We take you by the hand through the whole process, from the first enquiry to the keys.
A good deal of a Spanish purchase can be prepared before you set foot here. We obtain your NIE, open the way for a bank account, and begin the searches on any property you are seriously considering, so that by the time you are ready to commit you already know what you are buying.
If you cannot travel for the signing, a power of attorney allows us to complete on your behalf, including at the notary. A good many of our purchases complete without the buyer needing to be in Spain at all.
These are two different documents and they are often confused. A reservation is a short agreement with a small deposit, simply to take the property off the market for a short period while matters are looked into.
The contrato de arras comes afterwards. It is the proper contract, setting out all the conditions of the sale, and the deposit is usually around ten per cent of the price. That is the document that really matters, and it repays careful reading before signature.
We look at both, and where something needs adjusting we raise it while there is still room to do so.
Completion takes place before the notary, where payment, signature and the handover of keys happen together. Immediately afterwards we settle the taxes and submit the deed for inscription at the Land Registry.
From there we transfer the utilities, notify the community, and put the annual tax filings in place. Most clients stay with us for that part, which continues quietly in the background for as long as they own the property.
A straightforward resale generally takes six to ten weeks from the reservation contract to completion. What tends to extend it is waiting for an NIE appointment or a mortgage valuation, or resolving something that comes up in the searches.
No. With a power of attorney we can complete the entire purchase on your behalf, including signing at the notary. It can be granted before a Spanish notary, at a Spanish consulate, or before a local notary with an apostille and sworn translation.
The NIE is your Spanish identification number for tax purposes. You need one to buy a property, open a bank account or pay tax here, and it is usually the first thing we arrange.
Yes. There is no restriction on foreign nationals buying property in Spain. Since April 2025 a purchase no longer carries any residency entitlement, so buying and residency are now separate matters, and we can advise on both.
There are taxes and official fees on any Spanish purchase, and they vary with the property and how it is bought. We set out the figures for your particular purchase at the outset, so nothing arrives unexpectedly.
This page gives general information about Spanish law and is not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts and should be assessed individually.
Tell me a little about what you are planning and I will reply personally, usually within one working day.