Buyer’s Guide
10 common mistakes when buying your first property on the Costa Blanca
The excitement of buying can cloud your judgement. These are the mistakes most often repeated by buyers — nationals and foreigners alike — and how to avoid them.
Buyer’s Guide
Everything you need to know before, during and after buying a home in Spain: paperwork, taxes, mortgages and contracts.
Buyer’s Guide
Buying from a private seller or a developer: key differences
Taxes, guarantees, negotiation and risks change depending on who you buy from. Here is how a resale purchase compares with a new build.
Buyer’s Guide
How to negotiate the price of a property in Spain
The asking price is rarely the final price. With data, patience and strategy you can secure a real discount. Here is how negotiation works in the Spanish market.
Buyer’s Guide
Municipal capital gains tax after the latest reform: who pays what
The municipal capital gains tax changed completely in 2021. You can now choose your calculation method and pay nothing if you sold at a loss. Here is how it works.
Buyer’s Guide
IBI, waste tax and utilities: the annual costs of owning property in Spain
The purchase price is just the beginning. These are the fixed costs you will pay every year as a property owner in Spain.
Buyer’s Guide
Community of owners: rights, obligations and fees in Spain
When you buy a flat in Spain, you automatically join a community of owners. Here is what it involves, what you pay and what you can decide.
Buyer’s Guide
Energy performance certificate: what rating should your next property have
From A to G, the energy label says far more than a colour. Learn to read it, demand it and understand how it affects a property's value.
Buyer’s Guide
Habitability certificate and first occupancy licence in Spain
Two documents that confirm a property can be legally inhabited. What they are, how they differ and when you need them as a buyer.
Buyer’s Guide
Charges, liens and inherited mortgages: how to check before you buy
A property can hide debts invisible during viewings. Learn how to uncover them before committing and resolve them before signing.
Buyer’s Guide
The nota simple: how to read a Spanish property registry report line by line
Three sections, one page and the full truth about a property. Learn to decode the nota simple before committing to a purchase.
Buyer’s Guide
The role of the notary in Spanish property transactions
The notary does far more than stamp documents: they verify, protect and certify. Here is how their involvement works when buying property in Spain.
Buyer’s Guide
Reservation, earnest money and private contract: the three steps before the notary
Three steps stand between your decision to buy and the moment the notary signs the deed. Here is what each one involves and how much money to set aside.
Buyer’s Guide
Opening a Spanish bank account as a non-resident
Without a Spanish bank account there are no arras, no mortgage, no notary. What papers you need, what it costs, which banks accept you and how to shrink the process to a single visit.
Buyer’s Guide
Purchase fees: notary, registry, gestoría and appraisal
Taxes are only half the story. Notary, registry, gestoría, appraisal and insurance add another 1.5-2 % of the price. What you pay, to whom, when and why — with real numbers.
Buyer’s Guide
ITP, VAT and AJD: Spain's three purchase taxes explained
Resale pays ITP. New-build pays VAT plus AJD. Understanding which tax applies, how much and why is the difference between budgeting right and getting surprised at the notary.
Buyer’s Guide
Non-resident mortgages in Spain: banks, terms and LTV
Spanish banks lend non-residents 60-70 % of the appraised value. Which documents they ask for, what rates to expect and how to prepare before the first meeting.
Buyer’s Guide
NIE for foreigners: what it is, how to apply and why you need it
Eight characters that open every door in Spain — buying, signing, getting paid, living. What the NIE is, how to apply inside or outside the country, and why it's the very first step.
Buyer’s Guide
How to buy a home in Spain as a foreigner: step-by-step guide
From the NIE to the notary. Ten real-world steps, no legal jargon, to turn your ideal Costa Blanca home into a title deed in your name.