How can you benefit from selling with Engel & Völkers?

It is generally considered a good time to sell a house in Ireland, particularly in the spring and early summer months. However, the best time to sell depends on your individual circumstances, on the type of property you’re selling and your location. Certain times of the year are better for selling some properties such as waterfront or seaside properties to take full advantage of the seasons. Other properties will sell throughout the year, such as town houses or a property in a housing development however, here it also pays to consider when the best time to bring your property to the market is.

Almost everything look best in the sunshine and it is therefore no surprise that we recommend listing sea side, waterfront and countryside properties between the month of March and September/October to maximise the exposure your property gets. It also means that during these months there are more buyers around as people are more inclined to travel during the warmer months. We generally feel that listing a waterfront or countryside property in the winter is less recommended. 

If you own a townhouse or a property in a housing development, the market for these is almost always active and property can be listed at almost any time of the year.

At Engel & Völkers we are happy to help you value your house with our free valuation service. If you are considering listing your property with Engel & Völkers we will arrange a on-site inspection with you where we will meet you at your house or apartment. Our real estate agents will assess your property, its location and amenities and will then prepare a valuation which we will discuss with you in detail. Our real estate agents will provide you with a full overview of comparable sales in the area and will also discuss with you the best strategy to achieve the best possible sales price by setting an appropriate asking price to generate interest in your property. 

The time frame of selling your property depends on a lot of variables. It is crucial to choose the right auctioneer who can provide you not only with local marketing but also with an international marketing strategy to maximise your access to a large pool of potential purchasers. 

It is also important to set the asking price at an attractive level to generate interest in your property. With the right marketing and an attractive asking price you should see a maximum in interest generated early in on the sales process to allow you to get the best possible price for your property through a bidding process. This will also lead to a fast turnaround in your sale hopefully within a matter of weeks.

Once the sale of your property is agreed, your solicitor will take over and prepare the contracts for the sale. The conveyancing process in Ireland can be quite protracted and often takes several weeks to complete to closing. On average we have found that a sale takes about 8-12 weeks to complete once sale agreed.

Yes, you do need an Irish solicitor to sell your property. It is advisable to contact your solicitor at an early stage before you put your property on the market as it can take time to prepare all the documents required for the contract of sale. 

Your solicitor will prepare the contract for sale once there is a buyer for your property and will require a set of documents from you. These include your title deeds, certification for planning permission and building regulations, confirmation of your local property tax payments etc. If you have a mortgage your title deeds will be held by your bank and even if you’ve paid off your mortgage the deeds may still be with the bank. Your solicitor will need to write to the bank to lift the deeds from them which does take time, often several weeks. You may also need to engage an engineer to prepare the required certification and you will need to get a BER assessor to prepare your building energy rating which is also a requirement.

Selling your property using the services of a real estate agent significantly increases your chances of selling your property at an improved sales price and within a faster time frame.

A real estate agent operates in the property market daily and has a deep understanding of the current market dynamics, valuations and the best marketing process. We also have a large pool of buyers looking for property in your area and the right marketing tools to introduce your property to right and the largest audience. 

We also have a profound knowledge of the bidding process and will ensure that all purchasers allowed to bid on the property are in a position to fund the purchase of your property.

We also take the hassle out of it for you. We will correspond with all potential purchasers and organise all the viewings, negotiations and will ensure the sale is seen through by the solicitors by staying engaged if and when issues may arise during the conveyance process. 

We therefore strongly advise to engage with your solicitor at an early stage to avoid unnecessary delays when the sale is agreed that can often delay the closing of your sale or even lead.The key to a swift sale is to be prepared and have contracts ready when a sale is agreed. 

To successfully sell a house in Ireland, follow a structured approach, starting with assessing your property's value and preparing it for sale, then choose the right real estate agent, and finally, navigating through the legal processes and finalise the sale. 

1. It is advisable to carry out any Home Improvement and Repairs 

2. Your property may need a fresh coat of paint.

3. Your house may need to be de-personalised to prepare it for staging.

4. The trees and hedges in your garden may need to be trimmed.

5.  It is also advisable to give the property a deep clean before going to the market.

6. Get your legal documents prepared in advance.

Taxes may be due on the capital gain (the profit you make between the original price you paid for it and the price you are selling it for). 

Taxes are not paid on the overall sales proceeds and depend on whether the property is your principle private residence or an investment property/holiday home.

If the property you are selling is your principle private residence (on max. 1 acres) a potential capital gain is not taxable. If you own more than 1 acre of land with your property the balance in excess of 1 acre may be subject to capital gains.

If you are selling an investment property (any property that is not your principle private residence) capital gains tax is due on any potential gain you are making between the original purchase price and your sales price.

The Capital Gains Tax rate in Ireland presently is 33%.

Yes, you can sell your property even if it has sitting tenants however the preference is to sell a property with vacant possession. A new owner might wish to use the property as their own home and may not wish to deal with a sitting tenant before they can move in themselves. Also, a bank will not be willing to finance a property with a sitting tenant if the new owner is getting a residential mortgage.

It is advisable to have vacant possession before going to the market as it will allow you to prepare the property by carrying out some maintenance and freshen it up before putting it on the market. It will also make access easier and more flexible for viewings.

Depending on the length of the tenancy legal notice periods can be very long (between 90 and 224 days are required by law). Once you decide to sell your rental property, it is important to make contact with your auctioneer or solicitor as soon as possible to prepare the notice required. The termination process needs to be followed to the letter of the law and you should seek advice when preparing same to ensure everything is done correctly.

You can sell a property you have inherited, however, you will need to first apply for probate to get the title to the property. Once you have been granted probate, the property can be transferred into your name and you can then sell it. If you did inherit a property it is advisable to contact your solicitor who will make all arrangements to apply for probate for you.

Once the probate application has been made you can put a property on the market for sale and a sale would be agreed subject to the grant of probate. It may be preferable to start the viewings of your property while probate is pending as the selling season may be better (spring, summer etc) or should you wish to close the sale as soon as probate is granted in order to use the proceeds for other things.

Yes you can sell the property before you’ve fully paid of your mortgage if the net proceeds from your sale are higher than your mortgage amount. In this case your solicitor will give an undertaking to the bank to redeem the mortgage using the proceeds of the sale once the sale has closed. 

Do keep in mind that you may be required to pay interest penalties to your bank if you are on a fixed rate mortgage.