Valencia Property Blog

We will be having a podcast about this later this week but it's time to write about "The Form". Why, you may ask? Well, this week someone who has been in touch for a while with us but still hadn't filled in the form contacted out of the blue to say "I'm there on Monday, what are we going to see?" There's two problems with that. Firstly, we are totally booked up next week with people who have sent the form, booked their time with us and we have visits lined up for them. Secondly, and probably even more pertinent, what are we supposed to show you? You haven't told us at any point your budget, the type of property... anything really.

So, in the interests of letting you know the best way to work with us yet again we are going to talk about the importance of THE FORM. Let's go.

Where You Can Find THE FORM

For a start it will be at the end of this article of course, but equally it's in so many other articles we have written, usually at the end. Currently you won't find it on our socials, on the Substack or even in the main website but that will be remedied soon as it's so useful. If you already know how important it is then just scroll down to the end of this article and fill in yours. If you do not already know about it, read on.

The Contact Details

The sort of self-explanatory bit. We need to know who you are and your contact details so we can help you. Therefore, you have your name, email and Whatsapp number. Yes we know not everyone has Whatsapp in other countries but currently despite it being owned by Meta/Facebook (We hate it too) Whatsapp runs everything in Spain. For quick communications, map locations, and updates on properties that may suit you Whatsapp is the way. A lot of what we do moves fast and WhatsApp is often the quickest way to share a property, confirm a viewing time or send something that needs to be seen before the end of the day. If you use it, tell us.

Nationality

This one surprises some people but it shapes more than you might think. Different nationalities face different legal situations, different tax implications and sometimes different mortgage options. Most importantly it helps us to advise you as to what documents you may have to supply for mortgages and opening bank accounts here. An American buyer, a British buyer and a Dutch buyer are all doing the same thing in one sense but in another sense they aren't. Knowing where you are from means we can flag anything relevant to your particular case before it becomes a problem rather than after.

When Are You Looking to Visit?

This is where the practical planning starts. Landing here in three weeks is a different situation from coming here in a year. Both are fine but they need different things from us and from you. If you are coming soon then we are building a shortlist for you right now, keeping an eye on it and updating you with anything you might need to know. If you are further out then that's a different kind of conversation. What we are sending you at that point is more about the market, about what to read to keep up to date and about what to expect when you do arrive. Without this information we are guessing about what you need from us right now and we would rather not guess. The more information we have the better for you and us.

Your Price Range

Don't be shy! People sometimes feel awkward about this one and they shouldn't. It is the most practical question on the form and skipping it slows everything down. Knowing your budget before we speak means we have already thought about which areas, which property types and which configurations make sense for you. We are not going to walk you through something at the top of your range and watch your face. We are going to show you what fits your requirements and budget. Because here's a secret that we know, selling agents use the phrase "Buyers are liars". Ours aren't because of the form and the consultation call.

Must Haves

This is the question most people have never actually sat down and answered properly before they contact us. It concentrates the mind more. In your head everything might feel like a must have: that terrace, the third bedroom when there's only two of you, the garage space, the location, the light. When you have to write it down, you start to find out what you actually cannot live without and what would just be nice, that's our next section. The distinction between the two is hugely important when we are putting a shortlist together. By the time we speak, we have read your requirements and we can talk from a background of more knowledge.

Would Likes

The difference between what you must have and what you would like is where things get real. You'll realise that there aren't as many must-haves as there are would likes and then we try to match up the properties with those requirements taking into account firstly the non-negotiables. If a property ticks everything on your must-have list and six or seven out of nine things on your would-like list, it is probably worth a viewing. If it only ticks the must-haves but nothing else then probably not. If you have not told us the would-likes, we are either second-guessing or being too conservative and neither produces a good shortlist of properties to work with.

Deal Breakers

These are things you definitely do not want. This is the question people most often think they can skip but it's potentially the most important.

Without it, we end up on a viewing and you mention in the car on the way back that you cannot sleep with traffic noise or that having electricity cables within 100m is a no-no. Fine, we know now, but we could have known before if you had written it in the form and not bothered wasting the perhaps limited time we may have. The usual suspects are busy roads, ground floor, properties that need significant work, extra upcoming community fees, top floors with no lift, the aforementioned cables... Whatever your list is, put it in. We might talk you out of one of them for a particular property but usually deal breakers are sacred. Don't miss things out even if you think they are obvious. In fact don't leave them out especially if you think they are obvious. We know what most deal breakers are but you might have one that other people would be fine with.

Anything Else

This is a very important one. A lot of people leave it blank, which is understandable because it is a little vague but it is put in there for a reason. At Valencia Property we don't do many things without a reason.

People use it to mention that their partner has very different priorities from them (That's bad). Or there are mobility requirements that change which properties are worth considering (Good to know), or a complicated legal situation from a previous purchase, or something about their timeline that does not fit neatly anywhere else. Maybe that they are comfortable buying from a distance if the right property comes up so we'll need to do a Power of Attorney. You might let us know here that you cannot get a mortgage because of your work situation or even that you will not need a mortgage because you have the money to buy or perhaps you have already arranged it.

The form can give you that place to say something that might not come up naturally in a first conversation and it means we are not caught off guard two months into the process when you are here and you fall in love with a place but you are not able to buy it.

How to Contact You

WhatsApp, email or phone. They are the usual ways. It's a simple question but it's important of course. Some people need an email trail to make sure they don't miss anything. Some people only communicate by WhatsApp (But if that's you, then please do not have disappearing messages turned on). Some people never answer calls from numbers they do not recognise (Neither do we). We are not going to call someone who put down email unless we don't get a response to the email you have asked for (Sometimes mails can go into spam so remember to whitelist ours as soon as you get the first mail just in case). Communicating in the wrong way is a bad start and we would rather not make it.

What's The Point of All This?

The form is not bureaucracy, that's for all the other forms in Spain. It is not us covering ourselves or ticking a box before we can talk to you. It's essential to start off in the right way.

The Form is the thing that turns a vague enquiry into a working brief. It means the first conversation we have, usually on one of our consultation calls, is a useful one rather than a slow gathering of basic information we could already have followed by messages saying "I forgot to tell you this". It means the shortlist we build before you arrive reflects what you actually want rather than any assumptions we might make.

The link is below. If you are thinking about buying in Valencia fill in the form and let's get started.

Property of the Week. Malvarrosa Beach 240K

Bright apartment on the third floor. There is no lift. 3 bedrooms, air conditioning units in all the bedrooms and also in the living area. Balconies to the street, east facing.

There is a full bathroom and also a toilet. Renovated a few years ago and with no further renovation required. It has been successfully rented out as student accommodation and is ideal to continue as this but it would also work as medium term rental and of course you could actually live there.

The bus to the centre passes right by the door every few minutes, and the tram is 10 minutes walk. The beach is 300 metres away. This property will be available to purchase from September, but if you'd like further information before that, please get in touch. Visits are limited so if you are on the ground in the windows between summer rentals then you have an advantage over others.

Stepping Stone Rental of the Week

We have our second long term Stepping Stone Rental coming up on the site this week. It's in Benimamet and is a third floor apartment without a lift with two bedrooms, open plan living room with kitchen, bathroom and here's the most important thing... a large terrace. 62m2 plus 13m2 Terrace. It will be on the site very soon but send us a mail to enquire.