We are specialists in the purchase and sale of holiday homes in Spain.
If you buy a home in Spain, you must take into account 14.5% additional costs, the buyer's costs. This consists of 10% VAT, 1.5% stamp duty and 3% other costs, such as lawyer, notary, register, land registry, etc. For existing buildings, this percentage is approximately 10% in total in the Costa del Sol and 12 percent in the Costa Blanca. You will then have to deal with a different distribution of costs (including transfer tax instead of VAT). If you first only buy the land and have a house built on it, very different percentages and rules apply. In some cases, a different VAT percentage is calculated on additional options you choose, such as a swimming pool, garage, etc. We are happy to provide you with further information about this, tailored to your personal situation and wishes.
In Spain it is common to use the services of a lawyer during the purchasing process.
The lawyer takes care of a number of matters, including the application for NIE numbers (a type of social security number that is needed when purchasing real estate in Spain). He also checks whether everything is legally in order, whether there are any debts on the property or whether they will be settled during the sale, checks the purchase contract and accompanies him to the notary. The lawyer can advise you on all kinds of matters, such as whether or not to make a will for the property in Spain. It is your own choice whether you want to engage a lawyer during the purchase, it is certainly not an obligation. In most cases we can refer you to a Dutch-speaking lawyer or an English-speaking lawyer.
Guidance by a lawyer is not free, but the costs are quite limited and in most cases fall within the additional costs mentioned. Since we only work with renowned construction companies, we can guarantee the homes we sell, but an additional check by a law firm is an extra security for you that gives you a good and safe feeling. Especially because the role of the notary in Spain is mainly limited to recording.
