How to sell property in a pandemic

As is well known, selling a house in Spain is a complex and time-consuming process, and nowadays the “delights” of the global pandemic are added to this. Nevertheless, demand for Spanish villas and apartments is gradually recovering, and buyers are becoming more numerous every day.

In this article we will answer important questions: how to sell real estate in Spain during a pandemic? How to adapt to new rules and attract buyers? Let’s figure it out.

• Organize online viewings during coronavirus

• Give the property a marketable appearance

• Remember hygiene rules when selling a house

1. Organize online viewings during coronavirus

During quarantine, various online assistants and tools for remote obtaining of goods and services took on a key role. Online shopping, online cinemas, online parties… and, of course, online real estate sales. In the case of foreign real estate, this is especially relevant, because now only holders of type D visas can come to their property in Spain. And if you want to sell real estate, everything will have to be done online anyway. How?

First, record a video tour of your apartment or villa. In the modern world this is necessary, fortunately high-quality cameras are available in every smartphone. A video tour is an effective sales tool, so we strongly recommend publishing it on YouTube and other social networks.

For those who need additional information, organizing an online viewing is perfect: again using a mobile phone camera, you can give the buyer a tour of the property. Potential clients should also be able to ask all their questions before personally visiting the property. Any messenger with video communication can be used for such digital tours. If you cannot come to Spain right now to sell your house, you can arrange a power of attorney, transfer the keys and sell the property remotely with the help of our experienced specialists.

2. Give the property a marketable appearance

To impress potential buyers and increase chances of a quick sale, you need to prepare for online and offline showings:

• Tidy up. Allow viewers to focus on the advantages of your property, not on dirty dishes, stacks of papers or scattered clothes. If you have a plot, mow the lawn and trim tree branches that are growing into windows.

• Depersonalize the space. Remove drawings, children’s crafts, notes and family portraits. This way it will be easier for buyers to imagine themselves as owners of this place.

• Remove traces of pets. This point also relates to depersonalization. Bowls, cages, carriers or pet food packages can scare off buyers. Not everyone likes pets in the house, and some visitors may be allergic to them.

• Add light. Raise blinds, open curtains and let in more natural light to highlight details and improve the picture. If the viewing is in the evening, don’t hesitate to make maximum use of lamps and other lighting fixtures.

• Plan the viewing. If you are showing the property without an agent present, carefully think through the inspection plan and route through the house. You can organize the route so that it emphasizes the advantages of a magnificent bathroom or high-tech kitchen. Think about what and how you will tell potential buyers.

• Be attentive to buyer concerns. If you manage to establish good contact or find common interests with a person, tell them a few fascinating family stories that happened in this house, or unique details about the property. Consider the age of your guest.

• Update the entrance area. The hallway, patio or pathway to the front door is the “face” of your house, where the viewer forms their first impression. Therefore, it’s best to clean up at the entrance, remove dirt from the handle and touch up the door.

3. Remember hygiene rules when selling a house

Everyone talks about this, but we’ll remind you once more: take care of yourself and others. During coronavirus it’s important to feel safe in every house. For this it’s necessary to organize cleaning so that in modern conditions you can be considered a hospitable host. Many sellers place sanitizers and packages of disposable gloves at the entrance. Everyone in the room is recommended to wear masks and maintain social distance.

It’s equally important to disinfect surfaces that hands touch: door handles, countertops, drawers and switches - from possible coronavirus residue. If you want to minimize client contact with your house, you can open all doors and cabinets in advance to avoid unnecessary touching. And also turn on all lamps and floor lamps so that no one has to press anything. After the viewing ends, you should conduct repeat cleaning. Stay healthy, beware of COVID-19 and sell quickly!