Weeks 3–8 — mortgage offer if needed, funds transfer, completion booked at the notary.
After completion — taxes paid, deed registered, utilities and community account transferred.
Conveyancing for sellers
Selling in Spain as a non-resident brings its own steps: the buyer's 3% retention, plusvalía municipal, cancelling any mortgage and the capital gains return. We prepare the documents a buyer's lawyer will request so the sale does not stall, and then reclaim any overpaid retention. The figures are explained in our guide to non-resident tax in Spain.
Why not use the estate agent's lawyer
The agent is paid only when the sale completes. A lawyer who receives a steady stream of files from that agent has an interest in the deal closing, not in you walking away from a bad one. We take no referral fees from agents, developers or banks.
Buying from the UK: power of attorney
We draft a purchase-specific power of attorney, limited to the transaction, which you notarise and apostille locally. From then on we can obtain your NIE, sign the arras, complete at the notary and register the deed without you flying out. Most clients travel once — to collect the keys.
Fixed fees
From €2,000 plus IGIC, depending on the characteristics and complexity of the transaction, quoted in writing with the scope attached. For higher-value or particularly complex purchases, the fee may instead be calculated as a percentage of the price — typically between 0.5% and 1%. Whether the file takes six weeks or six months, the fee does not change. The full picture of purchase costs is covered in our guide to buying property in Tenerife.
Expat legal lexicon
Spanish property terms explained
Nota Simple
An extract from the Land Registry showing who owns a property, its description and any mortgages, charges or embargoes registered against it.
Contrato de Arras
The private deposit contract signed before completion. Under penitential arras, a buyer who withdraws loses the deposit and a seller who withdraws returns it doubled.
Escritura
The public title deed signed before a Spanish notary at completion, later registered at the Land Registry.
Catastro vs Registro
The Catastro is the tax register describing the physical property; the Registro de la Propiedad records legal ownership and charges. Both should match.
Plusvalía Municipal
A local tax on the increase in land value, charged by the town hall when a property is sold or inherited. Normally paid by the seller.
Licencia de Primera Ocupación
The first-occupation licence confirming a building complies with its planning permission. Needed to connect utilities in many new builds.
ITP vs IGIC
ITP is the transfer tax on resale properties; IGIC is the Canary Islands' indirect tax applied instead of VAT on new builds bought from a developer.
NIE
The foreigner's identification number required to buy, sell, inherit or pay taxes on property in Spain.
