Are things really that bad?????
 

I have bee trawling through pages and pages of homes for sale and it is driving me bonkers. We have decided to put our house up for sale within the next couple of weeks. Without reducing the price dramatically what would be the best course of action. Fortunatly there are not many houses for sale on our urb (3 out of 88 houses). Any ideas on a fair price for a 3 bed, 2 bath family home with 115 m2 build? The average seems to be 180,000 euros. Also how long do you recon it will take to sell. We have been living there 5 and a half years and have done a lot to the property ie. central heating, conservatory, nicely decorated etc...
We don`t want to wait too long but are not in a great hurry either. Would apreciate any thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Thats a really difficult question to answer, and I'm not sure if anything we say will be of any real help.

From my experience the biggest difficulty here is getting people through your door to look at the place. I know of many that have never had any viewings. Onr of the most helful things I can suggest is to "dress" the house and take some really high class photos. Its photos that will attract people in the first place, and tbh a lot of the pics I see on line and in windows are cr@p

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Would have to concur with the above view.Saw a show on tv about resale properties in Spain in which the property expert presenting the show advised dressing the house,perhaps reapainting in more neutral colours etc if necc,in order to compete against new builds that where approx the same price:)

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

I listed mine with about 10 different agents. I found only about 3 regularly brought people so if I had only listed with one (like in UK) it would have taken forever. Sold in 4 weeks:thumbup:
(this was 7 yrs ago maybe different now)

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Very different now.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Kyero.com, has a page on which you could download all the latest information on property prices in Spain,broken down on a region by region basis.
The information is the latest figs from the Minstry of Housing,translated and explained in English.Might help you come up with a sales strategy:)

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Cheers lcortez,

Will have a look.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Your very welcome:)

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

when we sold our villa here (4 years ago) I took my own photos and emailed them to agents with full details and our price (quiker than waiting in for them all to come round)

in total we had approx 40 viewings :eek: a lot of time wasters but what can you do - took around 9 months to sell but that was 4 years ago

get it out there and advertise privately too

people I have known to be selling over the last few years have taken around a year to sell, thats those that are lucky enough to have sold, others still have their places on the market and even after reducing the prices drastically still dont have any takers

its really tough at the moment

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

could always try this site.


http://www.homeswithoutagents.com/browse.html

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

We did the same as "spain" 2 years ago. We took our own photos and emailed them, description and price to agents. after 10 months and many many showing....we sold.....for the asking price!!! Not sure about nowadays tho!

One tip i found helped, (right towards the end when we wer just about ready to take it off the market and stay put)....whatever date and time the agent phones with - change it! Why? We found many people were coming to look straight after work, at weekends, whenever was very convenient to them, whereas when i suggested alternatives, we found only the serious lookers were prepared to change day/time and not long after, we sold! (It also stopped the traipsing round, showing your property to huge spanish families out on a family outing)!!

Good luck with your selling it.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Thanks everyone. One thing that does not help is my neighbour who is desperate to sell have dropped their price by 20,000:eek:

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

no wonder who wants to live in Playa Flamenca no offence to you but its a sh1t hole i lived there for 6 months and moved away, good luck with the sale.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Excuse me but Playa Flamenca is, as you know, a large area with nice and not so nice parts. I do not appreciate your attitude and would expect better from a moderator.:curse:

Also if you hate it that much why do not change the location on your username.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Moderators are allowed to have their own opinions, and to post them on the forum.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Moderators may be allowed to have opinions but that was downright rude:frown:

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

I guess its his forthright opinion of the place that he lived in. Personally I wouldn't have posted it, but it is his opinion ............. its not aimed at the OP but the area, and he has a right to voice his opinion I guess

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

i totally agree that was a bit below the belt!:thumbdown:

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

He is now in Thailand AFAIK

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Amsterdam I think

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

What did I miss?



For what its worth I hated Playa Flamenca too.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

sorry if i came across abit harsh it wasnt aimed at you but the area

Playa Flamenca is a shit hole its just the same as a bad uk council eastate but with sun. Drugs and crime are everywhere and prostitutes everywhere its a disgrace.. and only 3 houses out of 88 for sale in your block, well im shocked i would of thought more like 50 out of the 80..everywhere you walk in Playa Flamenca all you see is se vende signs.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Was this an attempt at being less harsh then? :blink::confused:

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Im just telling people the truth about the area

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

I miss Fuzzle!

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

So you moved to Thailand Or Amsterdam to get away from them!!!!!!!
Or were they too expensive in Spain??

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Three years ago when we were first seriously thinking about buying in Spain, and because we had never visited the Murcia region.We decided to take up a work mates offer to rent their "for sale" house in Orihuela Costa for a couple of weeks holiday to see if we liked the house & area. With a view to possibly purchasing the property on our return.
I can honestly say that it nearly put us off Spain for life. The whole area seemed to be one big building site, and every other vehicle on the road was either sporting Uk plates or was a mini bus full of Brits on an inspection trip.
We stuck it for 5 days before catching the bus to Cartagena and spending the rest of our time in a hotel.

