Lots of demand and little supply. The situation of second-hand housing is reflected in rising prices and difficulties in matching the desire to buy at the right price.
Remaining only on the photos of an advertisement, without seeing details in situ, is misleading, experts repeat. Checking in person avoids falling into traps, such as owners who repaint damp or cracks, fish-eye photos that give space to a tiny dining room, non-existent storage spaces... Being guided by the price per square meter can also be expensive. “It's a huge mistake. Sometimes a 120 m² apartment that seems like a good price has 20 m² of unusable corridors and nooks. For that, a well-distributed 80 m² is better,” warns Helena Gallardo, president of the Spanish Association of Real Estate Personal Shoppers. “The price per m² is partially reliable because it includes homes with very different characteristics. You have to look at the ones similar to the one you are interested in,” agrees David Chamás, general manager of Huspy.
The cost per m² exceeds 4,000 euros in Barcelona (4,259) and Madrid (4,190), according to Idealista. For an individual, knowing prices is complicated. That is why it is recommended to compare on portals, review real estate reports or even the Property Registry, looking at the closing price of operations in the area. To avoid paying more, it is time to “do a mini market study to find out the real value. Visit many similar apartments in the area, do not compare an attic with a third interior... Write down all of them in an Excel with many comments. It's like a professional does it,” says Gallardo. “A more expensive home than the average can be justified if it has something that stands out in the neighborhood, such as a terrace or garden, something different from what is homogeneous,” says Francisco Iñareta, spokesperson for Idealista.
The study requires dedication, hence the growth of figures that are more present abroad, such as the personal shopper, who guides the purchase, or the home inspector, who inspects the home before closing the transaction to avoid scares and to know if the home is worth it. what is said
“Some raise the price a little to see if they are lucky, they think they have the best house in the world after living there,” warns Aleix del Campo, co-founder of Hausum, dedicated to home inspection. But is not. “A large part of second-hand homes have an old electrical installation as their biggest problem.” Humidity is another common occurrence. And he focuses on the recent renovations: “Some are of low quality, with small imperfections in the finishes such as poorly executed joints that cause problems later. Here it is more complex to lower the price because the owner argues that it is freshly made and well executed..."
Be careful with the star: “Attics tend to have more problems, such as humidity. The more exposed the home is to the outside, to the rain or the terrain, the more complex its problems are,” Campo continues. The company carries out analyzes that can later serve as an asset to detect high prices or negotiate. “The photos in the ad hurt if you trust them, you have to see the skeleton. If we find any serious pathology, there is plenty of room for reduction.”
The lack of an elevator, electricity, the fact that it is a ground floor or that it is poorly connected to transport all serve to haggle. Gallardo also points to the building. “If it is old, you will have significant spills. It will affect whether the price is correct.” Also that it has a bar underneath (because of the noise). Sources consulted point out that the difference between the offer price and the closing price is usually between 5% and 10%. The reasons have to be compelling, because market pressure is high. “We do not see a change in trend. Supply is very scarce, demand is solvent and new homes are not being built. The room to negotiate is reduced in a situation like the current one,” says Iñareta.
