Oceanwide Properties is often asked for tips on how to sell Turkish villas and apartments quickly and at a good price. Here are our top 10 tips to selling your property in Turkey:
1: Be realistic. It would surprise you how many people over or under estimate the value their properties or have unrealistic expectations. Advertising a property above its market value will leave you with little chance of achieving a sale. Do a little research on the resale prices of similar properties in your area, ask for a valuation from a good agent familiar with the local marketplace and keep in mind that it is unlikely that you will achieve your full asking price. Decide the minimum figure you wish to receive from the sale, then advertise the property slightly higher to allow for client negotiations and agent commissions. Our services for selling property in Turkey include a free market appraisal to help you get a realistic figure in mind.
2: Clear the clutter! We all accumulate unwanted items, clothes and unnecessary furniture. A busy home is harder to sell. Clutter makes rooms look smaller and puts off potential buyers. If serious about a sale, have a sort out and clear it up!
3: Deal with the damp patch. Buyers tend to look for reasons not to purchase a property rather than the good reasons why it would make sense. Cut back the overgrown roses in the garden, deal with the damp patch behind the sofa, pop a lick of paint over the crayon on the wall and clear the cobwebs from the corners of the ceiling. You don’t need to spend a fortune upgrading your home as you would be unlikely to make it back. By simply cleaning it up and presenting it well and seemingly problem free, it should attract interest.
4. Work out the selling points. Do you rent the property successfully during the tourist season? Have you recently upgraded the kitchen, replaced the pool pump or retiled the roof? Does the property include furniture, curtains or white goods? Is the local bus route nearby? All of these points need to be mentioned to your agent or potential purchasers when they are viewing. Why did you buy the property? A good list of highlights is a great marketing tool.
5. De-personalise. You may love your bright pink wall or large collection of ceramic plates displayed in the hallway but some buyers may not. If you have very bright walls or wacky accessories, consider toning them down. “A neutrally decorated home with a few choice accessories or splashes of colour appeals to the majority of our clients”, says Suleyman Akbay, Oceanwide Properties MD.
6. Put together a sales folder. For many buyers, your property may be the first foreign property they have ever considered purchasing. Most clients are extremely cautious and eager to ensure any prospective purchase has all the necessary documents and legalities in place. Pop copies of your TAPU (Title Deeds), living permission, any insurance certificates etc. in a little file that they can see if wished. This helps put their mind at ease and lets them relax into the viewing.
7. Kitchens and bathrooms come first. Studies have shown that potential buyers pay most attention to the state of a property’s kitchen and bathrooms. Empty bins, move the crumbs off the surface and clear out the empty shampoo bottles in place of neatly presented bathroom towels and a clean kitchen worktop.
8. Pop ‘Rover’ out of the way. Cats, dogs and household pets can put potential buyers off purchasing your home. Hoover up hairs, do a quick once over with the air-freshener and put Rover out of the way when showing potential buyers your home.
9. Listen to your Agent. Trust your agent’s recommendations. Nobody knows the buyer’s market better than a good local estate agent.
10: Employ the right agent. There are many estate agents in Turkey keen to take on new properties, most for a fee or commission. Be careful who you employ. Use only an established, accredited agent that can prove they have a regular steam of clients and know the area and local market well.
Many think by advertising their home with all and sundry they are more likely to achieve a sale. This is not the case. Good agents spend time getting to know a property and the sellers. They also spend money marketing the home to attract buyers. Agents are unlikely to do this if a property has been advertised with their competitors.
Oceanwide Properties offer exclusive and non-exclusive sellers agreements. In most cases exclusives are worth the small initial cost to ensure the property is marketed effectively. Advertising a villa or apartment on global websites, at exhibitions, trade fairs, via third party contacts and in the press does cost money and does produce results.
Oceanwide’s Exclusive Turkish Properties are highlighted on the website and that of other paid portals, included in press releases and marketed via global agents. We take the hassle out of selling by taking the photos and writing professional sales descriptions for you as well as keeping you fully informed as to the progress of any sale.
Head to the Oceanwide Properties website for more information on our current services for selling property in Turkey.
We look forward to being of service to you!
