The ultimate guide for selling your home in Los Flamingos

Have you got a home or property that you are looking to sell in Los Flamingos but you´re searching for more information about the best estate agents, fees, paperwork, and listings to get your property noticed? Look no further than here! The Euro Weekly has put together the ultimate guide on the best tips and tricks to help sell your home, as well as the best estate agent to help you on your journey!

In this guide, we will be explaining what is involved in selling your home in Los Flamingos, how long you can expect the sale to take from start to finish, how much your property could potentially be worth, help with documents, and also recommending an experienced estate agent to help you throughout the journey.

What does Los Flamingos have to offer residents?

The stunning Los Flamingos is one of the best destinations to buy a property on the Costa del Sol. Renowned for its organic valley of mountains and beautiful views of the sea, it is also a haven for golf lovers and boasts some of the best courses in Spain! The three courses that feature in Los Flamingos cater to all of your golfing needs, with Flamingos Golf and Alferini Golf perfect for long hitters and Tramores Golf a par63.

Los Flamingos is also host to some of the most prestigious golfing open tournaments having hosted the European Seniors events and two of the most recent Spanish open tournaments. The last tournament was for Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Ladies European Tour, from November 24 to November 27, 2022. 

If a spa treatment is what you desire then look no further than the Villa Padierna Spa. With its alluring outdoor pool, an extensive variety of treatments with a one-of-a-kind beauty centre, eight sophisticated saunas, crystal clear indoor pool, relaxing beauty and massage cabins, a ‘Natura Store’ and advanced gymnasium you are spoilt for choice!

Sumptuous dining is also offered in Los Flamingos with beautiful views of the horizon, watch the sun go down in one of three Los Flamingos restaurants with the additional advantage of a beach club to use throughout the day for ultimate relaxation.

Los Flamingos is also home to a beautiful state-of-the-art amphitheatre, perfectly situated for guests and residents to enjoy the best outdoor acoustic concerts that Los Flamingos has to offer.

How long does it take for a property to sell in Los Flamingos?

With the Spanish property market and tourism continuing to grow, and the forecasted sales for 2023 set to be higher than ever, the likelihood of selling your property quickly in Los Flamingos is high. The stunning hillside location and proximity to Puerto Banus and Marbella make this an incredibly sought-after area, with plenty of buyers looking for a holiday home in the sunny south or a permanent property in Spain – and your home could potentially be the best place for them!

Los Flamingos is a central but discreet area and the demand for proximity to the pristine white beaches and clear crystal blue waters in this area of the Costa del Sol is growing. With the injection of investments from the local government through the “Plan Turístico de Grandes Ciudades” (Major Cities Tourism Plan), €10 million is to be invested in Marbella over the next 4 years, making it more attractive than ever to those wishing to make the move to the south coast of Spain.

With the demand going up and properties forecasted to take 3 – 4 years to build, sellers are now in the best possible situation to move their property on to prospective buyers, so it´s the perfect time to contact a trusted and reputable estate agency in the area to give you the best possible advice and start on the process.

How much is my property worth in Los Flamingos?

Los Flamingos is a hidden jewel in the Costa del Sol crown, camouflaged between the rolling hills and mountains with its natural lake and stunning views across the area. Just 24 minutes to Marbella, 14 minutes to Puerto Banus, and 21 minutes to Estepona, Los Flamingos is the epicentre for fine living on the Costa del Sol. With a peaceful atmosphere, privacy, tranquillity, and security, what else would you want from the Costa del Sol?

A fairy tale destination to have a home, especially for those that are seeking privacy but proximity to the best and the most luxurious restaurants, bars, and nightlife the Costa del Sol has to offer, this exclusive area is particularly popular with foreign buyers looking for a second home or permanent residency on the sunny south of Spain.

The price for property in Los Flamingos varies and depends on what you are looking for, the most common properties in Los Flamingos are apartments and villas. Apartments in this area with 1 bedroom can go for over €94,000 and up to €890,000 and Villas go for between €290,000 to €20,000,000 depending on size.

What documents do you need to sell a home in Los Flamingos?

With selling a home anywhere there are lots of documents and paperwork that need to be filled in and signed. To ensure that this is correct and legitimate, we recommend that work with an expert estate agency to help sell your home in Los Flamingos.

The main documents you will need may include:

• The organisation of the Notary appointment and all paperwork related to the sale. 
• Deeds of the property. 
• Calculation of 3 per cent retention. 
• Liaison throughout the transaction with representatives of the Buyer and Notary. 
• Your passport and NIE number. 
• Calculation and advice regarding Capital Gains Tax. 
• Fiscal representation throughout the whole process. 
• Preparation of utility contracts, community charges, and “Suma” invoices. 
• Translation at the Notary. 
• Calculation of Goodwill and a letter of “Good Standing” with your community fees from the administration of your community. 

