Section
Types of property in Spain for foreign buyers
Quick answer
The kind of home you choose decides what to check. A flat means a community and its accounts. A villa or country house means land, licences and services. A plot means planning. A ruin means a bet on permission. A coastal home means the coastal law.
Applies toBuyers who have not yet chosen a type of home, or who are comparing a flat with a house.
On this page: 9 sections
§ 1One market, seven kinds of purchase
Spanish homes come in many forms, and each form brings its own checks. A flat is bought with a community. A villa is bought with land. A townhouse sits between the two. A country house depends on its land status. A plot is bought for what it allows. A renovation is bought for what it can become. A home by the sea or on a golf resort is bought with the rules of the shore or the resort. Each type has its own checks.
§ 2How to choose
Start with how you will use the home: all year, part of the year, or as a let. Then consider upkeep, because a house with land and a pool needs more care than a flat. Think about who will look after it when you are away. Consider your budget, including the taxes, the works and the fees, and the money section explains how to finance a purchase.
§ 3Flats and houses
The chapter on apartments explains communities of owners, fees and the building. The chapter on villas covers detached houses and their plots, and the chapter on townhouses covers attached houses and estates.
§ 4Country, plots and projects
The chapter on country houses and rural property explains the checks on land, water and access. The chapter on land and self-build explains buying a plot and building. The chapter on renovation projects explains buying a property that needs work.
§ 5Sea and golf
The chapter on beachfront and golf explains the coastal law and the checks on resort homes.
§ 6What the chapters share
Each chapter asks the same basic questions: does the registry match the cadastre and the building, are the licences in order, who pays what, and what can you do with the property afterwards. The legal process section explains the checks that apply to every purchase, and the costs section explains the taxes.
§ 7What we do not know
We print no prices, cost averages or market figures for any type of home, because we did not find official ones we could cite. We read the national laws and the ministry’s answers on the coast, but not regional planning rules, and each chapter says where that matters.
§ 8Next
Pick the chapter that fits your plan, and ask your lawyer to check the papers of any home you like before you pay a deposit.
§ 9Chapters in this section
An overview of apartments explains what to check when buying a flat and what to know about villas explains what to check when buying a detached house.
Townhouses in detail explains what to check when buying a terraced or semi-detached house and country houses and rural property for buyers explains what to check on a country house, finca or farm property.
The basics of land and self-build explains buying a plot and building a house on it and renovation projects for buyers explains what to check when buying a property that needs work.
What to know about beachfront and golf explains what to check on a home near the sea or on a golf resort.
FAQRelated questions
Which type of property is easiest for a foreigner?
There is no single answer. A flat in a well-run building has the fewest unknowns about land, while a house gives more space and control. The easiest type is the one whose papers you can check with your lawyer.
Does the type change the taxes?
Yes, partly. New and resale homes are taxed differently, and works, plots and rentals have their own rules. The costs section explains the taxes on a purchase, and each chapter here says where the type matters.
Where do I start?
Settle first on how often and for what purpose you will use the place, then open the chapter matching that type. Have a lawyer vet the papers of anything you like before paying a deposit.
Sources
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Texto refundido de la Ley de Suelo y Rehabilitación Urbana (RDLeg 7/2015) (official source, opens in a new window), Arts. 15, 17 and 21: duty to conserve; rural and urbanised landLast checked 17 October 2026
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (Ley 49/1960, BOE-A-1960-10906) (official source, opens in a new window), Arts. 7, 9, 10, 13, 16 and 17 (consolidated text of 3 October 2026)Last checked 26 October 2026
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley 22/1988 de Costas (BOE-A-1988-18762) (official source, opens in a new window), Arts. 7, 8, 12 to 15, 23 to 28 and 13 bis; text read to article 44, transitional provisions not readLast checked 18 October 2026
Legal note. How the process works in general. It is not legal advice, and it never replaces an independent Spanish lawyer acting for you.