Dashboard" which allows you to monitor all enquiries and viewings that we log on our own system, showing nationality of clients, which website they enquired on etc, total number of hits on our website, and also information about actual selling prices of other similar properties, allowing you to compare the price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, plot size, average price/m2 etc of properties already sold with your own property. The owners dashboard allows our owners to closely monitor how successful the advertising is, and to make informed decisions about price changes. You will also receive a weekly traffic report email which our owners find very useful.

f) VIEWINGS We will conduct unlimited viewings on the property, but we try to target the right clients for your property, rather than show it to as many people as possible!

g) OFFERS If a client makes an offer, we will remind them of their obligation to pay the 10% sales tax on top of the offer price, plus the notary and registry fees. However, any architect, registry or notary fees relating to a regularization of the title deeds (eg if a swimming pool needs to be added to the deeds) are borne by the vendor and we can advise about this. We can also give you an approximate estimation of what your proceeds are likely to be, based on the offer, taking into account our fees, solicitor fees, plusvalia tax, 3% non-resident retention, etc. However, your lawyer will be able to give you a more accurate estimation. We will give you advice about whether to accept the offer, or make a counter-offer.

h) RESERVATION Should you decide to accept the offer and the terms (eg timescale for completion, furniture to be included), then we will provide their lawyer with the property documentation for them to check. It is customary to allow the buyer and their lawyer a few days to check that everything is in order, but if additional documents need to be applied for due to some irregularity with the property, additional time will be required. Once the buyer´s lawyer is satisfied with the documentation supplied, the next step is for us to take a deposit from the buyer (often this is 5% with a minimum of 3,500 euros unless otherwise agreed between all parties) and we or your solicitor will hold that deposit until completion, and a contract will be drawn up (sometimes we do the contract, but sometimes one of the lawyers prefers to do it). The contract usually contains an inventory of the items to be included in the sale, or sometimes this is done separately. It should be signed by all parties. IF YOU (THE VENDOR) ARE A FISCAL (TAX) RESIDENT IN SPAIN, BUT NOT A SPANISH NATIONAL, THEN ASK YOUR ACCOUNTANT OR LAWYER TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE OF FISCAL RESIDENCY FOR ALL THE OWNERS IN THIS SITUATION, OTHERWISE 3% WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR PROCEEDS AS A RETAINER AGAINST TAX OWED.

i) OBLIGATIONS You will remain responsible for the upkeep of the property, to keep it in its current state until completion, even if completion is delayed for some reason. During this time you remain owners of the property and are free to use it as you normally would. However, we advise against renting the property during the reservation period. You must ensure that the utility supplies (water, electricity and gas if applicable) remain connected, continue the maintenance of the swimming pool and garden if applicable and the payment of any community fees or bills for the property until completion of the sale at the notary.

j) PREPARING FOR COMPLETION The completion date has to take place within the deadline given on the contract (unless both parties agree to extend it), but the exact date is decided in discussion with all parties. If you are unable to attend the notary on the suggested date of completion, then you will have to give power of attorney to your lawyer. This can be done at the notary at any time prior to the completion, and many owners find it to be a lot more convenient than having to attend the notary in person. Once you have given power of attorney to your lawyer, there is no need for you to attend the notary again in person on the day of completion. However, make sure that the power of attorney includes the power to endorse the cheque, so that your solicitor can sign the bankers draft if needed to give to a currency company or bank. If you are a Spanish resident for tax purposes (ie if you are a "residente fiscal" and you do an income tax return in Spain each year), then you must obtain up-to-date certificates to prove this (your lawyer or accountant can apply for these if you give them plenty of notice about the sale), because otherwise 3% of the sale price will be retained by the Spanish tax authorities. If you are not a Spanish tax resident then the 3% will definitely be retained. Your lawyer or accountant can help you to claim this 3% back if you can demonstrate that you don´t owe that amount in any unpaid taxes (eg capital gains taxes on the sale). It can take up to a year to claim this money back.

k) THE COMPLETION DATE The buyers may inspect the property at any time up to and immediately prior to the completion, or appoint somebody to do this on their behalf, in order to check that the property is still in a satisfactory condition, and that the items in the inventory remain in the property.

You must vacate the property prior to the appointment at the notary for the completion, and provide all sets of keys to the property to us or your solicitor.