What do you need to pay when selling your home in Los Flamingos?

Legal fees – These are essential, the legal office that you are using should prepare all the community charges, utility contracts, and “Suma” invoices, speak with the Notary and the purchaser’s representatives, organise the Notary appointment and further organise all related paperwork to go with the sale of the house, go with the seller to the Notary and calculate the 3 per cent retention and advice re Capital Gains Tax, give fiscal representation throughout the selling process while also translating all documents.

Agents Commission – If you have used an agent to help sell your property you will have to pay fees to them.

Mortgage Cancellation Fees – Typically your bank should have a 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent cancellation charge for the outstanding balance due on your mortgage.

Community Fees – Your community fees must be kept up to do. Typically, you have to present a Community Certificate to the buyer when signing the Title Deed to prove this. 

IBI and Utilities – Your utility bills must be paid up to date as these will need to be settled and up to date on the sale. You will need to provide the original proof of payment when signing. Sellers also have to pay the IBI, known as council tax for the remainder of the whole year that they are selling. 

Plusvalia – To sell your home, sellers have to pay a tax based on the incremental value of the land in which the property is situated over the number of years in which you have been the owner.

Non-Resident Retention 3 per cent – If you are not a resident of Spain, the buyer of your property will also have to retain 3 per cent of the sales price stated in the “Escritura” (Title Deed) to pay to the Spanish taxman (Hacienda) on your behalf towards your Capital Gains Tax. Fiscal residents do not have any retention made on them, however, they may have to pay tax on the sale the year after when filling in their tax returns.  

Top tips on preparing your home for the market

When selling your home you want to make it as appealing as possible to potential buyers, to ensure that it is, it is important to have your looking and sitting right – especially for viewings. 

This will be the first time someone sees your home, you want to display to them what first drew you into purchasing it when you first bought your home. Show them what attracted you and highlight it, you never know if that feature could be just what the buyer is looking for.

All properties come with potential, ensure that you are adding to it not lowering it. Keep the style classic and clean, allow the prospective buyer to see a new vision clearly and not have their judgment crowded by odds and ends. This includes outdoor spaces as well! 

To help you out here are a few tips and tricks for preparing your home for the market

• Books create a cosy space to relax – but not if they are dusty, cluttered, and looking messy! Be sure to wipe them down and put them in the correct order, having different-sized books, not in height order gives an unorderly style that would not be appealing to a new buyer. Uniformity is also more aesthetically pleasing.  
• Bookshelves can be claustrophobic for those who aren’t used to them try your best to thin them out if you can.  
• Create the illusion of more space not less, especially at the top of bookshelves. By leaving it unoccupied you are giving the vision of higher ceilings. 
• Declutter, get rid of old rugs, newspapers, and magazines, and let the natural features of the house do all the selling. Let the prospective buyer have a clear vision of what they could do in the property to make it their own.
• A quick coat of paint done properly opens the space and gives a clean and fresh impression of a well-cared-for and maintained property.
• In your outdoor spaces, get rid of the rusty BBQ you have only used once! Dispose of dead plants and broken pottery, and apply weed killer anywhere it could be needed. A spectacular view is great, but you want to be able to enjoy it for what it is and not have cluttered old furniture ruin it. 
• Inject your spaces with a tiny bit of colour using good quality fake plants. They are cheaper than real flowers but still give the same illusion of happiness when you first look at them. 
• Smells bring back happy memories, so ensure your house smells great to have perspective buyers think about it once they’ve left the viewing. The best smells to have on hand are fresh bed linen, vanilla, and lavender! 
• Do you have a small property and are nervous about not selling it? Use mirrors! They create the illusion of space and can also be cheaply bought in the likes of Ikea for only a few euros. Especially great for dark rooms, point them in the direction of light and watch the space open. 
• Keep your patterns and tones to a minimum. A small pop of colour is ok with plants and flowers, however, overpowering textures and patterns can put people off – you’re just going to have to put them in the back of the wardrobe for now. 
• Marketing pictures are so important, hide away anything that you wouldn’t want to be included in your property images and ensure that you are happy with the photos before the photographer leaves!  
• Organisation is king! Be sure to have spaces well organised, get a shoe rack, and coat holder, and make the space look as neat as you can. 
• Top tip! – Use cling film over plug holes to protect against any stale drain smells which tend to build when the property is empty. 

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