Selling a home well is not just putting up a sign: the paperwork, the price and the presentation decide whether your home sells in weeks or spends months on the market losing appeal.
The paperwork you need
Gather everything before publishing the listing; having it ready shortens the sale and conveys confidence to the buyer:
- Title deed and land registry extract: proves you are the owner and that the home is free of charges (or which it has and how they will be cancelled).
- Energy performance certificate: mandatory for advertising and selling a home since 2013; the current regulation is Royal Decree 390/2021, with specific exemptions such as properties bought for demolition or major renovation, and it must be made available to the buyer. It is issued by a qualified professional at a moderate cost.
- Latest IBI (property tax) receipt: the buyer will ask for it, and the law allows the IBI for the year of sale to be passed on in certain cases.
- Certificate of being up to date with the residents' association: when selling a flat the notary asks for it by law (the Horizontal Property Act lets the buyer release you from providing it, but it is worth having).
- Occupancy certificate (cédula de habitabilidad): not generally required in Extremadura as it is in other regions, but if you have one, add it.
- Utility bills and, where they exist, warranties for recent renovations.
The seller's taxes
Two main ones. The municipal capital gains tax (IIVTNU), charged by town halls on the increase in the value of the land: since 2021 it can be calculated by the objective method (cadastral land value times coefficients) or by the real increase in value, whichever is more favourable, and if there has been no gain there is no tax to pay; it is worth requesting the assessment before the deed to avoid surprises. And income tax (IRPF): the capital gain (sale price minus the acquisition value: purchase price plus the costs and taxes of the purchase, with no updating coefficients) is taxed in the following year's return, with important exemptions if you sell your main residence and reinvest in another main residence, or if you are over 65 and sell your main residence.
The price: the most expensive mistake
The number-one mistake in Extremadura is setting the price at "what I need" instead of the market price. By comparing what is advertised in your area (portals and agency websites, including the linked Encina Pisos y Casas catalogue) you can position yourself accurately. A home clearly above the market takes much longer to sell; one at the right price sells and may even attract several interested buyers.
Presentation: the investment with the best return
You do not need to renovate to sell better. What works, in order of impact: a deep clean and depersonalising (removing belongings and personal photos), paint in light tones where needed, light (every bulb working and curtains open for the photos), visible minor repairs (dripping taps, silicone seals, door handles) and photographs taken by day and with judgment. In village houses, a tidy, weed-free patio sells more than a thousand words.
Advertise on Encina Pisos y Casas
Agency registration on Encina Pisos y Casas is not available yet. We are preparing listing pages with a direct link to each agency website. To hear when registration opens, email info@encinaestates.com.
One last piece of advice
Selling fast and selling well are not contradictory: it is what happens when the price is right from day one. Chained price cuts, by contrast, usually end in a final price lower than what a good launch would have achieved.
Note: this article contains no market figures. Tax rules have special cases and reliefs: confirm your situation with an adviser before signing.