Selling your property on your own: the important stuff

Property value - make a realistic estimate

Many vendors are not aware of the realistic value of their property. You must not set the price too low or disproportionately high. Because it's not just the condition or location of your property that matters. While the price will naturally depend on the facilities and age of the property, the real estate market and supply/demand ratio are enormously important.

So, it is essential that you have the market value estimated by experts or use our online real estate valuation service.

Correct sales documentation

Only if you have all the information properly documented will you be able to negotiate with confidence and answer all questions from interested parties quickly and correctly. This important preparatory step can be decisive later in the sale of your property. The documentation includes, among other things, the floor plans, the site plan, the conditions of the sale.

Here is our summary in the form of a property sales checklist!

Good planning and suitable listings

You should also give some advance thought on who might be interested in your property. Creating the right kind of photographs and descriptions and preparing the most effective listing will help you to prepare your property for sale in the best possible way.

The importance of high-quality photos of the property is something people still lose sight of when selling their property. But compelling photos are what arouse interest and inspire trust in potential purchasers.

Home staging: Yes or no?

If you have reached the point in the property sale where prospective buyers want to view the property, you should make sure that it is properly presented. Clean bright spaces without excessive indications of newly completed cosmetic repairs (which looks untrustworthy) are ideal. Depending on your target group, you could also invest in what is known as home staging.

Now, of course this does not mean that you need to bake fresh cookies for every visit by a potential buyer – but a bit of decoration relevant to the buyer can be helpful.

Things to avoid: Do not commit to a purchaser too early

People who sell their property privately often want the process to be as quick and easy as possible. That is why some people unfortunately commit to a prospective buyer prematurely.

However, it is a bad decision to limit viewings if you hope to achieve your target price. Consider this: visitors who appear interested may simply be showing politeness or they may find their dream property somewhere else the very next day.

In addition, you should always check whether your prospective buyers are actually solvent. Our tip: Continue to carry out viewings, even if several people are interested in the property.

Sales documentation and the purchase agreement

You should find out about the terms of the handover and payment well before the actual sale. Specify these in your purchase agreement to avoid problems and aggravation. The purchase agreement will be prepared by a notary. Pay particular attention to the following matters:

• Down payments/residual payments, due dates and payment terms

• Securing payment

• Distribution of notarial charges

• Regulation of property transfer tax

• Real estate charges and easements

• Terms of the property handover

Well-prepared documents that you can provide to prospective purchasers (for example for their bank) leave a good impression and can sway purchasers in favour of choosing your property.

Important: The procedure for a sale is usually that the contract drawn up by your notary is signed by you (the vendor), and the purchaser. The notary certifies the contract. The sale is then recorded in the Land Register, and only then does the property belong to the purchaser. This is particularly relevant for agreements on residual payments.

Property sales and taxes

However, the sale of a property also has tax consequences. It is essential that you establish the costs that will accrue to you in a timely fashion.

There is a whole range of regulations and laws to consider, which can vary greatly from canton to canton.

What should you do about flaws in the property?

Older structures are usually sold “as is” i.e., excluding any liability. In the case of properties that are less than 5 years old, there are often still warranties - and these should be clearly transferred to the buyer in the contract.

Still, flaws can be present in both old and new structures. Failure to disclose evident flaws can sometimes lead to serious problems. It is better to explicitly alert prospective buyers to the flaws.

At any rate, purchasers will have an opportunity when inspecting their purchase to notice deficiencies and submit a complaint to you. In this case, they can demand that you rectify the situation, reduce the purchase price or, in rare cases (if it is unreasonable to accept the property in the condition it is in), even cancel the contract. Regulations vary, and the time limit for the complaint can range from days up to two years.

Conclusion: Selling your property yourself

Selling a flat, house or parcel of land without assistance is more labour-intensive and complex than many people expect. The project of selling real estate requires a great deal of knowledge - tax, law, marketing, just to name a few - and a lot of negotiating skills. It also takes a considerable amount of time, from preparing the documentation to coordinating the viewings to actually working on the contracts and agreements.

If you set the value of your property too high or too low, you can lose a lot of time and money in the process. If you are careless with the preparation of the property description and the photographs, you may deter many potential buyers. If you lack marketing skills, you may not present the property in the light it truly deserves.

There are many questions you need to think about in good time as a real estate vendor. This includes the desired price and minimum price, organisation of the handover and also whether you plan to acquire another property directly following your sale. It is also important to clarify tax issues in advance to form a true picture of your obligations and avoid unpleasant surprises.

For some properties, it is worthwhile to study the market prior to placing your listing. Your sale can depend on the market situation or even the time of year. All this and more needs to be considered when selling a property.

With the help of a good estate agent, you can increase the likelihood of achieving your target price within a short time period. A good estate agency can relieve you of many tasks, support you with advice and assistance and draw on a wide network to show your property to as many interested parties as possible. Also, the negotiable brokerage commission is only due after the successful sale has taken place.