Buying property
Helps you buy, own and sell property in Spain.
Decide whether to buy, then complete, own, let and sell Spanish property: process, deposits, legal checks, mortgages, taxes, completion, owner costs, the owners' community and squatting risk.
- topics
- 13
- articles
- 84
- of reading
- 10 hours
Begin with
Deciding whether to buy
You will know if buying is right for you, what a foreign buyer needs before starting, and which regional rules to look up.
How to decide between buying and renting in Spain · Should you rent first before buying in Spain? · What a foreigner needs to buy property in Spain
More in buying property
12 more topics in this section, about 10 hours of reading in all.
The buying process and agents
You will understand each step, who you deal with, and how to avoid common traps in searching and offering.
How buying a home in Spain works, step by step · Working with estate agents and buyer's agents in Spain · Reading a Spanish listing and judging the asking price
Deposits, arras and contracts
You will know what each deposit commits you to and how to protect it.
Arras contracts explained and which one you signed · Reservation deposit (senal de reserva) before the arras contract · Clauses that protect your deposit if the deal falls through
Legal checks before you sign
You will know which checks to run, what documents show and how to react to a problem.
Property due diligence in Spain, what to check before signing · Reading a nota simple and the Catastro record · Mortgages, debts and embargoes that come with a property
New-build and off-plan purchases
You will know how a developer purchase differs from resale and how your money and rights are protected.
Buying off-plan in Spain, the full journey from reservation to keys · How your advance payments on a new build are protected · Delayed completion, what your contract says versus what the developer promised
Mortgages
You will know if you can get a mortgage, what it costs and how the process runs.
Can you get a Spanish mortgage as a newcomer or non-resident? · Fixed, variable and mixed mortgages and how Euribor works · The mortgage application, valuation (tasacion) and notary steps
Purchase taxes and costs
You will know what extra cash a purchase needs and which taxes apply to your case.
What buying a home in Spain really costs beyond the price · Transfer tax (ITP) when you buy a resale home · VAT (IVA) and stamp duty (AJD) on a new-build purchase
Completion day and registration
You will know how completion day works and what to do afterwards so title is secure.
What happens at the Spanish notary on completion day · Paying for your home at completion and proving your funds · Completing a Spanish purchase from abroad with power of attorney
Running costs of owning a home
You will know what owning costs each year and how to keep a distant home in order.
What owning a home in Spain costs every year · Property tax (IBI) how it is set, billed and paid · Waste charge and other municipal charges for owners
Your owners' community (comunidad de propietarios)
You will understand your rights and duties in a building or estate and how to avoid inheriting problems.
How a Spanish owners' community works · Owners' meetings, voting majorities and proxies · Special levies (derramas), lifts, facades and building works
Letting out your property
You will know which letting routes are legal for your home and what they demand of you as owner.
Letting out your Spanish property, long-term, seasonal or tourist · Becoming a long-term landlord in Spain and what the law requires · Getting a tourist rental licence in Spain
Squatters and empty-home protection
You will understand your legal position and the practical steps that reduce the risk.
Okupas, what Spanish law actually allows · Reclaiming your home through the police or the courts · How to reduce the risk of squatters in your Spanish home
Selling your Spanish property
You will know the timeline, documents, taxes and traps of a Spanish sale.
Selling a property in Spain, the timeline from listing to deed · What a seller needs before listing a Spanish property · Pricing your home and choosing a selling agent
Other sections in Housing and where to live
Arrival and temporary housing
Helps you arrange flexible temporary housing for arrival.
Renting and tenant reality
Helps you secure, live in and leave a long-term rental.
Neighborhoods, commute, and everyday geography
Helps you choose a neighbourhood that works for daily life.
Housing quality and utilities
Helps you judge and improve the quality and comfort of a home.
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.