Alan and Fiona O’Neil were thrilled at being able to downsize during lockdown, made possible thanks to HomeEspaña using clever virtual technology to sell their Costa Blanca home.
The O’Neils completed the sale of their townhouse in the Orihuela Costa, which Fiona had owned since 2004, at the end of April 2021. This enabled the Irish couple, who have been resident in Spain since 2019 and even tied the knot there, to move into a bungalow five minutes down the road.
“During lockdown last year we decided we’d be better off downsizing to a smaller single-storey house, but also somewhere with a bit more outside space,” said 52-year-old Alan, who works for himself remotely. “So, we asked HomeEspaña to list our townhouse and they were top notch from the start. Right from when the valuations manager visited, to the quality of the photos and videos they made of the property, to the punctuality of the viewings and the congratulatory message from regional manager Nicky when we sold, they were very professional. We’d thoroughly recommend them to anyone.”
HomeEspaña’s success at selling the O’Neils’ house was helped by the use of virtual technology. The purchasers were a couple from Northern Ireland who in February 2021 were happy to make an offer despite Covid travel restrictions preventing them from visiting in person. The combination of remote viewings and guidance from HomeEspaña gave them enough confidence to commit to their dream of buying in Spain.
“We came down a little bit from the asking price and were happy to accept their offer of €95,000,” continued Alan. “In fact, HomeEspaña sold the property twice! Before the end of 2020, we’d accepted another offer, but that fell through. The buyer couldn’t sort out finance so walked away. Even so, HomeEspaña stayed really positive and within six weeks we’d accepted a successful offer from other buyers they found for us.”
Seasoned visitors to Orihuela Costa, the O’Neils should feel immediately at home in their new two-bedroom bungalow, which is located in Playa Flamenca and includes a solarium and courtyard space. Their old townhouse, which was in the Villas Cristina complex in Las Chismosas and came with access to a communal pool and BBQ area, served as a holiday home for 15 years, before Alan and Fiona made the permanent move there from Ireland. One thing they won’t miss are the stairs – the townhouse had two storeys as well as a solarium!
Buy a new build and recover 100% of the VAT by registering the property for a VAT-eligible rental or business activity for 10 years.
When retired advertising and marketing executives Gill and her husband John from the northwest of England reached the conclusion it was time to sell their holiday home in Dehesa de Campoamor (Alicante), they decided to act on a recommendation from their solicitor and check out HomeEspaña.
If you are considering selling your property in Spain, it is important to be aware of the latest changes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations.
Owning a home is a keystone of wealth… both financial affluence and emotional security.
