Spain Explained

A guide for foreigners on every aspect of safe property ownership in Spain

Posts filtered by Property buying and selling

The power of attorney in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:25 pm. If you are wanting to buy a property in Spain but are finding it difficult to spend the necessary time out here, there are other options. Not everyone finds it convenient to spend time waiting for the lawyers to complete the necessary searches, checks and contracts. […]

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What to expect when buying a house in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:26 pm. You’ve found the house in Spain you’ve always wanted and now it’s all systems go. But you’re not buying a property in your own country and all the usual routines that you’ve probably been through before are absent.  So what can you expect? The NIE If […]

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How much does it cost to buy a house in Spain?

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:26 pm. It’s a good time to buy and we are seeing many people who perhaps thought a house in Spain was out of their price range, suddenly realising that they can buy one after all. Once you’ve got the idea, then the next step is working out […]

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Making checks before you buy in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:27 pm. Now is the time to buy in Spain. There are many properties to choose from offering every facility imaginable. Rustic or town, apartment or villa, spacious or compact – the choice is yours. You might have seen your ideal property on an inspection trip in Spain […]

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Choosing a property in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:27 pm. Spain, remains a popular destination for those aspiring to buy a property abroad. For those living in Europe, Spain is easily accessible and the weather is predictable. It’s a large country and there is no shortage of variation in landscape and leisure activities. The climate and […]

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What is the valor catastral in Spain?

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:28 pm. The valor catastral is the rateable value of a property in Spain and is used to caculate property taxes. In some cases if there is no valor catastral, the purchase price of the property is used for the calculation. However, in our experience, this usually results […]

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The cost of building your own home in Spain

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Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 10:51 am. You perhaps have in mind exactly what you would like your ideal property in Spain to look like, where it should be situated and the dimensions and specifications it should include. Trouble is, one doesn’t seem to have been built yet. The solution? Build one of […]

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Buying bargains with confidence in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:30 pm. It’s a very tempting time to buy in Spain. House prices are at a record low and vendors are falling over themselves to sell their property in Spain. It’s not surprising therefore that so many are grasping the opportunity to make their dreams of a home […]

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What’s happening to electricity prices?

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:30 pm. If you own a property in Spain chances are that your recent electricity bills have given you cause to draw breath. The majority of householders have noticed a steep rise in Spanish electricity prices over the past few years. It isn’t just a case of poorly […]

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Setting your budget for buying in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:31 pm. The market for foreign investment in Spain is a healthy one at the moment. Some of the latest figures on house purchase by foreigners paint a very good picture: In June 2013 the number of Spanish property purchases by foreign buyers increased by 31.5% from that […]

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Keeping your home improvements legal

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:31 pm. Once you have a property in Spain, it is likely that you will find some improvements you want to make to it. Perhaps a new patio, a conservatory or a lick of paint.  If you look at an older urbanisation in Spain it can be surprising […]

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Transferring money from Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:32 pm. In the anxiety to sell your Spanish home you can neglect to consider how you will transfer the money back to your home country once the sale is complete. It’s understandable that other priorities engage you. Will the sale go through? Has all the correct paper […]

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Changes to Spanish mortgages

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:33 pm. Many people buying a Spanish property have relied on obtaining a mortgage in Spain to help them. At one time, this was incredibly easy to do leading to some of the difficulties people now find themselves in.  Negative equity, unaffordable payments that are not matched by […]

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The power of attorney makes it easier to buy Spanish property

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:33 pm. Once you have found the property you’d like to buy in Spain, you want it to proceed as quickly as possible. The buying process requires a number of signatures and appearances at the Spanish notary. Depending on where you are living, this can present problems and […]

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Professional advice when purchasing property in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:34 pm. Everyone wants to keep their costs down when buying property in Spain. It’s understandable that prospective Spanish property owners want to ensure that the buying process takes as little from their hard-earned savings as possible. However, it’s a fine line between cutting your costs and risking […]

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Counting the cost of buying in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:34 pm. Sometimes reading the press you get the impression that everyone has stopped buying houses in Spain. It’s not true. Foreign buyers have actually increased in relation to the number of Spanish buyers. Overall numbers have dropped but there are plenty of people who still want to […]

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Some positive property news in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:34 pm. In the current environment it is pleasing to see some rather more positive statistics emerging for Spanish property owners. The current sales figures for Spanish property reported in The Land Registry* (el registro de propriedades) are promising and suggest a healthy interest from foreigners in buying […]

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Do you own your own business and want to buy property in Spain?

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:35 pm. Owning your own company or business is what many people aspire to. The additional responsibilities and bureaucratic requirements are balanced by the freedom and self-governance that being your own boss can bring. There are some other potential benefits too that you might not even have been […]

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The energy performance certificate (EPC) in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:36 pm. The new law has now been approved. From June 1 2013 property owners have to provide buyers or tenants with an energy performance certificate (EPC) in Spain. The EPC must include objective information about the level of energy efficiency of the building so that potential purchasers […]

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Overcoming the property slump

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:37 pm. Although ‘off-plan’ is definitely down in the doldrums, the Spanish re-sale market has a little more buoyancy. Those who bought before 2005 should be able to market their property at a realistic price without losing out. The UK market is very slow but demand is still […]

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Spanish habitation certificate

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:38 pm. Resale property in Spain, second occupancy or ‘used’. Whatever, you want to call it, buying an existing, older property has overtaken off-plan and new build purchase in popularity. There are advantages to buying resale properties that have increasingly come into their own. To begin with, you […]

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The difference between urban and rustic land

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:38 pm. 1. Suelo Urbano (Urban Land = Residential) This land can be legally built on. Development is permitted and the legal infrastructure for all necessary and basic services, including drainage, roads, pavements, electricity and water, is guaranteed by the Public Administration Office of the local or provincial […]

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More demolitions

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:39 pm. Do you have a property extension in Spain without the proper building licence to go with it? Many people have built upwards and outwards without applying for a licence. Something they would never do in their home country. Town halls are cracking down on people who […]

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A good Spanish solicitor is important for selling too

Last updated on June 3rd, 2020 at 07:23 pm. Most Spanish property purchasers recognise the importance of having good legal representation. However, not all Spanish property sellers are as aware of the need.  Although the buyer’s solicitor will take the lead during the buying and selling process in Spain, you do need your own representative […]

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Mortgages with a floor but no ceiling

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:40 pm. It should be a time for rejoicing for anyone with a mortgage. With interest rates so low, provided you are still in employment, you should at least be enjoying the lowest level of mortgage repayments you could hope for. However, not all home owners with a […]

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