Staff Reporter
DESPITE it being one of the most important decisions of our lives, it seems that buying property is really a question of love at first sight.
A study conducted by the UK’s One Poll found it takes buyers a staggering 480 seconds – just eight minutes – to decide if a property is the one for them.
Of those interviewed, already 15% revealed they knew they wanted to buy just from seeing the ad.
Meanwhile six out of 10 people will rule a property out before even stepping into it.
When you also keep in mind that remote buying has skyrocketed in the last year, you will get the idea of how important it is to have a thorough and accurate listing that considers the surrounding area.
All this rang true when we recently fell in love with a refurbished studio in Fuengirola’s Pueblo Lopez development on the Costa del Sol in Spain.
We had recently moved back to Spain from Edinburgh and were living in Elviria but looking for a small ‘pied a terre’ in Fuengirola, where I spent my childhood summers and the family still gathers every August.
The instant attraction to this authentically Spanish looking property saw us making an offer on the spot but the delays that followed on the side of the vendor soon put a dampener on our enthusiasm. Everybody talks about qualifying buyers so that they are ready to move in quickly, but often agents fail to inform vendors about what documents they need to present to complete a sale.
It soon transpired that our seller in Fuengirola had been misinformed about the plusvalía tax and was going around in circles.
Not only did this flatten out our excitement but it made us question ourselves at length…Did we really want this ONE?
As a vendor, it is worth getting the house in order first. From sorting out buyers ‘pet hates’ (flaking paint and smells being high on the list) to having all the necessary documentation at hand.
So when the right candidate walks through the door and falls in love with your property, you know that it will be a lasting romance instead of a one-night stand.
Thinking of selling or know someone who is? Get in touch with the best team on the Costa del Sol to find you a buyer and make selling a breeze.
Oh, we did go through with the buying in the end and we’ve ended up with a very lovely charming studio.
We were just getting ready to rent it last month when some friends told us of their Ukrainian friends arriving after slowly making their way through Europe.
So, like many other people on Costa del Sol, we have lent it to them to live for a few weeks while they find their feet. And the love goes on.
Email enquiries@thespanishestateagent.com or call 951 516 905
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