Section
Owning and selling Spanish property as a foreigner
Quick answer
Life after the deed means connecting electricity and water, insuring the home, running it from abroad, the forms of shared ownership and the steps to sell. We name no supplier or insurer, and where we could not read an official text the page says so.
Applies toOwners and buyers who want to know what comes after completion, including how to leave the property later.
On this page: 9 sections
§ 1Life after the deed
Buying is one day in a notary’s office. Owning is every day after it. This section follows the property from the moment you receive the keys to the moment you hand it to someone else. It covers the first month, the insurance, the care of a home that stands empty for long periods, the different ways of holding a share in a property, and the sale. It is informational only. We take no commission and name no supplier, insurer or agent.
§ 2The first weeks
Electricity, water, gas and internet have to be put in the right name, and the community of owners has to know who you are. The chapter on setting up the home explains the order of the tasks and what each supplier asks for. For electricity we read the regulator’s own guidance, and we say plainly where we could not find an official source for the rest.
§ 3Insurance
A policy protects you from loss, but the insurance contract law sets duties for you too: you must describe the risk honestly, report a loss quickly and keep the sum insured in line with the value. The chapter on home insurance explains these duties, what a policy usually covers and how a claim proceeds, with a page for owners who do not live in Spain.
§ 4Running a home from abroad
A home that stands empty needs someone to open the shutters, pay the bills and tell you when something goes wrong. The chapter on managing from abroad explains holiday-home management, the use of a caretaker and the risks of an empty property, including who answers if a neighbour is flooded.
§ 5How you hold the property
Two people may own together, a seller may keep a right to live in the home, and some contracts sell a week a year in a resort. The chapter on ownership structures explains joint ownership, freehold and leasehold, shared ownership schemes, the timeshare law and usufruct. The civil code articles on usufruct and co-ownership were too long for our tools to read, so those pages explain the ideas and tell you to ask a lawyer about the rules.
§ 6Selling
A sale needs a buyer, a price, a set of documents, a deed and often a lender’s release. The chapter on selling explains each step, the time it takes, what an agent may charge and how to sell with a mortgage still on the home. Tax on the gain and the three percent withholding for non-residents belong to the costs section.
§ 7Where this section stops
We do not say which structure, insurer or agent is best, because that depends on the property and on you. We do not publish prices for services we could not check. Rules on lets and housing are changing, and each page says what we read and on what date.
§ 8Next
Start with the chapter that matches your stage, and ask your lawyer to check the specific home before you sign anything.
§ 9Chapters in this section
Setting up the home explains how to connect supplies and settle in after completion and home insurance explains how home insurance works under Spanish law for an owner.
Managing from abroad explains how to run a Spanish home from another country and ownership structures explains the ways a property can be owned or shared in Spain.
Selling explains how to sell a Spanish property as a foreign owner.
FAQRelated questions
What should I do first after completion?
Switch the supplies into your name, confirm that insurance is running, gather the keys and papers, and introduce yourself to the building’s administrator. The chapter below sets out the order and the paperwork each step needs.
Do you recommend insurers or caretakers?
No. We explain how the contract and the law work, and what to ask. We name no company and take no commission from any of them, so check several quotes yourself.
Does this section cover selling?
Yes. The selling chapter explains the steps, the time, the agent’s fee, selling with a loan and the papers needed. The tax on the sale is explained in the costs section, which the selling chapter points to.
Sources
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley 50/1980 de Contrato de Seguro (consolidated text updated 3 October 2026) (official source, opens in a new window), Arts. 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 30 and 31 readLast checked 18 October 2026
- Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia: Cómo cambiar la titularidad del contrato de electricidad (undated) (official source, opens in a new window), Traspaso and subrogación; documents; timeframeLast checked 18 October 2026
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley 4/2012 de contratos de aprovechamiento por turno de bienes de uso turístico (BOE-A-2012-9111) (official source, opens in a new window), Arts. 1 to 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 22 to 25, 30, 31Last checked 18 October 2026
General information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser.