Real estate sale guide

Selling your real estate at the real estate market requires preparation and fulfilment of certain preconditions which we have become aware of though our experience on the Croatian real estate market. Our agents will help you through the process; do not ignore the advice they give you. Buyers have a different view of your real estate than you do, so it is important to adapt and prepare properly.

1. Prepare all necessary documents for your real estate

• see: ‘Services for sellers’

2. Draw by hand or prepare a layout and dimensions/surfaces of all rooms
3. Clean and prepare your real estate for the photo-shoot and tour
4. Set a realistic price for your real estate

• Check the prices of recently sold real estate in your neighbourhood
• Do not compare prices on advertising portals because the actual sale price of a real estate can be up to 30% lower than what is listed in the advertisement.
• For construction land the price is not determined by the surface but by the construction conditions, the more you can build the higher the price is and vice versa, regardless of the surface (for apartment buildings up to 18% of the investment price is an acceptable cost of the construction land)
• Consult our agent or ask for an official valuation (per order)

5. Decide in advance what your final price is

• In order to speed up the process decide in advance what your final price will be.

6. Accept the offer which suits you as soon as possible

• Do not delay the decision. The buyers are not looking only at your real estate, if you delay the decision, they will buy something else, especially if you are selling to business customers/companies.

7. Be ready to move out (if you have not moved out already)

• As soon as you have decided to sell your real estate (apartment, house), take out all items you do not use every day or have not been using for a long time into a storage room or garage of friends or relatives. This way you will free the real estate from excess items and make it more comfortable and easier for the buyer to examine and select. Buyers often feel uncomfortable visiting a real estate cluttered with stuff and often immediately give up from further examination although your real estate might be ideal for their needs. This also applied for business premises.

8. Signing a preliminary agreement and agreement

• Within the domain of our legal team specialized for real estate

9. Moving out
10. Handover minutes and settling all unpaid utility costs

• Of course, our agent will do it for you

11. Completion of the process


How to prepare the real estate for sale
Proper preparation of the real estate is half the work done and you must always bear in mind that your property is sold to a buyer who has their needs and view on the usage value. In order to make it easier for the potential buyer to choose your real estate, it is important that you psychologically and mentally detach yourself from your real estate (it would be ideal to take out as much items as possible or even empty the space completely) and see it as a product which needs to be sold as fast and easy as possible. At first contact, the agent will provide you with detailed instructions on how to prepare the real estate for sale. If needed, ask for additional services of our associates and partners.

APARTMENTS AND HOUSES:

• Prepare all documents (certificate of ownership, layout, cadastre, construction and occupancy permit, liabilities regarding loans and bank contracts if any, etc.)
• Draw a layout by hand and write down the dimensions of all rooms (if you do not have one)
• Prepare a list for the agent of all positive aspects of your real estate, dates of last renovation and major repairs, facilities in the area and similar
• Find out about actual prices of real estate sold in your area
• Clean and tidy up the apartment or house before the arrival of the agent and buyers
• Take care of the deficiencies (unless the real estate is for renovation)
• Take out any excess items (into a garage or storage area – depersonalize the space)
• Open up the windows to let sunlight and fresh air into the space before the tour
• Tidy up the area around the house
• Send your family out for a walk with the pets during the tour
• Prepare coffee or cake for the potential buyers
• Let the agent do the talking for you
• If you do not have the time or ability to prepare the space for sale, we suggest you hire our associates and partners who will clean the area, do minor repairs, prepare it for the photo-shoot and tour. You can also hire a professional photographer, which we recommend for more expensive real estate (see: ‘Services for sellers’).

f you own a large apartment or house with higher value, we suggest you hire our architectural studio before the sale. They will draft several solutions for remodelling and renovation of your real estate so that the potential buyer could easily identify and become familiar with the full potential of your apartment or house. This service has shown very positive results in our practice.

BUSINESS PREMISES:

• Prepare all documents (certificate of ownership, layout, cadastre, construction and occupancy permit, liabilities regarding loans and bank contracts if any, etc.)
• Draw a layout by hand and write down the dimensions of all rooms
• Prepare a list for the agent of all positive aspects of your real estate, dates of last renovation and major repairs, facilities in the area as well as transport options, parking area and everything that can help in business activities
• Find out about actual prices of real estate sold in your area
• Clean and tidy up the apartment or house before the arrival of the agent and buyers
• Take care of the deficiencies (unless the real estate is for renovation)
• Prepare documents describing the usage value of the real estate, terms of use, minimum technical requirements it meets, etc.
• Describe in short the previous business activity of the premises
• Let fresh air into the area before the tour
• If you do not have the time or ability to prepare the space for sale, we suggest you hire our associates and partners who will clean the area, do minor repairs, prepare it for the photo-shoot and tour. You can also hire a professional photographer, which we recommend for more expensive real estate (see: ‘Services for sellers’).

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