Buying A Spanish Property - How To Avoid Paying Too Much

Introduction For many reasons people buying homes in Spain are often paying too much for their property and/or services - all of which adds to the cost of purchase and living. Being in a different country where you are unsure of the process, and don't have the time to compare prices, many agents take advantage of you - in fact many locals will even increase their price if they know it is a foreigner buying. So how do you avoid paying too much for your property? The main problem is that buyers set their own prices whereas in the UK you are given a realistic (sometimes) valuation of your property's worth. Many buyers tend to set their prices too high. This happens for a number of reasons. 1. It means they have more negotiating room when a buyer is found 2. Typically a foreigner will buy a property because it is cheaper than a similar property at home. 3. Many people have unrealistic expectations about what their property is worth 4. Sellers/agents/developers will increase the price if a foreigner is buying it Many people find they have bought a property and then cannot sell it at even break even for at least two years because they have been caught out by one of the above motives. Most agents in Spain are reliable and honest, but a handful have given the business a bad name - and typically (and strangely too) it is British and Foreign agents that rip off their own countrymen. I have seen examples where agents locally have sold a house for