“I like to meet new owners at their property personally to check they are happy and go through things, like operating the boiler and showing them the electrics…”
When you’re searching for a home in Spain, you’ll read lots of guides about how to find that perfect property: what type of home to look for, where to search, how to budget, how to make the most of your viewing trips.
What people talk about less is what happens AFTER you’ve found a home, and had your offer accepted. You might think that’s the hard work done. Well, not quite, there’s still a few hurdles to navigate to ensure a stress-free journey to completion – and ensure your Spanish home is all ready for you to use.
Luckily, that’s where the famous HomeEspaña Aftersales Team swings into action!
As soon as you’ve put a deposit down, our Aftersales personnel will be on hand, working for you throughout the process – and beyond, once you’re ready to move in / holiday in your new home.
We sat down with two of our key team members, Aftersales Manager Helen Blackburn, Emma Freeman, our New Build Aftersales supremo, to find out why it’s so crucial to have a reliable Aftersales Team, and why they find the job one of the most rewarding of all the roles at HomeEspaña.
In Part I, we talk to Helen Blackburn, Aftersales Manager. She has been with HomeEspaña for 11 years and works in the Los Dolses office. Part II to follow shortly.
“Yes of course – I moved to the Costa Blanca from Southampton in 2004 with my husband-to-be Robbie. I’d recently been made redundant and Robbie had sold his business, so the timing was right. Since 2016 we’ve lived in our villa in Campoamor with six cats and Robbie’s dad, who has his own apartment. My parents also moved to Spain and live near Murcia.”
“We are the hardest-working, multinational, multilingual crew! Looking after clients in the South, we have Gloria, who is Spanish but also speaks English and German. Then Lisa from the US, who also speaks Spanish and Italian, and Emma who is English but speaks better Spanish (meet Emma in Part 2!) I also look after our French clients. In the northern Costa Blanca, clients are looked after by Michelle, and in Valencia, you’ll have Argemary taking good care of you.”
“We are the people who take care of clients after they’ve had an offer accepted on a property. We take over from our Sales team and become the client’s main point of contact for the duration of the purchase, right up to completion and beyond.
The first interaction we have with a new client is organising your reservation contract and deposit. If required, we’ll also introduce you to an independent local solicitor, where we recommend you arrange power of attorney (POA). After that, clients can return home and leave us to get busy, coordinating all the paperwork and ensuring everything moves smoothly towards the agreed completion day.
Our aim is to take any stress out of the process. It helps that we tend to know all our vendors and can deal with most issues without having to contact buyers. Of course, you can contact us whenever you want and we make a point of replying quickly. Clients often call us when they can’t get hold of their solicitor and want an answer to something fast! Our office is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm but if you’re arriving late and need keys or urgent assistance, we can be contacted.”
“Absolutely. Clients who give their solicitor POA tend not to come back to Spain until after completion. In the days running up to the big day, we’ll be checking everything is okay with the property.
Straight after completion, we get it ready for the client’s first visit as the new owner. This could include arranging to have the locks changed, dealing with post, sort out utility accounts and generally making sure everything is in order.
I like to meet new owners at their property personally to check they are happy and go through things, like operating the boiler and showing them the electrics.”
“No, it’s all part of the amazing HomeEspaña service. Honestly, I’ve had clients ask me how much they owe us for the Aftersales support – and the answer is – nothing! Because it’s something we do really pride ourselves on as a business, and always have – we think it often sets us apart. Most clients are surprised by just how much our team do for them!”
“That’s right. At HomeEspaña you’re considered a client for life! We continue to help you not just months but years after you’ve bought. Clients come into the office asking for assistance with post or emails in Spanish that they don’t understand, often from utilities companies or the council tax office. Or they might need help setting up an online account.
Then there are the usual domestic reasons, like arranging a tradesperson or helping to deal with a leak. There have been more extreme situations. Like when we accompanied clients to hospital when someone was dying, or to the police station to report a crime. We’ve rescued people when they’ve been lost or locked out of their home and even assisted someone with their plastic surgery needs!”
“When clients collect their keys and visit their new home for the first time. Often they don’t realise the issues we’ve had to sort out to get their purchase over the line – but we know and enjoy seeing the result. I had one recently when the keys to a house weren’t where the vendor, who was in Poland and had never actually lived in their property, said they should be. I had to drive all over town to hunt them down in time for completion – and I did it!”
Thanks Helen, it’s been great to talk, and very reassuring for clients who are buying a property in Spain with HomeEspaña.
We talk to Emma Freeman, who looks after clients who buy a new-build property, acting as the critical liaison between the client and the builder.
See you again soon!
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