The buying process

Buying off plan
Our Lawyer will ensure the developer has all the documentation needed to guarantee the procedure, with the appropriate planning consents and without the burden of debts or charges registered against it.
Purchasing a property on a new development, the developer should provide, by law bank guarantees against each payment made on account of the purchase price. Many developers offer these bank guarantees free of charge, others make a percentage charge. A bank guarantee protects your payments. In the unlikely event that the developer does not finish the property or goes into liquidation, all funds will be returned to you.
New property is handed over without water and electricity connection but don't worry because our Lawyers will arrange all this for you. Connection of such services can take up to four weeks following completion. Therefore, we suggest that you do not make any plans to use the property during this period.
Under Spanish Law, the developer will issue you with a 10 year construction guarantee, also our lawyers will ask for all the documentation needed to guarantee the purchase procedure.

Resale Properties
As a Resale property, our Lawyers will provide you guarantees checking that the property is bought free of encumbrances, liens, charges or debts and that all payments of local contributions and community charges are paid.

Steps...

-FIRST STEP.

Reservation deposit
Once you have found the right property, the purchase process begins with a reservation agreement, which takes the property off the market and also freezes the purchase price. The deposit to pay at this stage is between 3.000 and 12.000 euros. Before arriving in Spain, ensure you have funds available. The best way to pay the reservation fee is by credit card or in cash. It is not advisable to pay by cheque, especially if drawn on a foreign bank account, as it can take approximately 14 days to clear at a Spanish bank. Such a delay could cost you your property.

-SECOND STEP.

Exchange of private contracts
Within 28 days after signing the reservation agreement, the private purchase contract is to be signed between the purchaser and the seller (or their authorised representatives). During this time, our lawyer will have gone through the terms of the proposed contract and has completed the investigations and searches of the property and will have arranged with the seller the procedure for cancellation of any outstanding debts. It is customary practice at this point to pay between 10% and 20% of the purchase price. Funds should be lodged in your own Spanish bank account. Which we will have set up for you.

-THIRD STEP.

Completion (Escritura de Compraventa)
A property sale is formally completed in Spain when the title deed (escritura de compraventa) has been signed before a Public Notary in Spain, the agreed final payment has been made and possession of the property passes to the new owner. In the case of a new construction it can take up to 18 months before completion and usually payments are in stages of two to four months, for example by bills of exchange, cheques from the Spanish bank account or transfers.

-FINAL STEP.

Registration
Once the title deed has been signed, the notary will fax a copy of it to the local land registry. Our lawyer will pay on your behalf all the relevant transfer taxes and will deal with the formalities of registering your title deed. Final registration of the title deed may take several months. Our lawyer will arrange for the transfer of accounts with utility services, such as water and electricity, through your Spanish bank account (direct debit).