Needless to say the house is still for sale:(


Sorry forgot to say the urb was named Flamingo hills, or something like that. I can't remember for sure.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Wow...... Don`t think i will read much more of this thread. A bit depressing for someone trying to sell their house in Playa Flamenca. We have lived here 5 years and where we are is very quiet. All our neighbours are older people who always have the time of day for you and we have never had any problems with the so called crime in the area. We live just off the main market street.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Must agree with you, we live not that far from you looking at that post, and we have NEVER had any trouble, and yes, there are houses up for sale for a long time, but mostly these are way overpriced, I know of someone who wants to sell for 165,000€, when the houses that are selling on her urbanisation are going for around 130,000€, and the other houses have driveway parking while hers is an allocated space at the entrance as she doesn't have road access. Over the road from her houses with an extra bedroom and bathroom are selling for less than she is asking. The noisy parts are around the commercial centre with bars that open till 3am, but if you buy in that location you should expect that. The ladies with fur knickers are everywhere, not just in Playa Flamenca, remember it's not a crime here, the police just move them on if they are causing an obstruction. Brothels advertise openly, with many having Neon Signs, remember, if it says NIGHT CLUB, it isn't what in the UK would be regarded as a night club, those are just Clubs here, night clubs are somewhere you can go to meet the ladies of the night, and many have bedrooms on the premises.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

I feel for you this is the worst possible time to sell a house either in Spain or England. Those who sold 4 years ago were very lucky, we too sold our house 2 years ago ofter a year and are reluctant to committ to Spain.
I did post an earlier thread about house prices and someone replied to say in an urb´ that they know off 40% of the houses are up for salemany having to reduce the prices considerably. I regret to say the property boom in Spain is well and truly over it could last for the next five years.
Its a buyers market, all those who viewed it as a place to make a `fast buck´ are now crying all the way to the bank. Spain has over built, if and when it it realises that fact the properties built to attract expats will continue to depreciate or languish in the estate agents window - sorry to be so gloomy :(

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

i totally disagree looking at spains market of today i think its a buyers market out there and i think the market out there is far from collapse !why well someone who buys in spain now is /1/ looking for a second home or to relocate /2/ they want to live in a area where they feel safe /3/ where children can go to good schools and feel safe /4/ where they have excellent heath care system /5/ they want to live in a area where the neighbours are friendly /5/ they want a better outdoor life /6/ they want a better quality of life! its funny we all talk on here about not selling propertys in spain because markets dead and the big property boom is over well today my friend who is based in nerja costa del sol called me to say hes sold his villa he took 5000euros off asking price sold to a english couple who have just relocated from uk hes now looking to put a offer on a property he has seen , i think we will see over next couple of years a lot more people coming over to buy in spain :thumbsup:

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Only time will tell - but from what I've seen around the Mar Menor area there is only one way prices will go in the next few years and it ain't up. There are Se Vende signs everywhere, and 10,000 new builds planned on just two developments and there must 10 - 20 developments on the go within a 20 minute radius - It simply doesn't add up.

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

It`s the same near us, loads for sale but they are still building. :confused:

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

The confidence we British had about living in Spain has to some extent vanished,for the time being. The rise of the value € v £ making the cost of living for pensioners who will now find their pensions will not stretch as far as it used too and those dependent for their income from the UK too therefore living in Spain is not going to be as comfortable as they had anticipated.

Alongside the deprecation in the value of properties and the depressed property market in general, crime, the isolation and the pressure of feeling trapped will outweigh all the assets of their Spanish living, such as, the quality of life, excellent health service and the joys of Spanish culture.

A sizeable proportion of the relocates to Spain are and will be pensioners who if they need to return to the UK in a hurry or if the executors have to sale the property in the event of a death are going to encounter considerable problems selling the property and many will have to reduce the property so considerably to enable a sale.

Only today banks are warning their customers that the cost of borrowing is now not going to easy or cheap, so the heady days of property investment and overstretching your mortgage to fit the property of your dreams is well and truly over, until we recover from the shock, of counse. But like everything `what goes round, comes round´ just we just need to keep your nerve while all around is loosing theirs....... :thumbup:

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

[QUOTE=coultrm;5995147]The confidence we British had about living in Spain has to some extent vanished,for the time being. The rise of the value € v £ making the cost of living for pensioners who will now find their pensions will not stretch as far as it used too and those dependent for their income from the UK too therefore living in Spain is not going to be as comfortable as they had anticipated. QUOTE]

surely if their pensions wont stretch in sopain they certainly wont survive in the uk...

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

But it might go further in a country other than Spain?

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

Well, for some maybe that struggled in the UK and came here thinking Spain was the answer to their problems

I am as confident now as I have ever been in life in Spain

Re: Are things really that bad?????
 

[QUOTE=Mitzyboy;5995794]Well, for some maybe that struggled in the UK and came here thinking Spain was the answer to their problems

I have no doubt the quality of your life exceeds that of the UK, those long glorious sunny days, the Mediterranean diet, long lunches, siesta´s and fiesta´s what more could one want particularly in the autumn of ones life, I hope I too shall experience such delights.

But the planning authorities - should such organisations exist, particularly on the costa´s - are killing the goose that's laying them their golden egg. The unregulated building has now got the Spanish property market ratio to three properties for every house purchaser whereby in the UK its two purchasers for every house.
So the supply well continually outstrips demand while there is this continual building and guess what house prices will continue to depreciate.

Off course, the decision to relocate is far more complex than just the appreciation of the property, Spain will continue to be the only location Europe which ticks most of the boxes when it comes to the ideal place to live:thumbsup: