In the town, in the city, if you want to sell your second-hand apartment, you must perform a thorough cleaning. Take advantage of the best and embellish the worst because defects are always opportunities for improvement. Your property can be sold, but before you appraise it, before you even think about your buyer, you must know what and how to improve it in order to put your apartment up for sale.
Below we share our 8 tips for selling your second-hand flat. The real estate buying and selling process begins by preparing the property for sale. Even before contacting your real estate agent, we recommend applying several improvement tips. One, two, three... and action:
I've decided to sell my flat. Now what?
1. Sell a flat to your buyer that meets their needs
When you think about selling your flat, you must take into account a series of requirements that every buyer will want to find. Later, once you know who your ideal buyer could be, you must adapt your flat to their needs to sell it. Because only by satisfying the needs of your buyer will you have real selling options.
But let's start with the basics: you. Are you thinking of selling, why? What are your motivations, and why doesn't this flat where you live meet your expectations? Analyze your rooms, features such as lighting, distribution, noise levels, neighbors, heating... In the case of ground floors, the street environment is even more important, and in attics, heating and electricity consumption are even more critical. Because if you're not happy, will your client be pleased?
2. Does your flat for sale offer the comfort a buyer seeks in a home?
Secondly, consider whether it meets the minimum comfort that every buyer wants to find. Perhaps it's normal for you that the radiator in the kitchen doesn't work, but that will undoubtedly be an obstacle to your sale. And that wall that separates the dining room from the living room? Is it worth keeping it if you hate it and it bothers you every day more? How would the living room look if you changed that piece of furniture and put the sofa there... Are you still focusing on the TV? And if you focus the distribution on social activity and not on a device? The sofa, the armchair, maybe a rug that brings warmth... doesn't that sound better to you?
3. Ask your surroundings: Friends and family are the ideal focus group
How many times have they told you that that curtain is horrible, to put some flowers on the balcony, or that the terrace needs fewer tables and more chairs? And when it rains, that patio, that smell. Wouldn't it be better to cover it up, and going to the laundry doesn't require dressing up and doing your hair in case the neighbor across the street sees you? Regain your privacy, fill your forgotten spaces with details and comfort, and above all, listen because there is a lot to hear, and as always, they do it for your own good ;) At this point, the investment to be made will be higher than what you had in mind. But that's how it is. This investment, detailed, budgeted, and always for a better and greater valuation of your property, must be your priority at this time. Because it will have the return it deserves. And because if you don't do it on your own initiative, you will do it on the advice of your real estate agent. Because yes, if you want to contact your real estate agency, but before that, you want to fix it. Deep down you know what they will tell you: with four fixes, it will be a sellable, profitable flat, and if the flat is profitable, it will have a buyer. And many. And only one will succeed. Is it exciting that it depends on you?
4. Adapt your apartment to the real needs of your buyers
Now start thinking about who your ideal buyer might be. Is your apartment for sale for couples? Families with children? Someone older? Unless the purchase is made as a real estate investment, your apartment will be bought with long-term residential investment from an individual. And who is 30 years old now will be 50 tomorrow. Does the building where your apartment is located have an elevator? How much do you pay for the community? And what about surcharges and other expenses? A property without an elevator cannot be oriented towards senior buyers, and your apartment for families must meet the large safety measures that every parent seeks. And not only that, it is very possible that on your visits, those potential buyers will appear with the feared and true bosses.... At the slightest detail, blow, or fall, they will leave. Therefore, it is good to review all the plugs, railing heights, openings, bathtub, and kitchen. Furniture and corners, door locks, and stairs in the case of duplexes. And the list goes on.
5. Pull homestaging and get inspired
Who doesn't tidy up a bit before an important dinner? At this point, we must talk about less hurtful things that do not involve economic investment to sell your apartment... but to clean it. First, physical cleaning. Maybe you're one of those lucky Quondos fans who only have what is necessary and perfectly organized. There is no dust in your home, making you an ideal purchase option for asthmatic people and those with space problems. If you also have open spaces, rearranging your furniture will be easy and quick.
And taking a step further: think if it would be profitable for you to adapt your apartment for sale to older people and/or those with mobility difficulties, a type of property that, although it sounds strange, is difficult to find. With our homestaging tips you can improve and much the strong points of your apartment for sale, because by applying some homestaging trick, in addition to benefiting from your real estate purchase, you will have fun.
6. Change your speech: Now it's not your apartment. It's an apartment for sale
A little ritual helps with the detachment you need. Clean thoroughly, and clean well. from the tiles and moisture remnants in the bathroom or kitchen to the thousands of things and decorative objects, perhaps (and surely) superfluous, that your shelves have held for years. Let's be serious... Who cares about that lilac candle? And your photos from last summer? And your child's weekly calendar? And the shopping list on the fridge, get rid of them. Clean, and clean your mind too. If you really want to sell, this step will be easy for you. And if you don't want to sell, remember that the moment of truth is approaching, hiring your real estate agent to help you sell your property. And you won't be able to do it if you don't show total conviction and focus on the sale.
7. Converting your second-hand apartment for sale is a profitable investment
And now, just before the appraisal, we get to the savings that your client will have by acquiring your second-hand apartment for sale. The community has no problems, the annual investment is acceptable, the elevator works and is relatively new, the interior is just as good as the exterior and surroundings of the property... But how is your energy efficiency? Is the water and electricity generating an acceptable or unbearable cost? Because the next step is to contact your real estate agent and appraise your property to put it up for sale... And without an energy efficiency certificate, you are prohibited from selling.
If you have doubts about the validity of your certificate, consult with us here and if you are unsure if you have it, remember that at Safire Real Estate we process a new, fully updated energy certificate for our clients and provide you with the necessary energy information to finish polishing your apartment for sale.
8. Now, request the initial valuation of your property, final optimization, and commercialization.
If you still don't know, the Spanish real estate market is a mature, finite, and closed market. Shortly after marketing your second-hand apartment, you will quickly realize that the important thing is to respond to your clients' needs and that only by offering the best price at the moment, can you opt to be an option for them: after months of searching, the typical buyer contacts the most suitable property for their budget directly. And with the initial valuation of your property, you will not only finish optimizing your property but also turn it into a purchase option that your trusted real estate agent will market with a guarantee of sale.
For more advice, download our free guide for sellers at this link!
At Safire Real Estate, we not only offer free energy certification to our clients, but we also value your apartment or house so that its price is within the real market price at the best price for you at the time of sale.
And we do it for free, like our services to property owners in legal and tax matters. Call us at 902 920 516 to find out more.