Payment is normally made in the form of a bankers draft in your name (the funds are guaranteed). Most UK-based vendors use a currency company to send the funds to their UK account, bypassing the Spanish banks and avoiding the hefty bank fees that the Spanish banks charge to process cheques. We have a currency expert called David Evans from Lumonpay who is based locally and can explain the process to you in simple terms when you first put the property on the market, so that everything will be in place for when you find a buyer.

We (Villas Fox) don´t normally attend the notary ourselves, as by that time your lawyer will be in full control of the sale. However, we will make ourselves available to assist with anything throughout the sales process, to make sure that everything goes smoothly!

l) THE SALE IS COMPLETE HOWEVER THERE ARE A FEW THINGS LEFT TO DO! After the sale, it is normally the buyer´s lawyer who ensures that future community fees, water, electricity and SUMA bills will be charged to the new owner. However, we advise that once the sale is complete that you cancel any direct debits or standing orders related to the property (eg water, electricity, gas, community fees, and also house insurance). Remember to ask your lawyer about claiming back the 3% retention for non-Spanish tax residents if you think you are entitled to claim this back.

If you were on the PADRON (electoral roll) at the town hall, it is important that you inform the town hall that you wish to be removed. Otherwise the new owners might not be allowed to go on the padron at your address.

m) ADDITIONAL ADVICE

We are often asked how long it will take to sell the property. If the property is advertised at the correct price for current market conditions, the sale should take less than a year, and ideally less than 3 months. However, in Spain even if the price is right, it can take longer to sell a property here than it would in your home country. One mistake owners often make is to advertise at a higher-than-market-value price because they are "not in a hurry". This is a mistake since you are highly unlikely to find a buyer willing to pay such a price, and by the time you realise this and reduce the price, the property will already have gone stale by being on the shelf for too long, and you have lost the "honeymoon" period where buyers will get excited about a property that is new to the market and offered at a sensible price.

Although the British market is still strong, we see an increasing number of French and Dutch-speaking clients buying in the area, and with our team being able to speak French, Dutch and Spanish as well as English helps us to communicate with most of our buyers in a language we both understand.

We are members of the APIAL and Andy holds diplomas in estate agency, property valuations and property marketing with Tago Estudios.

So, give us a call and let´s have a chat about selling your Spanish property!

villas fox team san miguel de salinas estate agent 2 800

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07 Jan, 2025

Preparing your home for the photo shoot

1109 mirador del mediterraneo top floor apartment for sale villas fox 04

Great photographs will sell your house faster, and for a better price!

However, to take great property photographs you need more than a photographer with a good camera, great lens, flash, tripod, years of photographic experience etc. You also need the property to be well-prepared for the photo shoot. This can make all the difference. A beautiful bathroom shot can be ruined by having the owners´ toothbrushes in sight with the toilet seat up and a smear on the mirror. A great kitchen shot can be ruined by a tea-towel hanging over the oven handle and the fridge covered in post-it notes and fridge magnets. A wonderful lounge shot can be ruined by a couple of pets lounging on the sofa and Jeremy Kyle on the TV! I think you get the picture! It´s about de-personalising the property but still making it inviting. It´s fine to show off your furniture because that´s something that anyone could use, but if you have personal items on display such as clothes, photographs, toothbrushes etc these are things that nobody else wants to use and only serve as a reminder that the house is somebody else´s home. The buyers need to start imagining themselves making it their own home.

So, here are some tips for how to prepare your home for the photo shoot:

REMOVE OR HIDE AWAY THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

* as many personal belongings and photographs as possible (clothes, shoes, family photos, football or religious icons)

* bins and cleaning equipment - we all know kitchens don´t stay beautiful without a mop and bucket and a waste bin, but those things won´t sell your property! - so please try to keep them well out of sight! That goes for cans of insect spray too! (you´d be surprised.....)

* pet bedding, dishes, toys....in fact everything to do with your pets including your pets (except fish tanks, fish tanks can stay, if nice and clean!)

* anything in the garden or on your balcony that can be easily stored away to make the outside space look more presentable

* vehicles in front of the house - park them round the corner please, and preferably not in your garage

* ash trays

* paperwork, letters (especially bills!), newspapers, crossword books, knitting, craftwork, tools

* coats and dressing gowns on the back of doors. I often take a shot that includes the back of the door, and so the backs of all the doors need to be free of coats, bags and dressing gowns please.

* in the bathroom, remove ALL toiletries (even the soap) and ALL towels (unless perfectly clean and folded - but if in doubt just hide them away). Don´t leave anything hanging over the side of the bath or the shower cubicle. Toilet rolls should either be full and unused or taken away completely. Packets of toilet wipes should be out of sight too. Bath robes/dressing gowns? No thanks, not even slinky leopard-print ones. Less is more! Remember that anything hanging on the back of the door will possibly be seen in the mirror, so nothing on the back of the door please.

