I am delighted to confirm the Premier  Properties Tenerife have been accepted as a Member of AIPP. The Association of International Property Professionals, (AIPP), the industry body for the international property market.

A not-for-profit organisation, the AIPP is improving standards of professionalism in this market. In a largely unregulated industry, AIPP Members voluntarily agree to follow a professional Code of Conduct.

Building confidence in international property

By promoting the highest standards of professionalism in the international property industry, the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) has been set up to provide the consumer with confidence, and the industry professionals with a united voice.

The AIPP do not sell property. They are a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to improve the standards of professionalism in the international property market, helping both the industry and the public.

Thousands of people are buying overseas property: for holidays, for living or for investment. The AIPP provides a set of standards for those companies selling international property and is working to ensure that the public understands what it means when they see the AIPP Member logo on company literature.

AIPP Members have voluntarily signed up to follow the AIPP Code of Conduct, a code established to help consumers by showing where they will find professional, accountable companies; it is an illustration of each Member’s commitment to high standards in their work.

Members must act with honesty, transparency and integrity in all the dealings with the public and with the industry. For full details of the Code of Conduct and the AIPP Disciplinary Procedure, to which all Members have also agreed to be bound should the code not be followed, click on the highlighted links.

Today´s blog is all about making the most of your opportunities to sell your home.

Summer is a very competitive time for selling houses in Tenerife, and, as such it’s a time when the market tends to be flooded with properties. This being said there are a lot of details that, if attended to correctly, can keep your home on the competitive side of the property market here in Tenerife. Premier Properties Tenerife can assist you in various ways to achieve a sale on your property.

First impressions count – this is make or break time for your property.  If it doesn´t look good from the outside, buyers will think it won´t look good on the inside.  For this reason your property needs to have great “curb appeal”.  Attention to detail regarding  the general outside appearance of your home is paramount.  Make sure your terrace is cleared of rubbish, ensuring that your cleaning tools are stored away neatly. Even if you don’t have a lot of space it still needs to be clean. A cluttered terrace gives the impression that there is not enough space inside the property!  Be aware of how purchasers think!! 

There are a few simple and cheap jobs you can do to generally enhance the outdoor appeal of your home:

Firstly, whatever plants and or trees you do have they should appear healthy and neatly pruned. As a general rule anything that is dead or dying should be pulled out or removed. There’s nothing worse than seeing decay at a time when all things are meant to be at their peak of life and bloom.

Secondly, coloured stones or bark mulch around potted plants or flower beds is a great way to add a finished and fresh look to an outdoor space.  Summer is a great time to get planting.  A bright show of colour would welcome your potential buyers and guide them towards your front door where you could place a pot of flowers, maybe two, one on each side of the door.

Thirdly, make sure if you have a patio set that it is clean and tidy. Buyers like to see alternate outdoor spaces set up in a usable, season specific way. The more you can make your terrace and outdoor space appear beautiful and functional, the better chance you have of getting the potential purchasers to think about actually living there!

As we move into the interior of your home, the main thing to consider, not only during these summer months, is the lighting in your property. You want to show off as much as possible just how light and bright your home can be.  If you don´t have much natural light think about the following staging tricks to help it appear so.

Firstly, windows should be cleaned so that they are absolutely glistening allowing as much light through as possible. During the bright summer months many flaws or hidden dirt will be much more visible, so you need to keep your property clean. Open all your blinds or curtains to show off your homes natural light capacity.

Secondly, the walls of your home should be clean, ideally recently painted in some light and neutral tones. Heavier colors can be oppressive during the summer, so you may need to consider painting if you’re really serious about selling and getting a good price for your home.  Premier Properties Tenerife can help you with this.  We have an Interior Designer who can guide you with colour schemes, suggest options and generally assist you showing off your home in the best possible way. 

It is also essential to “de-clutter” your property. Make sure everything is in its correct place. Put shoes away, don´t leave toys, or clothes lying on the beds, ensure your bathroom is clean and tidy and that there are no towels lying around on floors. These are simple things, but you would be surprised just how many people don´t do this, even when they know that there is a viewing on their property.

As for smells, you’ll want to ensure your home does not smell of cigarettes or pets or any other nasty odors. You could consider spraying the house before a viewing, or, even baking some bread – studies have shown that smells are really important influencing factors so be aware of how your home “smells”  Also, it is a good idea, wherever possible, to ensure that your pets, if you have any, are “out of the way” (in the nicest possible way) during a viewing, possibly with a kind neighbour or friend who could walk them during this important time.  You may love your pets, but don´t expect your potential buyer too!

