Note

Finding a property to buy in Spain

§ 1Start with the decision, not the portal

A search that begins on a listing site tends to drift, because the choice is wide and every area looks attractive. Begin by fixing three things: what the home is for, which region or area you will consider and your total budget including taxes. The reasons for each purpose are on their own pages in the buyer-purposes pages, and the full route is in the full route to completion.

§ 2Where properties are listed

Properties reach buyers through large listing portals, through local estate agencies and through developers for new homes. The portals show the widest choice and let you learn the prices of an area quickly. Local agents often know of homes before they are published and can explain a neighbourhood. Developers sell new homes directly, often with a sales office and a plan.

Use the portals to learn and the agents to narrow. Keep a simple sheet with the address, the listed price, the size and the date you saw the listing. After a few weeks the price per square metre of comparable homes becomes familiar, and an outlier stands out.

§ 3The questions that save a trip

Before any visit, ask each seller or agent the same short list, in writing:

• Who is the registered owner, and can you send the registry entry?
• Are there mortgages, debts or other charges on the entry?
• What was the last annual property tax receipt and the monthly community fee?
• Does the home have the energy certificate and, where required, the habitability certificate?

The registrars advise these checks before signing, and asking early costs nothing. A registry extract is informative only, so a point that matters should be confirmed by your lawyer, not accepted from the agent. Sellers who cannot answer simple questions are a signal in themselves.

§ 4New homes and off-plan

New homes add questions about the developer. Before paying an off-plan deposit, check the developer's registration, the ownership of the land and the building licence, as the registrars advise. This is also the stage to read the pages on new-build purchases, which explain the guarantees that apply.

§ 5Turning the search into a plan

A shortlist of three to five homes is enough for a visit. When you have it, the viewing trip explains how to arrange the days, and a checklist for buyers gives you the list of things to confirm on each one.

Prepare the items in what a buyer must have ready while you search, because some of them take weeks.

When a home stands out, the offer stage is next, and the timeline of a purchase helps you plan around it.

§ 6Common search mistakes

Three mistakes recur. The first is searching without a budget that includes taxes and fees, which makes every home look cheaper than it is. The second is falling for the view and skipping the paperwork, when the paperwork is what decides whether the purchase is safe. The third is treating the first agent's advice about price as neutral, when the agent is paid only if a sale goes ahead. A written question list, an independent lawyer and a few weeks of patience correct all three.

General information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser.