Frequent Asked Questions

Frequent Asked Questions

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Both property owners (swappers) and legal advisors can use the website for free during the first month. During this trial period, you won't be able to chat with other swappers. Only if you become a paid member will you be able to do so. Your property or company advertisement will always be visible, but you will not receive messages as a non-paid member.

 

Go to Membership and upgrade to the paid membership.

Both property owners (swappers) and legal advisors can use the website for free during the first month. During this trial period, you won't be able to chat with other swappers. Only if you become a paid member, you will be able to do so. Your property or company advertisement will always be visible, but as a non-paid member, you will not receive messages. Go to Membership and upgrade to the paid membership.

You must fill in the property details and financial data accurately and truly for a successful swap. If each swapper properly fills in these property details, there may be a better chance for property owners to swap successfully.

To explain how to fill in the financial data, we use a price example to visualize how the property value is established.

In the example, you don’t have a mortgage and are desperate to swap your property.

 

1. Maximum price (Asking price in a normal situation): This is the original asking price at the beginning of your sales activity. Your local real estate agent appraised the price at the time.

Example: In 2017, your asking price was € 500.000.

 

2. Minimum price (Lowest price you would sell for): Not in your worst nightmare; you would sell (for actual money) lower than this price.

Example: Your current asking price (in 2020, so 3 years without selling) is € 300.000. In the worst-case scenario, you would still consider lowering the price to a minimum of € 250.000. So, the Minimum price is € 250.000.

 

Example:

Maximum price: € 500.000

Lowest price: € 250.000

Both property owners (swappers) and legal advisors can use the website for free during the first month. During this trial period, you won't be able to chat with other swappers. Only if you become a paid member can you do so. Your property or company advertisement will always be visible, but you will not receive messages as a non-paid member.

Go to Membership and upgrade to the paid membership.

Swap Value Range: The Swap Value Range is the price range between your original asking price (1) and the minimum price (2) you would ever ask for your property. This price range is on the Swap Portfolio and the Desired Property profile(s). 

 

We use a price example to visualize how the value is established. For example, you don’t have a mortgage and are desperate to swap your property.

1. Maximum price (Asking price in a normal situation): This is the original asking price at the beginning of your sales activity. Your local real estate agent appraised the price at the time.

Example: In 2017, your asking price was € 500.000

2. Minimum price (Lowest price you would sell for): Not in your worst nightmare; you would sell (for actual money) lower than this price.

Example: Your current asking price (in 2020, so 3 years of no-selling) is € 300.000, and in the worst-case scenario, you would still consider lowering the price to a minimum of € 250.000.

 

Example:

(1) Maximum price: € 500.000

(2) Lowest price: € 250.000

 

The Propertyswap search engine will look for a matching property with a matching swap value range.

 

Mirror Effect: It is the natural tendency for property owners to have their own property valued at a higher price than the one they are interested in swapping with. Similarly, the owner you intend to swap with will also raise the property value. This is like a mirror, where your reflection is that of the other property owner you are dealing with. Both property owners need to agree upon a specific price. If one of the properties is valued more than 20% than the other, then the difference should be paid in cash to the other owner. Why do we use the 20% margin? We want to make sure that we have enough swap matches for you.

 

Cash Profit: Traditionally, a barter system does not involve money. Similarly, Propertyswap.net functions on the notion that basic swapping will eliminate the use of money. Therefore, it is not possible to earn any cash profit while swapping. Furthermore, if you want to make a profit, you should be able to sell the property, which is not the issue.

 

Requirement of Cash: Although the process of property swap requires no cash,

some supplementary fees need to be paid. These mainly include legal fees, taxes, and stamp duty. The aforementioned charges are levied on each property. The amount of tax is determined by the property's location, swap value, and domestic tax laws.

 

Existing Mortgage: If you want to swap locally, you may be able to swap with a mortgage if only the other swapper has a mortgage with the same financier. It will be more difficult if it concerns an international swap.

Why should you do a permanent property swap?

1. Difficulties in selling your property: Selling a property can be tedious, especially when the market conditions are not well suited. Putting your property on sale for years without success is a good reason to think of an alternative to selling. There might be emotional reasons preventing the sale of your property.