If you can ensure that your property looks clean and tidy and smells great for a viewing you are giving it the best possible chance to appeal to a buyer.  Buyers scrutinize everything, there is a lot of choice on the property market now and they will view many properties before they commit to purchasing.  So, give your home the best possible chance, help your viewers to fall in love with it – just like you did!

Premier Properties Tenerife would be delighted to come and offer further advice on any of the suggestions we have made. Just give us a call and we´ll make an appointment, at your convenience, to come and talk through some options with you. Our office number is 922 750 603.

 Well what a whirlwind it has been, I can´t believe that we have been open in the new office for just over 2 weeks now, how times flies when you´re enjoying yourself!!!  Why didn´t we do this ages ago???

 The locals have all been in to say “hi and welcome” and we are getting so many people enquiring about all types of property issues, from renting their apartments, how best to achieve a sale in the current climate and people also looking for long term rents.  We have also been busy with new clients eager to view properties and purchase their “dream home in the sun”.

 Why not come in and see us, we´re right on the square in Calle General Franco, number 26, Edificio Hotel Reveron Plaza.

We recently moved into our new office in the centre of Los Cristianos, still bringing you a great service from a family Estate Agent.  Call in soon to discuss your Tenerife Property requirements.  We´re here to help you find your ideal home in Tenerife.

C/General Franco, No. 26
Edif. Hotel Reveron Plaza
38650 Los Cristianos, Tenerife

Clash of the Titans is already proving to be an enormous hit for Tenerife.  The amount of current publicity surrounding the blockbuster is expected to bring a much needed tourism boost for the island.

 The movie went straight to the top of the box office chart in both the UK and the USA and has already grossed more than 155 M dollars world-wide. Nearly a third of the film was recorded here in the Canary Islands last year with Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in the lead roles. 

 I can´t wait to get a front seat view!!

Its official – Spain – and Tenerife in particular – is the favourite destination for the British when it comes to a move abroad and investing in overseas property.  The Director of the online investment portal Property Abroad believes that the country´s strength as a tourism destination means it will remain the ideal location for foreign purchasers.

 He went on to add that “In the current economic climate, most people are buying–to-hold for the economic recovery and I would recommend buying a property in Spain, more so now than I would have a year ago”.  Specifically he identified Tenerife as a Spanish region where prices have continued to increase, despite the global economic climate, thus making the logical choice for a profitable investment in real estate.

I took a trip down “memory lane” last week as I flew back to see my friends and family in the UK. I was in desperate need of a “fix” in the form of my 18 month old grandson – Luke.  My word how he´s grown up, running around and stringing words together, he was still a real “baby” last time I saw him!  I took my nephew, Lewis,  to see the new Harry Potter movie and nearly fell out of my seat when he asked me for a tissue as he´d just pulled his tooth out.  I was even able to fit in time to see my friends where I last worked and it made me realise just how much of a “rat race” life can be.    I do miss my friends and family- but I don´t miss the rat race!

What I also don´t miss is the rain! It rained on me nearly every day, everyone I talked to talked about the weather. How it had rained nearly every day for a month and how they can´t plan anything in advance because they don´t know how the weather will turn out!! I didn´t have the heart to say “I hadn´t seen rain since St. Patricks Day”!

How lucky am I??  I have a fantastic job, I get to meet some wonderful people, to see some amazing properties and I get the sunshine too! What more could a girl ask for?  What better reason could there be for living in Tenerife, even in a credit crunch!  There´s nothing quite like a reality check to make you appreciate what you have.

I thought it was about time I wrote my second blog, and, as I´m new to this, wish me luck! Paul, Dan & I went with a very good friend to the fabulous glass fronted restaurant in San Miguel de Abona last night. I´d quite forgotten just how magnificent the views are from there! The restaurant is located just off the road as you approach via Valle San Lorenzo and you enter via steps down into the huge dining room.  The view which greets you is just amazing. The front of the restaurant is made of glass and you can see down over the San Miguel castle to the coast and out to sea. We dined there last night and enjoyed the most amazing food, the steak was superb, (in fact Dan said it was the best meal he had had in ages – not a bad recommendation from a 12 year old!), we had fantastic company (thanks to our wonderful host Ray), and a view to die for. The wine wasn´t bad either!!!  Very foolishly however we went without our camera, so, we shall just have to make a return trip to capture those outstanding views and try another delicious glass or two of wine.

Judith Watkins

Hi, I´m Judith Watkins and we are quite excited to be starting our Real Estate Blog.  Please contact me on 695 822 120 if you would like to know more about Premier Properties Tenerife.  For other infomation we are also on Facebook, Flickr, Youtube and you can also follow us on Twitter.