* in the kitchen have the bare minimum on the worktops - ie no cleaning equipment, no crockery (clean or dirty), nothing in the kitchen sink, no Fairy Liquid, no boxes of cereals, nothing except shiny worktops and maybe just one feature appliance or two if they are of high quality. So unless your kettle and toaster are things of beauty that shout out "living the dream" - just hide them!

* take all fridge magnets, calendars, post-it notes and shopping lists off the fridge and hide them somewhere, (and maybe keep them hidden so that when we do viewings you don´t have to go to that trouble again.)

* people - that´s right! It´s important that everybody stands behind the camera and not in front of it, so to make that easier the fewer people that are present the better. I can take quite a long time doing the photos, so feel free to go for a nice long walk whilst I concentrate on getting the photos right.

THINGS TO CLEAN BEFORE THE PHOTO SHOOT:

* mirrors

* windows (it´s nice to see the view!)

* ceiling fans (especially if they look like they would create a brown snowstorm if you were unlucky enough to turn them on)

* make the beds please (!) and don´t have anything under the bed that will appear in the fotos if possible

WHAT ABOUT LIGHTS?

Before I arrive, please turn on all the lights that you think enhance the property, eg bedside table lights, spotlights in the ceilings etc. If you have multiple light fittings, make sure that all the bulbs are working and are preferably of the same colour (eg if they are a mix of yellowy-white and bright white, that doesn´t look good). When I´m taking the photos it can be quite difficult to manoeuvre the tripod from room to room, and having to worry about finding light switches and plugging in bedside lights can slow me down and detract from the business of taking great photographs. The extra electricity costs involved in doing this will be forgotten when you find a buyer for your home!

If your home looks great at night, eg if you have pool and garden lights, let´s talk about the possibility of me returning to do some twilight shots.

CAN WE USE THE PHOTOSHOOT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FINALISE THE PAPERWORK AND LOOK FOR BILLS?

We prefer you to visit our Villas Fox office prior to the photoshoot with all your bills and documents and to sign the agency contract. Our office is the ideal place for us to scan your original documents if required, sign the contract, give you a copy of it, and discuss the marketing of the property if required. That will make it easier for you to have the property prepared for the photographs, and for me to concentrate on taking them. Of course that´s not always possible if you´re unable to visit our office, so we will try to be as flexible as possible of course.

Remember - if you do as much of the above as possible before the photographer arrives, you will probably be handsomely rewarded by having much better fotos that will sell your home faster, and for a higher price! It will definitely be worth it!

Uncategorised

10 Jan, 2025

Buyer´s Guide

BUYER´S GUIDE – for when you´ve found your perfect property

Here´s a guide to buying Spanish property that we´ve put together to help you.

1. Inspect the property thoroughly, making sure you are satisfied with the state of repair of the property and its contents. Make an offer, stating how you will finance the property, and how soon you will be able to complete. If you are a cash buyer, indicate where the funds are held, and how quickly they can be released. If you need a mortgage, then we may ask you for information about income, existing loans etc, to assess your chances of getting the mortgage you need. The offer price is exclusive of taxes, registry, notary and solicitor fees which can add approx 10% plus 3-4,000 euros to the overall cost). Eg if your offer is 70,000 euros then you will need approx 79-80,000 euros to complete. Bear in mind that any items included in the furnishings are sold as seen and in the case of electrical appliances as untested and without any guarantee. It is also a good idea to ask your solicitor what the "valor real" (rateable value) of the house is before you make an offer, as this can affect the amount of tax you are liable for. To make any offer, please complete the form here: OFFER FORM

2. When the offer is accepted, and an approximate completion deadline agreed, ask for a copy of the title deeds, SUMA (council tax) and utility bills to be sent to your solicitor, so they can verify the legality of the property. If you don´t already have a solicitor or lawyer, then we can offer suggestions, but we recommend that you use a fully-qualified and registered lawyer. You can check if your lawyer is registered on the following website: (http://www.abogacia.es/servicios-abogacia/censo-de-letrados/) by typing their name (nombre) and surname (apellido) into the form, and then pressing “buscar”.

