Note

First month checklist after buying in Spain

§ 1The first day

At the handover, record every meter reading with a dated photograph, count the keys and remote controls, and note any damage. Ask the seller for the bills, the manuals and the details of the administrator. Check that the home is as the contract described, including what was meant to stay. If something is missing or broken, write to your lawyer the same day. This page belongs to the chapter on how setting up the home works.

§ 2Week one

Put the electricity in your name, as how electricity works explains, and ask the water supplier about its procedure in how water works. Confirm that the insurance is in force. The chapter on home insurance explains the duties that the insurance contract law places on you, among them an honest description of the risk. Change the locks if you want to.

§ 3The community

If the home is in a block, tell the administrator who you are and where to send notices. Ask for the statutes, the latest accounts, the budget, the reserve fund and any special charge that has been voted. The law makes the acquirer answerable with the property for unpaid expenses of three previous calendar years, and a seller must declare that they are up to date, which you should already have checked before completion. This is the time to check again.

§ 4The papers

Put the deed, the registry note, the energy certificate, the cadastral reference and the tax receipts in one folder, on paper and in a scan. Check that the registry has recorded your ownership, which can take a few weeks after the deed, and keep the receipt for the tax payments. If any step is outstanding, ask your lawyer for the date.

§ 5Money and post

Set up direct debits for the bills from a Spanish account, if you have one, and a standing arrangement for the community charges and the local property tax. Give a postal address, even if it is abroad, to the town hall and the community, since notices that you miss can still count as served. The chapter on managing from abroad explains how to cover an empty home.

§ 6Gas, internet and the rest

Decide which services you need while you are away, as how gas and internet works explains. Put a plan in place for the home when you leave: shutters, the water stop tap, the fridge and who holds a key.

§ 7Month end

Review the first bills against your readings, make a list of repairs, and note the dates of coming taxes. If you may sell or let, read the sections on those topics early, because they affect how you keep the papers.

§ 8Keep a log

Write down each task with its date and the person who did it, and keep the log with the property papers. If a supplier disputes a reading, or an insurer asks whether you took reasonable care, the log and the photographs are your evidence. A shared online folder with copies of the papers helps if a relative or an adviser needs access.

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