Buying bigger property

We have outgrown our 2 bed duplex.  Is there any way round the extra 10-12% when buying another property.  Its offputting having to pay out so much again and also of course the fees when selling the first property.  Grasping at straws here.   Maybe somebody would like to downsize to a lovely development?  We are 5 minutes walk from the beach at San Juan de  los Terreros.

The cost of moving in Spain can be quite horrendous. We were thinking of selling and buying another but the costs on selling ours (regardless of the loss since the housing market crashed) worked out at selling for 170k and buying a new one for 225k would have incurred fees, taxes etc of €35,000 on top of the difference. That's money you'll never get back for the transfer tax, estate agent fees, notary fees and solicitors fees. Then there's the actual removal costs, tranferring utility bills and so on. 

We decided to stay put.

We love the location and the duplex. A larger 2nd bedroom, larger garden and maybe a pool would have tempted us to upside but the cost will prevent us. They need to offer better incentives to sell. There are hundreds of unsold properties around us. 

It seems strange why vendors continue to agree to estate agents fees of about 5% +IVA when all they need is an internet listing with a contact number or email address and a for sale sign that you can get at the China shop for €5.

Are vendors complaining about their own behaviour?

Many thanks Kavanagh!  That's potentially reduced the selling costs now just to find a way of reducing the purchase costs.   Anybody any ideas?

Try your lawyer; it may depend on what Mickey Mouse figures he/she declares. Of course he/she is a legal professional regulated by the Spanish  bar association, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of the European Union, Spanish General Council of the Legal Profession and RDEGA.

We can always ask?  Thank you! 

Estate agent's fees (unavoidable for some, who for whatever reason can't sell privately), whilst pretty outrageous in Spain, are still far less than the other costs mojito is referring to: plus valia on the sale, and then transfer tax (plus notary & registry fees) on the purchase. What Kavanagh seems to be proposing is underdeclaring - a risky strategy these days, not to mention potentially leading to greater CGT in the future.

I don't see how a property swap scenario would avoid any of the taxes involved in legally transferring ownership. As mariedav says, it's a big stumbling block for many who would like to move, and I believe one of the root causes for the stagnation of the property market since the crash 10 years ago. Perhaps the government doesn't want to offer any incentives, for fear of the market overheating again. It does make me wonder how any new entrants to the market still see Spanish property as an "investment", though. The costs of buying and selling are surely likely to exceed any potential financial gains to be made?

Ahh, for the heady days of the boom....!

Attempts to reduce these costs geoguessr free through underdeclaring property values are increasingly risky and can create bigger tax problems in the future. Property swaps do not offer a legal way to avoid these expenses, which remain a major barrier for homeowners wanting to move. As a result, high transaction costs have contributed to market stagnation since the crash, and they also cast serious doubt on the idea of Spanish property being a profitable investment, as buying and selling costs can easily outweigh any potential gains.

I think there is an imbalance in the market right now. There appear to be lots of high end properties that are difficult to sell because they are over-priced and there are many sellers who can afford to wait it out rather than drop the price. I am seeing lots of tired, boring and mediocre properties on the market for 500K+, and I really don't see who is going for the bait as you can get really nice places in nicer locatons for just a smithering more. Then on the other hand there is a crying shortage of entry level properties, say small appartments in the sub 100K range. I talked to a local agent just a few days ago who said people were typically contacting him within minutes of the ad going live, and he had one property where more than 20 people had expressed interest in the first week.

With there being a shortage of housing, especially at the entry end of the market, and lots of young families unable to get onto the property ladder, this is the sector that I would expect government policy to be favouring.