You have decided to sell, and the temptation is great to go directly to the real estate agent, to estimate the property and to put it online. But it’s not that simple. Before the first buyer even walks through the door, a long list of steps awaits you – especially if you sell an apartment. Since the Alur law of 2014, the buyer’s information obligation has been considerably strengthened. Obtaining some papers can take a few weeks… for others, much longer.
Olivier Frankfurt, real estate agent for 13 years at the Laforêt agency in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, knows these constraints well: “When we have a sales project, administratively, we must be able to present the Alur documents, all the diagnoses provided for by law”explains Olivier Frankfurt. The seller must therefore have the DPE (energy performance diagnosis), the state of risks and pollution (quarry zones, ground movements, seismicity), andCarrez measurement for a condominium apartment.
To this are added the gas diagnosis if an installation exists, the electrical diagnosisand, depending on the age of the property, the asbestos diagnosis (housing built before 1997), lead (before 1949), but also termites depending on the area. “The idea is to be as transparent as possible so that there is no doubt in the buyer’s mind”explains Olivier Frankfurt. We must also not forget the right to urban pre-emption of the town hallif the property is in an urban area.
For an apartment, additional documents
In addition to the Carrez measurement, other documents may be more difficult to obtain if you are selling an apartment: the plan of this one and ideally that of the cellar, the last three general meeting minutesthe last charge statementsthe amount of the last property tax and the co-ownership regulations. For the real estate agent, it is mainly concerning the documents provided by the trustee that deadlines can get stuck.
Because to sign a promise of sale, the notary must obtain a dated pre-statement with the co-ownership trusteedocument which summarizes the financial situation of the lot and the co-ownership. The seller has the obligation to return it to the buyer no later than the day the compromise is signed. Gold, “sometimes relations with the trustee are very bad, and the delay in obtaining this document can be enormous”.
In the event of joint ownership, agree on the price first and foremost
Are you inheriting property jointly? The sale of a jointly owned home requires the unanimous agreement of all the joint owners, both on the principle of the sale and on the asking price. And this is often where negotiations get bogged down. “Agreeing with the members of the joint ownership on the price is essential”explains Olivier Frankfurt. “Sometimes people hold on to a prize they’ll never get, and that block all discussion as soon as a purchase offer arrives. » Having the property appraised by several professionals or by an independent expert can help to objectify its value and defuse conflicts.
Choose your agency wisely
Finally, once you have resolved all the previous questions, it is time to compare three or four agencies: their fees, their knowledge of the sector, their average sales time on comparable properties. Commissions are not regulated and can range of 3 % to 10 % of price sales according to agencies and markets. They are negotiable, and even more easily if you accept an exclusive mandate, which guarantees the agency to receive its commission. Signing in a hurry with the first agency that comes along is therefore not recommended.
Prepare the apartment so that buyers can plan
There remains one step that many neglect: the presentation of the property itself. “The purpose of a visit is that people can project themselves »recalls Olivier Frankfurt. An apartment cluttered with boxes, too personalized or poorly tidy gives a negative impression that is difficult to erase, even if the property is objectively of high quality.
Concretely, this does not imply redoing everything. “A simple lick of white helps enormously: it makes it clean and pleasant to visit, the goal is for it not to be dull”advises the real estate agent. No need for new furniture, on the contrary: “Leave the sofa, the furniture, the coffee table, the television, but put away personal belongings, boxes, bathroom products. It is necessary to depersonalize so that visitors can appreciate the volumes. »
Completely redoing an apartment, on the other hand, is rarely profitable: “What we pay for in work, we don’t necessarily get back at the sale, and buyers would not necessarily have chosen the same materials. »
