by Chiel van der Voort 
Our home is undoubtedly the most valuable asset for the vast majority of us and selling YOUR HOME will probably cost thousands. Using the money saving tips in this article should reduce the costs of selling and moving.
1. Haggle
Estate Agent fees vary, so shop around and don’t forget to negotiate. 3% commission + VAT is a reasonable rate for a non-exclusive contract, enabling you to keep other options open. If you’re willing to sign an exclusive contract, you can probably get a discount on the commission. Ensure you get a fair valuation and never tell an estate agent what other agencies have valued your house at. They can use this to manipulate their offer, often resulting in discrepancies.
2. Get Recommendations
It is false economy to go for the cheapest lawyer, so get recommendations from all the real estate agents you speak to and remember to ask for the name of specific people, rather than just their legal firms. Give them a call and ask what their charges are. Also note whether they are friendly, helpful, and most importantly efficient. Fees are negotiable, so haggle!
3. Selling your house privately can save thousands.
Many home owners in Croatia try to sell their property by themselves, believing this may save them thousands. The simplest way is to use one of the many online house selling platforms like Njuškalo and Index Oglasi. That could be a massive money saving tip, but there are a couple of downsides. Basically “time and effort”. If your house is easy to sell, great. But by advertising your property on numerous platforms, as well as to their walk-in buyers, a real estate agent may be able to get you a better deal, which could cover the agent’s commission and still leave you some profit. And if your property is not easy to sell, the agent can advise you on how to make your property more attractive, in order to speed up the process.
4. Observe the market Before selling Your home
Obviously it is best to sell your house when the market is strong and demand is high, so keep an eye on the local property market. Generally, the market tends to be stronger in early and late summer than the rest of the year, so aim to sell your house then. Also avoid competing with your neighbours, so if there are already a few “For Sale” signs in your street, it might be better to wait a bit.
5. Renovate your home before selling it
Research has shown that a poorly presented house usually takes longer to sell and may reduce the price by thousands of euros. So get your paint brushes out, give your home a lick of paint and finish all of those DIY projects you started. Also ask the real estate agent about adding value to your property. It may be worth spending a bit of cash to make some more. However, be careful not to over spend, as you might not get your money back. So discuss all improvements beforehand with your real estate agent.
If you are determined to save money when selling your home, do some more research. Knowledge is power.
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