PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE IN SPAIN

What do we offer you for the secure purchase of your home?

Compra de Inmuebles en España

Legal Advice. We will answer all your questions, and for this we recommend that you come to our office with a list of questions you want to ask us. We will explain clearly and directly what Spanish law says regarding the purchase of a home. We will alert you to potential risks and propose a tailor-made solution for your case.
We will verify the identity of the seller to ensure they are who they claim to be.
We will check the Land Registry details to ensure that the property is free of encumbrances, mortgages, and judicial liens.
We will analyze the solvency of the seller to ensure that they are not trying to evade debts that could affect the property in the future, harming you as the buyer.
We will request from the Community of Owners the certifying document (certificate) that the seller is up to date with payments and does not owe any monthly fees.
We will draft and, if necessary, review the reservation contract (contrato de arras).
We will draft the property purchase contract (contrato de compraventa), negotiating and including in the clauses the best way to defend your interests.
If you decide to apply for a mortgage loan from a Spanish bank, we will carry out a thorough review and analysis of the Mortgage Contract, analyzing its most important aspects, such as: interest rate, floor clause, ceiling clause, abusive clauses, interest rate review periods, partial amortization, guarantees, guarantors, early maturity, and cancellation fees.
We can also help you obtain your mortgage and carry out all the procedures until the day of signing the purchase contract.
Finally, we will personally accompany you to the Notary at the time of signing the public deed and subsequently manage the registration of this deed in the Land Registry.
- Additional Service:
- If you wish, we can arrange for an expert property surveyor to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the property to identify potential damage or hidden defects, which can give you a solid basis for negotiating the purchase price.

Informative Note. For obtaining a Tourist License:

According to Spanish regulations, to legally rent a property for short-term stays, it is necessary to have a tourist license. The tourist license is simply a permit issued by the corresponding autonomous community for a specific property within a specific urbanization, with a specific number and certain technical parameters, in the name of the owner.

To apply for the license at the Town Hall or the Municipal Office, you must gather the corresponding documentation, including the NIE number, the purchase deed, an extract from the land registry, and, according to current regulations, also the consent of the community of owners for tourist rentals.

Normally, a one-bedroom property obtains a license for two people, while a two-bedroom property obtains a license for four people. Popular portals like Booking require including the license number and specific details to prepare a short-term rental offer on their platform.

Regulations stipulate that every tourist staying in your property must be registered electronically. For this, it is necessary to have obtained a registration number from the National Police Station or Civil Guard.

A rental of up to a maximum of 10 days to the same person is considered a tourist or vacation rental. Therefore, if you plan to rent your property for short or long term, you do not need a tourist license. In this case, you must prepare a lease agreement, declare it, and pay the corresponding taxes.

Furthermore, if you rent for the short term, you must always specify the reason that justifies it; otherwise, it can become a long-term contract, that is, a one-year contract renewable for up to five years. The purpose of the lease cannot be tourist or vacation-related if you have a tourist license.

Also remember that some cities on the Costa Blanca do not issue tourist licenses or significantly hinder their acquisition, for example:

Valencia (except for owner-members of urbanizations)
Alicante (except for owner-members of urbanizations)
Altea
Polop de la Marina
Benidorm
Alfaz del Pi
La Nucía
Guardamar del Segura

Frequently Asked Questions:

Compra de Inmuebles en España

What is the NIE number?
- The NIE (Foreigner Identification Number) is an identification number in Spain for any person who is not a Spanish citizen.
What else is the NIE for?
- Opening a bank account, paying taxes in Spain, buying or selling properties or vehicles, registering a company, contracting public services, and more.
How is the property purchase process carried out?
- Normally, the buyer signs a reservation contract (contrato de reserva) or earnest money agreement (contrato de arras), followed by the purchase contract (contrato de compraventa) before a notary (if you wish, you can make an offer to the seller).
What are the total costs of buying a property in Spain?
- The costs amount to between 11% and 13% of the property price.
What is the VAT in Spain?
- Normally it is 10% for new properties bought from developers. Or if it is from the secondary market, then the ITP (Property Transfer Tax) is paid, which is 10%. For those under 35 years of age, it is 5% or 6% (depending on the price of the property and the Autonomous Community).
Does the buyer pay a commission?
- Generally, the buyer does not pay a commission; normally the seller pays it, unless the agency is entrusted with the task of searching for a specific property, or when properties foreclosed by banks or originating from investment funds are purchased.
Can I pay the developer for the property with a mortgage?
- Whether they come from the primary or secondary market, purchases can be financed with a mortgage.