3. Whilst your solicitor is checking the title deeds, it´s best to lodge the deposit (we normally ask for 5%, subject to a minimum of 3,500 euros, but this can vary) with your solicitor or the agent, who will release the deposit when the checks have been made. Some vendors will not take the property off the market until they are in receipt of the deposit themselves. Therefore, it´s ESSENTIAL that your solicitor makes these checks in a timely fashion, otherwise another buyer could reserve the property. It should take no more than 2-3 working days to do these checks in most cases.

4. A reservation contract will be drawn up (either by the estate agent or by one of the solicitors) stating the purchase price, deadline to complete etc. If the property is to be sold furnished, then an inventory is sometimes included in the reservation contract.

5. Both parties sign the reservation contract and the deposit is transferred to the vendor. The deposit is non-refundable, and often the reservation contract states that the vendors will have to return double the deposit if they are unable to complete the transaction.

6. In some cases (eg where the time to completion is going to be longer than 6 weeks), it will be stipulated in the reservation contract that an additional deposit (part-payment) will have to be made prior to completion.

7. Arrangements need to be made to send the necessary funds to Spain if they aren´t already here. We can assist with currency exchange companies to reduce bank charges, and help with opening your Spanish bank account. We can also help arrange a Spanish mortgage for you too. If you are buying jointly with another person, make sure that you can demonstrate that the funds to purchase the property came from a JOINT ACCOUNT.

8. All buyers need to have their own NIE (foreigner identification number) number and certificate, which your solicitor can help obtain for you. It can take a few days or weeks to obtain.

9. Ask us for a quote for home insurance, and talk to your solicitor about making a Spanish will.

10. Please liaise with your legal representative (lawyer) regarding the date, time and notary where completion is due to take place. If you are unable to attend personally, you must grant your solicitor power of attorney in advance. This is a very straightforward process and can even be organised in your home country, but it´s usually easier to do it at a Spanish notary. Please note that even when the completion date is booked at the notary, circumstances can sometimes arise whereby this date has to be changed. The buyer cannot have the keys to the property until the completion is finalised at the notary, regardless of the reasons behind any delays to the completion.

11. On completion day, prior to going to the notary, you will normally go to the bank to obtain the various bankers drafts and cash required to complete the transaction. If you request in advance, you can also make a brief, final check of the property.

12. At the notary, you must bring your passport, original NIE certificate, proofs of deposit payment/s and details of how the deposit payment/s were made including bank account numbers. The vendors or their solicitor will bring the energy certificate, habitation certificate, keys etc

13. It´s not uncommon for completion at the notary to take up to 3 hours, sometimes even longer, so be prepared for a long wait, or consider giving your solicitor power of attorney before hand!

14. The notary will insist that you have someone (usually your solicitor) translate the deeds to you if you aren´t a fluent Spanish speaker.

15. Upon signing of the title deeds and exchange of bankers drafts, the keys are yours – congratulations!

16. Your solicitor will arrange for the electricity and water contracts to be changed into your name. Some monies will have been retained from the vendor to cover any estimated usage that hasn´t already been billed.

17. It is advisable to have the locks changed.

18. Your solicitor will pay your sales tax, notary and registry costs for you, and ensure that the property is registered in your name at the land registry. If you have taken a mortgage, the bank will take care of this.

19. If you will be living in Spain most of the time, when you have time, go to the town hall to register on the padron (so you can vote in local elections and the town can claim the correct amount of funding from central government)

20. Enjoy your fantastic new place in the sun!

Uncategorised

21 Jan, 2025

Guide to the Buying Process

BUYER´S GUIDE – for when you´ve found your perfect property

Here´s a guide to buying Spanish property that we´ve put together to help you. You can also download the AIPP buyers guide here.

1. Inspect the property thoroughly, making sure you are satisfied with the state of repair of the property and its contents. Make an offer, stating how you will finance the property, and how soon you will be able to complete. If you are a cash buyer, indicate where the funds are held, and how quickly they can be released. If you need a mortgage, then we may ask you for information about income, existing loans etc, to assess your chances of getting the mortgage you need. The offer price is exclusive of taxes, registry, notary and solicitor fees which can add approx 10% plus 2-3,000 euros to the overall cost). Eg if your offer is 70,000 euros then you will need approx 79-80,000 euros to complete. Bear in mind that any items included in the furnishings are sold as seen and in the case of electrical appliances as untested and without any guarantee. It is also a good idea to ask your solicitor what the "valor real" (rateable value) of the house is before you make an offer, as this can affect the amount of tax you are liable for.

If you wish to purchase a property - please complete this form: www.villasfox.com/offer