2. You’re not using the property
What is the use of owning a house if it is not? For example, if you are living in London and also own a villa in Barbados. You cannot visit the villa in Barbados due to large travel times and are not able to put it up as a rental property. Unused properties are just like frozen assets. Would you rather prefer a holiday house in Spain, which will be more frequently visited? Propertyswap.net allows you to swap your villa in Barbados with a holiday house in Spain.

What kind of properties can be swapped?

A property can be a house, an office, or even an island. And depending on legal, tax, and political situations, you can swap internationally. So, for example, you can swap your UK country house with a villa in Spain. Or you can swap your hotel in the Alps with a resort in Thailand—as long as the values are approximately the same and they are mortgages.

You can swap the following types of real estate:

* Residential property (e.g., houses, apartments, villas, castles)

* Complete buildings (e.g., condominiums)

* Commercial property (e.g., offices, hotels, resorts, restaurants)

* Agricultural and construction land

* non-build land (protected nature)

* Private islands

Some property owners even include movable items, such as cars, furniture, or a business, to increase the total value of their property.

Where can I swap properties?

You can swap your property with another property within your city, region, or country. But you can also swap your property with a property in another country. However, certain countries are excluded due to political and economic instability. Depending on the location of the other property, it is possible or not possible to realize a property swap. You should consult a legal advisor and the other jurisdiction about the legal possibilities. So be prepared and make sure you have all your legal documents together.

Can I swap my property in a crisis like the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis?

In an economic crisis like the Coronavirus COVID-19, selling your property is even more challenging. But here at Propertyswap, we think positively and look at alternatives.

Like in each real estate transaction, you need to do two actions:

1. You and the other swapper must first see the different properties online. Make sure you produce high-quality photos and videos of your property. Hire a professional photographer or use a good camera and video yourself (for example, a GoPro). If you need a professional photographer, please get in touch with us.

Show the property to the other swapper using WhatsApp video or FaceTime video.

2. Legally, you have to realize the swap.

You would need lawyers, notaries, and the land register to process the legal documents.

So, if these two actions are feasible, even in a crisis, you can make a real estate transaction.

What if you can't visit the other property due to travel restrictions? Or what if you can't find the right property to swap? Meanwhile, you can wait and communicate with the other swapper. And you can prepare the swap legally.

What is the best way to attract the attention of the public?

Use good photos & a Video to promote your property.

If you need a professional photographer to shoot photos and a video, let the Propertyswap.net team know. We can get you in contact with a local photographer. Apart from photographs, he can have a video (drone if it’s a country estate) and floor plans.

Why are there so few properties in the Swap portfolio?

Propertyswap.net is a new website, so we must build our property and legal swap advisors’ portfolios. 

Membership is free for the first 200 Property Owners / Swappers and the first 50 Legal Swap Advisors.

 

All these 'Early Bird' members will have full access to the website. Swappers can communicate with other Swappers and Legal Swap Advisors. Legal Swap Advisors can communicate with Swappers and their colleagues Legal Swap Advisors.

 

According to the general conditions, Propertyswap will monitor the conversations between members and constantly try to improve the website's services. If members misbehave, actions will be taken by Propertyswap to protect them.

 

Our goal and expectation are to have as many properties as possible in the property portfolio so that swappers have a bigger chance of finding the right swap match. 

We aim to have an extensive portfolio of legal swap advisors so our swappers have the best legal support to realize a permanent property exchange.

To improve the website, please share your opinion on the online survey by clicking the below link:

PROPERTYSWAP SURVEY

It's only a matter of time that more properties are listed. If you want to swap your property, here's what to do: 1. Create a membership account 2. List your property; only if you have listed your property, you can move forward to a potential swap 3. Communicate with other swappers A membership account is free of charge. So, I'm looking forward to seeing your swap property listed. Kind regards, Alwin Oei

Survey - Complete your property profile

Some people signed up for a membership on Propertyswap.net but have not published their property yet.

First, after signing up, you must have received a confirmation email. Open and click the email to verify your email. If you didn't do this, you cannot continue and create a profile.

Why haven't you published your property yet?

To answer, please fill out the survey about the website's usage.

