How to sell an apartment faster: preparation, price, viewings

Documents before the listing

The most common reason a deal falls through is not the price but the paperwork. The buyer is ready, and then it turns out the seller has an unregistered layout change, a debt or someone with a right of use. Sort this out before you put the apartment on the market.

• The ownership certificate and a fresh Cadastre extract: are there any restrictions, does the plan match the real apartment?
• Whether all owners are ready to sell and can come to the notary or issue a power of attorney.
• If the apartment was bought during a marriage, check with the notary in advance whether the spouse's consent will be needed.
• Whether anyone holds a registered right of use: this right is inseparable from the person (Article 225 of the Civil Code), and the list of such people is an essential term of a contract for the sale of a home (Article 570).
• Whether there are unpaid bills for gas, water, electricity or rubbish collection.
• If the layout was changed, whether the change was registered.

A price that sells

An inflated price is the main brake. A new listing gets the most attention in its first weeks; if the price is noticeably above similar options, buyers simply scroll past. Then you have to cut the price, and by then the listing already looks stale.

• Find 5–10 similar apartments: same district, building type, floor, condition, size.
• Compare price per square metre, not the total price.
• Remember that the asking price is the seller's expectation, not the sale price. Leave a little room for negotiation.
• If you have had no calls in two weeks, the problem is almost certainly the price or the photos.

Prepare the apartment

An expensive renovation before selling rarely pays off. What does pay off is cleanliness, light and order. The buyer should picture their own life in the apartment, not sort through yours.

• Clear out clutter, personal photos and boxes from the balcony.
• Fix the small things: a dripping tap, a broken handle, dead bulbs.
• Air the place out and get rid of smells — smoke, pets, damp.
• Open the curtains and switch on the lights in every room before a viewing.

The listing and photos

Shoot in daylight, from chest height, in landscape. Include every room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the view from the window, the entrance and the yard. In the description, stick to facts: area, floor, building type and year, heating, parking, what stays in the apartment. Be honest about the drawbacks — buyers will see them at the viewing anyway.

Listing on tuk-tuk is free. If you attach a Cadastre extract, the listing gets the Verified badge, and buyers trust such listings more. Anyone can order an extract, including online at e-cadastre.am.

Viewings and negotiation

• Schedule several viewings back to back — it's easier, and the interest is visible.
• Keep copies of the documents and recent bills to hand.
• Talk about the area's strengths: school, transport, shops, a quiet yard.
• Once you agree, secure it with a deposit and a preliminary contract at a notary, not just in words.

On taxes: according to PwC's summary (reviewed on 30 June 2026), income an individual receives from selling non-business property to another individual is exempt from income tax. Different rules apply when selling to a company and in other cases — check with the State Revenue Committee or a notary before the deal.

Key points

• Get the paperwork in order before listing: owners, people with a right of use, debts, layout changes.
• Set the price from similar apartments and work it out per square metre.
• Cleanliness, light and good photos sell better than an expensive renovation.
• Reply quickly and lock in the agreement with a deposit at a notary.