A lawyer guards the legal part of your purchase. But no one is tasked with overseeing the whole process on the buyer's side. What a lawyer does and does not catch, what it cost us, and what fills the gap.
The arras is the moment your offer becomes binding. The type of arras decides what it costs you to walk away, and the deadline decides whether the mortgage process still fits. The mechanics, where it goes wrong, and one concrete timing detail from our own file.
A buyer can have €200,000 sitting in their account and still run short of cash during a property purchase in Spain. The five financial moments between offer and ownership, with what each one costs and how far in advance you need to plan.
Catalonia no longer has a flat 10% ITP rate. Since 27 June 2025, a progressive band system applies. How it works, what you pay at different purchase prices, and why many online calculations are out of date.
The escritura is the official property deed in a Spanish real estate transaction. What the document contains, who is present, and why the notary appointment is not the moment to solve problems.
What does buying property in Spain actually cost beyond the purchase price? We paid €55,488 in taxes and costs on our own purchase in Baix Empordà — here's what surprised us.
No NIE, no bank account. No bank account, no mortgage. What looks like one administrative task sits at the start of a chain. Start too late, and delays spread across the whole process.
