A property purchase and permission to live in Spain are separate decisions. Settle your residence route and overall budget before committing to a home, and appoint an independent Spanish lawyer before signing or paying a reservation deposit.
1. Understand who represents you
Choose a lawyer who acts for you and disclose any connection with the seller, developer or agent. Agree a written scope and fee. A notary has an important legal role, but that is not the same as carrying out all the buyer’s individual due diligence.
2. Check the property beyond the listing
Ask your lawyer to check ownership, registered charges, planning status, permitted use, outstanding taxes and community debts. Compare the land registry, cadastral information and the actual building. A registry entry alone does not prove that every extension has planning permission.
Planning irregularities have different consequences depending on the location and facts. They can affect occupation, utilities, lending, works and resale, and some cases involve enforcement or demolition risk. It is inaccurate to say every irregular property is automatically impossible to sell or connect to utilities.
3. Protect off-plan payments
Before paying a developer, have your lawyer check the applicable bank guarantee or insurance, the individual protection for your payments and the designated account. Do not assume payments below 10% are exempt from needing protection. Clarify completion dates, remedies for delay and the occupation documentation required locally.
4. Separate taxes from other costs
Resale purchases are generally subject to regional transfer tax (ITP). A developer’s first supply of a new dwelling normally follows VAT and stamp-duty (AJD) rules instead. Rates, tax bases and reliefs depend on the transaction and region: do not simply add a generic ITP and VAT allowance together.
Request an itemised completion estimate covering the applicable taxes, purchase deed and registration, legal work, any survey or valuation, and financing. Under the mortgage rules covered by Law 5/2019, the customer generally pays the valuation while the lender pays mortgage formalisation costs such as notary, registry, tax and gestoría. The separate purchase transaction still has its own costs.
5. Test affordability after completion
Obtain actual IBI and community bills, meeting minutes and information about planned major works. Add insurance, utilities, repairs, transport and mortgage payments. A percentage of the purchase price is not a substitute for the property’s real running costs.
Ask a tax adviser about your resident or non-resident obligations and any future sale. Community debt, municipal taxes and non-resident seller withholding need specific handling; do not assume every item is simply a buyer’s extra fee.
6. Do not treat finance or resale as guaranteed
A lender’s initial indication is not final mortgage approval. Have the contract reviewed for financing conditions and the consequences if you cannot complete. Compare the full lending offer, including fees, insurance conditions and repayment provisions.
Visit at different times and seasons. Check year-round services, access, noise, flood exposure and internet availability. There is no reliable nationwide timetable for selling later, and a holiday letting income forecast needs a separate check of licensing and community restrictions.
Before you commit
Keep your residence plan, legal checks and household budget aligned. Renting first can help you test an area, although it is a choice rather than a legal requirement. Costa Bridge can help structure the planning questions; it does not conduct conveyancing or provide investment advice.
Sources and review date
Reviewed on 8 October 2026. Check the linked official guidance for the requirements that apply to your circumstances.