Click HERE to continue the Mailchimp survey (a new window will open).

If you can't find a legal or tax advisor in your country, district, or jurisdiction, please let the Propertyswap.net team know. We can find your advisors.

If your firm is a member of an (international) branch organization, with connecting fellow law or notary firms, you may want to share your swap knowledge with the other members. You could combine forces in preparing yourselves for successful (international) property swaps.

A swap legal advisor not only specializes in buy-sale transactions in his jurisdiction, but also looks at other jurisdictions. He will connect with another legal advisor to double check not only your property, but also the other property, you wish to swap with.

The legal advisor will for example do the following controls:

- control of legal ownership of the other property

- control of any illegal money laundering practices

Go to Dashboard -> My Profile

Next to Contact Person Details, click on + Add More Legal Advisors

You can now choose the number of Legal Advisors you want to add. After the payment, you must complete the individual Legal Advisor profiles, including emails, passwords, and separate descriptions. Each advisor will be able to individually access the website, manage the personal dashboard and chat with swappers.

A mortgage is a loan. You need cash to pay back the loan. Basically you won’t receive cash when you swap a property. So, you can’t swap with a mortgage.

If you haven't tried to sell your property before, and you're willing to swap it, ask your local real estate agent for the current market price of your property.

A question to the property owner: Why wouldn't you consider selling the house first?
Possible answer: Another property is only offered for swap, and it's not for sale officially. Both house owners don't want to sell with all brokerage expenses and possible losses.

Please contact Propertyswap.net to discuss this value issue.

Just like buying a house or other property, depending on the jurisdiction, you will have to pay a transfer tax or duty stamps. In each jurisdiction, the tax is named differently and has different rates and rules.

So before you swap, do investigate which taxes have to be paid and if you're capable of paying them. After all, you don't receive money for your property.

You can communicate with another property owner using the chat function on the right of your screen in property details. Only paid members are able to use this chat function. You can upgrade to a paid membership by visiting the membership page.

Trial membership

First, you sign up for the free 1-month trial. Now you can publish your property. Make sure that you use good photos, so people get a good impression of your property. A video may also help. And give a thorough possible description.

 

Dashboard

The comprehensive dashboard is made for you to create a detailed property profile. 

After creating your property profile, you can define the property you are looking for in exchange for your own property (desired property). You can determine to swap one-on-one, to up- or downgrade. You can create several desired property profiles. Once your profile is complete, you can browse on the Swap Portfolio for other properties. On the dashboard, you will also find swap matches proposed by our platform.

 

Legal advisors

You can look for legal advisors who can advise you on the legal side of permanent property swap.

Become a paid member! The membership period is a 3-monthly automatic recurring payment. You can cancel your membership at all time, and you will be able to use the website until the end of the membership period. Check your dashboard under Membership.

 

Chat

You will be able to communicate with other property owners around the world. Talk to legal advisors who can assist you in a smooth property swap process. Can’t find an advisor in your jurisdiction (country or area)? Please let Propertyswap know, and we will look for an advisor for you.

You will receive newsletters and updates in your dashboard message board.

 

Swap process

Once you have found a property to swap with, you will have to conduct the swap process yourself. This process, you will have to do outside the Propertyswap.net platform. Use the expertise of a legal advisor you can find on our platform. Once you have successfully executed a swap, we want to know about this fantastic swap operation.

You have completed your property profile, And you have completed the desired property profile. So, you're ready to publish the property for swap.

In 'Dashboard' go to 'My Property", Click Action, select 'Activate'.

If some essential data is missing, you will read notifications, so you can still complete your profile. Once completed, you can Activate your property.

Questions? Chat or mail with Propertyswap Support. 

Go to the Dashboard -> My Membership -> Select "Delete Profile"

After confirming the deletion of your profile, your profile and all data will be removed.

You won't be able to reactivate, recover any data, or regain access the account. You'll need to set up a new account if you want to use Propertyswap.net again.

 

You just created an account

You will receive an email, to confirm your email and to activate your account. Make sure you check your email and spam box. Without the activation of your account you won't have access to the membership dashboard.

I forgot my password

No worries. Go to the LOGIN window, click on Forgot password.