How to view a villa for sale in Sri Lanka

15th January 2023

It’d be pushing things to say the villa market here is booming but we are seeing a real pickup in interest and have spent a good amount of time in the last few months with buyers who have come with the sole intention of finding a villa to buy. 

Taking buyers to a large number of villas for sale we were reminded of some of the ‘dos and don’ts’ of viewing property on the market in Sri Lanka. Much, of course, is common sense but there is some nuance to the setup here and we thought to share thoughts on how best to approach it. 

Don’t play it too cool

If the owners are at the property you’re viewing there is some logic to keeping any enthusiasm in check but at the same time remember that for many sellers there’s probably a lot of love, sweat and tears that will have gone into their villa project. 

While sale price will be the primary driver for a deal, most sellers will want a buyer who they feel will look after what they’ve built and, probably more importantly, the people connected with it (housekeepers, gardeners, cooks and managers). If you can show an appreciation for both - without falling over yourself with excitement - sellers are more likely to engage in a conversation on price that will get you to a number you’re happy with. Play it cool and snooty and you might find any conversation shut down all too quickly

Take your time and look at the bigger picture

We took a buyer recently, via a partner agent, to a villa for sale close to Pathegama, pretty much on Sri Lanka’s Southern tip. Neither of us were too thrilled by the house itself and, after a fairly cursory glance at the beach, decided to head on. 

A week later I found myself walking past the same villa on what, coming from another angle and having explored more, I thought to be one of most beautiful and untouched stretches I’d seen on the South Coast. 

If that buyer - and we; we were guilty too on this occasion - had taken more time to explore a little further that house might have looked a very different prospect. 

Try and avoid distracting noise

Unlike in some parts of the world, there’s no real regulation for real estate marketing in Sri Lanka. Because of that anyone can be a ‘broker’ and sometimes it feels that everyone is. Over lunch after a set of viewings with a buyer recently a waiter, having heard our conversation, interrupted to say he had a villa for sale nearby.

While you might think that speaking with a waiter or a taxi driver is getting ‘inside’ intel and potentially providing a better deal the reality is most often the opposite. The likelihood is that that guy is in a chain of others, all adding a markup to the price the seller wants to achieve. 

If you’re using a genuine real estate agent they will have a relationship with the seller directly and you’ll know that the guide price quoted is the actual amount the seller has agreed to in principle. And if the property the so-called broker had in mind is really for sale, and worth you seeing, then almost certainly it will be on the market with a credible agent too. 

Don’t assume anyone knows the villa is for sale

…in fact the opposite. Selling a villa in Sri Lanka - or in any similar market - is not a super-quick process and so owners will sometimes list the villa for sale quietly to gauge interest before making it clear to staff they may have that they’re considering selling.

For that reason it’s really important, unless explicitly informed otherwise, to be discreet when visiting and not wade into conversations with the gardener or the housekeeper about what they’ll do when the villa sells and they need a new job. Most owners will specifically request some sensitivity on this ahead of a viewing but it’s best to assume nobody else knows and act accordingly. If asked, it’s not a massive fabrication to say you are “looking at coming to stay”.

Be considerate on timings

There’s a pretty good chance that the villa for sale you’re looking at will be rented out by the owners. For some parts of the year it might be quiet and from time-to-time they’ll be there of course but it’s also very possible that when you want to view there’ll be paying guests at the property.

Owners and their managers normally try to help in finding times that will work for you and the guests - when they’ve gone to the beach or headed off on a day-trip perhaps - but that’s not always an easy dance and so if you’ve arranged a viewing it’s best to stick (as far as possible) to that appointment. 

Of course, giving as much notice for a request to view also helps.

Have a focus and take time to think about what you want

There’s so much beautiful property in Sri Lanka - be it beachfront land, paddyfield view property, or gorgeous hilltop estates - that it’s sometimes easy to lose focus on what you originally set your heart on. 

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with changing your mind but we’d suggest taking time to think carefully about your priorities and discussing those with your real estate agent so they can help narrow down to what would suit best. Spending a bit more time in conversation with your agent and going through the information they can share first saves a lot of wasted effort on the road. 

When it comes to viewings themselves we always recommend trying to view properties in a collection by type. So if you’ve got 3 beach properties to look at and 3 inland, do the beach villas in one morning and look at the inland options the next day or a little later. Trying to cram too much in and jumping back and forth between concepts can just create a muddle leaving you more unsure than when you started. 

(This seems a suitable time to mention this brief online form we’ve recently added that lets you give us a quick summary of your priorities and may perhaps help crystallise your own thoughts too. Here’s a link.)

Give feedback - good and bad

This probably applies to viewings anywhere in the world but the more considered feedback you can give to your real estate agent after a viewing the better placed they are to either find a great alternative or discuss with the seller to reach a suitable sale price. 

If you’re not interested to take things forward with a given property, obviously give the reasons but still try and think about what positives it had for you and share those. Those positives could provide the insight that help them find exactly the right thing for you.

So…

…those are our top suggestions. On re-reading it perhaps sounds a slightly onerous list but all are offered to help you find what you want as quickly as possible and be in the best position with the owners to reach a mutually attractive deal.