The most important FAQ for a property sale in Tyrol & Salzburger Land

Would you like to sell your property with the help of an experienced expert? Engel & Völkers supports you with the marketing of your property and assumes responsibility for the entire sales process. 

Optimal profits through professional marketing

A sound assessment and valuation of your property conducted by a real estate agent results in the maximum possible market price. Excellent marketing is carried out using high-quality pictures and professional online presence. Our experience has shown that real estate agents who have know-how and local knowledge are better at selling properties. Current developments indicate an increase in market prices in the real estate sector. Austria remains a stable market. If your property is marketed and sold in a professional manner, significant gains can be made, especially in Tyrol and Salzburg Land.

1. Do you know your property’s price in 2021?

At Engel & Völkers, we want you to achieve the best price and provide you with a comprehensible price estimation. Following a personal conversation, we are able to provide you with further information and give you recommendations for selling your property.

2. How long does the valuation of a property take?

The viewing of a property and detailed on-site discussion takes 2 hours on average. You can expect comprehensive market price research, adequate calculation and discussion within the team, during which all factors are considered and evaluated, to take around 2-4 days. Our experts estimate that a realistic and well-researched valuation will take a maximum of a week.

3. Market price estimate | Property price calculation

4. How do a property’s features impact its value?

The features determine whether the potential buyer feels comfortable in a property. Initial interest in buying a property develops as a result of its visual appeal. Each and every one of us perceives a property’s condition differently. Owing to our market experience, we can give you optimal advice and a comprehensible estimation based on properties sold as well as those currently on the market. The floor plans also have a large impact on a property’s value. However, as opposed to fittings and fixtures, this cannot be modified easily. The more sophistic the features seem to the potential buyer, the more positive their subjective evaluation is. Those things that were seen as being sophistic several years ago are considered to be standard today.

The property’s features include:

• Furnishings 
• Materials used
• Construction quality
• How a property is set out
• Garden, terraces and balconies
• Flooring
• Heating
• Smart) technology

In the Alpine region Tyrol & Salzburg Land, a property’s location plays an extremely important role. In this context, people like to distinguish between the micro and macro location. The macro location is the region or city/town that the property is situated in, while the micro location is the environment immediately surrounding the property. The sunny and shady sides of a property are also of interest when it comes to its valuation and the assessment of its location. Factors such as infrastructure, a district’s image, accessibility (proximity to the airport and other urban structures) as well as the proximity and quality of diverse facilities (schools, doctors, hospital) are all important for the assessment of the location.

The most important factors which influence the market value are:

• a property’s age
• the general structural condition
• energy consumption / condition (e.g., insulation, condition of windows and doors, heating system)
• outstanding renovation measures, maintenance work and restoration work.

5. How does the real estate agent access the keys to the property?

When a real estate agent has been engaged, the keys are handed over to the real estate agent and a key receipt is issued in exchange. If several real estate agents are engaged, it is advisable to install a key safe with a numeric code at the property. If you would like to organise the handover yourself, you should consider possible disadvantages such as the time-intensive scheduling of appointments. We want to make the process as simple as possible for you.

6. Which taxes are owners subject to?

When selling a property, taxes are certainly an important factor. The time of purchase plays a role when it comes to the level of capital gains tax. In this context, there are two different categories: new cases and old cases. New cases refer to residential properties purchased after 31 March 2002 whose 10-year speculation period had not yet expired on 31 March 2012. Old cases are therefore residential properties purchased prior to 31 March 2002 whose 10-year speculation period had already expired on 31 March 2012.

 
 
If the property being sold is the seller’s primary residence, the sale is exempt from taxation. These requirements are deemed as fulfilled if the owner has lived in the property for at least two consecutive years in the period between purchasing and selling the property and gives it up as a primary residence as a result of the sale.

 
The costs for the preparation of the property purchase contract vary but are usually determined following an initial consultation. After this meeting, the lawyer provides a set price for the creation of the house or apartment purchase contract.

7. When are costs for the real estate agent, land register and lawyer to be paid?

The brokerage fee is to be paid following a successful sale. The invoice is forwarded after the joint appointment with the notary. For owners, the commission is often deducted from the escrow account and transferred (as specified in the purchase contract). The additional purchase costs are transferred, with the purchase price, to the escrow account set up by the lawyer. This usually happens 2-4 weeks after the purchase contract has been signed.

8. How is a property’s sales price negotiated?

In the sales price negotiations and the related purchase offer, the primary target is to find consensus between the buyer and seller. Both parties often have precise ideas. Various thoughts about possible renovation work and repair costs usually influence the potential buyer’s subjective, usually intuitive, assessment. As experts, we provide on-site support in the form of consultation and mediation. We know the property and will have already calculated its exact value in the scope of our precise valuation processes. If the negotiations result in a purchase offer which is acceptable to both parties, this is sent to the owner. If this offer is accepted, further steps can take place.

9. Is it necessary to be present at the appointment with the notary?

It is not necessary for you to be present. The purchase contract can be sent by post to a notary close to the buyer’s/seller’s place of residence, where you can then sign it. Our clients are highly appreciative of the fact that appointments do not necessarily have to take place with both parties on-site. However, to avoid having double notary costs and to be able to clarify any remaining points, it is advisable to have a joint on-site appointment.

10. How long does the process take after a property has been sold?

13. What is meant by a marketing concept?

During a personal meeting, we will present Engel & Völkers’ marketing tools to you. Through our international network, we are able to offer you a large spectrum of diverse marketing possibilities. This enables us to create an optimal and individual marketing concept together with you. Our marketing tools include professional photo shoots, a 360° tour of the property, an advertisement in our own GG-local magazine, the optimal floor plan layout, digital home staging for empty rooms and much more.

​14. How do I prepare for a viewing?